Chippendale Warehouse Transformed into Architectural Masterpiece
A century-old warehouse reborn as a $19 million inner-city sanctuary, The Pigeon Shed blends gallery-scale drama with family living in a bold architectural reinvention.
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Behind an unassuming brick façade in Chippendale, The Pigeon Shed is a Sydney warehouse that rewrites the rulebook on inner-city renovation. Part gallery, part residential sanctuary, the former atelier that earned its nickname thanks to a colony of wild birds that once called it home is today an architectural anomaly.
Owned by creative director Beau Neilson, the daughter of billionaire arts patron Judith Neilson and fund manager Kerr, the transformed 1914 industrial shell has been an artistic labour of love for the owner of The Vanguard in Newtown, reimagined alongside the team at MCK Architects.
Purchased in 2012 for $3.1 million, Neilson transformed the one-time dilapidated shell over a decade.
Since then, the five-bedroom, four-bathroom Chippendale property has appeared in several architectural publications, such as Habitus, Architizer and The Design Files, celebrated for its unique blend of steel, timber, marble and concrete surfaces coupled with its intelligent use of space.
The savvy reinvention of the compact 324sq m corner block footprint has resulted in 735 sq m of internal and external living space across three levels.
Although selling agent Shannan Whitney of BresicWhitney is not publicly commenting on the price guide, the home is reportedly being shopped around for about $19 million.
The one-time soap factory is being traded in by Neilson for a $20 million waterfront estate she recently bought in Double Bay, according to news reports.
The contemporary home features gallery-sized entertainment zones with dramatic high ceilings, vertical gardens and landscaped courtyards that allow for oodles of natural light and private gatherings inside and out.
The main living level houses a vast gourmet kitchen featuring a dramatically long island bench, a hidden butler’s pantry and an internal courtyard that flows seamlessly to an indoor pool. On the same level, a family room also adjoins a second internal terrace.
A unique copper-clad elevator joins all three floors, including a lower-level lounge room, a library with a secret door to a guest bedroom suite, and a separate study.
The top-level layout has three more bedrooms incorporating the upper-floor primary wing with a full-width street-facing terrace, a designer ensuite and dressing room. Each of the two remaining bedrooms has its own en-suites and shares a grand landscaped side terrace.
Additional features include a built-in solar system, hydronic heating, exposed beams and original brickwork.
Located within a short walk to UTS, Broadway, and Newtown cafes and restaurants and the CBD.
The Pigeon Shed at 42-44 Pine St, Chippendale, interest campaign with Shannan Whitney of BresicWhitney.
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A former Paul Bangay estate in the Macedon Ranges blends heritage charm, sculpted gardens and pavilion living across 108 hectares.
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Seemingly borrowed from a scene in Bridgerton, or plucked from the pages of a Brontë novel, St Ambrose in the picturesque Macedon Ranges of Victoria is a masterclass in English-inspired charm.
It’s no surprise, then, that the expansive 108ha estate, whose grounds are known as The Enchanted Garden, is the former home of celebrated landscaper Paul Bangay.
St Ambrose is a property with a genuine narrative. The story begins in the 1880s, when the original bones of the modernised homestead were just a humble schoolhouse.
Just over a century later, Bangay bought the country compound and spent a decade transforming it into a magical escape showcased in his iconic book, The Enchanted Garden.
Arranged as a sequence of “rooms”, the grounds are connected by sculptured hedges and framed planting that has been handpicked to connect with the surrounding Macedon landscape.
Now the estate is back on the market via an expressions-of-interest campaign with Campbell Kilsby and Tony Ryan of Kay & Burton Bayside, who are seeking offers between $8 million and $8.8 million. According to title records, it last traded in 2023 for $8 million.
A line of perfectly placed pencil pines frames a structured forecourt, anchored by a central, calming water feature.
Beyond the landmark gardens, the residence has also been revived, crafted into a series of connected pavilions balancing old and new. The former schoolhouse is still part of the story, now integrated into the main living zones.
Inside, the house features epic proportions with high ceilings, big fireplaces, spacious rooms, and expansive glazing that captures the romance of the outdoors from every angle.
The central country kitchen has stone surfaces, an island bench, shaker cabinetry, and French doors to the patio.
There are four bedrooms, including a main suite with a quiet garden outlook, while additional bedrooms are positioned for privacy. At the far end of the vast floor plan, there is also a fully self-contained one-bedroom guest residence for extended family or visitors.
Two separate garages have raked western red cedar ceilings, polished concrete floors, and custom timber doors that open the space up for entertaining in the stately setting. Ordinarily, the garage can accommodate more than five vehicles.
In addition to the heritage-style gardens, the grounds feature a newly rebuilt 20m wet-edge pool with an integrated spa, as well as an upgraded reflection pond complete with new filtration and lighting.
Other recent behind-the-scenes renovations include hydronic heating, air conditioning, irrigation, and water storage.
St Ambrose is close to Woodend Station and is approximately 70kms from Melbourne’s CBD.
St Ambrose at 7 Wood St, Woodend, Victoria, is listed through an expressions-of-interest campaign with Kay & Burton Bayside. Offers close on May 27 at 5 pm, and the price guide is $8 million to $8.8 million.
The megamansion was built for Tony Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune and brother of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
From farm-to-table Thai to fairy-lit mango trees and Coral Sea vistas, Port Douglas has award-winning dining and plenty of tropical charm on the side.
