OWN A MELBOURNE MASTERPIECE BY BYRON’S RECORD-BREAKING ARCHITECTS
From a record-breaking beach house in Byron to a modern Melbourne dream home, the creative team at Workman Design is turning heads.
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Their exquisite attention to contemporary detail recently earned Melbourne-based architects, Workroom Design, ultimate bragging rights after a home they crafted broke a new price benchmark in Byron Bay.
Now there is a chance for Melbourne design lovers to buy their very own Workroom home in Hawthorn – at half the cost of the Byron pad.
That prestige beach pile just sold for $33.5 million, snapped up by Chemist Warehouse billionaire couple Damien Gance and Sasha Robertson. However, the newly listed Workman creation at 73 Kooyongkoot Rd in Hawthorn is on the market with Kay & Burton Boroondara via an expressions of interest campaign guide of $13 million to $14 million.
The Mediterranean-inspired five-bedroom, six-bathroom residence might be a world away from famed Belongil Beach but the acclaimed architects still met the brief with the same level of expert detail and finishes.
Surrounded by lush landscaping by Ben Scott, the Hawthorn home is a modern marvel with a striking sculptural façade, a thoughtful layout and carefully considered touches from chevron oak herringbone flooring and Italian porcelain tiling, to stucco Veneziano walls, marble surfaces and fluted glass detailing.
Beyond a covered front patio and formal foyer, the large lounge room has a striking black marble fireplace, and across the hall, there is a home office with integrated cabinetry.
Down a glass gallery and north-facing central garden, the rest of the ground-floor layout reveals the everyday family zone. A sleek kitchen hosts a sculptural natural stone island bench, full suite of Wolf appliances, and built-in Sub-Zero refrigeration. A hidden butler’s pantry with all the trimmings has a door to the side garden, offering easy access for caterers.
The adjoining dining and family rooms feature expanses of north-facing windows for loads of natural light, and a covered outdoor room is the perfect spot for all-weather barbecues and alfresco entertaining beside the heated pool.
Further options for gatherings with family and friends include a lower level gold-class home cinema and a custom-designed showcase wine cellar with sculptural curved detailing.
In addition to a guest bedroom on the lower ground floor, the upper accommodation level has four more bedrooms and a multipurpose living room.
Each bedroom has an ensuite and built-in storage, however the palatial main bedroom wing is an oasis with a vast dressing room, a private terrace and a grand bathroom with circular freestanding bath, steam room and custom-designed vanities.
The long list of added extras elevates the house to a dream home, thanks to inclusions such as a lift to all three levels, a six-car garage, hydronic heating, ducted air-conditioning and vacuuming, an alarm, and CCTV surveillance.
Located in the coveted Scotch Hill enclave of Hawthorn, the tree-lined street is characterised by its stately residences and enviable position close to Melbourne’s leading private schools including Scotch College, as well as parklands, transport, and popular shopping precincts such as Camberwell Junction, Glenferrie Road, and Auburn Village.
Expressions of interest for 73 Kooyongkoot Rd, Hawthorn close 3 April at 5pm Scott Patterson, Ross Savas and Jamie Mi of Kay & Burton Boroondara.
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Hospitality entrepreneurs Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh have set a new price benchmark for apartment living in Richmond with their purchase of a Carmine House penthouse.
2 min
Leading Australian development manager Fortis has secured a landmark off-the-plan sale at Richmond Square, with high-profile hospitality entrepreneurs Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh purchasing a 550sqm penthouse residence in Carmine House, establishing a new price benchmark for apartment living in Richmond.
The purchase underscores the continued demand for premium, amenity-rich residences in Melbourne’s inner east.
The transaction marks a significant milestone for the $330 million mixed-use precinct, reinforcing buyer appetite for integrated, lifestyle-led developments.
Richmond Square comprises two residential offerings – Carmine House and Wiltshire House – alongside a 57-room boutique hotel, strata office space and a curated mix of retail and lifestyle operators.
As part of Carmine House, residents have access to hotel-style amenities and services, including concierge, housekeeping, dry cleaning and in-residence food and beverage delivery.
Best known for building The Big Group into one of Australia’s leading luxury hospitality and events businesses, the Keebaughs were drawn to the precinct’s integrated lifestyle offering and its proximity to Melbourne’s hospitality, cultural and sporting precincts, while remaining well connected to the Mornington Peninsula, where they spend much of their time.
As well, Chyka is well known to Australian audiences as one of the original stars of The Real Housewives of Melbourne, appearing across three seasons of the hit reality series.
Alongside her business ventures with Bruce, she has built a public profile as a lifestyle authority, authoring two books on home and entertaining, Chyka Home and Chyka Celebrate.
“We weren’t simply looking for a luxury apartment,: the couple said. “We were looking for a home that delivers an exceptional lifestyle every day. The combination of design, walkability, security and the broader precinct vision for the broader precinct immediately stood out.”
Jordan Winada, Head of Acquisitions (Commercial) Victoria at Fortis, said the result highlights evolving priorities at the top end of the market.
“This sale reinforces that premium buyers are prioritising the complete lifestyle experience,” says Winada.
“They’re increasingly looking beyond the apartment itself and assessing the quality of the surrounding neighbourhood as well.”
Sean Cussell, Director at Christie’s International Real Estate Victoria, who negotiated the transaction, said the result reflects the lack of comparable product at this level of the market.
“There’s simply no direct comparison for this in Richmond. It’s not just an apartment; it’s part of a fully integrated precinct combining residential, hotel, workplace and lifestyle amenity,” Cussell said.
“Buyers are increasingly assessing the broader offering, from amenity and walkability to service and convenience. Projects that deliver a complete lifestyle experience continue to outperform.”
The sale contributes to Fortis’ strong national performance, with the business recording more than $124 million in sales since March, the last three all record-breaking penthouse sales across the country, reflecting sustained momentum across its portfolio and continued appetite for premium, design-driven developments.
This follows Fortis’ recent record-breaking Ruby House penthouse sale in Sydney’s Double Bay, which set a new benchmark for apartment living in the suburb and underscores the strength of demand at the ultra-premium end of the market.
Richmond Square will announce its hospitality and lifestyle operators in the coming weeks as the project progresses towards completion this year.
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