Co-host of Channel 9’s ‘Space Invaders’ Cherie Barber is a serial renovator, but the incredible converted warehouse at 42 Alberto Street is the one property that she’s selling completely untouched.
‘This is the first property I’ve ever bought that was already renovated,’ Cherie says. She purchased it just a few years ago from Merrick and Georgie Watts, who had turned the former lolly factory into a five-bedroom dream home in 2013, with the help of architect Virginia Kerridge.
Months before it last hit the market, she was tipped off that an ‘unbelievable’ property would be for sale soon and saw a preview of the listing’s photos. Cherie fell in love with three-storey abode’s unique character immediately and spent months ‘obsessing’ over the images before she even got to step foot inside.
The 2013 renovation had stripped back a blue-painted render to reveal the building’s endearing brick walls. Interior details crafted from recycled materials and reclaimed wharf timbers perfectly complement the exposed Oregon roof trusses, bringing an airy and industrial feel to the home. Soaring ceilings make way for a living room of epic proportions, featuring a five-metre-high library wall and a suspended fireplace.
‘Visitors to the home are often blown away by its sheer size, scale and uniqueness,’ Cherie adds. ‘There’s something very relaxing and comforting with timber and those original floor-to-ceiling glass doors.’
In the expansive kitchen, a 9-metre-long ironbark island is the heart of the home, opposite open-air terrace with a dining area and a mosaic-tiled pool encased in Corten steel. The house has been shaped around an internal garden with a giant Banksia tree that flanks the top-floor’s main bedroom, which Cherie says makes you feel like ‘you’re sleeping in the treetops’! The lucky buyers will also be moving into Lilyfield, in Sydney’s inner-west, just a few kilometres from the city.
‘I also love the fact that when you close the front door, it’s like you’re living in your own world. No-one can see into the property, so it offers the ultimate privacy.’
Luxuries are hidden throughout too, ranging from a triple-car garage to a 500 bottle wine cellar, in addition to sustainable features like solar power.
Cherie says while the experience of living a converted warehouse of this size will be ‘hard to beat’, she’s onto her next renovation project (with plans to tackle some nostalgic retro motels!) and is ready to find a new custodian for this very special home.
42 Alberto Street, Lilyfield is listed for sale with Shannan Whitney and Chris Nunn from Bresic Whitney via expressions of interest.
