Carpentry in Northcote

I lived in Mitchell Street Northcote for a few years in the late 1990’s. This was long before I became a carpenter.  High Street was still a very bustling and vibrant shopping area but there certainly weren’t as many cafes and bars that line the area now.  My most frequent visits were to the laundromat, the Greek deli and the bakery just before Separation Street.  While waiting at the tram stop to head into Carlton for work, I would gaze in the Gainsville Furniture store windows and dream of the lounge suites I would buy when I eventually had my own house.

A lot has changed since then and at the time, I certainly didn’t appreciate the original architecture of the area.  I was renting a yellow and blue single fronted Victorian terrace with detailed lacework, cornices and high ceilings but to me it was simply an old house with creaking floorboards!  Friends across High Street had a beautiful Californian bungalow with original timber lined walls, ornamental plaster work, leadlight windows and beautiful Baltic pine flooring that I remember fondly now, but back then, I probably couldn’t understand why they didn’t carpet the whole house…!

Now when I work in Northcote I truly admire the craftsmanship and style of the original houses and the attention to detail carpenters used in all aspects of their work.  It’s lovely to see these features returned to their original glory by the new owners and complimentary contemporary additions made.