Cult Design takes commercial and retail space at Fitzroy Fitzroy as founder buys into project

High-end retailer Cult Design has signed up to take all of the commercial space, and a large section of the retail space, on the street-level of the upcoming new Fitzroy apartment development, Fitzroy Fitzroy.

Cult Design, which offers premium furniture, lighting and objects from iconic international and local brands, will also furnish the communal areas of the project with Cult’s brands, as well as Cultivate — Cult’s in-house sustainability program that provides buyback, refurbishment, and recycling services — a program that aligns with the project’s efforts to restore and preserve the heritage aspects of the building. Current and future residents will also have the option to purchase a turnkey furnished solution curated by Cult.

Cult has taken the entirety of the project's commercial space, and two of the three retail lots, which will form Cult's new HQ and flagship showroom. 

In a further commitment to the building, Cult Design Founder Richard Munao has also bought one of the five terrace homes in the project. So too has DKO’s Director of Interiors & Design Lead for the project, Michael Drescher. The sales highlight the deep alignment between the project’s architectural intent and its growing community of discerning owner-occupiers, including the collaborators themselves.

Dean Lefkos, founder and director of Chapter Group which is developing Fitzroy Fitzroy, said the project is unlike any development he’s seen in terms of its buyer community.

“Fitzroy Fitzroy is a true owner-occupier project; we’ve had best friends, siblings and even cousins purchasing homes, which is truly rare in residential projects these days," Lefkos said.

“The architecture and interiors of Fitzroy Fitzroy genuinely reflect the suburb’s character, with thoughtful design that has clearly resonated with purchasers."

Located on Smith Street and designed by DKO Architecture, Fitzroy Fitzroy sits behind a grand heritage brick facade, once home to MacRobertson’s Garage and Workshop, and reaches nine storeys high, complete with angular rooftops and a chamfered western side to create sunlit internal spaces and generous viewlines.

Originally launching to market with 56 apartments and six terrace homes, Fitzroy Fitzroy will now be home to 52 apartments and five terrace homes following a number of amalgamations. One such purchaser is Michael Drescher, DKO’s design lead on the project, who purchased a three-bedroom apartment.

“I knew the site well, it’s a pocket of Fitzroy I’ve always admired, but it was through designing the interiors and meeting future residents
that I knew this was a place we could truly call home,” Drescher said.

“I sensed early on that the building would foster a strong sense of community, and that feeling came to life during one of the purchaser events — everyone had the chance to meet their future neighbours, but it felt more like a gathering of old friends coming together.

“At DKO, we invested considerable time in crafting each floor plan with care. From the outset, we anticipated strong interest from owner-occupiers and particularly those already living in the area. The apartment we purchased was always one of my favourite floor plans in the project."

Buyers will have access to resident-only amenities including the Smith Club, with communal bar and dining, private meeting and work-from-home spaces and an expansive, tranquil rooftop garden on level nine, designed by TCL.

Having met with future residents and purchasers, Drescher has developed an understanding of how the residential amenities and rooftop communal spaces will be used and is working with Cult and Chapter Group on furniture selections to suit.

At ground level, an internal laneway connects Smith Street to the residents’ lobby, inspired by the local arcades in Melbourne’s CBD, with Cult’s future corner showroom to be located behind the existing brick facade, with large windows opening onto both Smith Street and Leicester Street.

Limited apartments remain, ranging from $720,000 to over $4 million. Three yet-to-be-released sub-penthouses will launch to market in spring.