Canterbury has long been one of Melbourne's most coveted neighbourhoods. The suburb is a downsizer's delight with its leafy streets, mature gardens, green spaces, grand heritage homes, and extensive shopping, cafe and restaurant choices.
Now a new development is offering a rare opportunity to make this highly sought-after location home and allow more people to take advantage of all the lifestyle benefits it offers.
With its high-level design and quality focus, the five-level Lechte Corporation project Melior is part of a vision to deliver an apartment product worthy of the special site on Canterbury's Shierlaw Avenue.
"We wanted a concept that would enrich the lives of the residents as well as leave a lasting legacy for Shierlaw Avenue and Canterbury," said Lechte Corporation director Chris Paul, who grew up in the eastern suburbs and has a strong appreciation of Canterbury's unique qualities.
"Higher density living often butts up to significant residential property so it's our responsibility to bring something that's beautiful for not only the people living there but also the community who live around it to be proud of as well. It's very important to us."
Lechte is developing Melior in collaboration with some of Melbourne's leading names in architecture, interior design and landscaping.
Designed by Plus Architecture, the building includes just 42 one, two and three-bedroom residences. It features some highly sculptural elements, including the playful curves and cascading walls of the north-facing exterior, which wraps around a communal garden oasis landscaped by John Patrick.
Inside the apartments, floor-to-ceiling windows allow natural light to flood into generous living spaces. Designed by Mim Design, the interiors feature natural finishes, European oak floorboards, and the warmth of linen sheers, natural stone and charred wood.
The lure of the Canterbury lifestyle combined with the community feel and quality of Melior inside and out were deciding factors for Robert Russi, who has secured a two-bedroom apartment on the north-facing side of the development.
The born-and-bred Melburnian was on the hunt for an apartment after selling his large home in Ringwood North, where he'd lived and raised his family for more than 16 years. "I wanted to downsize; the kids have grown up, the house was on a big block, and I didn't want the headache of the maintenance," said the 59-year-old. "I was keen to move closer in, to a nice area offering a good lifestyle."
Mr Russi said Melior was very different to the other apartment developments he'd seen in his search for his perfect home.
"I loved the design and, being smaller, the sense of community I think there will be. I liked the idea of the garden where people can go out and mingle and talk in the evening - you're not locked in a box."
Robert Russi, Melior purchaser
"And just look at what's around it. You've got Canterbury Station across the road that takes you straight into the city, the absolutely magnificent Canterbury Gardens nearby and Maling Road on your doorstep."
Canterbury's village atmosphere, green spaces, and the sense of community Melior is designed to create are key parts of the appeal for buyers, said Andrew Leoncelli from CBRE, the project agent.
"Many people buying into the project are downsizers, and community for them is very important," he said. "They want to go for coffee and meet people. And they want to still have access to a garden where they can sit, read a book or gather with people. Melior has it all."
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