Meet Allan and Archie from 4 Ballarat Street, Brunswick

Quietly creative and proudly minimalist, Allan has found his rhythm at 4 Ballarat Street. Whether he’s woodworking in the workshop, exploring the rooftop with his beagle Archie, or soaking up the neighbourhood’s energy, Allan appreciates the balance of excitement, creativity and connection that comes from living in Brunswick.

A: I’ve always been a creative person, and it’s also been one of my main goals to continue to have a creative outlet.

I grew up in Berlin and since I was a kid, I've been interested in buildings and urban cities, which led me into architecture. Today I'm a graphic designer, working in signage for over 10 years.

A; Lots of stuff: jewellery boxes, desks, a poker table, even a humidor. Just little projects here and there whenever I get a chance. When I make something, it’s always for other people rather than for myself.

A; The high ceilings were a big attraction and makes the space look huge – I ordered my wall shelving unit before I even moved in because of the ceiling height.

 When I was first looking at homes here, I was focused on the one-bedrooms apartments, but when I saw the studios, I liked them more. I like to keep my life quite compact - I don’t like clutter. Whenever I buy a new jumper, an old one has to go. Having a studio almost forces you in a good way to be compact and minimal. 

A: I do love Tiba’s across the road. The chicken shish and the little cheese pitas they do are awesome. There is also Royal Cues Billiards up Sydney Road: I meet up with friends to play some pool every couple of weeks.

As for Archie … we tend to walk around Gilpin Park a lot and up and down Sydney Road; there’s always some sort of entertainment along there.  And everyone is very friendly here and happy to come up to you and say hello to Archie.