A little slice of serenity close to the action

One end of Havelock Street, St Kilda, is opposite parkland; the other meets the cosmopolitan junction of The Esplanade, Acland and Carlisle streets.
One end of Havelock Street, St Kilda, is opposite parkland; the other meets the cosmopolitan junction of The Esplanade, Acland and Carlisle streets. The chic townhouse at No. 56A, while at the heart of the action, is kept private and tranquil by its leafy surrounds and owners Kristie Gray and Stuart Dinn vouch for the serenity.
"The living room stares out to a beautiful big peppercorn tree, it's very peaceful, there are trees all around and you feel a million miles away," says Mrs Gray. "And it's handy with (daughter) Sienna; I haven't needed to drive much as we can walk to shops, parks, beach and movies."
The flats has two bedrooms (one with balcony), a study and a bathroom on the first floor. At ground level, the spacious living and kitchen area has polished boards and is kept bright by a lightwell decorated with a water feature and greenery. The roomy courtyard is dressed with plants and stylish bench seating from a modification the couple did when they bought the house brand new 10 years ago.
"We changed the plants, added seats and built in light boxes where we put ornaments with downlights on them. You sit there and feel like you're in a resort or something," says Mrs Gray