There are few things more quintessentially Melbourne than a good warehouse conversion, hidden in a prime inner-city location.

While the streets of Fitzroy and Collingwood are lined with apartments inside former warehouses, homes quite as large as the factory-turned-house at 4-6 Phoenix Lane in West Melbourne rarely hit the market.

That’s why barrister Evelyn Goldberg and her husband couldn’t believe their good fortune when they scored the keys to the three-bedroom pad about eight years ago.

‘We had been looking for a warehouse property with outdoor space for some time before we saw this home online,’ Evelyn says.

Built as part of the Phoenix Clothing factory back in the 1860s, the brick and bluestone building is heritage-listed as one of Victoria’s oldest examples of a mechanised clothing manufacturer from the 19th century.

It’s since been converted into a unique home that unfolds over three levels, complete with original timber floors, barn doors, soaring roof trusses, sash windows, and exposed pipework painted in a bold red hue.

‘We were lucky the home had all the features we had dreamed of, including a “glass box” library room — a full wall of glass in the downstairs area — and most importantly, a really usable outdoor space,’ Evelyn adds.

On the ground floor, the couple have turned the carport spaces into a courtyard oasis, while the entire top level of the home features a sweeping open-plan kitchen and dining area.

Evelyn says they’ve loved the privacy of the building’s laneway location, positioned right on the edge of the the CBD and Flagstaff Gardens.

‘We will miss the feeling of being close to everything the city has – parks, theatre, art, restaurants and bars,’ she says, having just listed the home for sale.

‘And the view of the tall residential buildings at night is charming, with all the lights of the apartments shining.’

4-6 Phoenix Lane, West Melbourne, VIC, 3003, is listed for private sale with Mark Verrocchi and Bella Cortese at Nelson Alexander Carlton North.