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Mitchell House
Graham Denholm

Mitchell House

This six-storey example of Art Deco "streamline moderne" architecture in the heart of the CBD has become a super-cool commercial hub

Written by
Meg Crawford
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It's one of those cool and curious CBD buildings that you've possibly walked by a million times – but have you ever popped in to check out what's there? If not, you need to remedy that situation right now.

And once you've enjoyed a new shopping adventure at Mitchell House, you should explore the vertical-retail joys of the Nicholas Building and Curtin House.  

What's in Mitchell House?

Rocksteady Records
  • Shopping
  • Melbourne

Having worked in record stores since the late ’80s, Rocksteady Record’s proud owner Pat Monaghan is a laidback, thoughtful and thoroughly knowledgeable music devotee. The store will stock mostly vinyl (new and second hand) and turntables, while Monaghan promises that his black-wax baby will focus on local talent, including bands not signed yet to big distributors.  “A real driver for me was that when I was growing up, you could go to the city and do a tour of the CBD’s record stores,” he says. “I wanted to bring back more of a circuit – so now there’ll be Missing Link, Collectors Corner, Wax Museum Records, Off the Hip, Basement Discs and you can finish up at Rocksteady Records”.

Distinctive Dame
  • Health and beauty
  • Hairdressers
  • Melbourne

Be pampered in this vintage-beauty salon, while enjoying some yesteryear luxury and leave feeling prettier than Betty Draper. The proprietor Margeaux Vallantyne specialises in vintage dos from the ’20s to ’60s. It’s a got to for brides, but there’s no reason you can’t go for an old-fashioned wet set and high hair glamour any time.

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Off the Top of My Head
  • Health and beauty
  • Hairdressers
  • Melbourne

This is the most peaceful salon imaginable: only one customer is dealt with at a time and tunes come supplied by turntable. Then there's the coool artwork and good chat. Add to that the haircut and colour of a lifetime and matchboxes by way of promotional material – seriously, why would you go anywhere else?

Lord Coconut
  • Shopping
  • Designer
  • Melbourne

Lord Coconut is the city’s only retailer, gallery and online boutique selling jewellery specifically for men, and a cornucopia of eccentric finds. Guided by the interior design ethos of a 19th century natural history museum, the space is replete with pinned butterflies, (faux) scrimshaw, birds’ eggs and a few spots of taxidermy. Wedding rings are their bread and butter, but you’ll find everything from cuff links to tie pins.

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