The instructions for visiting Sue-Anne Webster's home start of normally enough with "press the buzzer". But things take a decidedly unusual turn after that, with advice about not going over the indoor bridge, looking out for the skeleton in the coffin, and watching out for the bottomless pit.

Sue-Anne travels the world earning a full-time living as a magician, and is considered among her peers as one of the world's best female magic makers.

And her Northcote home is a true testament to that.

Sue-Anne renovated the two-storey warehouse conversion with husband and fellow magician Tim Ellis, taking it from the old Australian Broom Company factory to a home with one floor entirely devoted to magic.

"That's the trunk Tim was in after he did an escape routine after he was placed in the Yarra in it," Sue-Anne says as she points out the magical prop in the foyer.

There's also a non-working guillotine here, but it's the entrance alcove between the front door and the foyer that most resembles a trip to a theme-park ghost ride.

The darkened space comes complete with the sound effect of whistling wind and a skeleton in a homemade coffin. An optical illusion creates a bottomless pit, and there are relics of the old broom factory, including a bristle cleaner and old electrical ware, that have been left where they were found when the couple took ownership.

"I'm not into ghoulish stuff at all, I just wanted to create a fun area," Sue-Anne says.

"When I open the door to the foyer people say, 'I'm not ready to come out yet, I'm still exploring this area.'"              

Sue-Anne and Tim perform magic acts around the world, appear at magicians' conferences and lecture on the art of magic.

They run Magic Unlimited, which supplies magicians and performers for all sorts of functions.

Downstairs is a large rehearsal space where Sue-Anne levitates tables and feather quills. It is full of the props they use in their routines, all items, Sue-Anne says, that have become part of the decor.

There is the straitjacket from which Tim escapes, the box in which Tim is placed and "squashed" by Sue-Anne, and the equipment with which Sue-Anne "chainsaws" Tim in half.

And what do you do with a disused heating duct outlet if you are into magic?

Fill it with a hand and some hair poking out so it looks as though someone, or something, is trapped in there.

Sue-Anne has been known to perform in a lookalike role as Jeannie from TV's I Dream of Jeannie fame, and as a fan of the show, she has a corner devoted to Jeannie memorobilia, which includes a replica genie's bottle signed by the show's stars, Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman.

"Most magicians are male, there are very few female magicians in the world," Sue-Anne says.

"Tim started in magic at 10, I didn't start until I was 21 or 22. I loved watching it, but magic clubs are secret and magicians don't like to pass on their secrets so where do you learn?"

"When I was 22, I started doing art lessons and my art teacher was also a magician and he showed me how to do my first magic trick."

Sue-Anne's office downstairs honours her love of dragons, magic and wizards.

"I'm a dragon freak, I'm more of a fantasy fan than Tim, and I love lighting, so I have used it all over this room," Sue-Anne says.

But she turns out the lights, including one blue light at the tip of a wizard's staff she has designed for a magic show prop, to reveal the wizard she has painted across the wall in special glow-in-the-dark paint.

The room also incorporates a realitistic looking tunnel she has created with mirrors and lights, saying "every wizard has to have a time portal."

There is a secret door into the courtyard outside, a carved wooden "throne" Sue-Anne picked up for $200 at a sale, her collection of small, magical-looking trunks, and books on magic and tricks.

Upstairs, past the huge, furry, black spider (thankfully fake) clinging to the wall, it's like a different world.

A conventional bedroom, ensuite, large laundry, streamlined kitchen in soft-blue cabinetry and an open-plan living and dining area make for a space filled with natural light and rooftop views.

"To stay normal I have to take time out from downstairs and move up to the second storey," Sue-Anne says.

And it is here she can brew coffee at her coffee machine, relax on the balcony or enjoy her custom-made timber dining table, just like anyone else.