MODERN MAKEOVER
Polished renovation at turnkey family home in Dublin 6, €1.4m
THE elegant interiors of this two-storey Victorian house on Rathgar Road would look very much at home on the pages of an interiors magazine. The palette is that fashionable shade of soft grey throughout with crisp white cornice work and limned grey floorboards. Even the ceilings of the first floor drawing room, kitchen and hallway are painted the same subtle shade, while the veining on the marble drawing room fireplace chimes in. And while the property runs to just three bedrooms and two bathrooms, it has been cleverly redesigned to give the sense of spaciousness that normally comes with a much larger house.
When the current owners, a professional couple with two children, bought No 24 in 2007, they reconfigured the house, turning it upside down so now both reception rooms are on the first floor, and the bedrooms — and a neatly created library/study — are on the ground floor.
The drawing room runs the width of the first floor and is a lovely space with two large sash windows complete with shutter boxes and all the trimmings — floor-length curtains, chandelier — for elegant entertaining.
Rather than build on a large open-plan extension to the rear, the vendors re-purposed the existing footprint to house a good-sized kitchen/ dining room across the hall from the drawing
room. This means that the space still has fine period details such as cornices and sash windows and runs across the width of the house over what was once two rooms.
No expense has been spared on the finish — the bespoke kitchen is by Andrew Ryan with joinery by Wabi Sabi and it boasts all the bells and whistles a busy host might need, including a Quooker tap and waste disposal unit. A guest WC and storage space complete this floor.
On the ground floor, there are three double bedrooms. The large master suite looks out onto the rear patio, and has a shower and Travertine tiled walls and floor.
The other bedrooms look out to the front garden and each has a pretty cast-iron fireplace and built-in wardrobes. A further shower room and a utility room are also on this floor.
Access to the rear garden is through the library/study which again has joinery by Wabi Sabi, and wooden floors. This is a bright room with two sash windows and a glass-panelled back door giving views out to the garden.
One of the highlights of the property is the west-facing garden. There is a granite patio area designed for al fresco evenings, and a large raised lawn perfect for kicking a football around, all hedged with mature trees and shrubs that give a good deal of privacy. Two garden sheds and the compost heap are screened by a hedge at the end of the garden.
The front garden currently has room for two cars and is landscaped with electric gates and separate pedestrian access. There is also side access to the rear garden.
Rathgar Road sits on one of the BusConnects routes proposed by the National Transport Authority (NTA). No 24 would, if the current plan is carried forward without amendment, be scheduled to lose up to 12 feet of its front garden. John McNally, of selling agent McNally Handy, points out that the proposed plan would still leave enough space to the front of the house to park a car.
The property would appeal to investors, downsizers or a professional couple with children. According to the latest Daft.ie Wealth Report, Rathgar is now situated in the capital’s most expensive postcode, Dublin 6. The High School, Stratford College, Rathgar Junior School, St Mary’s and St Louis are all within a few minutes’ walk. Rathmines village is buzzing with life these days and Fallon & Byrne, Dunnes’ flagship store and The Hopsack make the weekly shop an enjoyable outing, while there is a plethora of restaurants and cafes to choose from.