The semi-d has a magnificent metamorphosis
All it took was... extending the back, demolishing the walls and removing the roof
Wh e n Robbie Hamilton and his w i fe Hilda bought what was then a rundown home in Terenure the layout of the rooms rather bizarrely meant you stepped from a small lobby at the front door and walked straight into the kitchen. Sparse laminate kitchen presses, the kitchen sink and some unprepossessing appliances were pretty much your first impression as you walked in.
Needless to say, first impressions were not what attracted the couple to buy.
But as an engineer who runs his own company refurbishing offices, CRM Fit-Outs, Robbie was not just able to reimagine the rooms and see the potential in the space, he felt none of the fears that the rest of us might experience when confronted with the prospect of every internal wall, some external ones, the roof, windows and floors being demolished as part of a refurbishment process.
It took five months but the end result is a fine example of how creative you can be with what was a very standard semi-d.
‘It is a 1940s dormer bungalow and when we bought it there were only two bedrooms. The original design was so bizarre... the kitchen was in the hallway. My understanding is that the architect of these homes was
American and he had some very different ideas. So the first job was pulling out the kitchen, taking out all the internal walls and taking off the whole roof.
‘We extended out the back, so that wall came down too. In total, it took about five months but it has been completely worth it. We have to move now for family reasons and if I could bring the house and my neighbours with me I would, it is such a lovely place to live.’
That dreadful kitchen space is now the wide long hall, a welcom- ing bright space that hints at the quality of the entire house.
The extended kitchen/dining and family room is where the family spend most of their time, this huge bright space opening out into the south west-facing garden. The contemporary high-gloss white kitchen units and marble worktops provide great storage and workspace, an island with hob anchored by porcelain tiles amid the rich walnut flooring that has been laid throughout the house.
The smart living room is at the front of the house and has a sandstone fireplace as the focal point. Robbie installed a surround sound system but also a drop-down television projector screen over the fireplace, something we could be seeing a lot more of in modern homes.
The garage has been renovated and there is also a downstairs shower room to allow conversion into a fourth bedroom. The Hamiltons currently use the garage for their bikes.
Upstairs, there are three good- sized bedrooms with high-quality mirror built-in wardrobes in the main bedroom. There is also as a marble-tiled family bathroom.
Energy efficiency was a priority. A solar panel means that from March to September, water heating bills are basically a top-up – rarely going above €12 every two months, says Robbie. Insulation was chosen carefully to retain as much heat as possible. Underfloor heating was installed in the kitchen and bathroom together with a four zone heating control system. High quality, low maintenance Rationel Aluclad windows were fitted – they arrived on the day of the snow – but they have transformed the look of the house. The result is a B3 energy rating, not bad at all for a house built about 75 years ago.
The landscaped gardens are the final flourish – neat and gravelled at the front and with a deck and lawn at the back.The south Dublin property is very central, near Templeogue and Terenure.
Agent: Lisney: 01 492 4670