When it comes to houses, “renovated” covers a very broad spectrum – ranging from the liberal application of a few litres of paint at one end, to what the owners of 4 Louvain in Clonskeagh’s Ardilea estate did to their 1960s bungalow at the other. Four years ago they rebuilt the house while extending it to the side and rear so that now it bears little resemblance, inside or out, to the way it was before.
When the owner first moved in, in the late 1990s, she did some upgrading – but the massive transformation came later and the intention was that it would be the couple’s home for good – which explains the high spec throughout. However, work commitments have altered their plans and the three-bedroom 252sq m (2,712sq ft) detached house is for sale through Beirne & Wise for €1.65 million.
Now double-fronted, there is a large home office to the right off the hall with a small livingroom to the left facing the front. One of the few original features salvaged during the renovation was the oak parquet floor in this livingroom and in two of the bedrooms upstairs. Maximising the light was an important part of the brief to the architect, Johnny Bennet of Extend Architects, so the L-shaped hallway has an iroko wood and glass floating open-tread staircase and natural light from a rooflight coming through the glazed floor walkway up at landing level.
0 of 6
The rear of the house was extended by the addition of a very large, mostly glass-walled L-shaped open-plan room. On one side is a roomy seating area, on the other the sleek, contemporary kitchen, featuring a quartz-topped island. Off the kitchen is a large utility room which opens out to the garden.
An indication of the spec involved is that the huge windows at the rear have remote-controlled blinds. Other smart home features include integrated speakers and a sophisticated alarm system.
Upstairs two of the double bedrooms are as they were size-wise but both now have en suites. The new main bedroom runs from front to back, has a vaulted ceiling for a bright airy feel and has its own large dressing room and en suite.
It feels like walking into a new house in an old, established estate, which for many buyers is an attractive proposition. This house is built on a sloping site and the rear garden, which isn’t overlooked, wasn’t very user friendly; however, it has now been terraced with flagstones and planting. This isn’t a house for buyers looking for a big family-friendly lawn. To the front in the landscaped front garden is off-street parking for a couple of cars behind electric gates.
