Grove Park, a one-way street that connects Rathmines Road Lower and Grove Road – the thoroughfare that runs parallel to the Grand Canal in Dublin – was for a long time a small, meandering street with a cluster of affordable rental homes that attracted students, thespians, artists and families. But many of these houses, which were laid out as flats, have been snapped up by buyers who have turned them back into family homes.
The location is a big selling point of these old Victorian houses. It is just around the corner from La Touche Bridge, which connects Rathmines to South Richmond Street. You can live here and never need a car, as it possible to walk to all amenities, and the area is served by a good bus service and is a short stroll to the Luas at Charlemont.
Number 12, which overlooks the canal, was purchased by its current owners in 2016 for €791,000. Back then it had been in flats and occupied by three sisters who had lived there for 30 years, who coincidently purchased the property from another trio of sisters. It was listed as having a Ber of G, and needed a big insulation upgrade.
Hats off to the current owners, who engaged upgrading specialists House to Home as the main contractors, who achieved a Ber of A1- a huge feat considering its Victorian heritage. “When we started out it had no central heating at all, and the previous owners were working off gas canisters,” say the owners, who are moving for work purposes.
To achieve this all fireplaces are now closed off: “We had thought about leaving one open or having a stove, but the house is just so warm as it is. We just don’t need the extra heat.”
All internal walls have now been insulated. The trade-off for this meant coving had to come down and be replaced with new 3D-printed plaster moulds, but when solar panels and a heat pump mean that “the house generally breaks even” in terms of heating costs, according to the owner, it’s a big selling point that a double-aspect redbrick with 232sq m (2,497sq ft) of space has very low running costs. Along with internal insulation in the walls, large-scale insulation was added to the attic and under the floor in the basement, where there is a large gym and home cinema room.
Triple-glazed windows and doors by Munster Joinery were installed, while interior designer Freda Stack of Life By Design was busy with the impressive contemporary decor.
Inside the front door is a large open-plan kitchen and diningroom opposite a formal drawingroom with calamine pink walls. A dividing wall between what is now the Custom Tone kitchen and diningroom was removed to allow a greater flow of light and space. The rooms are served by two fridges and two dishwashers and an instant hot water tap so is well equipped for entertaining. A great feature for having guests is the door from the kitchen that leads down to the rear garden which is now laid out as a paved entertaining area with a large sofa. From here there is access to the path along the Grand Canal.
The property has four bedrooms; three of which lie on the top floor adjacent to a slick family bathroom, while the fourth lies at basement level alongside a utility room, the gym and cinema – which has a Q Acoustics home theatre system
On the very top there is a reading nook (or what the owner calls his observation platform), which has remarkable views over the chimney pots and steeples all the way down to Camden and Aungier streets.
The owners, who are in the process of moving abroad, had intended for number 12 to be their forever home – and this is evident in the money spent both on energy upgrades and decor. The most impressive property is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald for €1.75 million, with contents by further negotiation.
