Frascati Park is a gem of a housing development in south Co Dublin consisting of 1920s houses, the majority of which have been kept in immaculate condition. The quiet street of terraced houses is currently dotted with builders’ vans as many of the houses are being renovated.
The shops at the Frascati Centre now stand on the grounds of Frascati House, the erstwhile and long-demolished home of United Irishman Lord Edward FitzGerald; its demolition a bitter bone of contention in the 1970s.
Number 51 is in the final stages of a complete overhaul that has seen the 162 sq m (1743 sq ft) house transformed. Now on the market seeking €1.395 million through DNG, the C1-rated property in walk-in condition would make a lovely home.
The facade of the house is a mix of red brick and white render and like many of the surrounding houses, it has a first-floor balcony. A new sage-green door opens on-to a hallway with painted stairs and gleaming porcelain tiles.
On the right are a pair of interconnecting reception rooms with sliding pocket doors offering the opportunity for them to be closed off if required. A trio of windows pours light into the front livingroom, with an attractive wooden fireplace with slate insert and open fire. Beyond it is another room, with another open fireplace and a window overlooking the garden.
On the far side of the hall with a guest WC and understairs storage is the kitchen diner, where the builder is installing the final new appliances. The kitchen is from B&Q, the internal doors from Irish company Deanta Doors and the external doors and triple-glazed windows are from Munster Joinery, he says.
The kitchen runs in a C shape, with sage-green units below a deep wooden countertop, with a window overlooking the front garden. The same gleaming tiles run the length of the kitchen and living area, which is a lovely space, well separated from the kitchen with a built in niche housing some shelves, room for a dining area and a sofa.
Doors open out on to the well-landscaped garden that would require minimal maintenance; it’s already well planted and contains as well as a deck and a stone wall at the rear of the garden, an intriguing timber palisade fencing off an entirely secluded area – perfect spot for a hot tub, perhaps.
There are four fine bedrooms on the first floor, two of which have fireplaces. The fireplace in the main bedroom has an attractive 1920s-style tiled surround, and the room benefits from an en suite. There’s also a new bathroom on this floor.
A small bedroom with a fireplace would make a perfect study, overlooking the garden, or another possibility would be to set up a workspace on the large landing, beside the sliding glass doors that open into the Juliet balcony, which would double as a lovely, sunny reading nook.
The current owner extended right into the attic, creating a fine, large bedroom that spans the width of the house and has three windows. It’s a lovely room, removed from the rest of the house and would make for a great retreat.
Located three minutes from the Frascati Centre and its neighbour, Blackrock Village shopping centre, there is a host of fine restaurants nearby, not least Big Mike’s. The sea is within strolling distance while the nearby schools of Blackrock College, Willow Park, and Sion Hill are all within easy reach of the property.
