157 Merrion Road Dublin 4
Dublin City Council’s planning section shows that between 2005 and 2012, a company, Merrion Co-Ownership, applied 10 times for permission to change 155 and 157 Merrion Road – two derelict double-fronted period properties. Applications, which were refused, varied from 18 apartments, to nine houses and a medical centre.
In April 2016, the two properties – by then uninhabitable with pigeons living in the rafters – were bought for €1.25 million by the current owner who has managed a speedy turnaround at number 157.
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Thirty workers – from architects, interior designers, plumbers, joiners, tilers, electricians, gardeners and handymen – have been busy since April transforming the property. It’s a complete overhaul, with meticulous attention to detail. Even the Leyland cypress which bordered with neighbouring Elm Court apartments have been replaced with Liquidambar styraciflua to allow afternoon sun into the rear garden – now laden with colour from Rudbeckia fulgida, Crocosmia, Lobelia cardinalis, Lychnis flos-cuculi Jenny, and dahlias.
Interiors are in keeping with the property’s Victorian past, with encaustic Portuguese tiles running from the hallway into the kitchen, period fireplaces and antiques, all married with contemporary comforts.
The drawing room, which is opposite an inner hallway, has fine reclaimed oak parquet flooring from Wilsons Yard salvage company, as the “original flooring was rotten and in bits”.
An extension was added to the rear to replace a pre-1963 build. This now houses a dining area, informal living space and the Kerwood kitchen, complete with a bean-to-cup coffee maker, wine cooler and six ring double oven Rangemaster.
Upstairs, a Velux was installed to illuminate the upper landing – but in keeping with the period vibe, opaque stained glass with cobalt frames now forms a screen over the ceiling window. Four double bedrooms comprise the upper floor – the master has panelling which echoes the hallway downstairs, and the en suite has a double shower with a mixture of metro and encaustic tiling.
Merrion Road commands prices in excess of the million mark and number 157, at 171sq m with pristine interiors and gardens, is available through Sherry FitzGerald for €1.285 million.
9 Merrion View Avenue, Dublin 4
The current owner purchased this property 30 years ago and removed the interior walls “as the inside was dark, dreary and pokey”.
What were two small rooms are now opened up to a drawing-cum-dining room, which leads to a conservatory and kitchen. All the rooms are painted white, allowing splashes of colour to come from soft furnishings and paintings, and each room has fireplaces – including a miniature stove in the kitchen.
There is only one word to describe the interiors and that is “eclectic” – a vast collection of quirky personal belongings includes a lot of shoes which hang in the hallway and master bathroom.
The current layout is laced with a sense of humour – the all-glass downstairs loo is visible from the courtyard and conservatory, but a mirrored wall and blinds allow some privacy.
The small courtyard, complete with water feature, has an overhead deck, installed 20 years ago, with a sizeable sycamore growing on top – new owners will more than likely remove it to allow the evening sun to shine on the gravel patio.
The house has three bedrooms in its current layout: one on the ground floor, and two upstairs. The master bedroom which stretches the width of the property is linked to a large bathroom with a free-standing bath.
A very narrow staircase – which tapers at the top – leads to an attic conversion currently used as a reading room.
The interiors of this terraced redbrick period house may be individual, but its location – just around the corner from Ailesbury Road, will be the selling point. New owners will have 122sq m to create their dream home in the heart of Dublin 4.
Available through Lisney with an asking price of €675,000.
