Villa in Sandycove outlines the history of interiors trends

Upstairs, downstairs . . . Over the years it’s easy to imagine different families making the pretty villa at 3 Killiney Terrace their home and, since its Victorian days, plenty has changed. As servants moved out, kitchens got larger and more central to family life and at some point en suites became a must-have for many.

Today, the house has three bedrooms, all doubles, two at hall level and one at garden level. Playing house detective, you can still see the original arch that would have once connected the elegant drawing room, with its lovely bay window and marble fireplace, to the room beyond, which is now the main bedroom. This has had a bite taken out of a corner to provide the requisite en suite, but no need to worry, it has been nicely done, and there’s a skylight so it feels airy enough.

Go further along the charming hallway, which has many of its original features intact, and past a wc, to the second bedroom, with pretty windows, one looking out over the secluded garden. The owners moved just down the road, to get more space for their family. They wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving the area though – it’s a great location, with shops, restaurants, bars, schools, public transport and the sea all on your doorstep.

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Trimmings

More recently, they had rented the house out, and have now invested in polishing it up for sale. This means that it would possibly take viewers a good 20 minutes to shift enough cushions and pillows to actually try the bed, or find a suitable spot on the sofa; and decor highlights include matching mini-globes, and a large ceramic horse head in the cosy den at garden level. Even without these trimmings, the house speaks for itself.

As well as the den, which has French windows to the garden, there’s also a further double bedroom, bathroom and large, nicely fitted kitchen/breakfast room at this level. There’s also access to the front, which has off-street parking. Just beside this lower door, there’s what would have been the coal cellar. It’s plumbed for a utility room, but it’s the perfect temperature to store wine in.

A buyer might consider putting the main bedroom downstairs, providing French windows from the bedroom, and a personal patio for long al fresco breakfasts. Alternatively, they could knock back through upstairs, and have a completely gorgeous pair of reception rooms, and build out a bit at the back. There’s plenty of space in the garden, where the upper patio is ideal for catching the evening sun.

But there's no real need to go moving rooms. As it stands, this house is ready to walk in. Given its size and location, it's an ideal downsizer, though at €1.175 million with Sherry FitzGerald, that obviously depends on what you're downsizing from. Either way, it's a very sweet spot indeed.