Ranelagh: €1.1m A Ranelagh semi has a nice combination of new and old. Emma Cullinan reports
You'd be well within the catchment area of Scoil Bhride in Ranelagh, Dublin 6 if you bought the house at 21 Oakley Road, as it is right next door to the school. The three-bedroom semi-detached house is being auctioned on February 24th by Lisney which is guiding €1.1 million.
The house offers a good example of how to combine contemporary and classical styles, with its retention of period features along with good interior finishes and contemporary additions such as lamps inset into the ceilings.
Lighting has been of importance to the current owners who have updated the rear extension and added in rooflights. These help to bring daylight into the rest of the ground floor which has interconnecting rooms divided by generously-sized glass-panelled doors. The cream painting scheme throughout the house combines warmth and brightness.
Period features in the front room include a slate and cast-iron fireplace and a deep sash window which faces east (for morning sun). Double doors from this room take you into the diningroom, which also has a door back into the large front hall. The diningroom double doors lead to the extension which combines an office and seating area, and kitchen.
The current owners put in the island unit and fitted kitchen, with its black granite worktop and maple doors, opened by sleek stainless steel handles. Two sets of huge Rationel French doors lead into the garden which has been designed to be low maintenance. This usually means no grass, as is the case here. Beside the kitchen is decking and beyond this is a gravelled area with shrubs marking various boundaries.
At the rear of the 24.5m (80ft) garden is a separate space reached through a gateway.
The bathroom, which overlooks the rear garden, has been beautifully fitted out. The bath is surrounded by white stone tiles as is the splashback for the basin on the other side of the room. The basin and toilet are set into timber for a sleek look and the large shower has a robust door. There's also a shower room downstairs to take the overflow of bathers during peak hours.
The three double bedrooms all share the same landing at the top of the house. One overlooks the garden and two face the front of the house. Oakley Road has an interesting educational history. Neighbouring Scoil Bhride, founded by Louise Gavan Duffy, came here in 1965 but there was a school in the road before this, which was founded by Patrick Pearse in his home at Cullenswood House (it closed in 1935).
