Entire houses on North Great George's Street come to the market rarely. So fashion designer Jen Kelly jumped at the chance to buy number 50, a four-storey over basement Georgian house, when he heard that it was for sale. He paid former owner Nabil Saidi around £900,000 for the partly refurbished house, and now plans to transfer his couture business from Molesworth Street into the new building, and live over the shop. He will eventually show collections there.

He has now put his own house, a terraced two bedroom home at 11 Charleville Avenue, North Strand, Dublin 3, on the market. His home for the last nine years, the two-bedroom home has been thoroughly refurbished and is in walk-in condition. It is for sale by private treaty for £230,000 through Keane Mahony Smith. As a designer, Jen Kelly creates glamorous clothes in beautiful fabrics. Much of this flair is reflected in the graceful atmosphere in his house.

Moving home and business wasn't a priority for Jen Kelly and his partner Garrett Fitzgerald until 50 North Great George's Street came on the market. This house has been partly restored by Mr Saidi, who has spent several years refurbishing it. The house has a new roof and much of its interior joinery has been restored. However, a great deal remains to be done, including plastering, damp-proofing the basement and restoring one of the few surviving 18th-century kitchens in Dublin.

Jen Kelly intends showing collections in the house when it has been restored, though he is anxious not to simply "tart up" the house but to retain its grand but distressed ambience. "The house is coming to someone who can appreciate its rawness and simplicity which aesthetically makes it a great place in which to live and work," he says.

Derry-born Jen Kelly is a couturier who makes one-off items of clothing for individual clients, who have included the former President, Mrs Mary Robinson and the Taoiseach's partner, Celia Larkin. He also dressed the cast of Riverdance. He has plans to expand his business to market a collection of bed linen.

"I hope we can be a showcase for Irish designers, containing only Irish design," he says. "I want people to be able to come in and see the house."

His present home in Charleville Avenue has been meticulously restored. Wrought-iron gates lead up to the front door which opens into a hallway with sanded floors. Doors of stripped pine lead into the livingroom and interconnecting diningroom. Both these rooms have open fireplaces.

White painted walls and fitted mirrors are a feature throughout the house, as are sanded floorboards. Close attention has been paid to interior details such as light fittings, which are finished in steel.

The kitchen and breakfast area is at the back of the house. The kitchen is custom-built in Shaker style and features a range of grey and white units. The floor is of lilac marble, and tones in with the lilac-painted walls in the dining area.

A cottage-style half-door leads out to a stunning Moroccan style courtyard garden with terracotta tiles on a raised platform. On the walls are carved doors from northern Africa and there is a fish pond. The well-planted borders feature jasmine and the walls are painted in vibrant colours such as Sirocco red and terracotta.

This fully-paved patio area also has a door leading back into the diningroom, creating a sense of home and garden being as one.

A stripped-pine staircase leads to the first floor return where there is a bathroom with a large Jacuzzi bath. The stairs lead up to the landing with old church doors at the entrance to the main bedroom. Above the arched doors is stained-glass with leaded panels. The floors in this spacious double bedroom are sanded and there is access to the floored attic for storage. The room also also has two restored sash windows. The second bedroom is also a double.

The house has been completely refurbished in recent years and includes new wiring and plumbing, as well as damp-proofing and replastering.