Dalkey: Bernice Harrison visits a renovated 1940s four-bed that has been turned upside down.

The views from the houses on Knocknacree Road high above Dalkey village take in the wide sweep of Dublin Bay.

Three years ago the owners of one of the houses, Muntervary, extensively renovated what was a plain 1940s house to take maximum advantage of the views and to give the 196 sq m (2,115 sq ft) house a contemporary feel.

The two-storey detached house is now for auction through Sherry FitzGerald on October 30th with a guide price of €1.35 million. The big change is that when the house was renovated the four bedrooms were relocated downstairs, while the livingrooms and kitchen were moved upstairs where large windows and a balcony to the front orient everyday living out in the direction of the sea view.

There are now basically three rooms upstairs, running from front to back, all with large picture windows looking seawards on one side and down onto the back garden on the other.

There is a formal livingroom, a large diningroom in the middle and a good-sized kitchen. The contemporary looking metal and oak staircase comes up into the bright and airy diningroom area that has glazed double doors opening out onto the balcony.

There is access from this level down to the back garden through the kitchen which opens onto a good-sized raised decked patio and steps. Downstairs there are four bedrooms and a utility room as well as a large hallway.

Two of the bedrooms open into a shared en suite while the large main bedroom has its own en suite. There is also a guest bathroom upstairs. Access to the house is via a pedestrian entrance on the road and up a winding path through a well-planted garden. The elevated site means that the house feels both open and private and, at the back, the tiered garden is over 60 feet long. There is also a garage to the front of the house.