Period details and contemporary design blend perfectly in two period homes in Dublin 6 and 8. Alanna Gallagherreports.

Portobello - €1.2m:The late Tony Ryan was, among other things, a stickler for detail in terms of design. He loved interiors and only hired the best. One of the designers who worked on the village project at Lyons is Jane Duffy Lynch who is now selling her Dublin townhouse.

The two-bedroom end of terrace redbrick at 29 Victoria Street in Portobello, is clearly the work of a perfectionist, and one who is not afraid to use colour. In walk-in condition, after 18 months of renovation, the 1,185 sq ft home is asking €1.2million through Sherry FitzGerald.

Duffy Lynch held onto period features, such as cornicing and fireplaces, as well as the original tiles that floor the front path and hallway.

The principal room is open plan and features a galley kitchen bedecked in high-gloss French navy units, a diningroom with apple green walls and a sittingroom with an open fire.

The kitchen-cum-dining space has additional height thanks to the fact that she dug down to ensure the kitchen and garden were level. Both are floored in honed Portuguese limestone and a glazed door folds back to open the outdoors in.

The garden is small with box planting and a cedar-clad secret compartment that is big enough to house two pushbikes and a barbecue.

The designer's home is full of stylish storage solutions. An under-the-stairs utility room complete with washing line and an additional sink for hand washing - so you need never expose your smalls to the world again - is hidden behind another set of folding doors. It's a clever piece of planning and an idea worth stealing for future renovation projects.

The galley kitchen has very tall cupboarding with room enough for all the juicers, posh crystal and other part-time kitchen gadgets that any couple might have.

Better still is the half wall that hides the gas range from the dining area. The units are simple MDF panels sprayed a chic French navy. The finish is second to none and there is underfloor heating throughout the ground floor.

This is a home where modern and traditional styles sit very comfortably together.

The study, situated to the front of the house, is clean but classic. It is painted in Farrow and Ball's bone and is accessed through sliding doors that can be opened or closed depending on whether you prefer a cuddle up cosy a deux or host a party.

When Lynch reconfigured the house she moved the stairs back a couple of feet.

This gives a greater sense of space in the hall. Oak stairs fitted with uplighters guide your way to the accommodation.

The bathroom is probably the highlight of the house. It features Duravit sanitary ware and hotel-finish walnut cabinetry. Best of all is the deep bath set into a cantilevered cube which juts out over the garden.

It is without a doubt the perfect place to float away.

There are two bedrooms on the first floor.

The back room has a feature wall papered in a Cole and Son pattern while the main bedroom is roomy and full of storage.

Its wall of wardrobes includes his and hers pull-down, double-height hanging space, shelving and even a trouser press.

"As an interior designer the house is finished and I need a new project," says the designer.

Palmerston Road - €5.75m:Number 37 Palmerston Road, Dublin 6, is a fine example of the Victorian redbricks that line both sides of the street.

It ticks all the des res boxes: desirable address, original elements, smart interior and a sense of symmetry throughout. The house is also set on an east/west axis which means that it is light filled all day long.

Its period features are some of the finest on the street and, while the house is a grande dame in terms of style and grace, this four-bedroom property is first and foremost a family home.

Every room is used on an everyday basis, refreshing in an age when the first-floor reception rooms of such Victorian properties are often relegated to special occasion use only.

Agent Sherry FitzGerald is quoting an AMV of €5.75 million before auction on March 12th.

The garden floor has been extended and the open-plan space has four very definite zones. To the front there is a family room, with a wall of storage to hide electronica, CDs, DVDs and computers. This room is fitted with sliding doors which create a traditional-style room when closed but when open form one of this floor's two living spaces.

A Miele kitchen with induction hob, pop-up sockets and a Corian-coated island unit has vanilla gloss units and oodles more storage, including pull-out larder units.

The dining area is parallel to the kitchen while the second living space looks out onto the sleek back garden.

Two walls of glass, one punctuated by lollipop-styled olive trees, the other designed to fold back flush with the wall, blur the boundaries between inside and out.

The light-filled yet acoustically absorbent space was designed by Daniel Coyle Architects and, clad in lead, it looks good from every angle.

The garden level is floored in Travertine marble. There is also a roomy under-the-granite-steps cloakroom, a super-sized utility room and a guest toilet fitted with a shower which suits the household of rugby-playing boys who currently live here.

Upstairs at hall level, double drawingrooms have twin marble fireplaces. The study has windows framed by silk curtains, bespoke joinery and an open fireplace.

Upstairs are four bedrooms, all doubles, with the main bedroom also featuring beautiful cabinetry and a shower en suite. The house is wired for sound.

The south-west facing garden is low maintenance yet elegantly laid out with a sprung Astroturf lawn that keeps the children clean however dirty their game might be.

A false wall at the end hides the garden sheds and pedestrian rear access. Electronic gates open into the front where there is off-street parking for three or more cars.