Apartments in a development off Baggot Street in Dublin 2 go on sale today with prices starting at £250,000 for a 700 sq ft one-bedroom unit. The homes will interest buyers prepared to pay top dollar for an exceptionally high specification city centre residence. Selling agent is Ross McParland.
The location of the Bagod Rath apartments on Pembroke Row is an immediate draw, but the main attraction will be the combination of traditional architecture with very stylish loft-effect interiors. Pembroke Row is a short cul-de-sac off Lower Baggot Street, just beyond Baggot Bridge.
Builder Katsar Properties has constructed the Georgian-style block on the site of a derelict coach-house at the far end of the road. The design contrasts favourably with existing office and apartment buildings in that its proportions sit well with the period houses on Baggot Street, which back on to the site. There is a total of 10 apartments in the development and four are being offered in the initial phase. Construction is almost completed and the entire block will be ready for occupation by Christmas. The four currently for sale are ready to move into.
The exterior is of old brick with tall, curved timber sash windows and stone sills. Contrasting steel planter balconies are just large enough for flower pots, but a decked roof garden is planned. Impressively, the rear of the building, where there is an entrance from the car-park, matches the front in both design and finish. The rear apartments have a pleasant aspect over the preserved Georgian houses on Baggot Street.
The two ground floor windows and the front entrance are two-storey in height, with a ramp approach from the lane. Inside, light oak, steel and glass blocks give a contemporary feel. There are four glassed-in shafts which allow natural light to filter through to the stairwell.
Floors in all the apartments are of polished oak, there are traditional cast-iron radiators and walls have been painted in a neutral colour. Recessed lighting and dimmer switches have been fitted.
The 700 sq ft one bedroom apartments are on the ground floor and are priced at £250,000. The architect has designed these smallest units on a "mini-castle" theme and has been extravagant with open space. They are two-storey, with the entrance hall and double bedroom on the upper floor.
Floors and a curved staircase to the living area are of polished oak. The bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe (plumbed for conversion to an en suite bathroom if required) and a balcony overlooking the two-storey sittingroom.
The dominant feature in these units is the floor to ceiling double-width windows. Oak shutters have been purpose made and they provide good light to both levels. There is a stone mantelpiece, room for a dining table and a small vented drying room, which houses the central heating boiler.
The bathroom is very large, with a power shower and Italian floor tiles. The kitchen under the bedroom platform is of solid beech, with plenty of cupboards and solid granite worktops.
Two-bedroom apartments on the upper floors are 920 sq ft and cost £340,000. The architect is moving into one of these units because of their very good natural light. The railed light shaft on either side of each apartment on the upper floors gives an exclusivity to each hall door. Livingrooms are very spacious, with a beech kitchen separated by the L-shape of the room. There are three tall Georgian-style windows, one with a French door to a steel balcony. The bathroom is off the hallway and there is a storage cupboard for cleaning equipment and coats. The two bedrooms are double in size. One has a walk-in wardrobe and the main bedroom has an en suite shower.
Ross McParland says the two large penthouse apartments with mansard windows will be for sale in a later phase of the development. Landscaping includes a granite cobbled courtyard to the front, secure car-parking for each tenant and a planted communal roof garden.
