When Covid came along and forced everyone to stay at home, many of us passed the time by embarking on a home improvement project, whether it was laying down new decking, repainting the bedrooms or putting in new kitchen units.
Hazel O’Sullivan and Éanna Mellett had one doozy of a lockdown project: completely refurbishing the 1920s house in Dalkey they’d bought in 2019, and turning their semi-d into a bright, contemporary home perfectly suited to a small start-up family.
Number 35 Corrig Road sits on a quiet, narrow street just off Dalkey’s main drag, so it’s just a short walk to the cafes and bistros of the village, and a stone’s throw from the sea. In July, the residents of Corrig Road will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the street, says O’Sullivan, and the couple are planning to join in with the festivities before they move to a larger home to suit their own growing family. “There’ll be a lot of great stories about the people who lived here,” says O’Sullivan. The house is for sale through DNG, with an asking price of €1.2 million.
The couple sought the expertise of Martina Tolarova of La Maison Design, whose showroom is just around the corner on St Patrick’s Avenue, to remodel the house from top to bottom.
Tolorova was given pretty much free rein to reimagine the house, and the result is a charming, modern home refurbished with flair and style. A new downstairs bathroom was built just off the hallway and a wall separating the kitchen from the rear extension was knocked, thus opening out a spacious family area with a generous utility room added at the back.
“We’d go and stay with the in-laws or go down to Wexford, with no idea what it was going to look like when we got back. We trusted her implicitly,” says O’Sullivan.
One of Tolorova’s touches is an animal-print wallpaper on one wall of the family room, which adds an element of fun and artistry. “I was a bit unsure about it when I saw it in the showroom, but it looks fantastic up on the wall,” says Mellett.
The family room opens to a substantial, private southwest-facing back garden with a good-sized wooden decking area looking out to a sweeping landscaped lawn.
“The garden really came into its own during lockdown,” says O’Sullivan. “We had great weather, so we were getting the sun in the garden all day.”
Inside, the focus was on getting as much light circulating as possible, and utilising space efficiently. Dark floor coverings were replaced with light-coloured tiling and carpets, and glass panes in the interior doors distribute the light and give a greater sense of space. There’s a recessed area in the hall for hanging coats discreetly, and a gap under the stairs is neatly filled with fridge and cupboards – including one with a built-in wine rack.
Upstairs, the main bedroom looks over the back of the house with views out to Dalkey Hill beyond. There’s an en suite here, and also a family bathroom upstairs. To maximise space in the family bathroom, the awkward oblong bath has been replaced by a sizeable corner bath. All three bedrooms have ample storage, and the attic is easily accessed by a drop-down stairs for added storage.
Thanks to the clever use of light and space, the 148sq m (1,593sq ft) house feels roomy. The exterior walls have all been fitted with new insulation, bringing it up to a C2 energy rating; it also has new double-glazed windows, new plumbing a new combi boiler with three-zone heating system, and a new gas fire in the livingroom that can be programmed by remote control. All a buyer has to do is walk in, park the buggy and settle in for some golden family time in this cosy, inviting haven.
