Viewers of 116 Morehampton Road in Donnybrook should probably also try to find the RTÉ footage from Room to Improve of the impressive makeover architect Dermot Bannon did of an identical house just a few doors down on the terrace.
As well as general updating, the biggest change he made there for the young family who own it was adding a light-filled contemporary extension across the rear for a new kitchen and open plan living area – it looked terrific. And that’s probably what the new owners of number 116 will seek to do.
The four-bedroom house which is for sale through Hunters last changed hands in 1962 and it is now an executor’s sale with an asking price of €1.075 million.
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It’s a solid Victorian redbrick with many of the features typical of the time including high ceilings – both upstairs and down, fine fireplaces in the two interconnecting reception rooms and deep bay windows to the front which give a lovely feeling of space in both the main bedroom upstairs and the front reception room.
Fresh coat
It has recently had a fresh coat of paint throughout and the house appears bright and well kept so that new owners, not in a hurry to extend, could move right in and get a feel for the house before doing major work – always a wise approach. The small kitchen in the rear return has been updated recently and also in this return is a large breakfast room, a utility room and a downstairs toilet.
The house which has 180sq m (1,938sq ft) is listed by the agents as having four bedrooms but while three of the bedrooms are large doubles – including the one in the rear return – the small bedroom to the front is tiny and new owners might well convert it into either an en suite or a dressing room for the main bedroom.
At the top of the house in the return there is another kitchen – a legacy of when the house was informally divided into two units. This room would make another bedroom – it has a nice cast iron fireplace – or a second family bathroom. The compromise with these houses is the road – while Morehampton Road is in the heart of Donnybrook, the road itself is busy and there is no parking to the front of this house. However, there is a large double garage to the rear for parking – a real bonus is this area. There is a small railinged garden to the front.
