The owners of 42 Lower Kimmage Road were once its tenants, but they loved the three-bedroom period terrace so much that, about a decade ago, they bought the house.

Since then they have lavished care and attention on it, tending its period features, updating the décor and adding a large, modern kitchen/dining extension.

Now the house has 186sq m (2,005sq ft) of accommodation, plus a dormer space up on the top floor, which is large enough for an unofficial fourth bed, and has tasty views across to the Dublin mountains.

The whole thing has been thoughtfully done, from the off-street gravel parking spot (vital in this neck of the woods) through to the polished timber floors in the original spaces on the ground floor, open fireplaces and the cool contemporary colour scheme throughout. There’s a lounge at the front, with a very nice bay window. This space opens up to a living room, which in turn leads to the kitchen extension.

French windows

This has a tiled floor, country-style units with a rustic brick splashback, and a utility room. French windows lead out to the stone-flagged patio, which is currently a bit of a blank canvas, but big enough to add plantings and still have plenty of space to sit and sip.

There’s rear-laneway access too. Go up for three bedrooms, the master is the whole width of the front of the house, plus a family bathroom, and then the loft/dormer space at the top.

In terms of location, you’re in a very good spot. Yes, it’s on a main road, but this is great for bus access, and you’re within walking distance of the city centre too. Harold’s Cross village is on the doorstep, and Ranelagh and Rathmines are nearby too with all their amenities.

The owners have kept the house in turnkey condition, and the nice balance of period and contemporary offers the best of both worlds.

It’s €750,000 with DNG, and a good example of what a bit of vision and an eye for design can do with one of these very typical, classic Dublin redbricks.