A couple who bought a modest 1930s house in Glenageary, Co Dublin, in 2009 gave it a complete makeover before moving in seven months later, transforming a traditional semi with several rooms at the back into a bright, very smart open-plan home.

The work was done with a flair for design: the back of the island unit that divides the kitchen space from the family room is faced with brick, for example, and there are tree-design wallpaper panels on either side of a cast-iron fireplace. There’s greenery everywhere, and plants contrast well with rooms that are mostly painted white.

Now Valentia, 16 Adelaide Road, Glenageary, Co Dublin, a 131.5sq m (1,415sq ft) three-bed at the Glasthule end of Adelaide Road, is for sale for €675,000.

The front porch opens into a small hall with a stained-glass porthole window, original to the house. A door on the left opens into the livingroom, while a glass-panelled door at the end of the hall opens into the large open-plan kitchen/diningroom/family room. This is a bright space ending in a wall of folding glass doors out to the small wide back lawn, making it effectively an outdoor room.

Stone counter tops

The kitchen has man-made stone counter tops and a tiled splashback. A wide arch (with a steel beam inside) marks the separation of the dining area – with a Velux window over the table – from the kitchen/family room.

Outside, the garden is well planted with trees and shrubs. There’s a small patio, a decked area and enough room at the side of the house for play equipment, even for a neat henhouse. New owners could potentially extend into the space at the side, as neighbours have done.

Double doors open from the open-plan space at the back into the neat livingroom at the front of the house. This has a bay window, its original fireplace and bookshelves built into the alcoves. The entire downstairs area is oak-floored, with under-floor heating.

Upstairs are two modest-sized double bedrooms, both with cast-iron fireplaces, and a very small third bedroom/study. The main bedroom has a built-in wardrobe and there is more storage in a waist-high cupboard beside the stairs on the landing.

The smart family bathroom is fully tiled.

The attic of Valentia, up a steep flight of stairs, has been converted into a guest room, with large Velux windows and an en-suite shower room.

There’s room to park a car in the front driveway.