Substance over size: four properties that punch above their weight

Space may be at a premium, but when a house is carefully thought out and cleverly designed, it can seem far bigger than it is

12 St Anne's Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9

From the eye-catching tiles covering the entrance hallway and steps, to the kitchen’s hand-made fittings, there’s a lightly worn, distinctive style about 12 St Anne’s Road. Anything but showy, this is a house where style has been accommodated to make for an easy-to-live-in family home. It’s all been done in the last couple of years too.

Owners Jen and John, who have two small, but growing, boys and a large cat; are selling to return to Australia, where they spent seven years. They bought what was a one-bedroom house in 2000, went travelling, came home in 2012, and did the renovation in 2014, reconfiguring and extending a rear extension to make what is, Jen says, “a family orientated space.”

Close to town, “I’ve frog-marched the boys from O’Connell Street in 15 minutes,” Jen says. “It’s that close.”

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Number 12 St Anne’s Road is opposite Drumcondra train station, around the corner from the area’s popular ABC community centre. Covering a floor space of 87sq m (936sq ft), it has two bedrooms, a sittingroom, an open-plan kitchen/dining/ family area and a bathroom.

Agent SherryFitzgerald is asking €395,000 for the private treaty sale.

A new kitchen was fitted by Stewart Noctor from Wexford. Jen choose Pitch Blue for the handmade fittings, all finely finished with such detail as wooden drawers, dovetailing, old style latches and handles. A stove has been set into the niche of a brick chimneybreast and double French doors from the family area catch the light from the sandstone coloured slabs on the patio.

An original fanlight over the front door lights the hallway.

Other original features, such as internal doors, Dado and picture rails, a fireplace, cornicing and floorboards, have been retained where possible.

The welcoming front sittingroom has 12ft ceilings, window shutters, original floorboards and a functioning cast-iron fireplace.

Upstairs, the white and blue-tiled family bathroom has a tunnel velux.

Both bedrooms are good sized; the main one has a new timber floor and built-in wardrobes. The second has a sloped ceiling and large window.