Sandymount: €2m Sandymount's Victorian houses may look similar from the outside, but interiors vary enormously depending on an owner's idea of what works for them.
Some stay religiously within their period, deep wall colours and memorabilia creating a comfortable look redolent of the Victorian era. Others have been modified for 21st century living, using crisp white walls and minimalist decor as a foil for the house's original features.
The occupants of 135 Strand Road chose the contemporary route, sympathetically bending the interior to suit the needs of a growing family. Gunne Residential is quoting an AMV of €2 million prior to auction on September 20th for the 214sq m (2,300sq ft) three-bedroom house, which is in an enviable position looking directly across to the bay.
Number 135 was in run-down condition when they bought, so the owners started on the bones of the house, re-wiring, plumbing, plastering, roofing and replacing rotting sash windows with good replicas. Restored working shutters take the place of curtains, allowing light and the sea view to dominate the main rooms. Underfloor heating was included in plans for a new garden level kitchen and family area and oak floors were laid throughout.
Young families in particular will appreciate the practical layout, from the low-maintenance wood floors to a back garden customised for children's play. Electronic front gates open to a gravelled parking forecourt with flower tubs and specimen trees.
The front porch with Amtico floor tiles opens to a broad main hall, with original stained glass fanlight window.
The drawingroom and formal diningroom are linked by folding panelled doors and matching marble fireplaces. As with late Victorian houses, the rooms are airy and well-proportioned, with tall ceilings and simple cornicing. Tall sash windows with shutters are left uncurtained, to maximise the views.
A double bedroom tucked into the lower return has wardrobes and bookshelves. Most of the alterations took place at garden level, where a warren of small rooms were replaced by a vast kitchen/living/diningroom with 74sq m (800sq ft) of living space. Kitchen units have planked beech worktops, with a built-in five-ring gas hob, electric oven, dishwasher, microwave and fridge-freezer. A trendy pebble gas fire is slotted into the wall of the sitting area.
There is also a large utility area with lots of cupboards and a useful store-room where the garden level entrance would have been. Up on the first floor return is a good-sized bathroom with Phillipe Starck designer sanitary ware in white, including a bath and separate step-in shower.
On the way up to the main landing, a curved red stained glass window sends shafts of rose-tinted light onto the stairwell. Limited bedroom accommodation in these houses is their one weak point, although a very large front bedroom with double windows could easily divide into two if necessary. Overlooking the rear is a sizable double room.
Designed with families in mind, the west-facing back garden has been decked, apart from a central lawn around which children can cycle. At the far end is a tool shed, attached to which is a cool play platform with a slide into the garden. Mature flowering shrubs and a stand of bamboo add colour and adult interest.
