The secret to city living is realising that, whether it’s New York, Rome, Paris or London, it’s all a question of thinking in villages – or, as town planners and marketing types like to call them, quarters.
Dublin is no exception, and though smaller than many of its fellow capitals, it still breaks down into areas with their own distinct personality – and price tag.
Percy Place is on the south bank of the Grand Canal, and while Dubliners seem to have mistrusted these waterways for some reason, this is a particularly nice part.
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So what “quarter” is it in? Some might say the South Georgian Core, as it’s just over from Merrion Square, via Mount Street Upper and the pretty Peppercanister Church.
Others, such as Lisney, who are selling Number 25 with an asking price of €2.15 million, put it in Ballsbridge; while you could equally cite its proximity to Baggot Street.
There is some new development on Percy Place – 55 Percy Place is a luxury block from Paddy McKillen junior and Matt Ryan, on sale through Sherry FitzGerald, with apartment prices ranging from €750,000 to €1.25million – but these are out of sight, along and around the corner from Number 25.
This is all by way of saying it’s a really brilliant location, within walking distance to clusters of new and intriguing restaurants, classic watering holes and chi chi hotels, such as the Dylan and The Schoolhouse.
The house is part of a late Georgian terrace, on the part of Percy Place that fronts the canal, so your view when you wake up in the morning will be of swans and joggers, one set being more graceful than the other, obviously.
Architect owner
It is a classic two-storey over- basement property, though the architect owner has done something special below.
The entrance floor, reached via your typical flight of granite steps, has a formal drawing- room/ livingroom off the hallway, going from front to back, complete with elegant fireplaces, cornicing and coving, and American oak flooring.
These are really nicely proportioned, and suit the current owners’ mix of contemporary and classic pieces perfectly, meaning that they’re the type of rooms that are so well designed, they’re flexible to a variety of tastes.
There’s also a study on this level, which could be the fourth bedroom, depending on your needs; plus a guest WC.
Go downstairs to garden level and you’ll find a third bedroom and shower room, plenty of storage, a useful utility, and a fantastically fitted contemporary kitchen, which is the secret surprise of this house.
Bright and airy, it runs out towards the charming little redbrick terraced town garden.
The mews at the end has been separated, so you’ve lost some of the original garden, but there’s lots of room for al fresco fun.
Back inside there is an Italian stone floor and high glass ceilinged dining area. The kitchen is by McNally, with a bar/ prep unit, plus plenty of fixtures and fittings.
This flows through to a den area, with French windows to the garden.
Triple glazed, it’s cosy and peaceful, while the sides are cleverly louvered, so that on hot summer days, you can open the vents to let air through, without getting caught out by sudden rain – genius for these climes.
On the top floor, the master bedroom has the canal view, with an original shuttered sash window, cast-iron fireplace, and more of those lovely Georgian proportions.
Roll-top bath
The owners have turned what would have been another bedroom up here into a really fancy en suite, with lots of storage, and a free-standing roll-top cast-iron bath, positioned so that you can enjoy views of the garden while soaking.
Be nice and let whoever’s in the second bedroom up here share this – otherwise, they’re going to have to go downstairs.
In all, there’s 269sq m (2,895sq ft) of accommodation.
The Georgian part of Percy Place has a timeless quality to it.
You’re right in the middle of everything in the city centre, and yet the canal gives you a sense of openness and countryside.
Nearby Baggot Street and Mespil Road have interesting places to eat and drink, and everything is within walking distance.
With its contemporary extension at garden level, number 25 also gives you the very best of both worlds.
