Dun Emer, 1 Wilson Road, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin, started off in the late 1940s as a modest double-fronted bungalow. The current owners, who bought it nine years ago, changed all that with two separate building projects that greatly enlarged the house. Now a four-bedroom home with a particularly successful dormer area, it is for auction by Sherry FitzGerald on October 5th with a guide of £575,000 (€730,250).
Inside, the heart of the house is the exceptionally well-planned and smart-looking kitchen. It is at the back of the house, accessed via glazed double doors from the wide L-shaped hallway that still has its original 1940s maple floorboards. The large rectangular kitchen features painted wood and granite topped fitted units lining three walls. It is an interesting combination of old style and modern with a cream coloured Aga, polished reclaimed floorboards and halogen downlighters and plain off white units. There is an open fire in the room and enough floorspace for a six seater table in the centre.
Off the kitchen is a very large livingroom with double-glazed doors out to the patio area, as well as a picture bay window, and three more windows so that the room feels modern and very bright.
Also at ground level are two double bedrooms, a small study, a good-sized livingroom and a bathroom.
The entire roof space has been developed to make space for a bedroom with en suite bathroom, a shower room and a fourth double bedroom.
This level is accessed via a staircase tucked away in the corner of the kitchen.
The main bedroom is a lovely room with dormer windows on one side of the sloped ceiling and two Velux windows on the other. There is a small, walled-off dressing area at one end of the room and at the other, double doors open into a stylish bathroom complete with a salvaged old-style chunky radiator, waxed wooden floors and mosaic tiling around the bath. There are built- in cupboards along one wall and along the other the radiators are boxed in behind wooden grilles. The television is tucked out of the way in a purpose-designed cubby hole.
The bungalow is on a gently elevated corner site and has gardens to the front and at either side. It also has a detached garage.
There is little space at the back of the house, just a narrow alleyway linking the two side gardens. The garden outside the livingroom is mostly under slate slabs to create an extensive patio area and beyond this is the utility shed. Beyond this again is the detached garage.
The garden at the other side of the house has clearly been used as a children's play area and for summer barbecues and presently features a large outdoor table and chairs. Both gardens are sheltered by mature hedging and shrubs. The garden to the front is in lawn.
