The owner of 12 Ashfield Road bought the house in 1990 and raised a happy family of three children here, so it’s fair to say the house has been seriously preloved.
This Victorian end-of-terrace sits on a highly sought-after residential road in the heart of Ranelagh, and has been tastefully upgraded and maintained over the years; about eight years ago, a new solid wood Shaker-style fitted kitchen was put in by Kerwood Design, and features Silestone countertops and Belfast sink, plus a very handy solid wood chopping block.
It also has integrated appliances including Smeg double oven, and an American-style fridge/freezer.
The owner also redesigned the drawingroom and diningroom, bringing the two reception rooms together to create an impressive main room that runs from front to back, turning it into a superb place for family gatherings.
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A French door leads out to a leafy side passage to the back garden, taking you through a lovely bower.
On the way down to the kitchen, there’s a neat understairs space that the owner uses as a cosy home office — however you use it, there’s plenty of storage options here. Past the kitchen is a breakfast room with built-in bench seating and wainscoting, with more storage underneath.
This opens out to the back garden via concertina doors, allowing you to really let the outside in. The garden itself is small but lovely and private, with a gravelled patio for outside dining, and mature trees, including bay trees and lilacs that bring lots of colour into the space.
Everywhere you look, there is a shelf of books — this is a family of avid readers — and it illustrates just how much storage space is available around the house. Three of the four bedrooms upstairs have built-in wardrobes and fittings by Oakline, and the smallest bedroom has a bespoke built-in single bed to maximise the space.
There’s a large double bedroom on the first-floor return, plus a family bathroom with bath, overhead shower and wainscoting up to the height of the dado rails. On the first floor the main bedroom looks out over the back garden, and has an en suite shower room; another double looks out to the peace and quiet of Ashfield Road.
Sash windows help to keep out the noise, but you’re well away from the hustle and bustle — and it’s just a two-minute walk to the artisan cafes and excellent restaurants of Ranelagh.
The owner has seen a lot of changes in the area over the past 30 years, with more young families setting up home and mingling well with the older residents of this neighbourhood. “It’s been a great family home,” says the owner, who is downsizing. “It’s a great house for enjoying family life, and I hope another family gets as much joy out of it as we have.”
Number 12 Ashfield Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, extending to 143 sq m (1,539 sq ft) has a Ber rating of D2 and is on sale through Owen Reilly with an asking price of €1.25 million.
