“Twenty-three skips were filled by hand from the basement” says the owner of 26 Upper Erne Street, a mid-terrace Victorian house convenient to Merrion Square and Grand Canal Dock.
It was last on the market in April 2021, when it failed to sell by auction through the Offr platform, according to a savvy investor who picked it up for the sum of €320,000.
But it had a few issues: there was no planning permission for an extension on the return and any excavations for renovations at basement level would have to be carried out by hand.
“We had to dig down a metre at basement level to get it properly insulated and still achieve 2.4m ceilings. It all had to be carried out by hand, and this is probably why nobody was interested in it back then.”
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In addition, he says, the levels “were all over the place and our heads were touching the ceilings” so the staircase needed to be moved. In doing so the advantage was it was “like starting out again”, and while retention was sought to retain the room on the return, permission was sought and granted to build a bedroom on top of this space.
This now gives a three-bedroom house, with 110sq m (1,184sq ft) of floor space, which has been given a bold interior palette by Grace Macdonald of Grace Interior Design.
The use of the Farrow & Ball shade Railings on doors, architraves and windows creates a dramatic effect, and though appearing quite black in the photographs, is actually softer as it has blue undertones. Detailing throughout is impressive and well thought out.
At hall level, a livingroom retaining period details (but with an electric fire) links through double doors into an open plan dining/kitchen area. From here, the third (new) bedroom lies on the return, with access via a new staircase leading to the lower level. Two additional bedrooms, an office, bathroom and small patio lie downstairs.
A further patio lies off the principal bedroom to the front and here the attention to detail is most impressive. Renovations allowed for an en suite, which is curved at one end – adding lovely detail along with its monochrome palette. Wainscoting around the room has a special panel to accommodate a light track, and oak panelling behind the bed adds interest and texture.
This oak panelling is also found in the office area that sits adjacent to the main bathroom. With Crittall-style doors, it also has a light track above the panelling to create ambient lighting at night, and the panelling and lighting is echoed in an adjacent patio which has porcelain tiles underfoot.
The renovation of Number 26 is most impressive. Perhaps the most extraordinary change was the Ber, which now stands at B1.
A metre of insulation was added under the lower-level flooring, while the front was insulated from inside – as was the attic – with external insulation to the rear. A combi boiler with a hive system allows for different zones and instant hot water.
The property is now on the market through Lisney Sotheby’s International, seeking €795,000.
