Two Victorian houses, both at a similar price, but each with its own distinctive style, are for sale on Raymond Street, off the South Circular Road in Dublin 8.
Number 13 is a double-fronted single-storey Victorian mid-terrace with high ceilings and an architect-designed extension, its contemporary styling blending nicely with the original period features of the house.
Across the road, number 49 is a villa-style home over two storeys – ground floor and garden level – which has been tastefully and lovingly decorated to bring out its period features with help from a colour consultant including original polished timber floors, flagstone tiles in the kitchen/dining area and exposed brick fireplace in one of the bedrooms.
When solicitor Mark Hughes and his partner, horticulturist Paul Whyte, bought number 13 in 2010, the extension had already been built, running the length of the west-facing back garden, leaving enough room to create a lovely, low-maintenance paved garden area with a feature pond.
The house had previously been owned by conservation architect Alan Douglas of Douglas Wallace, who fully restored and renovated the property in 2002.
Hughes and Whyte had little to do but move in and apply their decorative flair to the house.
But they did install a brand new Noel Dempsey Design hand-painted kitchen, with centre island/breakfast bar, quartz countertops and a range of fittings including a Miele induction hob, extractor and eye-level oven, Bosch dishwasher, Liebherr fridge/freezer and a Quooker tap. Two rooflights let in lots of morning light.
A small railed garden area to the front gives a welcoming aspect, and the first thing you notice as you step into the entrance hall are the high ceilings, reaching to 3.42m, making everything feel more generously proportioned.
You also can’t help noticing the rich, dark solid larch timber flooring which runs throughout. There are two bedrooms to the front on each side of the hall, both with cornicing, sash windows, shutters and recessed lighting.
The larger of the two, a double bedroom, also has a feature fireplace with painted timber surround and Victorian-style cast-iron inset and slate hearth.
Behind the smaller bedroom is a luxurious, fully tiled bathroom/wet room with walk-in shower and a vanity unit with large inset mirror.
The open-plan living/dining area is stunning; it’s a wide space that’s made for entertaining. The couple, who are family-oriented, have been hosting Christmas dinners here for many years.
There are two open fireplaces at either end of the room, and above them are large mirrors which, along with the high ceilings, add to the sweeping sense of space. This flows naturally into the kitchen, and there are floor-to-ceiling sliding doors from both the livingroom and kitchen areas out into the very private back garden.
Behind the kitchen is the bright and spacious main bedroom, with a wall of built-in wardrobes and recessed lighting, and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors leading out to the back garden. The fully tiled en suite shower room is similar to the main bathroom to the front.
Whyte has created a sylvan haven in the back garden, with two patio areas on each side of the pond, and a range of plants giving colour all year round, including honeysuckle, hellebore and fuchsia around a silver birch tree, freesias and cordyline, hypericum and mock orange bushes, and lavender, tulips and primroses.
In this tranquil and relaxing space, the only thing climbing the walls are the pink rose, jasmine and purple flowering clematis.
There’s a utility room off the garden, at the very end of the extension, housing the gas boiler, washing methane and Belfast sink, with lots of storage space. There’s also access to an attic space that runs the length of the extension.
Whyte is moving to a new job in Carlow, so the couple have decided to make the move, and reluctantly put number 13 on the market. New owners will have nothing to do except organise their housewarming party.
Across the road, the owners of number 49 Raymond Street are also on the move. The young couple already have two small children, and the imminent arrival of a new baby has prompted them to upsize from this 116sq m (1,249sq m) space.
Both have been recently promoted in their jobs in academia and the legal profession respectively, so the time is right to start looking for a bigger home – preferably in the same area, or in nearby Dublin 6.
The house is filled with old-style charm, and many of its original period features have been sensitively retained and maintained.
Granite steps lead up to a pink front door with a fanlight, and into a hallway with high ceilings and an ornate central rose and cornicing. The drawingroom is to the front, with the main bedroom to the rear; both are bright and spacious, with cast-iron fireplaces.
The couple refurbished the main bathroom to the rear, re-enamelling the free-standing cast-iron bath and putting in a large walk-in shower.
Downstairs you step on to the original flagstone floors, and there’s a neat study area tucked away in the hallway.
To the front is a large double bedroom with cast-iron open fireplace and built-in wardrobes. The third bedroom looks out on to the rear patio, and has wooden floor and exposed brick fireplaces.
The diningroom has a feature cast-iron fireplace and leads out to a dual-aspect kitchen extension with skylight, picture window and patio door leading out to a cosy, private back garden.
New owners might want to think about fitting a new kitchen here just to add zing to the downstairs. There’s also some lobby space to the front, ideal for building a new downstairs bathroom.
The owners of both number 49 and number 13 attest to the excellent neighbours living in this quiet street not far from the National Stadium and Griffith College, and within walking distance of the city centre.
Bus routes are plentiful and the airport is just a 25-minute drive away. The area boasts an excellent array of cafes, restaurants and food stores, so on any day you don’t feel like cooking, you know there’s a good choice of fine dining almost on your doorstep.
Number 13 Raymond Street, at 122sq m (1,313sq ft) with a D2 Ber, is for sale through Owen Reilly, seeking €800,000. Number 49 Raymond Street, at 116sq m (1,249sq ft) with a D1 Ber, is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €795,000.
