Dating from 1988, Number 7 Laurelton is a well-presented detached dormer bungalow set in a much sought-after location just off Bushy Park Road – between the villages of Rathgar and Terenure.
Major work was undertaken in the 1990s when a previous owner, former RTE newsreader Michael Murphy, engaged architect Eva Byrne to expand its interior accommodation. Byrne totally transformed the 170sq m (1,830sq ft) house allowing for four bedrooms and a large kitchen that once graced the pages of Image Interiors.
It was last on the market in 2015, when it was purchased for €825,000 according to the Property Price Register. It has now been listed again through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €1.195 million.
A double-height atrium – flooded with natural light thanks to overhead glazing from a gallery upstairs – leads to the centre of this home which is a good-sized kitchen and breakfast room. Here floor-to-ceiling windows and a vaulted ceiling really flood the room with natural light and allow a sense of nature to peep through with colour from a lovely silver birch in the garden outside.
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A large Indian sandstone patio – accessed from double doors – allows a seamless divide between inside and outside spaces, and the low-maintenance rear garden, could, if new owners wished, offer room to extend – subject to planning.
A formal livingroom warmed by a stove (there’s also a stove in the kitchen) also has access to the garden through another set of double doors.
Two double bedrooms – both en-suite – lie at garden level, while another two lie upstairs sharing a large family bathroom. Also up there is a good deal of well-thought-out storage, offering plenty of room to store family accoutrements and all sorts of sports equipment.
Changes made by Byrne are still the selling points today and show how good architectural design stands the test of time.
It’s really all about natural light, condition and close proximity to the villages Rathgar and Terenure. Some of the capital’s most sought-after schools are within easy reach and it’s about two and a half miles to the city centre – which is well served by public transport.
Will Moore of Sherry FitzGerald, who is handling the sale has noticed a shift in buyers for this type of property: “When we last sold this house, it was all trader-downers that came to view. However, as it’s detached and C-rated for energy with a west-facing low-maintenance garden, this time round it’s also attracting families trading up as there’s very little left to do [with it].”
