When the owners of Innisfree at number 11 Brennan’s Terrace were looking for a new home in 2013, they had a number of requirements. First, it had to be an old house with lots of character and a bit of history; it also had to be close enough to the sea that you could simply stroll out for a morning dip. And it had to be spacious enough to comfortably accommodate the couple and their six children, with plenty of amenities close by for sporting and sailing activities, and within an easy commute to work in Dublin city centre. And finally, it had to have that ideal mix of “elegance and fun” that makes for a well-balanced family home.
They found the perfect fit with this six-bedroom period house in Bray, in a commanding spot overlooking Strand Road and the town’s seafront promenade, and with stunning views out to the sea and nearby Bray Head. This Victorian terraced house also ticked the cultural history box: previous occupants have included Gothic horror writer Sheridan Le Fanu and poet and playwright Lennox Robinson. But the house had been in use as commercial offices when they bought it, and many of the period features were hidden behind filing cabinets, partitions and other office paraphernalia.
The owners upgraded the plumbing and the wiring, putting in broadband, new bathrooms and an open-plan kitchen/lounge area at garden level. Luckily the original ceiling cornicing and centre roses were in good condition throughout, and the beautiful marble fireplace in the livingroom, hidden behind a panel, was also intact. The owners also installed double-glazed acoustic glass window panels in the front-facing bedrooms to cut out any noise from the bustling Bray seafront – although whenever there is an outdoor concert at the nearby bandstand, the windows are thrown open to let in the jazz and gospel sounds. While many of the homeowners on Brennan’s Terrace had taken out their front lawns to create parking spaces, the owners decided to leave their front garden intact, making use of the on-street residents’ parking permits available from the council.
The main house has five bedrooms, four bathrooms and three reception rooms over three storeys. At the back of the house, overlooking a gravel courtyard with rear access from Brennan’s Parade, is a separate apartment with a livingroom/kitchenette, a bedroom and a shower room, ideal as a living space for a dependent relative or an adult child, or to bring in extra income via the rent-a-room scheme. There are also a number of outbuildings at the back, which include the utility room, plant room and a small workshop area.
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Innisfree at 11 Brennan’s Terrace measures a generous 269sq m (2,895sq ft), is Ber exempt and is for sale through DNG, seeking €1.175 million.
The house is set well back from Strand Road, with granite steps leading up to the front entrance on the first floor. The adjoining livingroom and diningroom also benefit from the east-west orientation, and clearly are used a lot by the family. The livingroom has stunning views from Bray Head to the harbour via the big bay window. Tear your eyes away from the sea views and you can see more intricate cornicing above the bay window.
There’s a bedroom on this level to the back, with a large bathroom featuring a Victorian-style free-standing bath. The owners sourced as many period furnishings as they could, including antique mirrors and chandeliers. Even the Shaker-style kitchen downstairs, while having all the mod cons and a large island/breakfast bar, is in keeping with the overall period style.
The kitchen/lounge at ground level is the hub of the house, with lots of room for a family of eight to gather and relax. The lounge area has a light, nautical decor (“not too nautical, though – I didn’t want it to look like a seafood restaurant,” says the owner), with three sofas and a coffee table arrayed around a gas stove. A hallway leads to a separate shower room and the back door.
The front lawn used to come right up to the house, but the owners took it back and put in a lovely patio where they can enjoy their morning coffee; it’s set a little lower than the lawn, so you get a sense of privacy while still getting a great view of the seafront. There are four more bedrooms on the second floor – two looking out to the seafront and two looking out to the redbrick and stone facades of Brennan’s Parade, plus two more bathrooms.
With their six children now grown up, the owners are looking to downsize. “We hope a new family will enjoy this house as much as we have,” they say.
