Number 4 Ashfield Avenue, on the market with Mullery O’Gara, is a three-bed terraced redbrick in fine condition, seeking €1.1 million. It’s a charming home on a serene street that has been thoroughly renovated by its current owner. It would make a great home for a young couple or downsizers given its size, 107sq m (1151sq ft), and location, in the heart of Ranelagh, just behind the Devlin Hotel.
Set back from the street, with on-street residential parking, behind original cast-iron fencing and gates, the small front garden is paved and has a bin store and a bike stand. The terrace faces directly south so the rooms are full of light.
Inside the pale blue door is the hallway, off which is a sittingroom on the right. A cream-painted cast-iron fireplace sets the tone and there’s a decidedly French vibe to the decor. Louvred shutters at the window add privacy to a charming sittingroom.
Folding doors open through to the kitchen, which has high-gloss units, a stunning Aga in a berry shade – the soft purple blends in with the cream units topped with timber worktops. This is a cook’s kitchen, with stainless-steel shelves, an abundance of storage tucked away in the extensive island that doubles as a breakfast bar, and an array of knives ready for action on the wall.
Beyond the kitchen is a dining area, again most thoughtfully arranged, with an attractive seating bench built in beside a tall cream dresser, full of serving ware and underneath a cream-panelled wall. The floors here are an unfussy painted concrete which, like the stainless-steel shelves, adds a touch of industrial style to the space.
Double wood-framed doors swing open to the outside and it’s easy to imagine it on a balmy, warm day. It’s completely maintenance-free with a mixture of patio paving and gravel, with a well-pruned birch tree on one side of the garden, along with some bay trees and beds ready for planting. The advantage of the garden is the vehicular access from the rear – metal gates allow access to a lane that runs behind the avenue, so it would be easy to bring cars in through here and park them on the gravel.
Back inside, running parallel to the kitchen, is an ingenious utility room where every square inch is shelved out, and it has a door opening on to the garden. There’s a guest WC under the stairs, papered in a striking green floral pattern.
The main bathroom is on the return before the first floor and is tiled in black and cream subway tiles, has his-and-hers wash-hand basins, a large bath and a shower unit. It’s a classy and sophisticated space. At the top of the stairs, the owner has carved out space for an office nook with a slim desk and built-in shelves.
There are two bedrooms to the front: the main bedroom has a pretty cast-iron fireplace and a bank of built-in wardrobes on the other wall, and the smaller bedroom has room for a bed and a decent desk; this would make a great home office.
A third bedroom overlooks the garden and has substantial built-in wardrobes flanking the chimney breast, which has another small fireplace; another set of built-in wardrobes lines the opposite wall.
It’s a substantially upgraded house with a Ber rating of B2, and is in turnkey condition for prospective new owners.
