Little disturbs the tranquillity of Victoria Road in Rathgar on a sunny spring morning other than birdsong from the tree-lined roads leading to it.
Number 19’s cheerful yellow front door gives the first hint of a late Victorian house that has been renovated with an intense consideration of design that is reflected in every part of the 226 sq m (2,432 sq ft) four-bed home.
Now being brought to the market by Sherry FitzGerald seeking €1.95 million, the owners bought the property, built in the 1890s, in 2012. At that stage, it had been lived in by the same family for 60 years and the new owners lived in it for a full year, doing little while they assessed the house’s potential and scope.
They then embarked on a thorough and painstaking renovation, tackling all the onerous jobs required, such as re-roofing, damp-proofing, upgrading the insulation and replumbing and installing a new, high-tech heating system.
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Solar panels on the roof plus the efficient levels of insulation mean the electricity bills are minimal and the internal temperatures are balmy, irrespective of any chill outside; it’s C3 rated.
Even after the renovation, all period features are present and correct, with intricate coving and ceiling roses still in place. The drawingroom is bright, benefiting from a triple-aspect bay window – and extensive planting in the front garden adds colour and privacy.
The floors here and in the connecting reception room are a warm polished brown, and the original fireplaces are intact, with a cream marble with gold accents in the drawingroom and a deep-coral mottled marble in the second reception room.
Folding concertina-style glass doors lead through to the kitchen extension.
It’s a wonder of a room, clever and joyous, designed by architect Stephen Mulhall, and the focal point is the L-shaped window overlooking the garden. With overhead, vaulted rooflights, the owner says the design’s purpose was to follow the light through the day.
The layout is perfectly attuned to family life, with a built-in bench and storage, the kitchen is custom-built, with a comprehensive run of kitchen units topped in quartz worktops, and a pantry concealed behind a sliding door – opposite it lies a utility press with washing appliances. Steps lead back to the hall and there’s a guest WC on the left.
Upstairs there’s a bathroom installed in what was a bedroom on the return. It overlooks the garden and still has its original fireplace. There’s a built-in desk – a good spot for working – and storage outside it, and steps lead to the first floor with three bedrooms.
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The principal is lovely, with a large window and built in wardrobes flanking the fireplace. Two more bedrooms, both with fireplaces, lie to the front of the house.
The last bedroom is in what would have been the attic, with sloping eaves, two big windows and a large closet that could be converted into a small bathroom.
The garden is compact but well-planted with thriving olive trees, a large Yew tree and a golden privet shrub in the corner. There’s a shed built on to the side of the house for bikes and storage, and there is access to a lane that runs beside the house.
Victoria Road is about a five-minute walk from Rathgar village, while Terenure is about a 15-minute walk away. Residential disk parking is available.
