Annadale Drive, at the Marino end of Drumcondra, just off Philipsburgh Avenue and around the corner from a row of shops, is a well-located, mature estate of former council houses. No 9 is a fine example of what can be done with the help of a good architect and owners with decorative flair.

The end-of-terrace house is set on a good size plot with off-street parking to the front for two cars and planted with bee-friendly lavender.

There’s a rich use of colour from the tomato-red front door balanced by pale oak parquet in the hall and front room that the owners sourced in Noyeks Newmans. The walls and ceiling of the front room are painted a rich Prussian blue, an intense shade that creates a restful space that comes alive after dark. The original tiled fireplace is still in situ and on the walls are many works by artist and owner Michael Timmins, who runs fine art print studio Independent Editions in Stoneybatter.

The couple bought the house in December 2013 for €282,000, according to the Property Price Register, and lived in it as it was for a couple of years while they saved for an extension. In 2016 they hired Ranelagh-based OC Architects and the design to the back of the house has transformed it. Thanks to a clever broken-plan layout, set over different levels, there is now a sizeable kitchen with a separate dining area and steps down to the living room, where a waxed cedar-clad half wall forms a visual break between it and the kitchen above.

The space extends to almost 7m wide in parts and includes a utility room with its own side entrance. The black kitchen and quartz countertops by Nolan’s, is bang on trend with a concrete floor with underfloor heating.

The space overlooks a lovely south-facing garden with pedestrian rear access and has been planted with a tree fern, hydrangea and sweet pea. Herringbone terracotta paving mirrors the timber flooring to the front and illustrates the level of design detail that the couple invested in the house.

The living area overlooks the garden, with a free-standing stove positioned in the corner in front of the room’s floor to ceiling glazing. The half wall cleverly offers privacy you don’t get in larger open-plan layouts. Several pieces of mid-century furniture decorate the room. “The house dates from the 1950s and we wanted it to have that vibe but without feeling like a museum,” the owner says.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms – two doubles, and a box room used as a home office. The walls of the main bedroom are painted Swedish Blue, a soft, sleep-inducing shade from Craig & Rose’s vintage paint collection.

The property, asking €495,000 through agent Move Home, at 115sq m/1,237sq ft, is in walk-in condition, though the next owner might like to add a second bathroom downstairs.