Good modern design tends not to date, and a prime example of this is 13 Dufferin Avenue in Dublin 8.
The house, which was purchased in 2008, when it was a series of flats, was redesigned and extended by Irish-born architect Mark Guard – one of the founders of Guard Tillman Pollock, a London-based firm specialising in high-end modernist buildings.
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While Guard has completed a few builds in his native land, his creation of a Le Corbusier-inspired penthouse in Paris was shortlisted for a Riba Stirling award – the architectural equivalent of the Booker and Turner prizes – in 1997. It is a rarity that a residential building meets the requirements for the award, but his 34sq m apartment did, spearheading the demand for his practice’s designs in affluent areas of London.
What he has achieved in Dufferin Avenue is a perfect balance between modernism and minimalism through the use of hardwearing materials such as oak, steel and stone, and also through the use of full-height windows and seamless storage.
While the house was completed in 2010, it feels brand new – even the kitchen, which has a large stainless-steel recess, is timeless and marries well with the rest of the house.
What will appeal to buyers, besides the excellent design and light-drenched rooms, is the fact that the house has a converted attic – now used as an office and a fourth bedroom for overnight guests.
In addition, there is a 23sq m (248sq ft) studio in the rear garden – which has a kitchen, bathroom and living space.
Functional modernism
The garden, which separates the main house and studio, has a similar theme of cool functional modernism – and is laid out around a water feature flanked by bamboo and towering silver birch.
There are three bedrooms on the first floor, and as one would expect the principal has the wow factor – with a circular shower that acts as the division to the sleeping area.
The property, which extends to 182sq m (1,959sq ft), is on the market through Felicity Fox, seeking €895,000.
House prices for Dufferin Avenue have risen dramatically in the past four years. Numbers 50 and 14, which sold in 2017 and 2018 for €750,000 and €645,000 respectively, both needed modernisation, and across the road Number 58, extending to 155sq m and also in need of modernisation, is seeking €685,000 through DNG.
