When TV commercials producer Andy Bradford bought 19 Ovoca Road in the heart of redbrick Portobello seven years ago, the plan was to “maybe put an extension on the back and do a bit of decorating”. That was January 2015 – and he didn’t move in until September 2016; in between came finding a builder and an architect, agreeing the design and securing planning permission and realising that with old houses that haven’t undergone a renovation in some decades, it’s rarely a case of doing a bit of cosmetic work; there’s a domino effect caused by stripping back any surface, whether floors, walls or ceilings. When the building did start, the eight-month renovation saw the terraced house brought back to just the front wall.
Some aspects of the original layout he knew he wanted to keep, notably the front reception room with its high ceilings, a new sash window and old-world charm. For the new part – the greatly extended ground floor to the rear, which added 40sq m to the property – he wanted a bright, contemporary, eat-in kitchen with a living area. A sleek Kube kitchen with a substantial island was chosen, while architect Niall Henry incorporated roof lights and a glazed wall of floor-to-ceiling doors opening to the deck and small, north-facing garden. The property now has 118sq m (1,270sq ft) of living space.
These style houses have two bedrooms to the rear up a half-flight of stairs from the hall, and the issue for modern living is where to put the bathroom; it is often tacked on to the rear at ground level beyond the kitchen. To solve the problem, Bradford says he simply copied his neighbours and installed a full bathroom in the attic up a flight of steps from the bedroom landing. It’s a smart solution.
The house has appeared in interiors magazines, and it’s not difficult to see why. To choose his colour scheme when buying paint he took the advice of Olah Kelly at MRCB Paints, who detailed a dramatic colour scheme that works well with Bradford’s art collection. Parking is on-street and the BER is C3. Agent Owen Reilly is selling No 19 Ovoca Road, asking €800,000.
