It’s evident even from the front gate that something special has infused 10 Chelmsford Road, Ranelagh, a four-bed, redbrick mid-terrace house built in the early 1860s.
A few steps take you from the bustling path – Ranelagh village is visible from the gate – through the tiny railed garden with its neat hedge and gravel. The white-painted decorative surround sets off the black front door, which opens into an unusually-wide and tall hall. The dark-stained wood floor on this level sets the scene for the sophisticated care invested since the owner bought it in 2004; previous owners had done the heavy lifting, including replumbing, rewiring and installing Ventrolla sash windows that help insulate the house from traffic noise.
The front room, to the left off the hall, is a grand drawing room with a modern limestone mantelpiece and a gas fire with slate hearth. There are plantation shutters on the lower half of the window to shield the room from the street, and the ceiling plasterwork features a gracious circle of leaves.
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Beyond this is a second sitting room with matching ceiling plasterwork and deep skirting boards, a handsome original fireplace and walls painted in Gargoyle, a rich inky grey by Zoffany. It’s the only room not painted in a neutral or white, but the high ceiling carries the drama and light spills in through the glass doors that lead to the kitchen/dining room.
The kitchen is in the original return, and in addition to fitting it out with top-end white Poggenpohl units, polished granite worktops and Miele appliances, the owner built across the back of the house, adding a dining area with half-panelled walls painted in the same smart grey to link with the middle room, and two rooflights overhead.
The walls have been painted white and the floor is tiled in pale porcelain, with heating underneath. This non-slip surface continues out through French doors to form the patio, from which steps lead up to a neat lawn; the garden has a sunny southerly aspect.
At the far end, a line of young trees partially screens a gravelled area with space for two cars; access is via an electric gate to Chelmsford Lane. On the other side of the lane, four modern mews houses have been built in place of a workshop.
Upstairs, past a clever laundry nook and a smart understairs toilet, there is a fully-tiled bathroom with underfloor heating on the return that’s big enough for a bath and a wide shower. At the end, a double bedroom with a cast-iron fireplace overlooks the garden. Some of the granite wall is exposed over the wood panelling on the corridor and up high there is a sweet arched window with blue stained glass; the owner says he clambered up on the roof recently to clean it.
Off the top, airy landing, there are two double bedrooms at the front – one is a home office – and the main bedroom, with a very chic en suite, is at the rear. All three have built-in wardrobes.
The most recent sale on the road recorded in the Property Price Register is that of a three-bed, number 7, which sold for €910,000 in 2019. Number 10, which measures 180sq m (1,937sq ft) and is BER-exempt, is on the market through Lisney, seeking €1.4 million.
