A townhouse in Irishtown with a view of the Aviva stadium has been extended cleverly

I'M NOT sure why, but I imagined TV presenter and Sunday Independentjournalist Brendan O'Connor's home would be a little bit flash, with a life size plastic Elvis in the sittingroom and a neon cocktail bar. So, it was a jolt to walk into a subtle, understated streamlined space that has been cleverly extended and re-designed by O'Connor and his wife, fellow journalist Sarah Caden, to make it a more liveable family space .

They’ve decided to sell 3 Pembroke Grove, Irishtown, Dublin 4 because with a second child on the way and the fact they both work from home, they want a bigger house. Tucked away in a quiet little enclave near Ringsend Park the 111sq m (1,200sq ft) three-bedroom house is on the market through Gunne asking €465,000 .

Although the townhouse is just five years old they decided to improve on what the builder had given them by extending out into the side passage – now the kitchen and a sunroom – and by turning the original pokey galley kitchen into an office. They also took out an understairs toilet to make the livingroom bigger.

Although long and narrow as you’d expect from a room built on a former passageway, the kitchen is probably the most impressive room in the house. It’s a sleek grey Miele kitchen with silestone quartz worktops are perfect for the space; the brushed steel splashback and sink give it a sleek, contemporary edge. It has pull-out larders, soft-close drawers, and a range of integrated Miele appliances. The high ceilings and Velux windows make it a light-filled airy space. Off the kitchen is a small sunroom used currently as a dining area – this has a Velux blind operated by remote control.

The kitchen opens into the pleasant bright livingroom. Large black slate tiles run throughout the ground floor and are a good counterbalance to the bright decor. The livingroom has a stone fireplace and built-in shelving in one alcove.

Double doors lead out to a dinky south-facing courtyard garden with a black slate deck and a gravelled area and a garden shed.

Upstairs is mostly carpeted, and on the first floor there’s a double bedroom with built-in wardrobes and a single room used as nursery, also with built-in wardrobes. The family bathroom is a cream-tiled room with a bath and power shower, a big oval sink, and heated towel rail. On the second floor at dormer level is another double bedroom with a Velux roof light with a view of the Aviva stadium.

3 Pembroke Grove, Irishtown, Dublin 4

Revamped three-bed townhouse with liveable family space

Agent:Gunne