Formerly a subdivided duckling and now an elegant swan, 84 Palmerston Road in Rathmines incorporates contemporary comforts with period structure. Since buying the three-bed Victorian house in 2018, the owner invested much time and thought in restoring what was hidden behind false ceilings and stud work, and in sourcing quality replacements.
Granite steps lead up to the summery-blue front door. Inside, the hall is a showstopper, with the walls painted deep grey and the ceiling a darker shade, Inchyra Blue, to set off the highly decorative, high-relief cornices and centre roses that took many weeks to restore. Watching Tullow-based James Ansbro, the owner says, was like observing a dental hygienist at work, using their fine instruments to remove 180 years’ worth of paint without damaging the plaster. Most sections were in decent condition underneath but some, for example the mouldings in a bathroom that had been improperly vented, needed extensive repair.
To the right off the hall is a jewel of a drawing room, also painted in that midnight blue, with exquisite plasterwork, a lovely marble fireplace from Ryan & Smith in Dungannon, and deep architraves; much of the joinery was in place but some needed the expert care of Drogheda-based Michael Black. The owner, who completed a diploma in fine and decorative art some years ago, while doing up a house in Howth, jokes that he likes to invite guests to spot the new pieces in the frame around the folding doors that link to the adjacent room, to the rear.
Somewhat unusually, this is now a kitchen fitted with Pedini units in a dark lacquered metal finish, eucalyptus doors and cool ceramic splashbacks and worktops – there is an island along the same long axis, but there is no dining table.
The floor throughout this level is a beautiful dark African hardwood, panga panga, reclaimed – via Wilson’s Yard, in Co Down – from the offices of British Leyland in Birmingham.
Downstairs, past a window with vivid blue and red panels (there is a matching one on the landing), there is a well-fitted utility area to the front, by the door, and insulated storage under the front steps. The front room downstairs is a guest bedroom and has another part of the owner’s restoration jigsaw; an original fireplace which he matched elsewhere in the house with salvage finds.
Beyond this, beside a smart bathroom, is a cosy living room with glass doors opening out to the garden, where artificial grass and raised beds require very little work. At the far end, a large patio captures the evening sun before it sets over the front of the house; fronting on to this is a huge garden room that lends itself to many uses – home office, gym, separate accommodation for a family member – it has big sliding doors to the terrace and access to a lane at the rear. There is space for a few cars in the gravelled front garden, behind electric gates.
Upstairs are two grand bedrooms; the main at the rear has an en suite up a few steps, from which you can see across the bay to Howth. The front bedroom has built-in wardrobes and a beautifully fitted-out bathroom, painted a soft pink is accessed from here and from the landing.
With a floor area of 200sq m (2,153sq ft), there is plenty of room in this end-of-terrace house, but the owner has secured planning permission for an extension, designed by PCOT Architects, that would give a more family-friendly layout, with a kitchen-dining room all across the back at garden level and two big bedrooms off the hall and landing level.
The area is certainly suited to families, located near Ranelagh and Rathmines villages, handy for schools, shops, Luas and buses, and a swift walk or cycle to town. Indeed, the owner has a long-held affection for the area, having lived here during student days, and is moving to a house nearby. Number 84, which is just up from the junction with Dunville Avenue and Belgrave Road, is for sale through Lisney, seeking €2.15 million.
