A terraced house at 32 Upper Leeson Street, in Dublin 4, will appeal to those who are looking for an urban family home with lots of space and a totally modern interior. The three-storey over basement Victorian house has been refurbished over the last seven years by Lillies Bordello owner Chris Egan and his American wife, Sharon. The couple wanted a house that was close to town but big enough for their young family. They found it in a tall narrow house that needed complete refurbishment. Now it is a wonderfully light home with a stunning kitchen-cum-dining-room, two further reception rooms and four bedrooms, as well as a playroom, extensive basement storage and utility space and a sunny back garden with rear access.
The house has an impressive 3,400 sq. ft, but the Egans need more space. They are planning to move to a larger home in Monkstown and have, reluctantly, put their Leeson Street home on the market. It will be auctioned on September 28th by joint agents Gunne and Ganly Walters. Alva Gunne is quoting £800,000 as a guide price.
This is a really appealing house that has been altered and decorated by a couple who are used to making spaces look good and work well. Sharon, a professional cook, designed the superb kitchen with its sleek stainless steel worktops and appliances, and the long, atrium-style dining-room area that had originally been a dank yard at the side of the house.
The first priority was to get as much light as possible into the house, and this was done in several ways. In the entrance hall, a double entrance was opened into the living-room, which in turn opens into the formal dining-room. The squared off arch between these two rooms could accommodate the original double folding doors, which are in storage at present but will be included in the sale. The most impressive change to the house was made by opening up the dining-room to the kitchen, which is at a lower level. This was done by installing a wide flight of steps down from one to the other. With the long roof light overhead, this clever extension allows all three rooms to be used in a continuous flow that works both for family living and entertaining. Most of the rooms are painted white and used as a gallery-like setting for the family's eclectic art collection.
The kitchen has fashionable cherrywood units with stainless steel worktops and pride of place goes to a big American range-style cooker that is being included in the sale. There is a door to the garden with the rear patio acting as a further reception room in the summer. At the end of the garden the gate opens on to a lane.
From the kitchen, a few steps lead down to the basement area which has no natural light but plenty of recessed down-lighters. There is a good-sized playroom here as well as a utility room with plenty of open shelving in beech. There is also a wine cellar.
The main bedroom on the first return is a wonderfully bright room with a huge window overlooking the back garden. It has room for plenty of furniture and has very good built in wardrobes, as well as a walk-in shower room. On the first floor, a drawing-room runs the full width of the house. This is a stunning room with tall sash windows overlooking the street and the walls are painted a pale avocado green. On the next return is the family bathroom with its smart grey-green tiling and steps leading up to the double ended roll top bath. On the top floor is a clever arrangement of two large bedrooms linked by a bathroom. The larger of the two rooms could be the main bedroom as, like the drawing-room below, it runs the full width of the house.
