A short stroll from the Blackhorse Luas stop in Inchicore sits a loop of Georgian redbrick terraces dotted around a central playground and basketball court. The two-bedroom terraces were once home to railway workers and their families, and that community feel lives on to this day, says Gráinne Dunne, director of the award-winning Studio Red architectural practice, who owns the house.
Previously, there were short railings separating the back gardens to allow neighbours to chat freely but now the back garden of number 51 Railway Avenue is fenced in for privacy. There is a “bogie shed” behind the garden where trains are fixed – a bogie is a train’s undercarriage – meaning the house is not overlooked.
Dunne co-bought the house for €375,000 in 2006 and lived there for 15 years, during which time she made a number of upgrades. It was only after having her second child that she and her family moved to Chapelizod for more space.
You enter the home, extending to 61sq m (658.8sq ft), into a nook in the living area where you can slip off coats and shoes. The livingroom is calm and airy with walls and wooden floors painted white and a statement dip-painted blue fireplace with teal Morrocan-style tiles, all of which Dunne salvaged from elsewhere. There is built-in white shelving to the right of the chimney breast and a TV unit and box shelf to the left; Dunne believes fitted furniture is the best way to make the most of the available space in a small home. The stairs slope over the back wall creating a cosy recess for the couch and providing understairs storage.
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Dunne was careful about sourcing the double-glazed sash windows, present in all rooms at the front of the house and the main bedroom, as she wanted to ensure they were of the best quality and the closest aesthetically to the original. She also had the walls repointed to ensure the longevity of the building while preventing damp. The D1 Ber rating doesn’t reflect the feel of the house as is often the case with older buildings, Dunne says, adding that putting the heating on for an hour warms the place up.
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Through the livingroom is the bathroom which is of a decent size and has a wooden floor, a wide shower, custom-built storage over the loo and a roof light. The kitchen sits at the back of the house and has cleverly designed custom-built birch-ply units and a roof light. More light comes through the double-glazed window over the sink and the glass door to the northwest-facing back garden, which has a patio area and blooming plant beds.
Upstairs the bedrooms have original cast-iron fireplaces and gorgeous original wooden doors. The box room to the front of the house has generous built-in wardrobes and can fit a small single bed; this room could also work as an office or a walk-in wardrobe, which is essentially what Dunne used it for before her children came along. The main bedroom to the back of the house fits a large double bed comfortably.
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Dunne says her favourite thing about living on Railway Avenue was the friendly atmosphere and how quiet it was. She says the area has a great mix of people who have recently moved in and families who have lived there for generations. The house is a 15-minute cycle from Dublin city centre and a five-minute walk from Inchicore village. This charming two-bed terrace is on the market through Felicity Fox Estate Agents, seeking €345,000.
