Despite having secured planning permission for an extension, the owners of 186 Kilworth Road are moving to another house in the area, taking their passion for interiors and renovating with them. Tommy Byrne leaves behind an immaculate former Dublin Corporation house, leaving nothing for new owners to do bar arrange their furniture and possibly improve on the already substantial planting.
Not an inch of this 79sq m (850sq ft) home has escaped Byrne’s eye; when he bought the house in 2004 he commenced a complete renovation, often going at projects a second time. “We replastered all the walls and ceilings, put in new doors and windows. That’s the second kitchen and second bathroom I put into the house, second set of floors. I love interior design, love trying different colours.”
There’s an unusual layout downstairs, with a dining area to the front, where Byrne works from home. He removed two fireplaces in the angled divide between the rooms, creating more space in the cosy livingroom by slicing the wall back to the chimney breast. There’s a small storage area under the stairs for coats and shoes, and the engineered walnut floor was redone five years ago.
By taking the units almost up to the ceiling, Byrne maximised the storage space and gets the most out of the InHouse white gloss kitchen. The island countertop is a recently replaced quartz and there’s an acrylic topping on the counters in the rest of the kitchen. Black subway tiles contrast smartly with the high-gloss units.
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Although there is no utility there is a shed to the side of the house that houses a dryer and chest freezer. The patio is of Indian sandstone, with a maintenance-free garden and sleepers with space for planting. The garden is south-facing and gets the sun all day in the summer.
There is one bathroom in the house, but the property comes with planning permission – valid until 2027 – for an extension to the side which would give a larger kitchen, another bathroom and more room upstairs. The bathroom has ceramic tiles and a power shower. There is an attic with a pull-down ladder, though there is so much storage in the house the owners do not use it. The principal bedroom has substantial storage and the bedroom to the rear is currently used as a study.
The Luas at Blackhorse is a seven minute walk away and the 123 bus into the city centre is a three-minute walk from the house. Its proximity to the city is one of the things Byrne loves most about the area, as well as handy access to the N7 for trips back home to Tipperary. The area and estates around are mostly residential, with nearby local shops on the Galtymore and Errigal Roads.
The property has an E1 BER and is on the market with Sherry FitzGerald, asking €375,000.
