Bushfield Terrace is a quiet, Edwardian cul-de-sac off the top of Marlborough Road beside the Royal Hospital Donnybrook, and houses here do not change hands often.
Selling the redbrick four-bed to move closer to the coast, the owners have been happy in this house, built in about 1910, for 20 years. They undertook an extensive renovation in 2014 and installed energy upgrades last year, which brought the property up to a B2 Ber.
Off the hall, with large porcelain tiles, lie two generous, interconnected reception rooms with marble fireplaces and inset wood-burning stoves. Glazed doors from the second reception room lead to a sun-filled lobby which connects to a guest shower room, the office and the kitchen.
The home office is almost a glass box that sits into the spacious, south-facing kitchen and dining area. Its glass doors concertina back, leaving everything open, or they can be closed for peace and privacy. A roof light accentuates the brightness of the room.
White, high-gloss Kube kitchen units contrast with the warmth of an exposed granite wall behind the home office, framing the dining area. The kitchen has undercounter LED lighting, quartz Silestone worktops, a Siemens hob and a breakfast bar. What is now the dining area with the granite wall was an external courtyard, it was wrapped into the house during the refurbishment.
More glass doors open on to the sunny, southwest-facing garden, where the owners spend time enjoying their hot tub in the evening (the hot tub is going with them), and it is not overlooked, with fruit trees and cherry blossom trees adding interest and colour. They added a garden room when they did the work and this is used by their son for music but would make a perfect home office as it is insulated, wired and connected to broadband.
Upstairs, the first bedroom with en suite is on the return, overlooking the back garden, and the family bathroom is here. The first floor has the principal bedroom, with a fireplace, and two smaller bedrooms. There is also an attic room which is used as a fifth bedroom, although it does not meet the planning requirements to be classed as such. The house, extending to 201sq m (2163sq ft), is for sale through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty, seeking €1.475 million.
The front of the house is gravelled with off-street parking for two cars, an electric charging point and storage for a bike and bins. There is pedestrian access to the back garden via a lane that runs behind the house.
“We are reluctantly parting with what has been a fantastic family home. It’s a great house for entertaining. The garden is so connected, we are out there most evenings, sitting out and looking at the stars,” says the owner. He says they rarely turn the heating on since upgrading the home with solar panels, extra insulation and A-rated glazing.
It’s a short stroll to Donnybrook and Ranelagh from Bushfield Terrace and it is within easy walking and cycling distance to the city: “We have cars but they sit in the driveway,” says the owner.
The cul-de-sac has pedestrian access to the leafy grounds of the Royal Hospital Donnybrook, Herbert Park is close by and a host of schools, such as Gonzaga College, Muckross Park College, Alexandra College and St Michael’s College, are within easy reach.
