Boutique owner Gráinne Wynne has a passion for interior design and she has put all her flair and style into this lovely period terraced house just off Morehampton Road in Donnybrook and right next to Herbert Park.
Poured concrete worktops, Pandomo floors and a rusted-metal wall are just a few design features that make number 20 Victoria Avenue fit for a fashionista and their family.
The kitchen has been tastefully extended to make a wonderfully funky family space, and an attic extension adds two rooms, making for a perfect eyrie for guests or teenagers.
There are numerous design touches that set this house apart and several pieces of mid-20th-century furniture neatly enhance the interior spaces.
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“I don’t do trends,” says Wynne, who did the interior design work on her boutique, Beautiful South, in Rathmines. “I look for things that stand the test of time.”
At 126sq m (1,356sq ft), this redbrick is small but very nicely upgraded, with lots of storage, underfloor heating and newly fitted double-glazed sash windows throughout the property.
When we arrived at the house, Wynne was sitting at her front door with her chihuahua, Nuevo, chatting with a neighbour – it’s that sort of neighbourhood. Inside, the entrance hallway has a feature archway, Pandomo flooring, and a lovely mid-century wooden cabinet. A large mirror at the end of the hall gives a deceptive sense of space.
To the left is the livingroom, with solid wood floors done by Oscar Ono, walls painted in Farrow & Ball Hague Blue and all the original coving and cornicing intact. Cosy textured sofas and cushions complement the various animal artworks placed around the feature cast-iron fireplace.
“I call this my Darwin room,” says Wynne.
The kitchen/diningroom is impressive, extensively laid out in wall-to-floor units by Kube, and with Neff integrated induction hog, Bosch stainless steel ovens and integrated dishwasher, stainless steel Belfast sink and feature rusted metal splashback along with an entire rusted metal wall. The worktop is extra thick and entirely made up of poured, polished concrete – “It took a week to dry, but it was well worth it,” recalls Wynne.
A sash window overlooks a small courtyard patio garden in Indian sandstone with small table and chairs and a gate giving access from the rear. Extending the kitchen meant taking away a chunk of the back garden but it was a good trade-off, says Wynne.
“Herbert Park is our garden,” she says.
The utility room is combined with a guest wc, delivering a space-saving solution. A small poured concrete worktop mirrors the bigger one in the kitchen – an aquarium currently sits on top, home of Wynne’s daughter’s pet axolotl.
The original floorboards on the upstairs landing have been lovingly polished and filled in by Wynne, and lead in to a bedroom overlooking the rear garden, with fitted wardrobes, ceiling coving and double-glazed sash window.
The main bedroom is a large double with original polished floorboards and lots of storage. A third, smaller room currently doubles as a walk-in dressingroom and home office/study, with mirrored sliding-door wardrobes and an integrated workstation.
There’s also a family shower room on this floor, with a fully tiled shower cubicle and tiled walls and a mosaic-tiled floor. A wall-mounted cabinet gives ample storage, and there’s also glass shelving and towel rail. Most of the rooms are cleverly designed to maximise the available space and make everything feel just that little bit more roomy.
Stairs lead up to an attic landing, with two Velux windows and recessed lighting. On each side is an attic room with Velux windows, both with extensive eaves storage. The Velux windows let in lots of light and give great views across to the Dublin mountains.
The location couldn’t be more convenient. Besides being literally around the corner from the 22 verdant acres of Herbert Park, Victoria Avenue is a short stroll from the shops, boutiques and food stores of Donnybrook, and just a 20-minute walk from St Stephen’s Green.
The Energia Park stadium and RDS are just a football’s throw away, and there’s a fine selection of schools in the area, including Muckross Park, St Mary’s National School and the Teresian School.
Number 20 Victoria Avenue, extending to 126sq m (1,356sq ft), has a Ber energy rating of C1 and is for sale through DNG asking €950,000
