The owners of 33 Monck Place, a redbrick terrace built circa 1850, have created a comfortable, well-laid-out home just a short walk from Phibsborough village. A long extension to the back, incorporated into the property after it was bought in 2008, provides space for a long open-plan kitchen/dining/livingroom. This versatile space seems to continue forever, as it opens out to the back garden through concertina doors, creating one cohesive space.
Stepping into the home, which extends to 148sq m (1,593sq ft), there is a compact built-in storage unit hiding the fuse box and providing shelving on the left. The hall walls feature white metro tiles, creating a sleek effect, and they are also easy to clean according to the owner. There is a small livingroom to the front of the house, which is mainly used as a music room; the owners also have a futon in there for when visitors come to stay – the shower room next door acts as their private en suite on such occasions.
Towards the end of the hall, through a sliding pocket door, is the dining space of the open-plan kitchen/living/diningroom. This airy room, flowing all the way out to the back garden, makes quite an impact. On seeing this I ask the owner if an architect was involved in the design and she tells me both owners are architects themselves, so you can rest assured every upgrade made to this home was carefully considered.
The kitchen has sleek white units with a huge central island/breakfast bar, with the fridge, freezer and storage cupboards underneath. The owners and their family often eat at the island and lay nibbles out on it when visitors come over. It is lit by four red pendant lights, and there are three big rectangular rooflights overhead to allow natural light in. The owners also have potted plants suspended from the wall, making a lovely outside-in feature.
There is a useful utility space off the kitchen, which can also be accessed from the front hallway. The wall and doors of the utility are painted a rich red, adding a pop of colour to the dining area.
The space flows into the living area, a lovely, inviting space that makes you want to kick off your shoes in front of the television. Even on a rainy day in October, it feels like the garden patio is a continuation of the living space.
Beyond glazed concertina doors is a tiled terrace, covered in part by a canopy formed by the first floor and lit from lights in the ground. The rest of the south-facing garden sits at a height, with gorgeous trees and plants down both sides. It culminates in a patio with a fire pit at the top of the garden. The gable wall is beautiful old cut stone, and backs on to All Saints church, from where you can sometimes hear organ music on a Sunday, the owner says.
Up the beech stairs, the first-floor extension is to the rear, with useful built-in cupboards in the landing. It also houses the main bedroom, which has a pitched roof and a unique Swiss-style triangular window, complete with shutters. It allows in plenty of light from the sunny south-facing aspect. The bedroom benefits from a built-in wardrobe and an en suite shower room. A second double bedroom also sits in the extension.
At the front, in the original part of the house, is another large double bedroom with built-in storage and shelving. It faces on to the street, with Clarke’s pub across from it. There is a samba staircase off the hallway leading up to the converted attic space; with low ceilings, it makes a great children’s den and storage space.
The property has underfloor heating on the ground and first floors as well as double-glazed windows. It has a B3 Ber, which is an impressive certification for a period home.
Convenient to the cafes, pubs and restaurants in the village and an eight-minute walk from Phibsborough Luas green-line stop, this well-connected home in walk-in condition is now being brought to market through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €695,000, as the owners move on to a new renovation project elsewhere in the city.
