Eden Road Upper is a quiet residential street just off the lower Glenageary Road leading into Dún Laoghaire, so the location of this renovated three-bed detached house is superb, with a five-minute walk to Glasthule Dart station sure to be among its salient selling points.
The owners bought the house in 2016 for €490,000, according to the Property Price Register, and lived there for two years as they figured out what they wanted from a renovation. They decided to keep the best features of the 1930s house while introducing their own design. They have managed to marry the two beautifully, with original picture rails and internal doors as well as a new extension at the rear. It is now on the market through Vincent Finnegan, seeking €850,000.
Warmth was the first priority, and architect Shane Cotter ensured the house was cosy by having it wrapped in external insulation and installing triple glazing. The poured-concrete floor in the new kitchen benefits from underfloor heating and the house is so warm they barely get to fire up the stove in the kitchen. The Ber of the 122 sq m (1,312 sq ft) property is now an impressive B3.
The kitchen is the star feature of the renovation with high vaulted ceilings culminating in a waffle pattern at the apex, with white-painted glulam beams and two roof lights, one of which has an automated shade. They went to the Victorian Kitchen Company in search of an old-style radiator and returned with a hand-painted blue kitchen in a traditional style that provides a pleasing contrast in the modern space.
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Sliding double doors open up on to the north-facing garden, which gets a slice of westerly sun in the evenings. The old wall that was part of the Granite Hall estate has been made a feature of the new garden, with a bed for planting and side access to the front of the house, which has parking for two cars.
A new front door with a stained-glass panel designed by the owner opens up to the hall with an engineered solid-oak floor. Two bright bedrooms are either side of the hall at the front, facing south. A further bedroom, behind the principal bedroom on the right, has a slim Juliet balcony overlooking the garden, and would make a wonderful home office if it was not needed for a bedroom.
Opposite that is the family bathroom, smartly fitted out with cool blue metro tiles, with a rainwater shower; it is lit by an overhead roof light. Beside that is a decent- sized utility room, again smartly tiled, with a Sheila Maid hanging rack for clothes. A niche has been carved out under the stairs for storage. There is another bathroom at the end of the utility room, with a shower room.
A custom-made runner in warm red hues covers the oak stairs leading up to an attic space converted into a living area, with dual-aspect windows, one of which overlooks the sea. The owner has a desk placed underneath the window with sea views and there is an undeniably cosy, coastal retreat vibe radiating from this space.
The owners have their eye on another renovation but are hoping to stay in the area. “Once you live here, you never want to leave,” one of the owners says. They cite the amenities of the Forty Foot, the People’s Park, Killiney Hill, the nearby villages of Glasthule and Sandycove and the abundance of local schools as key benefits to living in the area. The Harold primary school is a two-minute walk down the road, and while the house is bound to interest young families, it would also be ideal for downsizers with little maintenance to worry about.
