Renowned architect and designer Le Corbusier believed that space, light and order were fundamental human needs in the same way as food and shelter.
Light not only illuminates but it influences our mood and wellbeing, as well as our perception of space.
For the current owners of the smart, refurbished Victorian semidetached home at 20 Orwell Road in Rathmines, a south-facing aspect was top of their wishlist when searching for a home.
“I wouldn’t look at properties with other aspects in case I fell for one with a north-facing aspect,” say the owners, who are now upsizing locally due to a growing family.
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“Having lived in Bermuda for years, light was really important to us. Whatever about the summer, it was fundamental for us to have as much natural light in the winter months,” they say.
They purchased the two-storey (plus attic level) home in late 2016, when it needed work. Having decided to do a complete overhaul, the owners engaged Dún Laoghaire-based Studio M Architects to bring the property up to 21st-century standard. “Besides light, we wanted a big open-plan space that could also be closed off, and this is particularly handy now as our kids are older and want some privacy when they have friends over.”
Studio M’s design resulted in a large open-plan kitchen, diningroom and informal living space to the rear, centred by a Noel Dempsey kitchen with Calacatta gold honed marble. The brightness from its southerly aspect is reflected in an all-white palette.
It has a dual aspect and opens out to a lovely patio and outdoor dining space with a built-in barbecue surround. “It’s a huge sun trap where we sit out quite a bit in winter with throws to keep us warm,” say the owners.
To the front of the property, a smart drawingroom with a marble chimney piece and original coving overlooks the front garden. Again, the walls are painted crisp white here and the room acts as a gallery for the family’s art collection. Underfoot is engineered herringbone French oak that runs from the hallway to the nearby study, while the staircase is covered with an uber-soft Ulster velvet carpet runner.
All rooms at this level have underfloor heating, and while the property is Ber exempt, the owners insulated the external walls to retain warmth in colder months.
From the drawingroom, a set of original folding doors lead to a moody coloured study. Painted in Paint & Paper Library’s deep-blue Kigali, the use of colour drenching (where walls, coving and ceiling are painted in the same hue) works well to provide a contrast to the otherwise white walls and helps to create a cosy intimate space, which features bespoke bookcases and a desk. Crittall-style doors mark the entrance to the rear open-plan room that is essentially the hub of this lovely home.
Bordered by original cut-stone granite walls and centred by a synthetic lawn, there’s a lovely collection of flowering plants in herbaceous borders providing year-round colour in the back garden.
A towering birch tree overlooks the space, which has gated side access – important for keeping bins out of sight – and pedestrian access to the rear, where residents can come and go with their bikes.
Upstairs are three bedrooms and a smart attic room with views to the Dublin mountains, currently used as an en-suite guest bedroom.
The property, when last for sale had four bedrooms, but current owners commandeered one room to the front to act as a fine walk-in wardrobe for the streamlined main bedroom. For new owners, it’s an easy reinstatement should they wish to return the room to a functional sleeping space.
As the owners had lived in a number of period houses before they purchased this one, they were quite aware of limitations of older houses, so addressed the storage issue by carpeting out storage areas in the eaves, while also having all bespoke wardrobe units climb to ceiling level to accommodate awkward paraphernalia such as suitcases and ski gear.
The property is minutes from the villages of Rathmines and Ranelagh, where there are plenty of bars, restaurants and amenities, so much so that the owners tend to walk everywhere. For schools, some of the most popular private educational institutions are within a 10-minute stroll.
This light-filled house in walk-in condition has plenty of space – 192sq m (2,067sq ft) plus 18sq m (194sq ft) in the attic room – and will tick many boxes for well-heeled house-hunters in Dublin 6. It has now been listed on the market through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €2.25 million.
