House on the square with period details

A stylishly decorated three-bedroom period house at 65 Grosvenor Square, Rathmines, is scheduled for auction on 29th September. Sherry FitzGerald is guiding £430,000 - maybe a bit conservative, considering that a nearby house with an extended kitchen sold for £525,000 a few months ago. Another house in poor condition on the square made £374,000 at auction earlier this year. Grosvenor Square has little or no through traffic and is therefore exceptionally tranquil. Kenilworth Bowling Club and Stratford Lawn Tennis Club control the use of the green area, but the view from the house of the smooth bowling green and tennis courts beyond is very pleasant. The house is a Victorian redbrick, dating back to 1870, with many period features retained. The owner has completely refurbished the interior and painted most of the rooms in pale colours to create a bright, uncluttered feel. Sisal carpeting runs throughout, except in the reception rooms and kitchen, which have polished wood and terracotta tiled floors.

The sittingroom is connected to the diningroom by original panelled doors, which fold back. The two rooms have matching marble fireplaces with black cast-iron inserts and timber sash windows with inside shutters. The floors are of polished pitch pine. A tiled lower hall houses a guest cloakroom and storage cupboard and leads to the kitchen, which is at the back of the house. This is a good size, with terracotta floor tiles, green-painted cupboards and steel worktops. A French Rosieres cooker with two large ovens and a griddle would positively encourage large-scale entertaining. A door opens on to a paved sun terrace.

A well-equipped utility room off the kitchen overlooks the back garden and has a separate outside door. There are three bedrooms upstairs, with space in the attic to expand if necessary. The large main bedroom, which spans the front of the house, could be divided into two, but it would be a pity to spoil the room. This is very bright, with two tall sash windows and a grey marble fireplace. The second bedroom at the back is double in size. There is a pine built-in platform bed with two separate sleeping areas and desks and bookshelves underneath. On the return, the third bedroom is painted bright saffron yellow and has a white-painted cast-iron fireplace.

The family bathroom is all white, with old-style sanitary ware and steel and glass accessories. The garden to the front is neat and railed with roses and an ivy over the porch. The back garden is enclosed by granite walls and well stocked with mature roses, honeysuckle and a spreading acacia tree. There is a permanent shed and rear access to a laneway.