Scandinavian surprise in Dalkey

It's amazing what lies behind the façades of some houses. Perhaps the contemporary cool of the front door of 30 Carysfort Road is a hint, but the pebbledash and paved off-street parking area, a boon in this part of Dalkey, doesn't really give you a hint of what's inside.

Neither, to be fair does the entrance hall: it’s large-ish and perfectly nice, with terracotta floor tiles. There’s a front living room that could do service as a ground-floor bedroom and the bathroom opposite is fully wheelchair accessible. But walk through to the kitchen and prepare to gasp.

The Danish owner has added a Scandinavian dream of an extension, almost doubling the size of the ground floor. This has high ceilings, an expanse of Junkers timber flooring, a specially imported solid fuel stove, and a whole wall of window.

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This opens via French doors to the back garden, which is done as a large sunny patio complete with water feature and pond. The owner also bought some of the neighbouring garden, and has used the extra space for a separate studio nestled at the end.

It is small at 23.5sq m (253sq ft), but has its own kitchenette and bathroom, so there’s lots of scope for different uses. The studio also has its own private decking area to the rear.

The main house is 191sq m (2,060sq ft), and has four bedrooms: three doubles and a single. One is en suite, and the family bathroom carries the Scandinavian influence further with its own steam room.

The upstairs has an abundance of knotty pine, which is also a Scandinavian inflection, but easily painted out if it’s not to your taste.

Outside, it’s a short walk around the corner to Dalkey village, with shops, schools, the Dart Station and all the little coffee shops, bars, eateries and chi chi emporia that make Dalkey so sought after.

For sale with Hunters for €970,000, there's an open view this Saturday from 10.30 to 11.30am.