Elegant house allows families to get into the zone

SANDYCOVE: €1.385M: Period details have not been sacrificed to a modern makeover in this south Dublin family home. It is as beautiful as it is practical, right down to the artificial lawn in the back garden

A SMART double-fronted period house with top-to-bottom upgrade and Tiger-era extension ticks all the boxes for those searching for an upmarket house on the capital’s south side in walk-in condition.

Number 80 Lower Albert Road in Sandycove, on the market with Sherry FitzGerald quoting €1.385 million, has four bedrooms, 232sq m (2,500sq ft) of space and top-of-the-range appliances. Its owners have successfully married its period details with a modern makeover resulting in a fine family house with cosy corners and sizeable open spaces ideal for entertaining.

The stand-out feature is the large open-plan kitchen cum livingroom extension, with three sets of concertina doors to the rear garden. Light pours in through nine Velux windows on to the travertine marble floor, dark Emperador marble countertops and spacious living area centred around an open gas fire with inset TV above.

Three integrated Miele ovens, an extensive food preparation area and German-made Geba fitted units would have any culinary enthusiast salivating at the prospect of calling this space their own.

First and foremost, however, there is a seamless flow to this part of the house that allows for distinctive zones while never losing that spacious feeling.

Elsewhere downstairs, there are two reception rooms at the front with high ceilings, coving, working shutters, double-glazed sash-style windows and cast-iron fireplaces. In between these and the extension are a wet room, spacious utility and a guest bathroom.

Upstairs, the bathroom scrubs up really well with a large free-standing tub sourced from The Yard in Belfast. A travertine marble floor, step-in shower with Grohe fittings, basin with vanity unit, chrome heated towel rail and recessed lighting complete the package.

Three of the four bedrooms are spacious doubles with high-spec built-in storage, cast-iron fireplaces and salvaged floorboards. The pretty window seats in the main bedroom are a nice touch.

There are two attic areas with lots of storage space accessed by Stira folding staircases from the landing, which is lit from a front-facing picture window.

Outside, the low-maintenance rear garden – which gets afternoon and evening sun – has a corner eating area, soothing water feature and artificial grass (“so the kids can’t get dirty and muck up the marble floors”, according to the owner). The gravel front garden, accessed through electric gates, has parking for two cars.

There is gas-fired radiator, underfloor heating and a high-tech system providing surround sound in all downstairs rooms.

The house, near the junction with Elton Park, is within a short walk of Sandycove and Glasthule villages, with a good selection of shops, restaurants and pubs. The 40 Foot is about a 10-minute walk away, as is Teddy’s for ice cream, Dalkey village and Glenageary Dart.

Schools and sporting facilities are all within walking distance while the nearby coastal promenades are still the most popular on the southside.

80 Lower Albert Road, Sandycove, Dublin

Four-bedroom house with extension near the sea

Agent:Sherry FitzGerald