DUBLIN 3 €995,000:No expense was spared by the current owners when they renovated this five-bedroom family home on a quiet road near the seafront, writes EDEL MORGAN
NUMBER 11 Haddon Road in Clontarf, Dublin 3, is one of those houses where the dazzling interiors have somehow remained unscathed by the rigours of family life.
From the pristine pearl white walls to the gleaming limestone tiles in the entrance hall and the fingerprint-free shiny surfaces in the kitchen, this five-bedroom family home is ready for a new owner to move into.
Although it’s off Clontarf Road, Haddon Road is quiet and gets little through-traffic. Douglas Newman Good is asking €995,000 for the house, which has 232sq m (2,500sq ft) of living space including a lovely big open-plan kitchen-cum-family room.
When the current owners bought it in 2004, it was set in eight bedsits and little expense was spared turning it into a family home.
The renovation is sympathetic to the Victorian provenance of the house, but instead of trawling salvage yards, the owners went for the modern version of the old in some rooms and it works.
For instance, double-glazed stained glass has been placed in the original front door and Victorian-style reproduction marble fireplaces in the main reception rooms, so they could have the snowy shade of marble they wanted.
The main interconnecting drawing room and dining room have high ceilings, matching crystal chandeliers, and a fresh green, white and beige colour scheme. A magnificent bay window in the drawing room overlooks Haddon Road.
During the renovation, a wall was removed to open up the kitchen area which has a modern black-lacquered Magnet kitchen with red and white Silestone worktops, as well as lots of pullout presses and high-tech appliances include a shiny American-style fridge, steamer and a Fisher and Paykel dishwasher.
The original fireplace acts as a divider between the kitchen and the dining/family area. A concealed storage and utility area has a clever laundry chute that links to upstairs.
The conservatory is not of the PVC variety, rather it’s solid mahogany painted cream, with cute cupboards for the kids’ toys. This leads out to a good-sized back garden laid mostly in lawn, with a paved area to the side.
There are five bedrooms on the upper floors. On the first floor return, there’s a big cream marble family bathroom, that was once a bedroom, with a double shower, Jacuzzi, his-and-hers sinks and underfloor heating.
A bedroom on this level, once the bathroom, is currently used as a study.
On the first floor, the main bedroom is a terrific size, running the width of the house where the current owners have a four-poster bed. There are two further bedrooms on the second floor.
11 Haddon Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3
Lovingly restored five-bedroom Victorian family home
Agent: Douglas Newman Good
