Cool NY loft-style living in former Blackpitts school for €695k

Stylish social media accounts might be replete with gorgeous loft-style apartments set within former industrial buildings with soaring ceiling heights and bare brick walls, but in Ireland such conversions are as rare as hen’s teeth. This explains the ongoing popularity of The Warehouse, a former garment factory in Dublin’s Blackpitts where architect Mary Donoghue carved up the building in a very creative way.

Developers Emmet Long and Donal Roche, of Long Roche Developments, spotted an opportunity in the same location purchasing the former St Kevin’s school which, for a time, was the Scholar’s pub but has since closed, on the corner of Blackpitts and Donavan’s Lane.

Here they have completed a similarly cool apartment offering, having launched three three-storey townhouses in the school playground in June during lockdown. Prices were from €750,000 and the three houses are now sold as is one of the four apartments.

Launching now is a two-bed, own-door, duplex, with old-school character aplenty. Designed by Greg Tisdall of Studio D architects, the firm that did the developer’s first infill site, Rhodaville, on Mount Pleasant Avenue, this home opens into a small hall that has been given a Crittal-like glass treatment but the real wow factor comes when you walk into the open-plan living kitchen.

There is a wall of exposed buff yellow London brick with huge steel girders overhead, drawing the eye more than 4.5m upwards. These are part of the original structure.

New additions include the triple-glazed aluminium framed windows and doors by Munster Joinery, a timber laminate underfoot and Victorian-style radiators. The Ber is a highly efficient B2.

The porch opens into a smart living room and through to the kitchen, an anthracite grey design by Nolan Kitchens with Silestone countertops, a Siemens induction hob and De Deitrich combi and oven. This vast space is more than 4.5m wide and 12m long and has been smartly fitted out by The Interiors Project.

Down a stepped level is a second sitting room, a narrower room of about 2.5m in width, rectangular in shape and opens out to the southeast-facing terraced garden. Bounded by the high wall of an apartment block and with the school’s original granite border adding texture, this gets good morning as well as early afternoon sun.

The first of the property’s two double bedrooms is also at this level and has French windows opening outside.

The main bedroom is up a flight of stairs and also has a garden view. The windowed en suite with metro tiled walls takes in lots of natural light. A set of steps leads up to a walk-in closet by D1 Kitchens & Wardrobes.

The 124sq m/1,345sq ft property is seeking €695,000 through agent Lisney and is located minutes from Portobello and St Stephen’s Green.