Dalkey cottage gets sleek overhaul

Adorable from the outside, the interior of Rock Cottage looks as if it has just been prepped for some glossy magazine shoot, or perhaps it's all set for filming a stylish drama and the actors have just popped down the road to Dalkey for a glass of chardonnay during their lunch break.

The reason for this is that the charming two-bed has had a complete overhaul since builder Frank Farrell bought it in April of 2014, for €238,000.

Stylish zinc roof

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Back then it was just 65sq m (700sq ft), but now, restored and refitted all the way up to its stylish zinc roof, it’s being returned to the market at 96sq m (1,035sq ft), complete with brand new kitchen where everything, including the wine cooler, is integrated under the Carrera marble counter tops.

Also on the ground floor is a living/dining room, with a Boru solid fuel stove, and French windows out to a patio garden.

Everything inside is done in neutral tones of tasteful grey and pale wood. It has also been very well thought out, and it’s much more than one of those cosmetic jobs, which promises more than it delivers behind the façade.

Here you get plenty of storage, lots of light, and an open, flowing design that makes the whole thing feel larger than its footprint.

Upstairs are two bedrooms and a bathroom, though as the unexpectedly large master is also en suite, you could really say no one ever has to share here. The bedrooms have both windows and skylights and, up in the eaves, with gently sloping ceilings, there's something enchantingly cottage-ey about them. That said, there's nothing twee about the house, which is on the market with Sherry FitzGerald with a guide price of €650,000.

Apart from the high-spec finish, you’re also paying for the location. It’s close to schools, though this feels far more of a young professional couple’s pad, or a restful spot for a pair of high-style downsizers. Dalkey is a short walk along Harbour Road, and you have Bullock Harbour down the hill. It would also work well as a corporate let.