Drumcondra original gets modern makeover

The quiet residential roads off Griffith Avenue in Dublin 9 – mostly named after islands – were developed in the 1920s and 1930s by a number of housing associations and trusts, which leased parcels of land off Dublin Corporation and built solid family homes to meet an ever-rising demand at the time.

Rathlin Road was developed by the Civil Service Housing Association and is lined with houses of varying sizes – most small in size and built in short terraces – and with some semi-detached versions that are more similar to the style and size of house found on nearby Mobhi Road. Number 4 Rathlin Road is one of the larger models, being semi-detached and having a garage to the side.

The house, which has bay windows to the front on both floors and is on the Home Farm Road end of Rathlin, last changed hands in 2005 when the owners embarked on a top-to-bottom renovation. That included the basics such as plumbing and electrics but also new windows and flooring throughout and extras such as the Bowers and Wilkins integrated sound system. Solar panels mean a steady supply of hot water.

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In 2010 they commissioned architects HKR to design a kitchen extension – and it’s a terrific addition to the house. With walls of floor-to-ceiling bespoke glazed panel doors it is a bright room that has been fitted with a Rhatigan and Hick solid wood kitchen that is currently painted an appealing blue colour.

The well-planned kitchen includes a timber topped island unit and industrial accents include metro tiles and metal pendant lighting. There’s a utility room tucked in behind the kitchen and extensive custom built storage. The extension brought the size of the house up to 137sqm (1,470sqft).

While the kitchen is a modern space it blends in perfectly with the 1930s original design. There are also two interconnecting reception rooms – the front has a bay window, the back opens out to a patio – and a guest toilet on the ground floor. Upstairs two of the three double bedrooms have their original cast iron fireplaces, as does the fourth bedroom, a small single. In the bathroom, the original claw foot enamel bath has been refurbished.

The extensive glazing in the kitchen extension means that how the garden looks is important and it has been professionally landscaped with a design that cleverly incorporates a seating area.

There is off-street parking to the front, as well as a garage. The owners are relocating to the country for work reasons leaving behind a house that is ready to walk into. Sherry FitzGerald is the agent, and 4 Rathlin Road is on the market for €695,000.