House of fun with history for €1.5m

In a longish life number 5 Cowper Road has seen a lot of change and family life behind its doors, and a lot of neighbourhood and national change beyond them.

The site was leased to builder Robert Eames in 1876 by the Rt Hon Frances Cowper Temple and the first owner of the then 5 Palanza Terrace, one Joshua Doherty. He paid £400 for it in 1878. Several owners and 118 years later, its current vendors, Jimmy and Ann Burke, bought in 1996. By which time Palanza Terrace had become Cowper Road.

Family reared, the Burkes are selling to downsize, though not without regret and after a lot of thoughtful work on house and gardens.

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Entertaining

Landscaper Gabrielle le Belloch designed the front garden, Elma Fenton worked on the rear; both are delightful, with sunken patios, paving and a botanical choice of plants.

The north-facing rear has a gurgling water feature, electronic awning and speakers – all, Jimmy explains, “for the purposes of entertaining”.

The house itself, in bedsits when the Burkes bought, has been entirely redesigned by David Harris of Arthur Gibney Architects to give it 193sq m (2,077sq ft) of floor space over three levels.

Original features such as fireplaces, plasterwork and floor timbers have been preserved in the four bedrooms (one en suite), four reception rooms, kitchen/ breakfastroom, bathroom, shower room and utility.

Agent Vincent Finnegan is asking €1.5million.

A comfortable house, it has a separate front entrance to the garden level kitchen/family- room and sittingroom with bay window.

The kitchen has a Range Master, the familyroom a glass ceiling and wall of glass overlooking the garden. There is also a full shower on this level.

Two adjoining, formal reception rooms are on the hall floor. In a creamy yellow scheme and with bay windows front and rear they have an inviting, sunny feel. There is a full bathroom on this floor.

The main en suite bedroom is to the front on the first floor, two others are to the rear. The fourth, second-floor bedroom is attic-style and has wide dormer window views. A rear, two-storey double garage has vehicular access, as well as conversion possibilities pending planning permission.