Modest Mount Merrion exterior reveals grand interior makeover

Rarely has the description “deceptively spacious” fitted a house better than it does 25 Mather Road South. From the outside, the smart-looking white-rendered bungalow in Mount Merrion looks like a typical mid-century suburban bungalow – albeit one that has obviously been recently renovated.

In fact, the owners, who bought in 2010, spending close to €1 million for what was then a modest three-bed, have more than tripled it in size. They built out to the side and dug out some of the southwest facing back garden for a two-storey extension across the rear so now the house has 321 sq m (3,465sq ft) of space.

So it’s a very different house now than in 2010 – though quite in keeping with others in the cul-de-sac where most bungalows have seen extensive renovations.

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Patio/garden at 25 Mather Road South, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin

The house is on three levels: two double bedrooms with ensuites and an attic room upstairs, the original level, and then steps down to the large livingroom/kitchen/diningroom as well as the main bedroom in the rear.

Wide inner hall

The renovation centred the front door, moving it from the side, and what was originally a bedroom is now the outer hall. Off it is a home office on one side, and a livingroom on the other where the most striking feature – a decorative timber chimneypiece – will be moving on with the owners. A set of floor-to-ceiling internal doors, grand in their proportions, opens into a wide inner hall where you can see down the steps to the new living area and out to the back garden.

Off this hall is what could be the fourth bedroom (now used as a hobby room), a bathroom and a large utility room with access out to the side. The main bedroom suite, which looks out to the back garden and has its own bathroom and dressingroom, is through a door off this hall too. In what is an unusual layout, this door leads into a narrow hallway with steps down to the main bedroom which then also opens off the kitchen.

Trade up

The light-filled open-plan living area to the rear is the room that will sell this house to families looking to trade up. The extensive Newcastle design kitchen is a classic version from this high-end maker, with timber units painted a soft grey, stone worktops, a large island and integrated Neff appliances. There’s a walk-in pantry lined with custom-built cupboards. Indeed, the Wicklow-based company did all the custom joinery, including vanity units in the bathrooms and the bookshelves in both the family room and the livingroom. Also in this space is a roomy living area with contemporary wood burner set in quartz, and doors to the garden.

This terraced rear garden has been landscaped to include a large flagged patio area as well as lawn and extensive planting. Solar panels on the plant room in the garden indicate the eco upgrade the house got during the renovation. To the front there is parking for several cars.

Lisney is selling 25 Mather Road South, Mount Merrion for €1.475 million.