Shankill €720,000Number 198 Library Road was built in the early 1900s. Back then, it was a two-bedroom cottage. Today, all that remains of its original guise is its façade and the solid wood floors of the front living and diningrooms. Behind the front door, the house has been transformed by a series of extensions and renovations by the current owners, who have lived there since buying the property in the year 2000.

Once inside, number 198, on sale through Sherry FitzGerald in Bray and asking €720,000, is a combination of new and old, of modern and traditional. The aforementioned solid wood floors lead to a series of stairs up and down – to the kitchen and living areas below, out towards the back patio and garden, or to the mezzanine and upper levels.

The kitchen features soft-close drawers and doors and a central island, but what really impresses are the seven velux windows, which, in combination with rear double doors, bathe the open-plan house in light.

0 of 3

Storage solutions are smart, too; the washing and drying machines are stores inside cupboards that appear, on first glance, to form a part of the kitchen wall. They’re stored alongside the gas boiler and heating controls, all hidden away from view.

Also downstairs, is a series of rooms that are currently in use as bedrooms and studies, but there is so much potential for these light-filled spaces – as offices, perhaps, a second livingroom, a games room or a rear diningroom. There is also a side entrance, perfect for protecting the front entrance from muddy feet or paws.

Upstairs is a mezzanine office with built-in desk and office storage. Further up, still, are four bedrooms, two of which are en suite, including the master, which also has a walk-in wardrobe and double sinks.

The architect’s mark is all over the house; not only is it surprising, at least compared to the outside, but it is unusual and may prove divisive in its appeal.

Furthermore, open spaces that seem initially appealing could prove too expansive (not to mention risky) for those with young children.

198 Library Road, Shankill, Co Dublin

DescriptionArchitect-designed, light-filled modern home behind period facade with four or five bedrooms, parking and garden to the rear

AgentSherry FitzGerald, Bray