Upgraded Ballsbridge cottage that maximises every square inch

Extending out and up is the obvious way to get more space and to modernise a small cottage. When it comes to Dublin’s pretty Victorian estate cottages, finding a way that satisfies the planners – these houses are protected structures – and one that delivers the right balance of living and sleeping accommodation is the challenge. The owner of number 4 Estate Cottages, in a cul-de-sac off Shelbourne Road, has managed to pull this off successfully with great creativity.

The work, carried out 12 years ago, gutted the terraced house and added a two-storey extension to the rear (using reclaimed granite for the walls), giving the property a fine upstairs bedroom with adjacent bathroom, a large, bright living space, a closed-in mezzanine office area – and a sizable roof terrace. In all, the double-fronted property has 110sq m (1,184sq ft) of living space. It is for sale through Quillsen for €865,000, a price that says as much about its location as the house itself.

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Upper bedroom

Of all Ballsbridge’s roads, Shelbourne Road has seen the most changes in the past decade with large residential and office developments springing up. When the Avoca shopping emporium moves into an area – as it did, opening a vast cafe and deli on the road earlier this year – you know the neighbourhood is changing.

Number 4 is lived in as a two-bed but it could also be a three-bed depending on requirements.

Off the hallway are two rooms on either side to the front, one a living room, the other a double bedroom with en suite. At the back and through a set of glazed doors, there is a bright open-plan L-shaped living space with a glossy white kitchen against one wall and with a room-dividing granite-topped peninsula, a seating area down a couple of steps with the sofa facing a contemporary wood burner and a dining table to the side with double doors opening out to the courtyard-type garden.

The white walls and engineered oak flooring throughout (with underfloor heating) unify the space. Showing how every metre of space is maximised in this house, a minimalist open-tread staircase leads from the seating area up to a glazed mezzanine with rooflight, used as a home office.

Upstairs on the other side of the house – the staircase is in a small lobby off the dining area – is the main bedroom and a separate bathroom. Two sets of double doors open out to the 20sq m roof terrace.

There is also a guest toilet and small utility room.

Parking is on street, but the house comes with two parking permits for Shelbourne Road and there is rear pedestrian access to number 4 via a side lane.