Sandycove Victorian with mews guest suite and home office for €2.35m

Taking its name from the baronial Elton Hall in Cambridgeshire, Elton Park in Sandycove was built by the Proby family (sometimes known as the Earls of Carysfort) who still reside at the English ancestral home that has been in their family since the early 1600s.

Constructed in the 1860s, 2 Elton Park sits in a smart terrace of four similar houses. It was last on the market in 2014, when it was purchased by the current owner for €1.44 million. (It had been seeking €1.535 million.)

But back then the three-bedroom house had been rented out for a couple of years, and while previous owners had done some refurbishment work, “it badly needed updating” says the current resident.

“We had been looking for a house and had engaged architect Trevor Dobbyn [of Fabrica Architects] to help us. He would come and view houses with us saying, yes, this might work or, no, this won’t. Then we found this house, and we were so excited with the possibilities of what we could do.”

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For five months Dobbyn managed the build: “It was really great as we only ever had to chat to him and then he would deal with the builders or plumber or whoever, so there was no stress at all.”

The brief was to bring in lots of light to the garden level, as the family knew that’s where they were going to spend most of their time.

It now has a large kitchen where a marble splashback bounces light around the room, which also has a fine-sized breakfast area. Also at this level and overlooking the front garden, lies a lovely informal living room, which brings the number of reception rooms in the main house to three.

The family also wanted a home that would function for entertaining, but also one “that felt lived in and not like a museum where you were afraid to touch anything”.

“For inspiration, Trevor gave us a book by Victoria Hagan [Interior Portraits] – which had New England-style interiors.”

As a result, the house has lovely texture in the form of panelling and built-in units. Craftsman Peter Bernard was tasked with the kitchen (to a design by Dobbyn), and also did library shelves in the television room for the family’s large book collection, and units in all four bathrooms.

During the five months of work, extra insulation was installed underneath original wooden floorboards, and underfloor heating now runs throughout the entire ground floor.

“We have the only original windows on the terrace, and the shutters [at hall level] and curtains [upstairs] stop the winter winds coming in. With the radiators and gas fires on, it feels like the south of France in about 15 minutes,” says the owner, who is downsizing.

When the owner purchased the 243sq ft (2,615sq ft) property, it had planning permission for a two-storey 91sq m (980sq ft) mews opening onto Elton Court to the rear. This has been completed and downstairs is a two car garage – designed for the family’s two vintage cars – while upstairs has a guest suite and living room that has been used as an office.

Number 2, which is Ber-exempt, is a lovely home, full of design flair, and yet never feels too formal. It has been launched to the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €2.385m.