Blackrock: €3mMarino House, off Mount Merrion Avenue, Co Dublin was built around 1840 and is just the sort of house you might expect to find at the end of a long driveway surrounded by extensive grounds.

Not so: like most of its contemporaries, Marino House is now surrounded and overlooked by a housing development, in this case the elegant Marino Park. It's hidden away from the main road, however, with access shared with The Elms apartment development.

It is for sale by private treaty through joint agents Harper O'Grady and Colliers Jackson-Stops, asking €3 million.

Seven years ago, Marino House, a listed building, was completely rebuilt and refurbished inside the frame of its original structure. Behind its charming double-fronted facade, in which matching bay windows are topped by small balconies, there is now 310sq m (3,300sq ft) of contemporary space in which four bedrooms, three reception rooms and a kitchen/breakfastroom share a blend of hi-tech facilities with Victorian-style features.

The overall effect is of a house filled with light from a large number of long, sash windows - most rooms have three - with a relaxed comfort created by white walls, high ceilings and polished wood floors. Underfloor heating has eliminated the need for radiators. The wide reception hall has a typical, Victorian-style arch marking the point where the main reception rooms end and the rear of the house - with kitchen, study and stairs - begins. Both drawing and sitting rooms, with their polished oak floors and white marble fireplaces, make the most of the considerable light from their matching bay windows.

The kitchen/breakfastroom, kitted out to suit even the most exacting chef, has been given a rustic feel with tongue-and-groove ceiling and French doors to the patio and garden.

A study has double doors to a small balcony and an entire wall of built-in cubed shelving.

The main bedroom, off the main landing, has an oak floor and a door leading to a large family bathroom where a free-standing bath has pride of place.

Of the other three bedrooms, one is en suite with a walk-in dressingroom, another has a wall of fitted wardrobes while the third has built-in shelving. The balconies off two of the bedrooms, which make the facade so attractive, are smaller than they appear and are not easily accessible. High, granite walls surround the pebbled and planted back garden, which has a pillared, side entrance.