Donnybrook: € 690,000 Running alongside the stretch of the Dodder linking Donnybrook with Clonskeagh, the Beaver Row cottages in Donnybrook were built in 1811 to house the workers of the brothers Wright, milliners newly arrived from Yorkshire to make hats for Dubliners.
Beaver headware being á la mode, the name was a given. The façade is all that remains of the original cottage at 12 Beaver Row since five years ago, the owners, rebuilt an entirely new home on the site behind. Designed by Swiss architect Doris Portman, today's house is stylish and practical with soaring 18ft high ceilings, oak floors, glass doors and windows to make the most of the 75ft south-facing garden, underfloor heating and white, cream and stone colours maintaining a cool neutrality. With a good 88 sq m (950sq ft) of ground floor space, it also has a bright, Velux-lit 27sq m (300sq ft) attic room. There are three bedrooms (one of them en suite), and a sweeping, open-plan living/dining area overlooked by a fully-fitted kitchen.
Sherry FitzGerald is looking after the sale and guiding €690,000 in advance of the auction on October 19th.
Recessed lighting in the pitched ceilings and discreetly hidden storage cupboards make for a relaxed and uncluttered living area. The maple-fitted kitchen, which is a few steps higher, has a frosted-glass breakfast counter from where there are views to the end of the garden. A cunningly designed kitchen cupboard conceals a surround sound system and heating controls.
The main bedroom has a bank of high frosted glass-fronted wardrobes and double glass doors to the patio. There is a Velux in the tiled en suite bathroom. The other bedrooms, which are to the front, are faithful to the style of the original house. One, in use as a sittingroom, has a timber fireplace. The family shower room has cleverly designed roomy storage and stone-coloured tiling.
Spiral stairs lead to the beige-carpeted attic which has an office/study area fitted with desk and shelving. The garden is a special delight, with decking and patio areas close to the house and stone steps to a landscaped lawn. There is an outside utility room just off the decking.
