DUBLIN 6: €1.45MThe largest penthouse in a former convent building is a conversion like none other: it has high pitched ceilings, exposed brick, three double bedrooms - and spectacular mountain views, writes Bernice Harrison.
PENTHOUSES should have a wow factor — but many are just larger versions of rather ordinary apartments that happen to be the top floor. Not this one.
Number 12 Convent Hall in Mount St Anne's in Milltown, Dublin 6 is not only the largest penthouse (164sq m/1,765sq ft) in the converted convent building, it also features an enviable list of unique and original features.
Exposed brick, internal archways, original hardwood beams and trusses as well as cast-iron fireplaces and reclaimed pine floors are some of the elements that give this loft-like apartment its unique style.
But it's also the feel of space, particularly in the upstairs living area with its six metre high pitched ceilings, that really impresses. The duplex penthouse has three double bedrooms and the layout is such that the bedrooms and main bathroom are on the entrance floor level while the living area, comprising three interconnecting rooms — the livingroom, diningroom and kitchen - are in the roof space.
This is the highest point in the entire development — towering over the other, newer blocks in the large well-maintained scheme and giving spectacular views towards the mountains through the many dormer and more contemporary windows set into the roof.
Tall spaces can be chilly but the exposed red brick, honey-coloured reclaimed pine and gas fired stove make it a homely warm space.
Only when you are in the old 19th century convent do you realise that it is linked by a landscaped atrium to a new apartment building running the full length and forming the edge of the large park at the heart of the four acre development.
The two back bedrooms in the penthouse look into this atrium. The fully tiled traditional-style bathroom features a free-standing bath.
There is also a good-sized en suite off the main bedroom.
There are two access points into the duplex: the main hall door which opens into a small hall and upstairs,another door which opens into a tiny vestibule and then into the kitchen.
There are a couple of features in this stunning duplex that might limit its market somewhat.
One is the lack of any outdoor space. The other is that the access to the main upstairs level is via a tall, cast-iron spiral staircase — which might make buyers with small children or those with mobility issues think twice.
However, the additional access through the kitchen on the upper level makes it possible to get large pieces of furniture into the apartment.
The annual service charge is around €3,000. The apartment is for sale by private treaty at €1.45 million through Gunne.
12 Convent Hall, Mount St Anne's, Milltown Rd, D6
€1.45m for three-bedroom 164sq m (1,765sq ft) penthouse in converted convent has original features
Agent:Gunne
