It’s an insider insight that architects’ homes are never finished, but 89 Anglesea Road is an exception to the rule. Even though the architect owner, and his artist wife, have remodelled more than once in the 40 years they have lived here, the house comes to the market (for €1.65 million with Sherry FitzGerald) in walk-in condition. Set back from the road, with a lawn and stone-flagged pathway to the granite front steps, the house is the quintessential period terrace.
There are a pair of formal rooms on the first floor, running from front to back, with generous proportions and good original features. Overall there is 290sq m (3,160sq ft) of accommodation. Upstairs are three double bedrooms, the principal being en-suite, with a fourth on the first return. The family bathroom is up again at the top of the house.
The bedrooms have built-in wardrobes with sliding cherrywood doors, and the three on the upper level all have gorgeous tall windows. You can see across the treetops to the stands of Bective Rugby Club from here, and maybe even catch a glimpse of the odd ball sailing between the posts.
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Go down to garden level and it is here that the owners have done the most work. “It was completely closed off when we came,” they say, describing the dark space and poor layout that was typical of a period when designers didn’t care hugely about how servants lived and worked. The original Belfast sink is now a planter for herbs in the garden.
Now the twice-remodelled kitchen is a bright space, leading through to a sunny dining area, which in turn gives on to a relaxed familyroom.
The dining area has a glassed roof, and French windows opening to the sunny patio and long back garden. As this has been beautifully planted and maintained over the years, it's a very beguiling spot. There's an island unit, Aga, and separate utility room. The units are by Alno. Also on this level is a bathroom and a cosy den space, one of the owners' favourite rooms.
At the end of the garden, past the roses, just about to come into bloom at this time of year, and screened from view, is a parking area accessible from a lane at the back. There was planning permission, now lapsed, for a double garage and studio space above, so there’s obvious potential to reinvestigate that option. Number 89 is a nice family home, in a super area, midway between Donnybrook and Ballsbridge, with all their shops, cafés and restaurants, and just a short walk or bus ride into town.
