If ever there was an example of what can be achieved with good design on a modest mid-terrace three bed, 111 Kincora Road in Clontarf can take a bow.
Purchased in 2014 for €463,000 as part of an estate sale, the 1930s house "still had the carpets from that time along with 1970s aluminium windows" recall owners Orla Power and David Barry. The house today bears no resemblance to its former self.
The couple – both engineers – designed their home and extension themselves, and were very clear about the desired end result.
“It had to be really functional and we wanted a clean design that was also practical,” says Power of their bright open plan house.
The tell tales are apparent once inside the front door that this is not your normal run of the mill terraced house, from the floating walnut staircase to the Banksy mural decal of a gorilla wearing earphones.
Every room here has a feature making the most of the property’s 120sq m of space. The living room to the front of t has a projector and remote control screen hidden in a suspended ceiling – taking advantage of the 2.6m height, and allowing the room to transform into a home cinema at the push of a button.
The old kitchen is now a pantry, while a new kitchen and dining area were added in an extension to the rear. Flooring is poured concrete and the attention to detail is incredible – down to the shadow gaps in the plasterwork throughout the house.
To create a sense of division between the kitchen/dining area and the second living space, the couple installed a marine aquarium which “cost the same as a small car” says Barry.
As a salt water tank it houses a variety of multicoloured tropical fish, and also a beautiful array of corals, which naturally change colour in the evenings. The unit designed by Power, was installed by Seahorse Aquariums and has a lighting system that replicates the natural path of the sun.
“It’s incredible in the evenings to sit and have dinner and just watch the fish and the corals – which constantly move. One night we noticed that a male Cardinal fish had a larger jaw than before, it turned out he was carrying eggs in his mouth – [this is how the species gestates], and a couple of days later we had a few little matchstick sized baby fish,” recalls Barry.
They engage Seahorse Aquariums to call for full maintenance (€80 a visit) a couple of times a year – other than that it is just feeding the fish and cleaning the glass.
The house originally had three bedrooms but the couple installed a sliding door between the two larger rooms – turning the second into a very smart dressing room. This could easily be reinstated as a second bedroom if required. The third – a single – is used as a home office.
“Every holiday we have had since 2014 has been spent doing the house, and when we finished the garden we had our wedding here,” says Power.
Inspired by Japanese elements, this suburban garden has been transformed into a peaceful oasis with specimen Acers, plum trees and a 100kg Cloud Tree, which took five people three hours to hoist over a neighbour’s wall.
At the end of the garden, is the dining area where the couple hosted their small wedding party, and a further space where you can dine while viewing marine life. This time it is Koi – the largest of which is 65cm – who luxuriate in a pool that Barry recalls costing “the same as a mid-sized car.”
There is little maintenance required as the entire system for feeding, cleaning and topping up the water is automated.
The couple are in the process of renovating their next home in Ballyboughal which will feature a Koi pool the size of their entire current garden, with an indoor marine tank to match.
What will attract buyers to 111 Kincora Road is a truly unique house, designed with flair and function – with the added benefit of the aquariums, an instant hobby for children and an endless source for interesting dinner observations and conversations.
The energy efficient A3 rated property is on the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €675,000.
