A detached period house in an unusual but convenient location – just after the roundabout leading into the village of Shankill in south county Dublin – was derelict when it was bought in 2014.
Pretty much everything in the 1850s house, once owned by the father of artist Harry Clarke (he bought it in 1914), was destroyed – even the Harry Clarke leaded windows in the original porch.
Builder/developer Douglas Hatton, who bought it for €256,000, has restored and extended the house at the side and the back with huge attention to detail, retaining original features where possible.
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Two years on, Cluain Na Greine House, a 289sq m (3,110sq ft) four-bedroom house, is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald for €950,000.
Cluain Na Greine stands on a third of an acre between a small development of 1990s houses in a cul-de-sac, Cluain Na Greine Court, and a more recently built apartment block on the main road. It is private, surrounded by high walls and largely sheltered from the apartments by tall trees.
The house had been empty for several years when Hatton bought it: windows and doors were blocked up; rain had come through the valley in the middle of the roof.
Now, after being re-roofed, rewired and damp-proofed, the house has a B3 BER rating. Double-glazed timber sash windows have been used throughout to retain the original look of the house – with a particular kind of glass used in front windows so that slim glazing bars could be used, to keep the look authentic.
Hatton’s love of old houses is evident in the way he has kept some of the original features and complemented them with smart modern decor.
A new porch opens into a wide hall tiled with original red-and-black tiles. Damaged decorative coving in the hall has been restored. Round timber pillars are original and spindles on the damaged staircase were hand-carved to be as close to the originals as possible. Although most fireplaces are new, in Victorian style, he has kept an original large blue-and-grey tiled fireplace in the livingroom, possibly inspired by Arts-and-Crafts design. The livingroom and diningroom are to the right of the front hall, interconnected by glazed folding doors. A study/family room opens off the hall on the left. The kitchen at the back of the hall opens into the extended part of the house at the side, where there’s a large bright dining area/family room.
The kitchen, with white tiled floor, has smart grey/green units. The family room/dining area has wide-plank flooring and two sets of glazed double doors opening to the side and back garden. There is a utility room and toilet at the end of the hall in the back.
Upstairs, there’s a smart bathroom on the return and a good-sized airing cupboard. At the top of the house, four double bedrooms – two en suite – open off a wide, bright landing.
The main bedroom at the front has a smart en suite shower room and dressingroom with units that include an impressive floor-to-ceiling shoe rack.
Electronic gates open into the front garden, with a gravelled drive with room for several cars. The V-shaped back garden is mainly in lawn, with patios at the back and side; at the other side of the house is the original potting shed. The house is a few minutes’ walk from shops in Shankill village.
