Here is a house that manages to be both child-friendly and coolly stylish – no mean feat. Features that accommodate young lives include a custom-built, sunken bike chest in the front garden, a mezzanine bunk bed, a wall of metal-framed storage in the hallway and a swing, hanging sturdily from the high livingroom ceiling, that could pass for an art installation.
Situated on Rosemount Road in Phibsboro, Dublin 7, number 3’s all-over style is coolly eclectic. The long hallway is floored in brown, mottled marble from Rocca. The family bathroom, off the hallway, has a jacuzzi bath sunk into Travertine tiles and an opulent, outsize mirror fitted into the tiles.
The kitchen/familyroom’s 3.4m (13ft) high ceiling slopes in both directions and is copper finished. The sittingroom has a 5-inch dropped ceiling to facilitate subtle lighting, a minimalist metal surround fireplace and wall of Art Deco-like wallpaper.
And then there is the soaring, atrium-like ceiling height over the hall, stairs and landing, the bedroom shelving made from wooden pallets and the pockets of cleverly concealed storage everywhere.
Vendors Alexa and Colm Bodkin have lived in number 3, making it the house it is today and happily raising their family, since buying for €299,000 in 2004. "It was in bits," they agree. Alexa adds that they "didn't mind because we wanted to put our own stamp on it". Now that their children are older they want a new challenge and are moving. Not far, however: they love the area.
The floor area covers 124sq m (1,335sq ft), and agent Sherry FitzGerald is seeking €670,000. A popular cul-de-sac in a burgeoning area – number 5 sold for €760,000 in January last.
Wanting to create "a country-like family kitchen", the Bodkins added a single-storey rear extension with a 13ft-high ceiling, designed by architect Marcus Reid. They moved in as soon as the walls were up and painted and, in time, put down a marble floor, hardwood centre island and worktops and wall of sliding window over the rear garden.
Colm is a “handyman” who likes working with metal, has friends who are “equally handy” and many of the special effects came from this pool of talent. Colm made the hallway storage and the bike container, friends made the metal handrail along the stairs. Doors everywhere are made of ash, as are the banisters and stairs.
The first return has a bedroom with mezzanine and a bathroom. The main, front bedroom has two sash windows, walk-in and fitted wardrobes and strategic niches over the bed. The third, rear bedroom has another sash window.
