Monkstown locals know Clifton Lane well. It’s just one street in from the epic sea views out across Monkstown park to the Martello tower at Seapoint and beyond.
It was also once home to the Lambert Puppet Theatre, comprising a series of pastel-coloured buildings that take up about half of the seaward side of this private cul de sac.
Number 15 Clifton Lane is opposite the landmark Lambert and is a sleek, contemporary A-rated mews that was completed in 2017.
The works have been done to really exacting standards, for its owner cut his renovation teeth on a listed building, number 74 Monkstown Road, for which this was once the coach-house.
Number 15 is his fourth project and offers a lot of light and space within a home that’s easy to lock up and leave.
At entrance level there is a garage with roller door and steps up to the hall. Here you can see a grey steel and toughened glass gantry overhead that leads to its two bedrooms. Light from the Velux windows above streams through the glass.
The look is industrial chic with rustic nods to its original purpose in the use of exposed reclaimed brick. Underfoot there are wood-look ceramic boards, designed to warm and transfer the underfloor heating really well. A guest wc has slate black metro-style tiles, one of many bathroom fixtures purchased from Bathhouse, which is at the end of the street.
To the back is a broken-plan living space that overlooks the south-facing garden. A brick-fronted chimneybreast housing a wood-burning stove creates a boundary between the livingroom and kitchen, designed by Andrew Pedlow, and helps to conceals much of the latter’s worktop space.
Secreted behind a full-height kitchen door unit is a large internal utility room that has plenty of floor and wall space to dry laundry on the wettest of days.
Laid out in an L shape, the dining area is set under a large rooflight and overlooks the small but immaculately formed back garden.
The dividing wall between the garden and the back of number 74 Monkstown Road is built of golden granite with weathered timber cladding, helping to break up the boundary wall with the neighbours. There’s a small shed where the water tanks are housed, thus keeping noise out of the living spaces.
The garden isn’t huge but is low-maintenance and big enough to invite a crowd over for lunch. It has tiles and granite paving.
Upstairs there is a study just off the landing that has sliding doors to close it off should you wish to use it as a guest bedroom. It’s the perfect place to watch a game with the TV turned up loud.
The primary bedroom is to the back where louvred timber screens shield its windows from the original house. A walk-through wardrobe, featuring floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, leads to a large and stylish shower room.
The second double bedroom is at the far end of the landing, adjacent to the family bathroom. The set-up will allow two people to cohabit and enjoy plenty of privacy.
Agent Vincent Finnegan is seeking €1.05 million for the A3-rated property, which extends to 130sq m (1,400sq ft) with a further 20sq m (333sq ft) of garage space.
