Clyde Lane is the curved mews lane that borders the perimeter of one side of Herbert Park, one of Dublin’s prettiest public parks and one which features several amenities including tennis courts and a playground.
The family now selling 4 Elgin Mews on Clyde Lane built the house 15 years ago. They commissioned architect David Craig to design a comfortable and stylish home that made best use of the site, which like its neighbours is at the end of the garden of a Clyde Road house.
The architect did a superb job because behind the quite plain exterior is a well-planned spacious four-bedroom family home over 199sq m (2,140sq ft). It is for sale through Knight Frank for €1.8 million.
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The house, which is semi-detached but feels entirely separate from its very different neighbour, is on three levels.
Room at the top
The room at the top of the house will be the one that tips the balance for buyers. Taking up the entire top floor, it is a master bedroom, with a dressing area fitted with wardrobes and storage, an en suite bathroom with double sinks and its own south-facing terrace that is not overlooked.
Three more double bedrooms are on the middle floor, two with custom-designed built-in wardrobes. One of these bedrooms has an en suite, while there is also a good-sized family bathroom on this level.
The hall level follows the floor plan of many family houses: a roomy entrance hall with limestone flags and two interconnecting rooms with a diningroom at the rear that opens into the kitchen. A nice – and useful – design touch is the grey-painted sliding wall panel that can be pulled across to separate the kitchen from the diningroom.
Well-designed storage is a key element in the reception rooms: the front room has fitted units on either side of the fireplace, while the diningroom has a substantial wall unit.
Unusual divider
The two reception rooms interconnect via a single-glazed door while beside it a built-in fish tank filled with exotic fish acts as a most unusual room divider.
The kitchen is very different from those usually found in mews houses which tend to be small. This one is not small and is fitted with granite-topped units on three sides. It also has space for a large, free-standing stainless steel cooker and hob. There is also a utility room.
There is a small patio garden to the rear with Astro Turf for easy maintenance, raised beds and clever use of mirrors incorporated into the walls to give the illusion of a bigger space.
In the original design, the intention probably was that the front garden – the house is behind tall, electric gates – be used as a driveway. But as it is south-facing and not visible from the road, the owners had it landscaped and use it as their main garden. They park on the road in front of their gates which seems a sensible use of space and one new owners might well follow.
