Modest on the outside, this 1820s villa in Clontarf feels like a penthouse once you step inside, writes BERNICE HARRISON

FROM THE outside number 16 Vernon Avenue. C.lontarf, Dublin 3 looks entirely traditional – a two-storey, double-fronted cottage in a terrace of similar looking houses, fanlight over the door and with a garden to the front and original cast-iron railings.

Built in 1820, this was basically a four-roomed house – two rooms upstairs, two down in the basement and when the current owners bought it in 2007 it also had an extension out the back.

To say they entirely reimagined the interior is nearly an understatement. Not only did they gut the house, they dug down at the back so that as soon as you get beyond the hall door you can see that the main living area is now a super-contemporary triple height open-plan space with a glazed roof.

It’s now a three-bedroom house with 195sq m (2,100sq ft) of living space and it is for sale through Gunne for €950,000.

Up at hall door level there are three rooms. The one to the right is still recognisable as the original livingroom as its proportions are unchanged, but now quirky details include a wall of exposed brick and access to its own roof terrace.

To the left off the hall is a double bedroom and an oak gangway-style landing leads to the main bedroom which is at the back of the house and which has a large bathroom en suite with Philippe Starck fittings. The third bedroom is downstairs.

The real drama of the house is the open-plan living area with its glazed roof which looks straight out of a design magazine. Accessed via a custom-designed steel and oak staircase, as well as two large seating areas and a dining area, there is a glossy white and walnut Poggenpohl kitchen with storage units, worktop and integrated appliances against one wall and a vast Corian-topped island unit.

The floor throughout this level is American oak herringbone (there’s underfloor heating) except in the kitchen area, which has Portuguese limestone. The skirtings and doors are American oak to complete the sleek contemporary look. The space also features a planetarium, an open fire, surroundsound and a sophisticated LED lighting system.

Vast glazed doors open into the landscaped back garden which has rear access onto Vernon Lane. Also down at this level is a bathroom, a storage room, a utility room and at the front of the house a room used as a music room.

The spec throughout this house is high with quality materials much in evidence. New owners will be moving into a house with instant wow factor.