The owners of 51 Belmont Avenue have added their own personal touches to this four-bedroom redbrick terraced house, keeping its original character while bringing something a little out of the ordinary here and there. Reached through a little iron gate, opening into a shared gravelled front space, the entrance is fairly typical of a Victorian home in this part of town.
There are four bedrooms on three split levels, and there’s also a large drawingroom on the first floor, which could be turned into a fabulous master bedroom, as there’s also a den and a formal diningroom on the ground floor. The bedrooms are of a good size, with built-in wardrobes, and there are two bathrooms.
Green marble
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It’s the kitchen that surprises though: there are wonderfully marked green marble floor tiles, which make the room seem slightly wild, and slightly aquatic. The actual business of cooking and washing up takes place in a separate galley-style area off this room. Half of the main space is a glassed-in extension, so it’s lovely and bright on a summer day.
French windows lead out to a small decking area, and down into a sweet little garden. This has mature planting, with a profusion of jasmine and roses. Backing onto the playing fields of Muckross, it’s also very quiet, even though Donnybrook and Ranelagh are just minutes walk away.
“I love the fact that we’re so close to the city centre,” says the owner, “but looking out, it feels as if we’re in the heart of the country.”
Restroration
The owners, who have lived here for just over 10 years, rewired, replumbed, and restored the original floorboards.
There are also Arts and Crafts-era touches everywhere, including a stained glass skylight on the landing. The double-glazed windows are uPVC, practical if not exactly appropriate.
The house is for sale by private treaty with DNG, for €1.25 million.
In some of the neighbouring houses, the basement, which extends the width of the house, has been developed by lowering the floor a couple of feet. It is used as a storage area here, but it would add another 25.5sq m (275sq ft) to the 185sq m (1,985sq ft) of accommodation already available.
