Once a stable, number 11 De Vesci Terrace is now a thoroughly modern mews, suitable for a single person or a young couple. Jackson Stops is quoting a guide price of £380,000 (€479,000) prior to the auction on May 16th.
De Vesci Terrace is a row of Victorian houses set on a hill above Monkstown and Dun Laoghaire, equidistant from each but aloof from the hubbub of busy streets. Number 11 is one of a pair of mews houses adjoining the rear of the end house on the terrace. Both were converted from stables to gardeners' cottages at the beginning of the last century.
For the present owner, transforming the humble cottage to a comfortable home in 1986 was a labour of love. This shows in the imaginative attention lavished on every detail of the house which is in mint condition. Entry is via a south-facing courtyard with a tiny guest annex comprising a bedroom and shower room in the corner.
Taking advantage of this sunny aspect, an orangery with white tiled floor and glass cupola doubles as hall and diningroom.
Inside is a livingroom with an arch to a galley kitchen, featuring a gas-fired Aga. The marble counters of the kitchen area and the maple wood floor throughout are picked up in the period chimney surround of Italian marble, and caramel Sienese marble insets. A small ceiling rose completes the period effect here.
In the corner, a wooden staircase, custom-made to match the staircases in the big houses on the terrace, creates interesting angles and a half-return is designed to accommodate a long case clock.
The open staircase admits light from a Velux which also illuminates the narrow landing. This gives access to the bathroom, where a frieze of hand-painted tiles echoes the fleur de lys of the railings (remnants of the old St Michael's Church in Dun Laoghaire) on the wall outside.
The bedroom with its sloped ceiling has a rustic air and is just large enough for the bed and a wardrobe. However, a separate walk-in dressingroom solves the storage problem.
Similarly, built-in bookshelves in the bedroom and living room, and a hidey hole under the stairs ensure that no space is wasted in this attractively quirky house.
