Dublin 4: €1.7m A four-bed family semi in a quiet Sandymount cul-de-sac has been given a comprehensive makeover, writes Kate McMorrow
To describe 14 Claremont Park in Sandymount simply as a four-bedroom semi does this 213 sq m (2,300 sq ft) house a disservice.
When the owners moved in about 15 years ago, they commissioned architect and relative Conor McGuire to design an extension that would almost double its size. The architect was also to arrange an imaginative landscaping plan for the huge back garden.
Considerably larger and with glorious mature gardens, the property is now worth about €1.7 million, according to an estimate from Simon Ensor of Sherry FitzGerald, who will be auctioning the house on April 27th.
This cul-de-sac with its own green is a favourite among Sandymount families - quiet, safe and two minute's walk from the shops and cafés. The residents held a party on the green two months ago to celebrate Claremont Park's 50-year anniversary.
Built in the 1950s by local resident Judge Shannon on the site of a former dairy farm, the houses have none of the skimped feel of more modern construction. This one is in a corner position at the inner end of the cul-de-sac, with the back garden facing south-west.
The front door opens to a bright hallway with oak flooring, a curved staircase and windows looking through to a side terrace. A study off the hall was fitted out by the Oakline company in Ranelagh with a range of custom-made shelves, cupboards and a desk.
Beyond this is an open-plan sitting and diningroom, running front-to-back and very comfortable. Bookshelves flank a timber fireplace and French doors open out to the garden at the dining end.
Past the dining table is a door to the kitchen/breakfastroom and family livingroom - a lovely airy space where the family tend to congregate. The kitchen has a French country look, with cream-painted cupboards, granite worktops and a Stanley range.
A breakfast bar visually separates the working space from a cosy breakfastroom and sitting area, with oak floors, blue Toile de Jouey fabric, a navy stove and plenty of bookshelves and cupboards.
Windows on three sides showcase the south-westerly back garden, which encompasses a sweep of lawn, flagged terraces and fountains and benches around an old apple tree. A gazebo sits in a secluded corner by a tiered waterfall and the terrace by the house catches the afternoon sun.
All four bedrooms are doubles, although one is currently used as a single-cum-study. Wardrobes and bookshelves are fitted in every room.
Two picture windows in the ivory-coloured main bedroom look out on the beautiful back garden. This bedroom includes a full en suite bathroom with Jacuzzi bath. The family bathroom has blue and white wall and floor tiles and antique fittings.
