Co Dublin/€1.7m:A refurbished house near the Dart and the sea has unusual period charm, says Eivlín Roden
Roby House, number 1 Crofton Avenue, is on a quiet side street minutes from the Dart and the seafront in the heart of Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
This unusual 250sq m (2,700sq ft) Victorian end-of-terrace house, which has been completely refurbished over the last four years, will be sold at auction through Gunne on February 28th. It has an AMV of €1.7 million.
A small iron-railinged front garden leads to the three-storey house that is higher than its neighbour on one side. On the other is a brick archway.
The layout inside is unusual in that the staircase is placed across the house, instead of running up from the hall. This means that there are unexpected rooms beyond the staircase at the back of the house and many quaint half landings.
The owners bought Roby House from a family who had lived there since 1900, and done it up from top to bottom. The kitchen has been extended to make a very smart living area opening into a well-designed high-walled back garden.
It has a multi-fuel range and sofa on one side, units handpainted in dark green, bespoke putty-coloured cupboards, a stainless steel cooker, granite worktops and an island unit.
The back wall has been removed and replaced by French doors; a narrow widow inset in the roof gives diffused light all day. The rest of the house has its original features and is painted throughout in Farrow and Ball Tallow, giving a soft white finish which changes with the light.
A square music room with a wide window and period fireplace opens off the hall on the left. One floor up, the main drawingroom stretches across the front of the house, looking onto the street from two tall windows. Two rooms above it have generous proportions: one is the main bedroom, the other a beautiful study.
Each half landing has one or two rooms off it, either to the back or front. This gives great privacy but quite a lot of stairs. The owner has made a feature of the landings, placing a desk and chair, a brocade curtain and interesting pictures on them. The beautiful kilim-type stair carpet is included in the sale.
A guest bedroom and bathroom is reached through a tapestry-draped archway while another bedroom is prettily decorated with a blue half-tester bed on the top floor.
All bathrooms and shower rooms have state-of-the art fittings and tiling.
There is good storage built in to the various levels and there is a side door leading from the kitchen/living area to a right of way under the arch.
