Converting a derelict coach house into a luxurious, high-spec city centre mews was all part of the job for the late architect Niall McCullough. His stunning design for 41 Leeson Place was featured in Open House 2021, and is part of the Grafter building project on Leeson Street in Dublin, developed by Paddy McKillen jnr and Matt Ryan’s Oakmount. McCullough, who died in 2021 aged just 63, was famed for his unconventional approach, architectural flair and penchant for peculiar angles, and his style is evident in this extended mews, with four bedrooms upstairs and a split-level downstairs with an open-plan kitchen-dining-livingroom.
Both architect and developer felt this 186sq m (2,000sq ft) gem in the city centre was too special to be used for commercial purposes; it needed someone to live there and make it a home, so now Leeson Mews is for sale through Turley Property Advisors and Knight Frank, asking €1.895 million. For anyone looking for an ideal urban location to live, work and raise a family, this former coach house could be the perfect place to hitch your wagon.
The house is down a narrow lane just off Adelaide Road and next to the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital. The mews has been restored in line with traditional building techniques, with a pitched roof finished in blue Bangor slates. You can see the original facade with its Victorian brickwork from the front courtyard, which has room to park one car behind its cleverly curving electronic gate. There’s also a space to park on the laneway outside.
Everything inside this architectural tour de force has been designed to maximise the light and space, and to the front is a smart, glass-covered extension looking out to the courtyard which would make the ideal home office or a fifth bedroom if needed.
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Through the hallway is the large, open-plan livingroom area with oak flooring and a wall of oak cabinets for maximum storage. With so much storage space throughout the house, your biggest concern will be remembering which cupboard you stored which item in.
Just off the livingroom is a superb guest WC/shower room with marble-topped vanity units, large format stone tiling, mirror-fronted storage and high-quality white sanitary ware. All these features are repeated in the main bathroom and en suite upstairs.
The livingroom leads down a level to a double-height kitchen/dining area with custom-made countertops, island and a bespoke pantry unit made by Pure Fitout, with herringbone doors, allowing you to quickly conceal messy dinner preparations before your guests arrive. Above the island are concrete light fittings, and the kitchen is fitted with Siemens units including a five-ring ceramic black glass gas hob, a single oven with EcoClean programme and enough refrigerator space to keep everything cool as a cucumber. Hidden pop-up sockets keep everything looking neat and minimal.
The stairs to the first floor are a feature, lined in oak with a bespoke handrail and balustrade, and with enough bookshelves to store a veritable library. The danger here is that you’ll never get to bed as you’ll be so busy browsing your book collection as you ascend the stairs.
The four double bedrooms upstairs also have ample storage space, going all the way up to the roof, so you may need a stepladder to get to the higher shelves. The double-glazed windows have nice, old-fashioned features in keeping with the historic building, including steel frames and glazing bars. The window sills to the front are also fitted with what look like old-fashioned pot guards – a nice traditional touch – while the door to the en suite is a farmhouse-style sliding door.
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To the rear of the mews is a lovely courtyard garden done out in Wicklow granite, which is accessed through large aluminium double doors from the kitchen. This looks out to the back of the main house and its neighbours on Leeson Street, but because the Georgian buildings are mostly offices, they’re largely empty at evenings and weekends, leaving you all the peace and privacy you need to entertain and relax in this outdoor space.
Leeson Place at 186sq m (2,000 sq ft), with a B1 Ber, is perfectly placed for elegant city living, right beside the Grand Canal for evening walks in the springtime, and just a 10-minute walk from St Stephen’s Green and Grafton Street. You’ve a full menu of shopping, leisure, culture and entertainment options at your doorstep, and your choice of schools such as the Institute of Education, Loreto College and Catholic University School. The Luas stop at Harcourt Street is nearby, and the villages of Ranelagh and Portobello are within easy reach.
