A few years ago, the owner of number 7 Ardenza Terrace was celebrating a significant birthday, and planned a big party at home for family and friends. She had always wanted to create a space at home for such events, where the guests could sit down to eat, look out to the lovely south-facing back garden, and later pull back the chairs and start dancing. So she and her husband built a gorgeous diningroom extension with floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of this period house beside the sea in Monkstown. The party went swimmingly, by all accounts, and the owners were left with a superb, sun-drenched area for relaxing and entertaining in style.
The couple had already carried out extensive renovations over the years on this impressive five-bedroom, three-storey over-garden level property, on a private cul-de-sac of just eight houses off Seapoint Avenue. One feature that required no improvement, however, were the views across Dublin Bay. With just a green area in front of the houses, there’s nothing to impede the view, which just gets better as you go up each floor. Ardenza Terrace is right beside Seapoint Dart station, and residents have access to a private footbridge over the train tracks and down to the sea; they also have private access to the Dart station.
Number 7 Ardenza Terrace in Monkstown is Ber-exempt and is now for sale through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €2.595 million.
The house has a floor space of 322sq m (3,466sq ft) and generous head space, with ceiling heights of a vertiginous 12ft. All the original period features are intact, including hardwood floors, intricate ceiling cornicing and centre roses, and marble fireplaces.
On the hall floor, which you enter via granite steps and an enclosed porch, you’ll find the livingroom with its stunning sea views; to the back is the kitchen-breakfastroom, formerly the diningroom.
The original Victorian kitchen would have been tucked away in the basement, but moving it up here makes a lot more sense given the spectacular vista on offer. The owners have long ago ditched the dividing doors, because why would you block off that view? The kitchen has a full range of wall and floor units, and a centre island with hardwood worktops.
Upstairs, on the first floor, is a large double bedroom looking out over the back garden, with extensive built-in wardrobes and drawers, and richly coloured wallpaper on one wall showcasing the large fireplace. To the front is another superb feature – a grand drawingroom spanning the width of the house with two windows giving breathtaking views out to the sea, a sweeping panorama from the Poolbeg chimneys to Howth and across to Dún Laoghaire harbour.
It’s a magnificent reception room, ideal for entertaining, with an Adams-style decorative marble fireplace and fine ceiling plasterwork and a centre rose.
The stairs to the half landing is dominated by a full-length Georgian-style oval window, giving great views out to the back garden and taking in lots of southerly light.
The main bedroom is on the top floor and also spans the width of the house, with double windows to take in the magnificent views. It’s luxuriously carpeted, with a fireplace, plus floor-to-ceiling wardrobes covering an entire wall. The en suite shower room has a large step-in shower stall. There’s another, smaller bedroom to the back.
In the garden-level basement are two double bedrooms, with a shower room in between. The fourth bedroom to the back opens out on to its own private lower patio. The basement hall has plenty of extra storage space. The back garden is 80ft long, beautifully landscaped and has rear access to Seapoint Avenue.
