You don’t need to be a kitesurfer to live on Crofton Terrace in Dún Laoghaire, but it might help, as three of the six residents, including number 3’s owner on this small terrace opposite the West Pier and Coal Harbour, are devotees of the sport.
It’s easy to see why – open the front door of the refurbished period property and the sea is a hop across the road, with the harbour close enough to carry the board to.
Set back from the road with parking for two cars out front, the original front door opens on to a warm hallway – and once the door closes, the owner and his sister, architect Lucia Etchebarne, point out an old iron key, found in the garden during renovations.
Lucia oversaw all the renovations and was keen to bring natural elements and coastal vibes into the redecorated four-bed 172sq m (1851sq ft) home. It was used as a consultant’s office for years, so they took down all the partitions in the rooms and honoured its original layout, placing the drawingroom back upstairs.
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There are two bedrooms on the ground floor, with working sash windows and shutters; the front room has frosted glazing to ensure privacy, and a superb grey marble fireplace.
Period features are all present and correct, with intricate coving, cornices and ceiling roses. The house dates from 1810 and is Ber exempt.
Lucia introduced subtle contemporary touches, such as dramatic lighting and modern furniture. Farrow & Ball paints were used throughout. The owner paints under the name Patrick Moore and his works, large scale and modern, add to the contemporary/heritage mix.
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Just before the kitchen in an extension to the rear is an attractive shower room, with blue tiling and natural wood touches. Opposite is built-in storage that houses the laundry appliances. The kitchen is long and light-filled, with a bank of walnut cabinetry on one wall. There’s ample room for a long dining table and a seating area at the end of the kitchen, with doors leading out into the garden.
The same large-scale ceramic tile was used inside the kitchen and in the garden, so the two spaces feel intertwined. Steps lead up to a south-facing seating area that serves as a suntrap, is secluded, and very private. Nods to the house’s heritage continue here, with the original wrought-iron gates propped up against the old stone walls.
On the first-floor return is a lovely family bathroom, with a ceramic sink built into an old washstand, bronze fittings and a window looking east.
The main bedroom on the first floor has honey-coloured pitch pine floors and to the front is the drawingroom, the view from which would gladden the heart of any sea dog. The windows here are filled with the sights of Dublin Bay, stretching as far north as Howth and taking in the landmark Poolbeg chimneys along the way. It’s a lovely room with another impressive marble fireplace and an inset wood-burning stove. The windows face due north, so it’s possible not only to enjoy morning sunrises from the elevated position but also sunsets.
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The owner, selling as he is moving abroad for work, will miss “everything” about the house: the views, the location, the serenity, proximity to the West Pier for walks and watersports and the abundance of cafes and eateries on the doorstep.
3 Crofton Terrace is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald Dún Laoghaire seeking €1.295 million.
