Dating from 1912, Dodder View Cottages, a cluster of houses facing a river teeming with wildlife, were constructed as labourers’ housing, which at the time would have been considered a higher standard than the usual workman’s cottages.
Higher-than-normal ceilings and decorative red and yellow brick exteriors remain attractive features. The owner of number 35 purchased the property back in 2014 for €360,000 and engaged architect Ben O’Reilly of Core Architects to modernise the house. At that time it already had rooms upstairs – undertaken by previous owners – but the owner says it needed to be reconfigured due to the location of the chimney. “I also wanted the living area moved to the back of the house [it was located to the front] and wanted to change the courtyard layout so it could benefit from southerly light in the winter months.”
Light was a factor in the new layout. Not just the courtyard – which is glazed on two sides and the doors open without a corner support, which means during good weather the space becomes integral with the kitchen. In addition, three roof lights in the main bedroom, the stairwell and main living space flood rooms with light, as does the use of a glazed door in the hallway and vaulted ceiling in the living space.
The result is a bright, attractive home with four bedrooms – two up and two down – measuring 97sq m (1,044sq ft). The owner uses one of the bedrooms as a study and the main bedroom is en suite, with the benefit of another shower room downstairs.
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The heart of the property is a blue kitchen, with an island taking centre stage. Here the owner, who loves to entertain, placed the hob on the island – which has a marble-look quartz countertop – so guests could sit around the island while he cooks, and the fact that the extractor fan is flush with the ceiling keeps the whole space streamlined.
More details such as a Jotul wood-burning stove – with glass on three sides – and a tiered planter in the courtyard to hang foliage show the level of thought that went into the interiors.
Lots of insulation in the roof, walls and flooring along with an energy-efficient gas boiler and double-glazed windows gives the house a Ber of B1, which is a good reading considering the property’s age.
Its location along the banks of the Dodder feels quite a bit removed from the bustle of Ballsbridge, which has a plethora of restaurants, bars and nearby sporting facilities and venues, including the Aviva Stadium. The Dodder greenway project, which will connect the sea and the mountains with high-quality walking and cycling routes, runs along the river bank, allowing for a pleasant escape.
The owner of 35 Dodder View Cottages is renovating a larger home in the area, and has placed his house, in walk-in condition, on the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €850,000. Next door, number 36 appears on the Property Price Register as having sold last year for €497,000. It measured 51sqm in total, had a Ber of F and needed renovations.
