A Clontarf couple with a passion for renovation have done wonders for a typical redbrick townhouse, writes Edel Morgan

ONE OF the legacies of the property boom is the number of houses around the country that wouldn't look out of place in the pages of House Garden. A decade of frenzied renovation has left us with a stock of pristine homes, of which 12 St Lawrence Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3 is a great example.

The end-of-terrace redbrick has been immaculately refurbished with the help of an interior designer and down to the tinest detail - it's hard to believe that a busy family with young children live there.

There is literally no improvement left to do, and so the owners are moving on to their next project - a new build in Howth - and number 12 is for sale.

The 232sq m (2,500sq ft), four-bedroom house is on the market through Douglas Newman Good for €2.45 million.

There are two formal reception rooms in the original part of the house, with matching original marble fireplaces. The front drawing room is both formal and lavish and has all the prerequisites of an imposing room: a big bay window, which looks out onto St Lawrence Road; half-panelled walls and luxurious silk curtains.

Double doors lead to another room, which is relatively empty at the moment, but the darker-toned walls make it a more intimate space that could be used as a library or formal diningroom. Several steps lead down to a kitchen, which can also be accessed from the hall. An extended portion of the house, it is a vast, light-filled kitchen/dining/family area. It is part-conservatory and has two sets of double doors, one opening out to a side passage, the other to the 180 ft rear garden.

A great deal of thought has gone into the design of the cream fitted kitchen, which features a curved walnut floor-to-ceiling larder with pull-out presses and shelves.

The massive centre island has a built in wine cooler and sink and a raised timber breakfast bar. Other appliances in the kitchen include a Neff coffeemaker and a range cooker.

Padded windows seats function, either, as storage units, and a utility area is so smart and organised that it has a glazed wall and door, so you can see right into it.

The garden, designed by silver medalist at Bloom, John McGuinness, is divided into three distinct areas. First there's the adult zone which is all paving, and geometric features like a zig zag water feature, pergola and box hedging.

Beyond that is the kids' zone with sandpit, an area for paddling, a recessed trampoline and then a curved lawn fringed by a cobble lock path.

At the bottom of the garden there's a huge garage with shelves for storage and room for several cars.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms that, although they belong to real children, are so beautifully presented they could have been styled for a photo shoot.

A large double boys room is all navy and red Lexington bedlinen, with Ralph Lauren striped wallpaper, cream built-in wardrobes and a custom-made desk.

The girls' bedroom is pretty and quaint, with a restored original cast iron fireplace and ornate French furniture. Also on this level is the main bedroom an opulent room with a large en suite with his and hers sinks, a jacuzzi and power shower and built-in TV above the bath.

The bathroom has a roll top pink bath, porcelain tiles and a large walk-in shower. A bowl sink is perched on a custom-made walnut stand and a quirky feature is a stained glass section in theceiling fitted by same person who restored the glass in the front door.

On the top floor at attic level, there's another bedroom with plenty of built-in drawers cleverly designed with glass fronts so you can see what's in them. There's storage in the eaves and an en suite with a shower.

A large Velux window has views over the rooftops, and if you crane your neck to the left you can even see the Spire.