BALLSBRIDGE: €2.5 MILLION:This large family home in a very desirable area has managed to modernise without compromising on the allure of the original
Though Wellington Road in Ballsbridge was once the preserve of privileged families in three-floor houses, now many of these Georgian redbricks have been converted into apartments. Number 25 is something of a rarity in that it has always been in full residential use with a large modern kitchen dominating the lower floor.
It’s worth noting that Number 51 on the same street is currently asking €3.25 million. Number 83, which sold in August of last year, cost a cool €2.75 million. By comparison, number 25 seems like a bit of a bargain asking €2.5 million, especially when it was reported in 2006 to have sold after auction for €5 million.
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The front door opens up on to a large hall, with the high ceilings and elaborate coving that typify this architectural era. To the left, two reception rooms interconnect via double doors, and original wood floors and fireplaces remain intact. To the rear, the view is of a paved rear garden, which faces west but catches most of the day’s sun from the south.
A possible fifth bedroom, reading room, study or office is wooden panelled and is the only slightly jarring feature in an otherwise neutral home; aside from this one room, there are no extraordinary design features, no clever lighting, no “clever use of space” that screams “architect-designed” and may prove deal breakers to potential buyers.
Downstairs is the mainstay of the house – a large, bright kitchen with five double doors opening on to the patio, an Aga that will be sold with the house and a Velux window, adding further light from above. Also downstairs are a small WC, utility room, en suite bedroom and a small storage area beneath the front outdoor stairs, currently used to house bikes.
Upstairs, a double bedroom is on the first-floor return. Up more stairs, another en suite (also a double) overlooks the back garden. To the front, the master bedroom, also with en suite, has large built-in wardrobes and a view over the front, of Wellington Road.
The main bathroom, at the top of the house, is the one truly stand-out feature of the house – it has a claw-footed bath, bidet and a working stove, an original feature. Number 25 is an unremarkable Georgian house in that it has retained the original features that make these houses so beautiful, and updated the specifications: double glazing, gas-fired heating throughout. What is most remarkable is that it has managed to do so without compromising on the allure of the original, and offers a large (3,184sq ft) family home in a much sought after area.
