DUBLIN 6: €2.8MOne of the stately double-fronted houses on Leinster Square in Rathmines has been given a makeover, London style, writes Alanna Gallagher
RATHMINES village may still be in need of a facelift but the residential market is changing. Bedsit-land has been replaced by well finished period properties.
Number 4 Leinster Square is a double-fronted house situated off the main drag that punches above its weight in terms of architecture and aesthetic finish.
The three-bedroom townhouse has been renovated by London-based design practice, Interiors Bis, where Andrea Sedgwick, a friend of the owner, was persuaded to take on the brief of renovating the three-storey house.
This is the first project the design company has worked on in Ireland. Once finisihed, Minima stepped in to furnish it for viewings.
The 233sq m (2,629sq ft) house has an asking price of €2.8 million through Grays Auctioneers.
The two reception rooms at hall level are mirror images of each other and this sets a rare sense of symmetrical balance.
Both rooms have ceiling rose and cornicing as well as stone open fireplaces and dual-aspect original sash windows.
In the diningroom Interior Bis kept the original servants' or secret door which was originally hidden behind a silk covered wall. This was beyond repair but has been replaced with an updated version of the idea with gold patterned paper to hide the door from view. Downstairs at garden level there is a kitchen and informal livingroom with solid fuel stove.
The kitchen was redesigned three times before Sedgwick was happy with the result. It's a slick mix of granite countertops, wood and white lacquered units that contrasts well with the property's period past.
The coal bunker under the front granite steps has been brought back into the house and has become a wine cellar with a glass door so you can enjoy its exposed stone walls.
The dual aspecting continues on this floor with both rooms having French doors that lead outside to the extremely well textured, north-west facing garden.
This was created by Colm Doyle of Doylescapes in Cabinteely. An olive tree, Italian pillar trees, box hedging, Australian tree ferns and golden bamboo make up the vegetation specimens set on risers throughout the limestone paved space.
There is pedestrian rear access from Leinster Road.
The back of the house looks onto a music school where a soprano singer was practising when this writer visited. It adds a boho flavour to the ambient surroundings.
Upstairs on the first floor there are three bedrooms. A family bathroom with a free-standing clawfoot bath enjoys pride of place at the front of the house.
The master bedroom is dramatic and designed in an open-plan fashion with the bathroom on view.
A second clawfoot bath with rainwater shower head and coronet-style shower curtain cuts a dramatic swathe.
While the bath and sink are open plan the toilet is hidden behind a closed door - a godsend for co-habitating couples.
Upstairs on the second floor the property has achieved full planning permission for its two attic rooms which could be used as studies or guest bedrooms.
The front of the house faces onto the tired side of the square where properties are undergoing major renovations.
The Swan Centre makes up the "fourth" side of the square and is visible from the front of the house but there are rumours of its demise.
Off-street parking for two cars is built into the front landscaping.
4 Leinster Square,
Dublin 6
Double-fronted, three-bedroom house measuring 233sq m (2,629sq ft) with period features. It has been renovated by Interiors Bis
Agent: Grays Auctioneers
