Embassy-belt original with a genteel upgrade for €3.5m

Successful builders always put extra effort into their own homes. The really good ones do it in a way that is discreet and sympathetic to the existing property. Home to several embassies, Elgin Road is situated in the heart of Ballsbridge village, where number 23 is the end house in a terrace of eight.

Situated across the road from the US embassy, the fine Victorian had been a budget B&B before it was sympathetically returned to single use.

Owned by a builder, the gently modernised house pays homage to his craft, for its extensive period features have been returned to their former glory.

Rather than plumping for a historic setpiece, the owner hired Gerry Salley of architectural practice Crean Salley, known for its residential work in embassy-belt Dublin, to deliver a turnkey home and his approach has delivered a genteel rehabilitation and extension of the property.

Built in 1860, the works were done in 2006 and 2007 yet there isn’t a single sparkle of bling – that Celtic Tiger trademark – in evidence. Its enlargement has weathered the test of time and is a testament to the investment in good design and premium craftsmanship throughout.

Set well back from the road with plenty of off-street parking to the front behind electric gates, the house, which is a protected structure, is also buffered from busy Herbert Park Road by a semicircle of mature parkland screened by tall trees that help to dial down any ambient traffic noise.

Built on a north-south axis, the residence, which extends to 415sq m (4,478sq ft), gets lots of light from the south and west. The Ber-exempt property also has Italianate arched windows on its gable wall to beam in more light.

The main entrance is at hall level, accessed via a set of granite steps, where the front door opens into a light-filled space with a recessed wall arch and intricate coving and plasterwork overhead. Beautifully restored by The Old Mould Company, it draws attention to its expansive 3.5m-high ceilings.

But it’s far more likely that the next owners will access the house at garden level. As a result of the renovation, the side passage that links the front to the garden room is now covered by a glass and steel roof. This enclosed area has a wall of sliding door storage where sports fans and kids can store kit bags and schoolbags without them ever falling to the floor inside.

There is a three-storey red brick return to the back whose gable is clad in a rich red sandstone. Designed to look like it was hewn from a cliff, it hangs off the side of the building and required serious engineering, Salley says. This cliff-hanger feature can be seen from the road and includes little panes of glass that were meant to resemble precious jewels, he adds.

The expansive kitchen, breakfast room and garden room are this property’s real selling points. They offer extensive space for every member of the family to find a nook to call their own, allowing their accommodation to remain private.

Double doors open into the breakfast room from where, to the left, you step down a half floor to the garden room, a space that is more than 11m long and has an exposed granite wall that is carried outside to bring a rich sense of texture and continuity. The room almost spans the width of the plot and feels really restful. In real life the light-filled space is far more appealing than it looks in photographs.

Relative to its size, the residence has a small garden which includes paths and a terrace at basement level. The parcel at the top of a set of steps extends to about 36sq m and is laid out in artificial lawn and silver granite paving. There’s also a garden house offering a further 20sq m (215sq ft) of space with a kitchenette and en suite bathroom.

A wall of bamboo shields the property from the mews houses built to the rear on Clyde Lane.

Turning right from the breakfast room takes you through to the kitchen, where the in-frame design by Nigel Spendlove has soft grey polished granite worktops. This detail is carried through to the seating below the windows where you can perch while recounting your day. At the far end of the garden room is a study area that could also double as a homework station.

Up a level the main reception rooms are off an inner hall where there is also a very roomy and light-filled guest toilet. These are gorgeously proportioned but not too big for everyday use. And it is here that the level of refurbishment is best evidenced. All the timber sash windows are now double-glazed with discreet radiator cabinets set into their window boxes. The shutters, a mix of refurbishment and replacement, dispense with the need for curtains and allow these features to shine.

Interconnecting doors lead through to the dining room and when these are open, the rooms are dual aspect enjoying both natural and ambient light, thanks to a considered lighting plan. There are polished timber floorboards underfoot throughout.

On the hall return is the first of the property’s four double bedrooms. This is accessed via a hall where there is sliding wardrobe storage. A smart marble-tiled shower room is to the left. It has a floor-to-ceiling corner window and is accessed via a sliding door. Three steps take you down to the accommodation area where there is a second wardrobe, which may not be necessary. Off it there is a small covered balcony. The second bedroom, a level above, is its mirror image.

Originally there were three bedrooms on the first floor but one of these has been converted into a top-class bathroom with separate shower and deep, free-standing tub, whose exterior is painted a deep Prussian blue. There’s also a toilet at the very top of the house.

In walk-in condition, the house sold in June 2020 for €3.35 million, according to the Property Price Register. Staged for this sale by Breeda O’Sullivan of Upstaged Properties, number 23 is for sale through Knight Frank with an asking price of €3.5 million.