Extended Kenny-built home in Mount Merrion for €1.395m

In 1935 when they were first sold, the Mount Merrion houses built by Kenny, one of the most prestigious builders of the day, were known for their “all mod cons” modernity. Nine different house styles were on offer on the newly laid out wide suburban roads with prices ranging from £720 to £1,150; buyers were required to put down a deposit of a quarter of the value of the house.

These days houses in the area come on the market frequently and they tend to sell quickly, usually to families trading up. These are often executor’s sales – which typically means a property in need of modernisation – and because the houses originally had small kitchens, buyers usually plan on extending before moving in. In the current market where refurbishment costs are soaring – and that’s when a builder can be found – houses where the work is already done have an obvious appeal.

Number 22 Trees Road is a Kenny-built house – one of the more expensive 1935 models, not least because of the size of its plot. Even after a pre-2007 extension to the rear, the double-fronted house has a 38m (125ft) south-facing garden.

And the current owners have truly made the best of it, employing garden designer Hugh Ryan who has transformed it into a stunning outdoor space, creatively divided into sections with hard and soft landscaping and with a large multipurpose garden room at the far end.

Sympathetically modernised

The owners bought in 2007 when number 22 had already been extensively and sympathetically modernised – the new double-glazed timber windows with chrome fittings are an example – with a two-storey extension at the rear. That work brought the house to 242sq m (2,604sq ft) with five double bedrooms, the master with en suite. The work included an attic conversion where the bedroom has its own en suite.

The space afforded by the bedrooms is matched downstairs with the living accommodation. Some rooms remain in term of size as they were in the original – to the left off the hall is a study, fitted out with custom shelves while to the right is a large open-plan room – the living room to the front, a dining room to the rear. The hall was reconfigured in the pre-2007 work – it now incorporates the space once taken up by the original kitchen and so is wide and welcoming with a fireplace. Off it is a large utility and guest toilet.

The extended area running across the rear made space for a large eat-in kitchen – fitted with contemporary cream glossy units and an Aga – opening into a large room with vaulted ceiling and access to the garden. This is where the buyers of number 22 are likely to spend most of their time – unless there are teenagers, in which case the garden room which is out of sight of the house will have the strongest appeal.

Aside from decorating the rooms to their own taste, buyers will find little to do. There is off-street parking for two cars to the front. Lisney is seeking €1.395 million for 22 Trees Road.