Finished with a flourish in Goatstown

When Cian McDonald, who jointly runs the Grooming Rooms on South William Street with John Erraught, bought this 1930s two-bedroom cottage in 2004 the property had already been modernised by a former owner, architect Stephen Manning, now a partner in McCrossan O’Rourke Manning Architects.

What McDonald and his wife Catherine, a costume designer at the Gate Theatre, did was “mostly cosmetic”, he says. The house is well presented – as you might expect from a specialist in facials, manscaping and other metrosexual must-haves.

A major feature of the house was the sizeable south-facing back garden which McDonald renovated to create a smart outdoor living area.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 3

The house opens into a small porch and leads through to an open-plan living area. McDonald added the railway sleeper mantle and painted it to match the colour scheme.

A wood-burning stove sits in a monochromatic tile clad fireplace.

Theatrical flourishes of primary colour were added to kitchen cabinet doors, situated to the rear, by Catherine.

There are lovely touches to the house that make it feel bigger, especially the double-height dining area which has exposed beams adding texture and colour.

The McDonalds have assembled items that work in their restricted space.

In a really small space you have to consider every item you buy, Cian says. “Everything has been picked out for the space it is in.”

The floor space measures 81sq m (877sq ft). There is another 17sq m (190sq ft) of space in the attic room.

The house, which has a C1 Ber rating, is asking €545,000 through agents SherryFitzGerald.