It’s clear from the exterior that the detached bungalow at 13 Iris Grove in Mount Merrion has had a makeover in recent years – there are new windows and porch door and a cobblelock driveway with parking for a couple of cars – but what isn’t immediately obvious is the scale of the work.
What was once a modest 1930s double-fronted bungalow is now a 228sq m/2,454sq ft, four-bedroom home with a two-storey extension to the rear that was built to carefully blend in with the house’s original style, including matching roof tiles.
The 0.3 acre site – Mount Merrion houses were typically built on generous plots – means that the other surprise about this house is the 64m/210 ft rear garden.
Not just that, it is a fine mature garden, entirely private, stocked with a vast array of interesting shrubs, trees and flowers all looking their best at this time of year. It’s so long that it is divided into two – at the far end, through a trellised arch is a secret garden complete with timber play house. There’s also a patio with barbecue area.
There are now three reception rooms – two to the front with the one on the left side opening into a third room, used as a formal dining room, with rooflights high up in its pitched ceiling.
The large eat-in kitchen to the rear opens to the back garden and is fitted with timber units and a granite-topped island. A separate utility room opens out to a side passage.
![Kitchen](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/XCHI7O6W6ZTJMYU66QWN2K7V3A.jpg?auth=3dbb63251465317358644b305dcbe479d2a057cb0a81736e38c03be662777aaf&width=800&height=450)
![Reception room](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/XNBDUZ6EFAR7WOSEFNZZGG7U5I.jpg?auth=ea0864ae3f0646d09327f9249575e55b7ad2f717b14a4092434084e2b1873356&width=800&height=450)
![Rear 13 Iris Grove, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/Z52H5OENQQBCZTMVX3J5A3V44E.jpg?auth=c72ffc018bcfd96c1ec896161db721870ce03885bae5a2565c24bc7dfeea8115&width=800&height=450)
![Past the trellised arch is a secret garden complete with timber play house.](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/H2CH2OR5QOQELSZV5QNXL4NBBY.jpg?auth=b7860a75a27fce62fe95ece11a42ac2aec3b502b6a72c2c728d1cdfe45bc36ff&width=800&height=450)
There are two bedrooms downstairs – one has an en suite and there is also a family bathroom – and two upstairs, one with en suite and dressing room. That’s a layout that will appeal to both downsizers and growing families.
The house, now an executors’ sale, is being shown unfurnished after its tenants have left which is a pity as it is not looking its best, though it’s easy to see how a comprehensive paint job would brighten it all up. There is a garage to the side.
Number 13 Iris Grove is in a short cul-de-sac off St Thomas’s Road, and it is for sale through Lisney asking €1.55 million.