In 1939 John O'Connell was listed in The Irish Times as the developer of Lavarna Grove, where three- and four-bedroom homes could be bought for £850 and £1,000 respectively, with an added option to have customised details incorporated into the proposed designs. The current owners have called 2 Lavarna Grove home for nearly 30 years, and in 2006 decided to change the existing design of the house by converting the attic and adding an extension to one side.
From the exterior the result is seamless; the only indication of the new build is the fact that the red bricks on the original side have weathered over the course of their 75-year existence. The granite sills and pebble-dash beneath the bay windows give very little indication that half of the exterior is a recent addition.
The house now stands at 189sq m (2,034sq ft), including a converted loft which has a full-height ceiling thanks to O’Connell’s 1939 design incorporating a large attic space. Now used as a bedroom, in addition to a further four, it has a plethora of optional uses for new owners.
Downstairs, in the old part of the house, are two reception rooms interlinked by an archway. Both have open fires, while a bay window in the drawingroom and French windows to the garden in the diningroom fill the rooms with light.
A small study, which the original design lists as the parlour, houses another large open fire and is now used as a playroom.
The extension downstairs is an open-plan living-kitchen area and runs the entire length of the house. To the rear is the galley-style kitchen with maple shaker units and a huge Rangemaster takes centre stage.
The back garden is small due to the extension, but the front garden, which has both pedestrian and vehicular entrances, more than compensates and will easily accommodate children at play. The owners of 2 Lavarna Grove are downsizing and have placed their home on the market through estate agent Lisney with an asking price of €825,000.
