Sandymount villa blends period detail with modern convenience

‘All the features of old, with the convenience of new,” I’m told, as we look around 131 Tritonville Road in Dublin.

From the outside the house looks more or less the same as its neighbours, but the polished granite facade is maybe a little brighter, less weathered by time.

This is because about 10 years ago the owners razed their period end of terrace to the ground and reconstructed it from scratch.

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This means that now you get all the proportions and features of a period home plus a fully delivered wish list of mod cons.

These include an integrated music and lighting system, underfloor heating, lift, dumb waiter to all floors, modern bathrooms and a James Bond-style den of a basement.

The owners, who have been involved in the tile and stone business, also added their expertise to the fit out, so that the bathrooms, for example, feature book-matched marble tiles – cut from an original sheet of marble, and reassembled like a jig-saw so that they match up perfectly.

This is the kind of detail that quietly whispers the quality of the build. It’s also the kind of thing you may not notice until you’re informed, but if mismatched marble troubles you, you’ll find sanctuary at number 131.

Silent glass

There are more discreet touches of luxury, such as silent glass in the windows, a finish that excludes noise as effectively as that very un-period feature, triple glazing.

The owners also extended on the ground floor, taking the total area up to 344sq m (3,700sq ft).

Turn to your right off the elegant hall, where one of three Tipperary crystal chandeliers, all included in the sale, glitters, and discover a suite of rooms that stretches fully from front to back.

The expected pair of interconnected reception rooms flows down to a huge and extraordinarily well appointed kitchen with Aga, double Aga fridge, wine fridge, Silestone worktops and tiling.

This, in turn, leads to a bright breakfast area and conservatory. Of course all that extra space has eaten into what would have been the garden, so the buyer will have to make do with a small outside patio area.

Nevertheless it includes a French limestone arch and water feature, and space for at least four people to breakfast or barbecue.

But you probably wouldn’t mind about the relative lack of space, because a rear staircase leads down to the den.

Home cinema

Here, you can disappear into a world in which home cinemas, wet bars and a state-of-the-art, glass-fronted Eurocave wine cellar are all a normal part of day-to-day life.

In fact, the TV room and screening room are separate down here, so one of you could lie back, stroke your white furry cat and dream schemes of world domination in one space while the other gets on with watching the latest romantic comedy, in another.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms, all generous, the master having an en suite and dressing room too. The house is for sale with Colliers for €1.8 million.

Is that a lot for three bedrooms? Not if you’re a putative Bond villain (or hero), or lover of high-quality, elegant finishes and ultimate luxury.