Victorian grandeur restored on elegant D6 square

Once the beating heart of Dublin 6 flatland, the Victorian redbricks on Kenilworth Square have, for the most part, returned to single-use occupancy and been carefully restored.

The owners of number 8, which is located on the north side of the square, bought the property in 1994. Prior to that only a couple of rooms were lived in, and the main reception rooms had been closed off for decades.

This protected the ornate plasterwork and marble fireplaces, and the walls are now painted a pale saffron yellow, with fine, honey-coloured timber floorboards underfoot. The interconnecting rooms are bookended by two large, single glazed sash windows with shutters, which are in daily use and remove the need for curtains. As a result the rooms are washed in light. Ceiling heights at this level soar to over 3.4m and fold-back doors fit perfectly flush with the walls. The rooms have matching grey marble fireplaces with tiled inserts and brass hoods.

When the house came to market last in 1995 it was priced at about €203, 158 (IR£160,000) and sold for more than €241,250 (about IR£190,000), according to agent Pat Mullery of DNG. That’s the price of a compact one-bed unit in the city now. This time around the property, which has been upgraded and extended, is seeking €1.3million.

On the return is a smart, light-filled shower room with coloured glass panels in the window and door, bringing period personality to the space.

The ceiling heights at garden level are also impressive, extending to 2.5m high, which makes this floor feel bright and airy. It has a separate entrance, with a boot room and lots of storage along its hall. Sliding pocket doors glide back to reveal the dining room, an internal space lit by recessed spots. A second pair of the same size pocket doors open to reveal a lovely, square shaped sitting room to the front of the house where a tall, Scandinavian-style stove has been inserted in the inglenook. The front window here has plantation shutters for complete privacy.

The kitchen is to the rear and lit from above by a large roof lantern while patio doors lead out to the 10.5m long north-facing garden.

Upstairs, on the first floor, there are three bedrooms, two doubles and a large single, which is currently used as a study and overlooks the playing fields in the square. These are shielded by elegant Scots pine trees. Beyond are the rolling Dublin mountains. The family bathroom is on the first floor return. The wet room has a glass screen creating an invisible boundary and a wood-effect ceramic tile floor.

At the top of the house is a dual aspect bedroom, currently accommodating a single bed but big enough for a small double.

From the garden and dining room above a mews house reaching completion is visible to the rear. The owners aren’t moving far. They’re downsizing into their own back garden.