White marble meets royal blues

After a decade of contemporary glass box extensions added to fine period homes, it is rather comforting to walk through the front door of number 2 Forfield Terrace, a house that is unashamedly and authentically traditional in its decor and layout.

Built in the 1870s, number 2 Fortfield Terrace is one of eight two-storey over basement redbricks located on a quiet side street off the Upper Rathmines Road.

Just minutes from one of the city’s loveliest sets of local shops, number 2 was bought in 1994 by its current owners, who loved its lofty proportions.

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The house has fine period features such as 13ft ceiling heights at hall and first floor levels, matching white marble fireplaces with brass hoods in the reception rooms and decorative cornicing. The original shutters are still in place in the architraved windows.

In many ways the house feels untouched by the passing of time. It has been rewired and upgraded, but never intrusively so, remaining as elegant as it was when it was first built. You almost expect to hear the swishing of silk skirts as the ladies take tea in either of the property’s two formal rooms.

Fine plasterwork adorns these rooms and the hall, although the royal blue carpet may jar with the current trend for chalkier colours. But this is a simple cosmetic change, the fun part of buying a house and putting your own stamp on it.

At garden level the family openly embraced the 21st century in a very classic fashion, and it’s clear a lot of the living takes place at this level.

The huge space has been opened up, with a large Newcastle Design kitchen, complete with Aga, installed in 2010, occupying about half the room. There is a separate living area with open fire, a study and lots of storage.

Dark quarry tiles underfoot make this space feel less lofty than it actually is – the ceiling height is 10ft.

Made in Sundrive Quarry, now Sundrive Park, some of the tiles are original to the house, others were salvaged from another property on the road that was being renovated at the same time.

Doors open out to the west-facing garden, designed by Chelsea Flower Show silver medallist Elma Fenton. It features a terracotta tiled patio, synthetic grass on the lawn areas and a granite-fronted garage.

A set of granite steps lead up to what was once the water closet, but this external entrance has been blocked up. This room, on the hall return, is now a study, but could also be used as a fourth bedroom.

The master bedroom is to the rear of the first floor and from its huge window you can see the Dublin mountains. It has a shower en suite bathroom.

There are two more bedrooms at this level with the family bathroom on the first floor return.

Parking is on street.