Donagh Carey's cleverly designed end-of-terrace mews behind a square in D6 illustrates how to make the most of a small home, says Alanna Gallagher
An end-of-terrace mews house, 25a Leinster Square in Rathmines, was designed by its artist owner, Donagh Carey, and is a sunny delight of a home. Donagh Carey spent a lot of time in South Africa and his home reflects many of Cape Town's Camp's Bay design sentiments.
It is for auction through Gunne Residential on April 4th with an AMV of €1.05 million.
No expense has been spared on quality and, at 122sq m (1,313sq ft), it may be bijou but the style and finishes are gem quality.
Bespoke doors that are flush with the architrave and the wall, add an extra dimension to the dark smoked Canadian oak that floors the entire property. This matt finish is modern and very easily maintained.
The three-bedroom stone-fronted property is sequestered behind Leinster Square in Rathmines. Accommodation is all at entry level and includes a main bedroom with an en suite. This bathroom is wrapped in travertine marble, has a wall-hung toilet and a twin-head step-into power shower.
The three bedrooms are small but perfectly formed and have boutique hotel design elements, such as the recessed shelf lighting built above the headboard, perfect for bookworms. High-gloss built-in wardrobes in the softest of mink greys figure throughout.
The original coach-house wall is showcased in the hall and transformed into a feature using clever lighting and contrasting white walls.
Under-the-stairs storage is devised to house utilities such as the washing machine and dryer so they're close to the bedrooms.
The mews' main bathroom is also on this level. Its tobacco-coloured Ebano limestone may be considered masculine but the finish of this washing facility will ensure any future female owners will also enjoy indulging.
Upstairs, an open-plan living/diningroom leads to an antique honed-limestone, west-facing terrace, perfect for enjoying the evening sun and weekend sundowners. While a stone's throw from the busy Rathmines Road, all you hear here is birdsong and the sound of silence.
A fold-back door makes an outdoor room of this terrace and privacy is assured by the installation of frosted glass-panelled railing with polished chrome rail.
The interior living area spotlights the stone-clad chimney breast, where a remote gas-effect fire features a stylish wood-burning effect. The addition of Zulu artefacts add to the personality of the place.
This property also offers a kitchen with a split personality - bang on trend for those of us living in small spaces. The space between can become introverted and made self-contained by closing the large folding door system, perfect for chefs who like to cook uninterrupted and to keep cooking smells out of the livingroom. It also adds a sense of theatre - now you see it, now you don't.
When the kitchen is feeling extroverted, it morphs into part of the overall living space through the clever positioning of a petite breakfast bar.
This sliding door system also allows less-than-tidy hosts to hide dinner party detritus behind closed doors - a big house sentiment that translates perfectly into a smaller scale situation.
Honed marble countertops stress the bright side of life in the Arrital fitted kitchen by Dee Design. Dark wenge units are up to the minute while the appliances read like a who's who of the high-end market: the oven, microwave, fridge freezer and dishwasher are all Siemens, with a Fisher & Paykel four-ring hob and Neff extractor fan.
Another outdoor space, a tiny south-facing terrace the size of most apartment balconies, has room enough for a table and chairs and is the perfect place to enjoy your morning coffee - again hidden from view by an opaque glass railing.
The property's footprint maximises the use of its interior space but also manages to factor in off-street car-parking by the clever installation of a carport.
