DUBLIN 6 €995,000:NUMBER 34 Chelmsford Road epitomises the Ranelagh redbrick and might make long-term house-hunters do a double take.
The three-bedroom semi came on the market last year at €1.33 million. Twelve months later, the price has been cut back to €995,000 through agent Sherry FitzGerald.
It's a well-proportioned property that measures 167sq m (1,800sq ft). The drawingroom is formal but comfortable with a limestone fireplace and period cornicing. A feature wall of soft green wallpaper punctuates the space and adds texture.
The flooring throughout is stained a warm mahogany. Several steps down take you to storage and a guest toilet under the stairs and through to a family room which also has an open doorway that leads into the kitchen.
The family room feels secure and separate yet isn't. It too has a limestone fireplace, that matches the one in the formal drawingroom.
The kitchen is moderate in size compared to the scale of those built in many of today's extensions. It is simply appointed featuring painted units with solid walnut countertops. The back of the house faces north-west but the addition of a cathedral roof light into the kitchen keeps the room feeling bright and airy.
French doors lead out to the stepped and sandstoned patio area which is staggered to accommodate planters at several levels. There is also a raised lawn designed to catch as much sunlight as possible. A garden shed is concealed from view by a wall.
The family bathroom is on the hall floor return and is cleverly hidden from view by twin glazed arches that echo the original arch in the hall.
There are three double bedrooms, each on a different level; one on the return, the main bedroom on the first floor and another on the first-floor return.
They are all roomy, with two looking out the back of the house, which is blissfully quiet and full of treescapes from the neighbouring gardens.
The main bedroom has a smart walk-in wardrobe built-in behind the bedhead - a simple yet stylish block of glossy walnut - meaning you can enjoy the view from the comfort of your bed.
The house is thoughtfully decorated throughout by interior designer Ger Smyth but never overwhelmingly so, which means the natural kinks of a Victorian house are allowed to shine through.
Chelmsford Road connects Ranelagh village to Appian Way. It is a busy length of road, with a bus lane, but it is a two-minute walk from the heart of Ranelagh.
34 Chelmsford Road,
Dublin 6
A three-bedroom house that has been thoughtfully decorated with the period features showing through.
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald
