A beautifully refurbished Victorian terraced house by the sea in Monkstown is on the market by private treaty with a price tag of €1.8 million. Orna Mulcahy reports
A terraced Victorian house at Brighton Vale in Monkstown is likely to be snapped up by a wealthy buyer seeking a trophy home by the sea.
Number 13 was completely refurbished about six years ago and has kept its showhouse good looks. The four-bedroom house is on the market by private treaty through Douglas Newman Good, with a price tag of €1.8 million.
A quiet cul-de-sac off Seapoint Avenue, with the Seapoint Martello Tower as its landmark, Brighton Vale is one of the finest rows of seaside villas in the city. Designed by the Dublin architect John Skipton Mulvany in the 1850s, the houses were once used as holiday homes for Dublin's upper crust families.
Number 13, like its neighbours, has stunning views over Dublin Bay from its two fine reception rooms. With a generous 250 sq m (2,700sqft) of living space, it is big enough for a young family.
However, it will also appeal to buyers trading down from even larger houses in the area, attracted by its peaceful location and easy, two-storey layout.
A wide set of granite steps leads to the front door from a landscaped front garden that has space for off- street parking.
Inside the front door is an elegant hallway with intricate ceiling mouldings overhead, and walls papered a dull gold Victorian pattern.
There's a view straight to the south- facing back garden through a high arched window set into the return, and this allows plenty of light into both the upper and lower levels.
The upper floor layout is simple, with a drawingroom and diningroom on either side of the hallway, and two bedrooms behind. The drawingroom is a delightfully calm space with a floor-to-ceiling bay window looking out onto the rocks, where the families of herons and cormorants seem close enough to touch.
Here, and throughout the house the floor is covered in luxurious hand-woven carpets in a neutral shade. Because of the breezy location, carpet was essential, according to the owner, who can't abide draughts. Between the original floorboards and the carpet are layers of plywood, horsehair and felt underlay, so the effect really is luxurious, warm and very silent.
The diningroom is decorated in a deep sea green - a colour that allows people to linger over dinner, says the owner, who claims that red's too hot and makes people jumpy. Both these rooms have their original marble fireplaces fitted with gas fires. The diningroom has a hand dumbwaiter connecting it to the kitchen below.
Both bedrooms are large double rooms with fitted carved walnut wardrobes on either side of the period fireplaces. Both have tall windows overlooking the leafy enclosed garden which backs onto the DART line.
Steps lead down to a lower landing where there is a guest cloakroom and a large walk-in cupboard that could easily be converted to a shower room.
Downstairs, a wide hallway leads to the kitchen with is superb bleached pine units arranged around a hunting green Aga. Two tall windows give a view over the front garden.
A family sittingroom behind the kitchen leads out to a conservatory which in turn opens to delightful garden that is mostly paved in redbrick.
The main bedroom is also at this level and it too leads out to a conservatory, in this case a luxurious bathroom.
There is also a full bathroom at the front of the house, beside a guest or child's bedroom.
A very comfortable, well-planned house, number 13 will be on view strictly by appointment with sales agent Stephen Manek.
