Bright and spacious family home near the sea in Glenageary for €895,000

When the owners bought this double-fronted house in a quiet cul-de-sac in the heart of Glenageary in 2005, they spent eight months renovating it. Many of the design features and personal touches in this house work so well because the mother of one of the owners worked in interiors and advised the couple on how best to maximise the space and enhance the rooms when they were decorating.

The result is a deceptively spacious, light, bright home that feels cosy with book-lined nooks, and furniture that is a charming mix of antique and modern. Taken together it brings both a warmth and a bookish sensibility to this well-located family home.

“When we moved in there was quite a lot to be done. There were two lean-tos at the back that we knocked out to create the diningroom. My mother-in-law was brilliant with space and layout and maximising the space. Everything changed downstairs while very little changed upstairs in terms of space,” says the owner.

Having played it safe with neutral colours when they first moved in, the couple have since introduced a striking selection of strong colours to the house over the years. “We have been kind of brave, and it makes the house very cosy. It has a country feel. The colours have brought a bit of personality to the house and give it character.”

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Although the front livingroom is quite small, mirrored alcoves give a good sense of space, while an extension to the rear has opened up a very comfortable, large room. A galley kitchen with green units is on the side. Unusually the utility is to the front of the house but does its work as a secondary kitchen when the owners entertain. A guest WC lies off the pink-painted utility. A grey-painted, book-lined living area has a stove, and velux windows spill light on to the adjacent long dining area where the table has, on occasion, seated up to 20 guests comfortably. The house has an area of 140sq m (1,506 sq ft) and a Ber rating of D1.

Not too much has been altered upstairs. There are two bathrooms and four bedrooms, one of which is currently being used as a home office. The main bathroom and principal bedroom both employ colour on the ceiling as well as the walls, a style the owners intend to continue in their next home: they are moving to find more space with a new renovation project but will regret quitting Albert Park.

“It’s such a fantastic community. There’s a great mix of ages and families in the cul-de-sac and we are only five minutes from the sea. If you’re a dryrobe person you can get your swim in so easily. The beauty of where our house is, it’s at the back of the cul-de-sac, so there are no noises from the road or from traffic. It’s another little world yet you are only five minutes from the village. Glasthule has everything you’d want.

“It will be a bit of a struggle to leave. The sea brings another dimension to life. When you live near the water it becomes very hard to leave it. It’s what it does to people. ”

Number 6 Albert Park is on the market with Sherry FitzGerald seeking €895,000.