Classic elegance with modern comforts at jeweller’s Blackrock home for €1.35m

Milliner and jeweller Tahnee Morgan loves old things and her passion is evident in the fine furnishings and details in the bay-fronted home in Frascati Park, Blackrock, where she lives with her husband, Shane, and their three teenage children. The house, nestled in a quiet street behind the Frascati Centre, was built in the 1920s but inside it looks positively Georgian with sash windows, period-style doors, ceiling coving and centre roses installed by the Old Mould Company. There are old wrought-iron radiators and lovely stained-glass windows on either side of the front door.

Add in the beautiful pieces of furniture that Morgan picked up at markets and auctions over the years – including a wonderful stained-glass hall lantern bequeathed by her mother which sends colourful starry lights around the hallway in the early evening – and you’ve got a home that exudes old-world elegance while providing a cosy, modern living space in one of south Dublin’s most sought-after locations.

The original house might have been a tad too small for a family of five, but when Tahnee and Shane bought the house, they refurbished it and put in a new kitchen/breakfast/diningroom extension to the rear, creating a warm and welcoming family hub. They installed a Newcastle Design kitchen with a huge centre island and feature lighting overhead, plus a Belfast sink and marble worktops. Hardwood flooring gives the area a nice, solid feel underfoot.

Morgan was adamant that she wouldn’t put modern glass doors to the back, instead putting in huge multi-paned floor-to-ceiling sash windows with window seats, and big double doors leading out to the pretty, private back garden. Rooflights in the ceiling bring in even more light, and the extension has a reinforced roof, giving new owners the choice of building another bedroom on top, subject to planning permission.

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The couple also converted the attic to a spacious room which runs the width of the house. You’d have to stoop a bit to get around it, but it’s the perfect space for a playroom or teen den, so no need for adults to risk bumping their heads here. With the added attic room, the overall floor area extends to a generous 197sq m (2,120sq ft). Number 31 Frascati Park has a Ber of C3 and is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald, asking €1.35 million.

The house is ideally located on a quiet terrace close to Blackrock village, nestled behind high hedgerows and sliding gates. The private, landscaped front garden has mature hedging and railings, a mix of paving and gravel, and space for two cars. The veranda-style front porch has Indian sandstone paving and is perfect for sitting outside in the early evening sun. Behind the Georgian-style front door is an entrance hall with ceramic tiled floor and ceiling cornicing.

To the left is the drawingroom, which has a bay window overlooking the front garden and a feature marble fireplace with black granite hearth. Morgan has added tasteful pieces of old furniture in the drawingroom and hallway, nicely complementing the cornicing and ceiling rose. She prefers older furniture as it is more sturdy than many modern pieces, and even when it’s been knocked around it still looks good and can be repaired rather than put in a skip.

To the right is a small study/home office with timber-panelled walls and fitted cupboards, ceiling coving, wall lights and window seats. Behind the drawingroom is the TV/family room with ceramic tiled floor, fitted display shelving, ceiling cornicing and centre rose, with glazed panelled doors leading to the kitchen/dining extension. The guest WC downstairs is a real Victorian-style loo, with tiled floor and vintage-style wallpaper and even a small chandelier.

Completing the downstairs is a large laundry/utility room behind the kitchen and understairs storage in the hall.

Upstairs, the spacious landing is almost a room unto itself, with windows and door leading to the balcony. This is currently being used as a music room, but could also be a peaceful space for reading or doing yoga. For Morgan, peace and tranquillity are a priority, and the house certainly reflects that relaxed atmosphere.

The main bedroom is a large double with bay window overlooking the front and a fully tiled shower room en suite with rain showerhead, washbasin with mirror and a heated towel rail. To the back is a large dressingroom/walk-in wardrobe with lots of fitted shelving, shoe storage racks and storage for all your woollens, plus a large chest of drawers and a dressing mirror.

There are two more double bedrooms overlooking the back garden, and a fully tiled family bathroom looking out to the front. The attic room on the second floor runs the width of the house and has three Velux windows, plus plenty of eaves storage.

The private enclosed back garden is beautifully landscaped with lawn, two circular patio areas and flower bed borders with a colourful variety of specimen plants and shrubs, and when you open those big patio doors from the kitchen/dining extension, you have all the ingredients for a near-perfect spring or summer’s day.