When styling a home, the first thing designer Cormac Rowell likes to do is to take inspiration from the period in which it was built. With a Victorian property such as 20 Windsor Road in Rathmines, there was a lot of character to work with when he took on the project of staging it for sale.
On the market seeking €2.5 million through Hunters, number 20 is a five-bedroom redbrick that has been dressed for the market by Rowell, who has decades of experience when it comes to interior design.
“We specialise in period properties, so we usually go with a classical/contemporary style because that’s what appeals to buyers. We try to style rather than stage, because if it’s too staged it starts to look a bit contrived,” says Rowell. “We want it to look like a home and not a showhouse.”
Funky art, hardy plants, antique pieces and good quality furnishings are all used to great effect at Windsor Road. While the expensive pieces won’t be remaining the house after the sale, all the rooms have had a complete overhaul and have been freshly painted and redecorated. The kitchen has also been freshened up and the worktops resealed, and new carpets have been fitted and wooden floors upgraded.
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The house is now standing to attention from the front door to the back garden. Inside the accommodation is laid out over 260sq m/2,800sq ft. The hallway has wood panelling to dado height and a distressed oak floor. To the left is the drawingroom with a large, shuttered sash window and a cast-iron fireplace with marble surround.
There are steps down to a less formal reception room that has double doors that open into the kitchen. This room is the showstopper and has been styled to ensure it shines. It takes in all the character of the Victorian house and brings it into the modern world. The New England-style units are complemented by Carrera marble worktops. Appliances include a free-standing fridge and a five-ring range.
The room then opens up at the back into the “orangery” that has six bi-folding doors that were imported from the David Salisbury conservatory company in the UK. The orangery was built from a rare west African hardwood and has a heat-resistant glass roof. There is a large French chateaux-style fireplace just inside the doors that is made in travertine marble.
There is also a cloakroom, guest WC and storage area on this level, with steps down to a basement utility room where the boiler, hot press and linen cupboards are housed. Up on the first-floor return is the main bedroom suite, which has a cast-iron fireplace, walk-in wardrobe and en suite shower room. There is another bedroom at this level, as well as the family bathroom that has a free-standing rolltop bath and separate shower.
On the first floor is a large bedroom with two shuttered sash windows facing out to the front and a marble fireplace. Up again are a further three bedrooms, one with an en suite shower room.
Outside, the 80ft south-facing rear garden didn’t need much work to get it ready for the sale. It already had a lot of mature planting that surrounds the artificial lawn, as well as a sun terrace that has lighting, speakers and barbecue area.
The house, which is Ber exempt, uses gas-fired central heated and has underfloor heating in the kitchen and bathrooms.
Windsor Road is a quiet tree-lined street just off Palmerston Road in the heart of Dublin 6, with the Cowper and Beechwood Luas stops a few minutes away on foot.
For Rowell, this was a dream project, as he was given free rein when styling the house. New owners will benefit greatly from the owner’s willingness to invest in the staging as it has brought the house to high-end walk-in condition.
