Heritage meets modernity in Donnybrook five-bed for €1.6m

• Published date: 23 March 2023

Well set back from the road, the gravelled front drive provides off-street parking for three cars. The granite steps leading up to a blue front door have been retanked; the door opens onto a hallway with blue carpet and wine-red walls, a striking colour scheme Jane, the owner, has replicated throughout the house

She and her late husband bought the house in 1979 when their four boys were attending schools nearby, "the location of the house was perfect," she says, and they added the extension in the 1980s. The couple used a conservation architect and were keen to keep the heritage and character of the 1861 home intact.

To the left of the hall are two interconnected reception rooms; the Ber-exempt house faces southeast so there is great light throughout the day in these dual-aspect rooms. The marble fireplaces are original, as are the coving, cornices, ceiling roses, windows and shutters.

"The upstairs room are so bright I can see how Victorian people moved around the house throughout the day, following the sun, it was very clever really," says Jane.

Downstairs is a red high-gloss kitchen that came from IKEA in 2010 and is counterpointed by a grey mosaic tile. With a host of children running through the house, the double doors between the kitchen and livingroom on the ground floor were taken out to create one connected, welcoming room that worked brilliantly for casual suppers.

The extension has a large bathroom, which...