Renovated and extended by a starchitect of 1990s Dublin clubland, the three-bedroom house in D7 has a butterfly roof to refract light in and is in walk-in condition. It's a compelling place to set up home.
Montpelier Hill is one of Dublin’s secret streets. The elevated road runs parallel to Parkgate Street. Most people use it as a cut-through to get to the entrance of the Phoenix Park.
It has a mix of housing stock that runs from Georgian to homes built in the last 10 years or so.
Address: 34 Montpelier Hill, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, D07 AH5T
Asking price: €825,000
Agent: DNG Phibsborough
Number 34 is on the sunny side of the street. The backs of these houses, on this side of the street, get a lot of sun and light due to their south-facing aspect.
The owners of the three-bedroom, three-bathroom terraced house hired architect Ross Cahill O'Brien of Cahill O’Brien Associates to make the most of the aspect.
He has fulfilled the brief, making full use of the property’s orientation to maximise space, natural light and energy efficiency within this bow-fronted 1950s house.
You may not have heard of Cahill, but his name is synonymous with Dublin clubland and many of the capital's 1990s and noughties pleasure palaces.
He designed countless hotspots from the original interior of Café en Seine to the Kitchen nightclub, which was owned by members of U2, and Zanzibar, which was considered Ireland’s first superpub. To all, he brought a magnetic modern sensibility that had its roots in classical architectural forms.
The property now has underfloor heating across the ground floor, triple-glazed windows throughout, and a covetable B3 BER rating.
Set back from the road with off-street parking for two vehicles, it opens into a hall where there is a guest w.c under the stairs.
There is a living room at the front where double doors lead through to the large open-plan kitchen-diner.
This gives you a valuable second room downstairs where you can escape the rest of the family.
The open-plan room at the rear is what gives this home a wow factor.
It has a butterfly roof to optimise light filtering through.
Instead of a wall of glass, there are classic touches, such as French doors with sidelights and clerestory glazing panels that chime with the age of the property.
A picture window frames the dining area, where there is bench seating running the length of this space.
The kitchen has coal-black cabinetry that runs along both sides.
There are full-height units on the right, leaving the other side free of overhead units, making the space feel light and airy.
Steps lead out to the terraced backyard. This is a sheltered and private spot that is paved, making it low-maintenance. There is development underway at 23 to 24 Parkgate Street that includes apartments and a hotel across its five floors.
This will reduce the views of the mountains, but thanks to Cahill’s clever design, plenty of light will still beam through.
Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, two doubles and a single, which is used as a home office.
The refurbishment includes a dormer attic room that has commanding views across the city.
The shower room at this level has a porthole window, a Cahill signature, who is also a great fan of boatbuilding.
Montpelier Hill links Arbour Hill in Stoneybatter to Infirmary Road and the Parkgate Street entrance to the Phoenix Park.
It also connects to Parkgate Street and Heuston Station via Mount Temple Street West.
Agents DNG is seeking €823,000 for the property, which extends to 114 square metres with a further 14 square metres of attic room space.
The Montpelier Hill house reflects the current cost of refurbishment works.
Before its extensive upgrades, it last sold for €490,000 in early 2019, according to the property price register.
