Squeezed into the southern corner of a 19th-century square in Cork city, this is a marriage of modernism and character.
Address: 31 Prosperity Square, Barrack Street, Cork city centre, T12DE4H
Asking price: €295,000
Agent: AML Property
Star Trek fans will already know that the Vulcan salute, live long and prosper, is one that modern life now demands of all of us.
If you’re lucky enough to be house hunting, could there be a better way to manifest a better future than to live at Prosperity Square, a late 19th-century landmark built by Cork Improved Dwellings Co. Ltd?
Built around 1875, it features two-bay, single-storey with attic houses, set high on a hill overlooking the spire of Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral and the staggered rooftops of Cork’s city centre.
Tucked into its southern corner and thanks to its fusion of old and new, number 31 is especially beguiling.
The front of the house measures about 2.5 metres wide, less than some sofas, and has a dormer window at first-floor level.
But it expands out to fill the plot width to the rear.
From its blancmange pink front door inwards, it offers home hunters looking for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom property a surprising 76 square metres of light and space.
The living room is to the front, but its window overlooks the back garden, which is bounded by high granite walls.
The kitchen dining room is to its rear. It too has been oriented towards the garden.
Inky-black units are set in a C-shape, facing the greenery. From the range cooker, you can look out over the sofa at nature - thanks to the installation of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that blur the lines between inside and out.
The owner has also managed to include a small laundry room and a guest WC at this level, and the stairs to the bedrooms lead up from the dining area.
The principal bedroom is gorgeous. A long, narrow window frames the garden view and means you can see it from bed.
The red brick on its chimney breast has been exposed, and there is a second light source from the dormer window to the front.
The second bedroom is currently used as a nursery. There is also a shower room at this level.
AML Property is seeking €295,000 for the C3 Ber-rated house. It last sold in December 2016 for €150,000, according to the property price register.
In the intervening years, it has been utterly transformed to meet the light and space demands of modern life.
