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Victorian four-bed with a south-facing garden in Dublin 4 for €2,150,000
67 Leeson Street Upper is a luxurious home that has been sympathetically restored and is just a walk from Dublin City centre to boot.
A CENTRAL DUBLIN address usually involves a compromise somewhere. The garden shrinks, parking is potluck or the spare bedroom doubles as an office, playroom and home gym. At 67 Upper Leeson Street, all of these factors aren’t an issue. With four bedrooms, large reception rooms, a sunny back garden and off-street parking for up to three cars, there’s little to complain about.
Part of a terrace of just six homes, the Victorian property has a social feature before you even reach the front door. A shared landscaped courtyard gives the houses a unique setting, adding greenery to this wholly urban address near the capital’s busiest streets.
Inside, the house is spread across two storeys above garden level, and one below, with a layout that gives its period rooms and more informal living spaces their own territory. The original decorative plasterwork has survived, lending texture and craftsmanship to the interior that is also in excellent condition.
The main entrance opens into a substantial hallway, with two connecting reception rooms at hall level. Their proportions are a large part of the appeal as these are spaces that can accommodate both a gathering and the quieter business of everyday life. Keeping the rooms linked also allows furniture and function to shift with the household, whether the preference is for separate sitting and dining rooms or a more fluid layout.
Downstairs, the garden level takes a different approach. An open plan kitchen and family living area brings cooking and relaxing together, providing a natural centre for the daily routine. It complements the more formal rooms above, giving the house scope for everything from a leisurely breakfast to a dinner party.
A guest bedroom and shower room are also on this floor, along with a separate utility room. For visiting friends or family, the arrangement offers a useful degree of independence; for the household, the utility keeps laundry and other practical demands out of the main living space.
Two double bedrooms are on the first floor, each with its own en suite bathroom. The fourth bedroom sits on the hall-floor return and has a particularly charming addition in the form of a balcony overlooking the back garden. A family bathroom completes the accommodation.
The garden deserves attention in its own right. Facing south and enclosed by cut-granite walls, it brings both sunshine and an attractive sense of enclosure to the back of the house. Pedestrian access adds convenience, while the balcony provides another spot from which to enjoy the view.
Beyond the courtyard, the attractions of the location are easy to understand. St Stephen’s Green and Grafton Street are within walking distance, putting shopping, city strolls and evenings out close at hand. In other directions, Ranelagh, Donnybrook and Ballsbridge offer a choice of cafés, restaurants and independent shops. Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club sits across the road.
For buyers who love Victorian architecture but are equally concerned with how a house works day to day, No. 67 will settle any indecisiveness. Its appeal lies in the useful details like the utility room, guest rooms and garden access, as well as the decorative flourishes and proximity to the city centre.
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