17 Raglan Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

REA Halnon McKenna are delighted to present this fully restored Victorian property on the corner of Raglan Road and Elgin Road, right in the heart of Dublin's embassy belt. Number 17 Raglan Road is a stunning, completely refurbished and modernised residence that commands a triple-aspect view, and draws in all available light from every side. Originally built around 1875. Designed & refurbished by John Meagher of de Blacam & Meagher to, and, with help from a top team of professionals, set about this daunting project. The entire building was completely gutted, with internal floors, walls, windows and roofs removed. Given a clean slate, the walls were insulated and double-glazed windows installed, making it one of those rarities: an energy-efficient Victorian home - though it is Ber-exempt. Underfloor heating systems were installed, negating the need for radiators, thus leaving the walls free for furniture and shelving. The house has also been wired for phone, audio, TV and security system, and there's an interior vacuum system, eliminating the hassle of dragging a Hoover around the house. Anything that could be salvaged was lovingly restored, including the original cornicing. Anything that couldn't was replaced with an expertly sourced period piece, including the feature fireplaces and beautiful chandeliers. The five bathrooms and two guest WCs are particularly impressive, all laid out in luxurious marble. A team of Italian craftspeople fitted the bathrooms in Calacatta and Jerusalem Gold marble. In an impressive feat of craftsmanship, all the marble slabs have been near-perfectly bookmatched, with incredible results. The handmade cabinetry in the bathrooms was built by John Daly, and he took up the Italian challenge by bookmatching the grain on the timber. The main entrance has a tiled reception hall with ceiling coving and centre rose, and an inner hall with teak flooring. The large drawingroom and diningroom lead out to a sunroom/winter garden overlooking the rear, with folding doors that can be opened out to create a terrace, and remote-controlled rooflights fitted with rain sensors so they'll automatically close when the weather starts getting a bit Irish. You can imagine hosting elegant receptions, your guests enjoying aperitifs in this elegant space. There's also a large dual-aspect home office/library to the rear that gets lots of light in the afternoon and evening. Downstairs at garden level is a nicely laid out Bulthaup kitchen in a Hampton conservatory, with cantilevered units, large centre island and Gaggenau appliances, including an oven, steam oven and microwave lined up in an impressive row. The glass ceilings allow for all-day light, and the skylights are remote-controlled with rain sensors. It opens to a fully landscaped west-facing garden with cut granite walls and mature planting and hedging. There's an underground rainwater harvesting system that pumps grey water to irrigate the garden. A large family room adjoins the kitchen, and there's a small study/office and two bedrooms, one with en suite. Through an arch on the first-floor return you'll find a bright, dual-aspect bedroom and a bathroom with a large picture window to the side. The first floor is completely taken up with the magnificent dual-aspect main bedroom, with sliding sash picture windows commanding a view over Raglan and Elgin roads, along with large walk-in wardrobe and en suite shower room. There's another bedroom suite on the third floor, along with a small room on the second-floor return that could work as a laundry/ironing room, a small study/office, or simply a handy storage space. Outside there's off-street parking for two (large) cars, accessed through electric sliding gates to the side. There's also a handy side entrance for convenient access in and out.