Mount Pleasant Renovation - "As green as a period house can be"
Paul Mulhern
This house on Mount Pleasant Avenue Upper, which was in a serious state of disrepair. It was really dreadful and had been badly treated. The house was in three bedsits but turned out to be a joy to renovate.
This is a house with a soul that has been carefully renovated, preserving its integrity while adding eclectic elements and perfectly combining old and new. The renovation and extension were overseen by architect Paul Mulhern and took a year to complete.
This property is as green as a period house can be, except for the fireplaces, which the clients insisted on keeping for aesthetic reasons.
The roof over the new extension, which houses the modern kitchen and library, is planted with sedum, which acts as an air filter and gives the extension 60 per cent more insulation than a normal roof. There is also a rainwater harvesting system, which provides water for showers and the washing machine. With 20 solar panels – all hidden from view.
A hidden treasure has to be an old well predating the house that was found during the renovations. These are a rarity in period properties in Dublin, and we incorporated it into the house’s design within a beautiful courtyard, with a wonderful relationship to the new library room. The light-filled library, which features wall-to-wall bookcases, has glass doors leading out to the well.
The new library with its courtyard and well.
The front hall, with its original flagstones, is flanked by a diningroom and drawingroom. Each room has new sash windows and shutters with high ceilings, and the diningroom has the original coving and ceiling roses. The fireplaces in each room are original.
The kitchen is modern, with a polished Ardex concrete floor that glistens when the morning light floods though the full-width glass patio doors and large roof light. The first floor extension creates space for a total of four bedrooms along with a family bathroom and separate shower room.
The new kitchen extension opening to the landscaped garden.
The secluded library room opening to the garden & its side courtyard
"This is a great example of a meticulous period restoration - as green as a period house can be" - The Irish Times.
Planning stage sketch of rear contemporary extension.