Address: 62 Old Kilmainham, Dublin 8 Price: €675,000 Agent: Sherry FitzGeraldNumber 62 Old Kilmainham sits on a terrace of period homes so elevated from the busy road as to render the traffic a distant hum from inside. The owners, who now have two children in tow, bought it in 2008 when it was in its two-up, two-down form, and undertook a big renovation in 2016, adding a two-storey rear extension under the guidance of renowned interior designer Róisín Lafferty. When they bought the home, the couple were attracted to the area because they could cycle to work in the city centre (in about 15 minutes) and they liked to hang out at the Royal Oak Pub. Since then, they have appreciated the friendly, community feel of the village and having three city parks nearby: Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the War Memorial Gardens and the Phoenix Park. They are also close to the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and their own art collection displayed throughout their home reflects a penchant for the contemporary. One framed print on their landing of Nelson Mandela pays homage to former resident Mary Manning, who grew up in the property, and who, aged 21, sparked the Dunnes Stores apartheid strike when she refused to sell grapefruit from South Africa in 1984.When they first moved in, the owners set about reintroducing some of the period details that had been removed and sourced fireplaces and doors similar what would have been in place.Then, when they brought in Lafferty eight years later, she created a design to maximise every inch of space and incorporate extensive storage into the rear extension. A strip of mirrors on the ceiling and on parallel walls in the kitchen/diningroom make the space feel expansive and have provided endless entertainment for the couple’s children who found their reflections enthralling when they were small. A leather-upholstered banquette in the dining area doubles as comfortable seating and further storage.The design also employs the technique of bringing the flooring up on to the walls, creating a feature and sense of cohesion in the kitchen and bathrooms. “We feel so lucky to have worked with [Lafferty] and her team and the house brings us joy every day,” says the owner.Another interesting feature is a concertina door – that can be folded back in increments – that allows the rear bedroom on the first floor to open into one large space or to be closed off, creating a second room, now in use as a bright home office. The smaller space would also lend itself to a walk-in dressingroom or a nursery.From the path, you ascend steps, an incline and then a few more steps to reach the front door of 62 Old Kilmainham, past a front garden laid in lawn and bordered by shrubs, providing colour and privacy. The hallway features recessed lighting and wooden floors painted a deep blue that continues up the stairwell to the first floor.The sittingroom to the front of the ground floor features a reclaimed cast-iron fireplace and looks out to the front garden through a double-glazed sash window.Down the hallway there is a small step up to a path of geometric black-and-white tiles that leads into the downstairs loo, where the eye-catching tiles continue up the wall where they meet two walls of mirrors and pops of teal paint. The space under the stairs is also put to good use, with built-in storage keeping utility appliances out of sight.Hallway Sittingroom Kitchen Living area Dining area Continuing through to the rear of the house, the kitchen and dining area showcases the considered bespoke design. You step into a space that is kept vacant for play, but could easily accommodate a sofa or cosy armchairs for reading. The entire wall of the kitchen, from where the living space begins, is occupied by handless units in a blue-grey shade. There is further storage in the kitchen island, which houses the hob, over which hangs a lamp-like pendant extractor fan. It faces the banquette dining area, where wallpaper of baroque Roman buildings and two orange chairs add some fun and interest.The room opens out to the tiered back garden, which had to be created from scratch when the owners moved in. It isd south facing and has a lower patio, two tiers for plants, and a top tier laid in faux grass where the children can play. It is bordered by a high wall to the rear, covered in mature planting, and backs on to the grounds of an apartment complex.Back inside and upstairs, light pours in from a roof light on the double-height portion of the landing; there is a long shelved cupboard built into a nook formed during the rear extension. The main bedroom is spacious, occupying the front of the floor, with an antique fireplace.Beyond that is the main bathroom, where the narrow footprint has been optimised to allow for a full bath with bright blue and black geometric tiles climbing from the floor to the walls behind the sink; it gets light from a big roof light overhead. Steps at the end of the landing lead up to the large rear extension, where a concertina door is currently closed to separate the rear double bedroom from a smaller room that makes a great home office with a domed roof light overhead for natural light. Extending to 100sq m (1,076sq ft) with a C Ber, this has been a much loved home, and the owners are compelled to part with it as their children are growing up and need more space. It is now on the market with Sherry Fitzgerald, seeking €675,000.Downstairs loo Main bedroom Second bedroom with concertina door into home office Main bathroom Garden patio Garden lawn