Address: 12 Temple Villas, Palmerston Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6
Price: €4,950,000
Agent: DNG
View this property on MyHome.ie
Temple Villas, a late 19th-century terrace of redbrick houses, lies at the Palmerston Park end of Palmerston Road in Rathmines. These homes have a layout that feels more conducive to family living than many of its neighbours. While much of the road is made up of three-storey-over-basement houses with formal reception rooms and basement kitchens, the Temple Villas properties, which were a later addition to the road, were built over two levels.
It was this layout that appealed to the current owners of number 12, who bought the house in 2007 when their children were young. Ironically, their subsequent works would see them create their own version of a three-storey home by excavating the basement to form a substantial lower ground floor.
While the property was not in bad condition when it changed hands, the owners decided to strip it back and tackle all the jobs that were needed to create a comfortable family home. Planning and building went on for two years, but the wait was worth it as nothing was overlooked and the house still looks fresh and functions perfectly.
It has lost none of its period charm through the renovations and still looks as handsome as ever when you approach the front door from the wide, gravelled driveway. Now with a floor area of 385sq m (4,144sq ft), 12 Temple Villas, which is Ber-exempt, is on the market seeking €4.95 million through DNG.
Inside, the height of the hallway ceilings makes an immediate impression. The floors are a warm engineered oak, and the Victorian details are instantly discernible, with the picture rails and coving painted in neutral heritage colours.
Entrance hall
The main reception rooms are to the right, with period features at their finest here, such as the marble fireplaces and ceiling roses. These interconnecting rooms, while impressively restored and designed, are not intimidating enough to be kept out of bounds. According to the owners, much of the day is spent down in the kitchen, and in the evenings they tend to retire to the livingrooms.
To the left of the hall is a more casual TV room that was a designated teen spot for years, with one large sash window looking out on to the road. This window, along with the rest of the original sashes throughout the house, was restored in 2022.
Front reception room 
Diningroom
Back in the hallway there is a guest bathroom and steps down to the architecturally notable kitchen extension. It was built in 2009 as part of the overall project; designed by Allister Coyne of Ailtireacht Architects, it received an RIAI commendation.
The kitchen, with Bulthaup cabinetry, was further upgraded in 2022 to make the space more efficient and change the roof to take some of the glare away on days when the sun is shining in through the glass to the rear and sides. The space is very contemporary compared to the original part of the house, with a limestone floor and granite worktops.
Kitchen 
Extension
At the back of the room, towards the garden, is a set of steps that leads down to the newly created basement. This adds a fun factor to the house with the addition of a cinema room with surround sound and a door to an inner courtyard. There is also a temperature-controlled EuroCave wine cellar and a plant room. A very generous storage room allows for suitcases, golf clubs, sports equipment and more to be hidden away.
Cinema 
Wine cellar 
Main bedroom suite 
Dressingroom 
Bedroom
Upstairs, on the first-floor return, is a large bedroom and bathroom with a landing big enough for a seating area. On the first floor is the main bedroom suite. The sleeping area is to the front of the house and through the arch in a dressingroom of dreams with bespoke joinery by furniture maker Cillían Johnston. The en suite bathroom, with a double shower, is behind this. There are two more bedrooms at this level and a smaller shower room.
Up at attic level the owners have raised the ceilings to allow for more generous rooms, with one more bedroom up here as well as a bathroom and utility room.
Another part of the upgrades in 2022 included the installation of a 12-zone underfloor heating system that runs throughout the property, making it extremely efficient for a Victorian home, along with a Vantage lighting and home-automation system, and extensive audiovisual wiring.
Garden
To the rear, the property has a 23m x 12m private garden. Thanks to its position on the road, it is west facing and has a large outdoor seating area and long lawn that is surrounded by tall, mature trees.
Now that their children have grown up and fled the nest, the owners can’t justify staying in a house that is so large when there’s only two of them. They have loved their time in the house and are looking forward to the next phase of life.
“We use every room in the house, and we just love the light that flows throughout it. We have been very lucky to have had it as our family home for the last few decades. It is from the 1800s, though, so we’ve only really had it for a tiny chunk of its life, but we hope we’ve brought it on in our time here.”