Stylish Victorian renovation

Rose Martin says this property retains many of its original features.

HOUSES aren’t hemlines, and while architectural fashion dictates zinc, cedar and asymmetry in modern builds, it’s rather calming to return to the old.

Style is an immutable thing — as this house in North Street, Skibbereen illustrates — good quality never goes out of date.

A superb renovation job, this Victorian three-bed retains most of its original features thanks to sympathetic owners.

Carpet was ripped up from the hallway to reveal 120-year-old mosaic tiling that looks even better with the patina of age. The elaborate sash windows to the front have been restored, and the big bay in which they sit floods the sitting room behind with light.

Located at the end of North Street (and right in the centre of town), this house is one of two Victorian properties on the row.

On the market with Aidan Murphy of Town and Country Auctioneers, it carries a guide of €485,000, a snip compared to city prices where a house of this quality would hit the million mark.

And it has been modernised to an extent: the master bedroom, which takes up the front room on the upper level, is ensuite and the house is warm, comfy and manageable.

There’s a big back garden, but before that a large terrace links the kitchen with a second tier deck, which in turn leads up via steps to the west-facing garden.

The main living room is 18’ by 18’, great for families, and comes with high ceilings, picture rails and a splendid, slate fireplace with overmantel.

Next is a study of 15’ by 7’, with a window to the side, and the kitchen is picture perfect. Free-standing units, including a larder, are finished in cream with solid wood work tops.

A cooking hearth with modern range cooker and old terrazzo floors combine the best of old world looks with new fittings. A big window sits behind the Belfast sink and a door gives access to the rear yard.

Next door, a perfectly preserved washroom stands as a testament to the house’s age, with its original tiling and bathroom fittings. On the upper floor a large landing gives access to the house’s three bedrooms (all of which are doubles), and a main bathroom with bath and shower.

Coming down with character, no 73 North Street has been on the market since late summer and would suit a local family trading up, or re-locaters trading down.

Skibbereen is the business centre of West Cork, and is a booming town with lots of amenities to offer. Beaches are two a penny around the area and Cork is an hour and half’s drive away.