Victorian ‘home with a twist’ has impressive make-over credentials

VIRTUALLY a new house, in an old shell, is the Strand Road, Monkstown, house at 1 Ard na Ri.

Originally Victorian, it was hugely invested in again about five years ago, anyone who can see past the decorative toll of daily family life in the few years since that costly make-over will find a house with impressive credentials. It has a super-high specification, the sort of work that would leave most renovators daunted, if not floored.

It has internal supporting steel now, with concrete floors throughout, high insulation levels, replacement sash windows which are double-glazed, and balconies off most of the bedrooms, with untreated timber cladding starting to go the sort of silver-grey so loved by architects as a ‘natural’ finish.