Two curved wood-veneer cabinets frame the kitchen entrance like columns
On a quiet crescent off Booterstown Avenue in south Dublin, a modest end-terrace house became something rarer: a home shaped by cooperation as much as craftsmanship. When the owners of Number 4 Hampton Crescent saw an unused gap between their house and their neighbor's, they proposed something uncommon — a shared extension that would benefit both families equally. The result, now offered at €1.195 million, is less a property listing than a quiet argument for what suburban living can become when imagination and trust are brought to bear on the ordinary constraints of space.
- A side garden that most homeowners would leave empty became the seed of an architectural collaboration between two neighboring families, doubling the footprint of both homes.
- The challenge of expanding without disrupting — either the streetscape or the neighbor relationship — required negotiation, mutual investment, and a shared vision that could have unraveled at any point.
- Every interior detail, from curved wood-veneer cabinet columns framing the kitchen to banquette seating with hidden storage, reflects a sustained effort to make the expanded space feel intentional rather than merely larger.
- The attic conversion, with its bay views, kitchenette, and en suite, transforms what is typically dead space into a genuinely independent living environment — flexible enough for guests, adult children, or remote work.
- The property now sits on the market as both a home and a model, demonstrating that suburban space problems are sometimes solved not by moving, but by talking to the person next door.
Number 4 Hampton Crescent sits at the entrance to St Helen's Wood, a residential pocket off Booterstown Avenue in south Dublin. When the current owners arrived in 2003, they found a modest end-terrace with an open side garden separating them from their neighbor at number 5. Rather than leave it idle, they proposed something unusual: a mutual side extension, with both families building into the shared space simultaneously. The outcome — two seamlessly adjoined 183 square meter homes, each with a B3 energy rating — is now on the market for €1.195 million.
The interior rewards close attention. A porch with fitted storage opens into a beech-floored hall, where two curved wood-veneer cabinets frame the kitchen entrance like a deliberate architectural statement. The kitchen itself features bespoke cabinetry, granite worktops, and a suite of high-end appliances, connected via breakfast counter and hatch to an open-plan dining and living area with a Faber gas fire and full-height glass doors to the garden.
The side extension — seven meters by 3.1 meters — is the home's most distinctive room, a large family space with underfloor heating, patio doors to the front, and a feature staircase that can be opened or closed off depending on how much independence a household needs. Behind it sits a utility room with garden access. Upstairs, three bedrooms share a thoughtfully arranged floor, with balconies, built-in storage, and a family bathroom offering both concealed bath and rain-head shower.
The attic conversion is the quiet triumph of the whole project. Spanning the full width of house and extension, it holds a kitchenette with granite worktops, a large built-in desk, a lounge area, and a fully tiled en suite — all beneath high ceilings and a dormer window framing views of Dublin Bay and the Poolbeg chimneys. It could serve as guest quarters, a retreat for a college-aged child, or a genuinely separate home office.
The back garden is small and walled, finished with reclaimed stone tiling and a timber deck. What the full picture reveals is a home built not through a single renovation but through years of considered decisions — and, at its foundation, a conversation with a neighbor that required trust as much as planning permission.
Number 4 Hampton Crescent sits at the entrance to St Helen's Wood, a quiet residential pocket off Booterstown Avenue in south Dublin. When the current owners bought the place in 2003, it was a modest end-terrace house with an open side garden running between it and its neighbor at number 5. Rather than let that gap remain unused, they did something uncommon: they approached the people next door and proposed a mutual solution. Both families would build side extensions into the shared space, creating two larger homes that would sit seamlessly against each other. The result is now on the market for €1.195 million through Janet Carroll Estate Agent.
What makes the property remarkable is not just the extension itself, but how thoroughly the owners have reimagined the interior. The house now spans 183 square meters across three floors plus an attic conversion, with a B3 energy rating. Walking in, you encounter a porch with tiled flooring and fitted storage that opens into a hall with beech flooring and a substantial understairs cupboard—space that was once a small guest toilet and could be converted back if a future owner wanted. Two curved wood-veneer cabinets frame the kitchen entrance like columns, a deliberate architectural gesture that signals the care taken throughout.
The kitchen itself faces the street and features bespoke cabinetry, granite worktops with polished stone splashbacks, and high-end integrated appliances: a Neff gas hob, Falcon catering grill, and Bosch double oven and microwave. A breakfast counter and hatch connect it to the dining room. Beyond that is an open-plan dining and living area with beech flooring, wood panelling, and a Faber gas fire. Full-height glass doors open onto the patio and back garden. The dining space includes banquette-style seating with storage built underneath—the kind of detail that speaks to how thoroughly the owners thought through daily living.
The side extension is the house's most distinctive feature. Measuring seven meters by 3.1 meters, this large family room has tiled floors with underfloor heating and patio doors to the front. It has served multiple purposes over the years—the owners mention it once held a full-size snooker table. A feature staircase leads upstairs from here, currently closed off but easily reopened if teenagers or guests needed independent access without passing through the main living areas. Behind the family room sits a utility room with washing machine, dryer, sink, and the gas boiler, with a door to the rear garden.
Upstairs, three bedrooms occupy the first floor. The main bedroom faces the street, with built-in wardrobes, overhead storage, and a door to a shared balcony with bedroom two. The family bathroom is fully tiled and features a concealed bath behind a tiled wall, a telephone shower, and a separate rain head shower, with Jack and Jill access from both the main bedroom and the landing. Bedroom two sits above the family room, with fitted wardrobes, overhead shelving, and its own balcony. It connects via en suite to bedroom three, which overlooks the back garden and also has built-in storage and a rear balcony.
The fourth bedroom is the attic conversion, and it is genuinely impressive. Spanning the width of both the original house and the extension, it has high ceilings, a large dormer window, and a Velux. The owners have fitted it with a kitchenette complete with granite worktops, Franke sink, and Baumatic gas hob, plus a large built-in desk for work or study, a lounge area with television, and a fully tiled en suite shower room. The views reach out to Dublin Bay and the Poolbeg chimneys. This space could serve as guest accommodation, a retreat for a college-aged child seeking independence, or a home office with genuine separation from the rest of the house. Extensive under-eaves storage runs along the sides.
The back garden is small and walled, landscaped with mature planting and reclaimed stone tiling. A paved patio and timber deck provide outdoor dining space. What emerges from the full picture is a house that has been thoughtfully expanded and meticulously finished—not a quick renovation but a sustained conversation between the owners and their architect about how to live well in a suburban setting. The mutual extension with the neighbor, a solution that required negotiation and trust, remains the foundation of everything that followed.
Citações Notáveis
The owners approached their neighbor and asked if they would be open to using the gap for mutual side extensions, resulting in two extended homes that seamlessly joined.— Property description
The spacious top-floor suite would be ideal for guests or a college-aged young person in need of some independence.— Property description
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did the owners approach their neighbor about a shared extension rather than just building on their own side?
It's a practical question. They had an open side garden—wasted space—but building alone would have been awkward and expensive. By proposing a mutual extension, both families got more room, and the costs and logistics were shared. It required real trust and good relations, but it worked.
The attic suite seems like the showpiece. Who would actually live there?
The owners describe it as flexible. A guest room, certainly. But more likely a young adult—someone in college or early career who wants independence but still lives at home. The kitchenette and desk make it genuinely livable, not just a bedroom. The views to Dublin Bay probably don't hurt either.
What does a B3 energy rating mean for someone buying this?
It's a solid rating. Not the highest, but respectable for a house of this age and size. The underfloor heating in the extension, the integrated appliances, the overall insulation—it all adds up to reasonable running costs, which matters when you're paying €1.195 million.
The kitchen and bathrooms sound very finished. Did the owners do this gradually or all at once?
The source doesn't say, but the consistency suggests a planned renovation rather than piecemeal updates. Everything—the cabinetry, the tiling, the fixtures—speaks to a single vision. That kind of coherence takes time and money.
What's the neighborhood like?
St Helen's Wood is a leafy enclave built in 1990 on the grounds of the old St Helen's Estate. It's convenient for schools, transport, and amenities. The Radisson Blu hotel is also on the grounds. It's suburban but well-connected, which is probably why the asking price is what it is.