At the rear of the house, it's all restrained good taste too, with a sheltered and leafy courtyard garden combining lawn and slate landscaping, bordered by mature trees and shrubs.

Owner James Cleary, who bought the property eight years ago, did a lot of the renovation and also roped in his interior designer sister Fiona, who has decorated the rooms with great flair.

Zoffany wallpaper, Farrow and Ball heritage paints and sanded wooden floors all work well with the period architecture, room proportions and generous natural light.

Before all that, of course, was the necessary heavy work, including dampproofing and knocking pokier rooms into grander spaces. Original floorboards throughout were sanded and varnished, and skirtings and architraves refreshed with simple white paint.

Including the comforts of modern living was a major consideration . . . en-suites have been added to all three of the bedrooms . . . while keeping true to the authentic Victorian style.

"When I bought the house, everyone thought I'd lost the plot, it needed so much renovation. But I knew it was a lovely house underneath and that when I got the structural elements right, it could be something really special. Fiona chose a lot of the strong colours and furnishings throughout, but with a nod to the original Victorian features such as the fireplaces and decorative plaster details on the ceilings."

The interior is approximately 1900 square feet. the entrance is up a flight of steps to the first floor and into the elegant hall with typical period arch and plaster detail. Deep red paint complements the original black and white marbletiled floor here. Leading off to the left is the impressive first-floor drawing room.

"We decided on a deep green paint for the walls here. This enhances the white fireplace, coving, and working window shutters on the bay window, " says Cleary. "It's a room with great impact, not least because I have a full grand piano here. The two Sofa Factory sofas in deep red are also a classic shape while the colour adds to the impact of the room."

Along the hall is the first bedroom, again with attractive wall treatment adding to the charm. The cream and light blue Zoffany paper, stone silk curtains, antique wardrobe and oldfashioned marble-top washstand look straight out of a Merchant Ivory film. (There is a smaller version of the same silk curtains in the ensuite. ) Farther along the hall and into the return is the second bedroom with en-suite, decorated all in white, including the cast iron fireplace, and with access to the flat roof through the tall sash window.

Downstairs is the second hallway, similar to the formal entrance, and with contrasting green and red walls covered in a collection of abstract paintings and drawings.

There is a separate front entrance here, while under the stairway is the utility, fully plumbed, and also the guest cloakroom (in what had been the coal bunker).

This tiny room has a quirky style of its own, courtesy of the plum Farrow and Ball paint.

Bedroom three has builtin wardrobes and the original fireplace fitted with a coal-effect gas fire. The ensuite has been given a tasteful makeover too, with black and white mosaic tiles, plus a free standing, antique cast-iron bath, the base of which is painted black. Next is bedroom four.

"This was the original master bedroom, but I use it as my office, " says Cleary.

"It's a lovely space to work, really bright, and with practical, custom-built shelving either side of the fireplace and big enough to accommodate the large desk."

In the well- equipped, modern kitchen, the old mahogany open fireplace has been retained, while the big, scrubbed pine table from Habitat gives a country style to the room. A door leads from here to the charming, tiered side garden with railway sleepers and pebbles.

Opening from the kitchen is the light-filled family room, with bay window looking onto the side garden, and glazed double doors opening to the private rear garden . . . as pleasant a space to be as the house itself.

Price: AMV 1.85m at public auction on 7 June Agent: Sherry FitzGerald (01-4969909)