Owner Kevin Desmond bought the Edwardian house at auction in 2002, specifically because it had been relatively untouched for the past 80 years.

"It was very much a loved and cared-for property, lived in by the same family since the 1920s. Because of that, there was an instant feeling of warmth and character. At the same time, the house needed serious renovation . . .

there was no heating, no bathroom, no real kitchen to speak of, and only three electrical sockets." Kevin got together with an architect colleague, and the decision was taken to gut the property while carefully retaining all the period features. A major priority was to introduce more natural light into the dark interior.

"Because the rear of the house is southwest facing, we took full advantage of that day-long light. The work took six months and included putting in four Velux windows, a vaulted glass atrium in the new kitchen extension, and three sets of Oregon pine french doors opening to the rear garden."

When the garden itself was excavated and landscaped, the attention was focused on exploiting the potential of the attic space. The house has a fairly decent-sized attic, says Kevin, and so he enlisted the skills of the original builder who worked on the kitchen.

"The attic is now transformed into a bedroom, a den and a wet room, but as well as that, we kept the original Edwardian style of the staircase with custom-made banisters and stairs."

Accommodation opens from the periodstyle hall, which sets the tone for the rest of the property with its dado rail and the original timber floors sanded back to a mellow sheen. To the right are two interconnecting reception rooms, each with antique fireplaces, and decorative picture rails and ceiling cornices. A set of french doors opens from the rear room directly to the garden. The kitchen/breakfast room is a delightfully bright area, fully fitted with beech units, Belfast sink, integrated appliances and breakfast bar. Two sets of french doors invite further inspection of the very private garden which is paved in granite cobblestone, surrounded by mature trees and leafy shrubs, and with an L-shaped, very large custom-made garden seat. Upstairs are three bedrooms, two with cast-iron fireplaces and built-in wardrobes, and all with original timber floors. The bathroom completes the accommodation at this level, while upstairs are the new attic rooms.

The attention to the interior design is an obvious attraction throughout, but Kevin insists he is no designer . . . enthusiasm has been the inspiration here.

"I'm not a professional, it's just something I enjoy. I didn't approach the design with the idea that I was going to put it on the market . . . I just loved the whole process."

And while he is sad to leave Mosgrove, Kevin is already thinking of his next project . . . a twostorey over basement period property in a sorry state, closer to town.

Price: AMV 1m; auction 27 September Agent: Felicity Fox, 01-633 4431