For a guy who's spent the last five years developing property, with great success, he's rather modest about his achievements. And he doesn't like the label 'property developer'.

Okay, so he's not quite made millions from developing (not yet anyway) but Sarah Beeny would be proud.

He's passionate, tenacious, organised, knows his buildings and is hands-on when it comes to getting stuck in. For him, developing is not just about profiting from property, he gets a real kick out of breathing new life into distressed buildings, and picking up new skills in the process.

His first property project was a sweet shop on Dublin's trendy Camden Street, which he turned into a caf�. At the moment, he's refurbishing an old 1930s' house in Kilmainham and also building a new property from scratch.

His most personal project, and one which is a real showcase for his talent, is his own house on Bath Avenue in Dublin 4, which he's now selling.

Although structurally sound and in good condition when he bought it three years ago, Stephen has transformed the property into a spacious family home without losing any of the building's sense of history.

He knocked through a wall in the kitchen to create a big, open-plan cooking zone, added an en-suite to the master bedroom and replaced the windows in one of the other bedrooms with French doors and added a 'Juliet' balcony with wrought-iron railings.

He also built on an extension at the back of the property, to create a gorgeous, light-filled dining room with vaulted glazed ceiling and French doors to the garden which rather cleverly blurs the boundaries between inside and out.

It looks stunning and is a real testament to his skills as a developer, though he can't take full credit for how the house looks today. Over the years, anyone who's ever lived here has left their mark on the place.

Take the rather overly grand fireplace in the reception room - it's from a building in Merrion Square, sourced by a former architect owner.

"Although it looks quite modest from the outside, it's a real quirky building, " says Stephen. "I think it was actually part of the house next door but at some stage it was split into two to create a terrace. The back of the house was built in the 1700s and the front rooms were added on later in the 1850s.

"As a result, rooms are of different proportions and different styles. The rooms at the back of the house are smaller and have lower ceilings with timber beams. The rooms at the front are bigger, with taller ceilings and different architectural detailing."

While some might have been daunted by the mix of styles, for Stephen this property's quirks only added to its appeal. Rather than hide them, he's highlighted them.

By painting rooms in neutral tones and adopting a more minimalist approach to furniture and decoration, architectural details such as the beautiful carved architraves, decorative centre roses, cornicing and beams, shine.

Restoring this house has been a real labour of love for Stephen. He's been sympathetic where it mattered and creative where he could be.

The one space where he was really able to let loose was in the garden.

He's put his skills as a former garden designer to the test and created a lush, courtyard-style garden with lots of leafy green mature trees and shrubs.

It's wonderfully romantic and the perfect spot to take solace from the city.

The lowdown

Address: No 15a Bath Avenue, Sandymount Avenue, Dublin 4 Details: Refurbished period terrace extending to 130sq m (1,400sq ft) comprising entrance hall, reception room, kitchen, dining room, family room, three bedrooms (one en-suite), and main bathroom.

Highlights: This house has a real quirky feel to it and marries 17th and 18th-century proportions with a sympathetic 21st-century refurb. The leafy rear garden is also a real delight.

Price: Euro1.2m Agent: Felicity Fox 01-633 4431