No2 is a mix of Irish and Italian furnishings with some Indian and French thrown in
Asking price: €850,000
Agent: DNG (01) 830 0989
While renting has become increasingly difficult in Ireland, due to an exodus of landlords from the market and the increasing cost of rent. But an Italian family discovered that renting with a pet is almost impossible.
The exterior of 2 Temple Villas, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
Last year, Dogs Trust, the charity, found that, based on a search of all rental properties on Daft.ie last April, only 7pc (132 out of 1,871) of Irish rental properties allowed pets. It’s often the cause of animals being abandoned or handed in.
It’s an issue Fabrizio Venturelli, from Bolzano in Italy, and his wife, Valeria Lorenzi, from Trento, encountered when they first moved here in 2015. “I was offered a job in tech here and we were trying to find somewhere to live before we moved. But we had a big hunting dog called Licia coming with us,” says Venturelli. “We were phoning landlords from Italy, but once we told them we’d a dog, they wouldn’t even consider us.”
Eventually, they found a house in Donneycarney in Dublin that would take a dog and they accepted it, and paid a deposit, without seeing it. The landlord had owned a dog and was predisposed to the couple, as he’d been married in Lake Garda.
But due to the size of the dog, they couldn’t fly. “We travelled here by ferry, as it was the only way to transport the dog without putting her into quarantine,” says Venturelli. “We drove from Trento to Cherbourg, which was a 14-hour journey; landed in Rosslare; and rented a car to drive to Dublin. It was a long journey.”
The front door of 2 Temple Villas, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
The couple settled here in 2018 and later bought No2 Temple Villas, a 1,270 sq ft three-bedroom semi-detached home in Dublin’s Stoneybatter, which was built in 1934.
“Both the surveyor and the architect were impressed by the condition of the house,” he says. “All of the original features like the fireplaces, the picture rails and bannisters on the stairs, and the copper door handles, were intact. But it had previously been rented out and therefore needed some refurbishment.”
Fabrizio Venturelli and Valeria Lorenzi with their children Zeno and Miriam and their dog Otto. Photo: Bryan Meade
On buying it, they gutted the interior and added underfloor heating and new windows, bringing it from a rather dismal E2 right up to a C1 BER rating.
An extension had been built at the back. It was in good condition but had a flat roof. They installed a new extension with overhead Velux windows instead. “Living in a house that was bright was a priority because of our Italian heritage,” says Lorenzi. “We worked with an Italian architect to make it as light-filled as possible.”
The kitchen and island unit at 2 Temple Villas, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
When designing the interior, they attempted to marry Italian and Irish culture. “It was important to us as our children, Zeno (seven years old) and Miriam (now one year old), were born in Ireland and are therefore Irish,” she says. So the house is a mix. “For example, the tiles in the front on the steps were handmade here in Ireland, and some of the pictures hanging in the kitchen are Italian,” she says. “The wooden dining table meanwhile came from Italy, and the chairs there belonged to the main theatre of my home town in Italy and date to the 1800s.”
They’ve also installed new flooring throughout and re-touched the paint on the walls. “We used mostly neutral colours to create a blank canvas for pieces of art and ornaments.”
The main reception room at 2 Temple Villas, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
Venturelli found her glass-fronted dining room cupboards with a distressed blue finish on Etsy.They came from India two years ago.
The island in the kitchen is also unusual. “We were aware that the kitchen is modern and pristine-looking, so we wanted to add some warmth,” says Lorenzi. “We therefore came up with the idea of creating an island, using a shop counter from 1875, which came from France, and adding a quartz counter top to match the kitchen units.”
A home office at 2 Temple Villas, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
The tiles underfoot in the back garden and the ones on the walls, which are made of porcelain, stained with zinc, were imported from Italy, during the pandemic. “The house has a nice exposure because the sun rises in at the front, which faces south-east and the back is south-west-facing,” says Venturelli. “We often eat outside in the summer and it’s a real suntrap.”
The studio at the back of the garden was already there, but was not insulated or heated. They added insulation, under floor heating and a sliding glass door. It’s now used as an office for Lorenzi’s psychotherapy practice. Zeno is learning to play the harp and sometimes practices there too.
The modern bathroom at 2 Temple Villas, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
Fabrizio likes to garden and has planted numerous flowers in pots and shrubs. “I like to sit in the kitchen at the island and look out at the back garden, especially when the sun is shining,” he says.
“We’ve met other people with children and have a really good network here,” says Lorenzi. “There are good schools, community-based activities, and like-minded people.”
One of the bedrooms at 2 Temple Villas, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
They also like the location, which is a five-minute drive from the Phoenix Park and a three-minute walk to the Red Luas line, offering easy access to Dublin city centre. “Stoneybatter is full of nice coffee shops, art studios and yoga classes,” she adds. “As Italians, we love our coffee and we’re big fans of Lilliput Stores cafe. We also love the Italian restaurant, Grano, which is Michelin-starred.
One of the bedrooms at 2 Temple Villas, Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
But with two young children and a dog, they now need more space. Lorenzi would also like a studio with a separate entrance for her psychotherapy practice. So they’re selling the house and moving to nearby Cabra.
“It would make a lovely home for another family,” says Lorenzi.
Their first dog, Licia, passed away three years ago, but they have since acquired another, an English setter, called Otto, who will be coming with them to the new house. “It has a bigger garden so Otto is very excited about the move,” adds Venturelli.
DNG seeks €850,000.