Greenhills Drogheda Conservation Renovation
This building had a chequered history, it was originally a detached Boarding House located on the River Boyne, when steamboats used to dock on the river at Donors Green. It was later sub-divided into two semi-detached townhouses that were used by managers of the nearby Linen Mills. It was subsequently sub divided again into seven bedsit flats in the early 1960s and presumably during that renovation /conversion all the internal period features, doors, architraves, skirtings, fireplaces, cornices etc were all stripped out.
When the present owner bought the property in the late 1990s it was in a very bad state of repair both externally & internally. The exterior fabric & features were preserved, restored & repaired where possible, the interior however, was past repair or restoration so was completely stripped out & replaced with a contemporary interior intervention suitable for modern living.
Because of the south facing orientation towards the river, we decided to turn the house ‘upside down’ so that the main living spaces were located on the first & second floors within an open plan arrangement, that is light filled with good river views, bedrooms are located on the darker ground floor, and a small single storey rear extension contains a master en suite bathroom & utility /laundry room /boot room, with roof terrace accessed from the living space at first floor level.
The Planning Department were delighted to see the building converted from flats back into a single dwelling unit. The renovation was completed in 2004 & won a Design & Conservation award from Louth Co Council in 2006 for the renovation works .It was also published in Irelands Home & Interiors Magazine & featured in RTEs ‘About the House ‘ Programme.