Since Leszek Zarebinski quit social media over a year ago, he has found his stress levels have dropped significantly.
I no longer have anxiety. My days are no longer ruled by the number of times I pick up my phone. Before, I would see red checkmarks and find myself scrolling aimlessly through apps,” says the former tech entrepreneur, originally from Poland.
Zarebinski is selling his luxury home at 16 Leeson Park Avenue, a 1,448-square-foot Victorian villa in Ranelagh with an elegant underfloor hatch accessible to the wine cellar under the kitchen and a large hot tub, to move to Bali in looking for a more relaxed existence.
Not only did he shut down his social media accounts, but Zarebinski quit his job in tech and moved to his dream location with his wife, Andrea, and two-year-old child, Luke. He now spends his days surfing in the sun and hanging out with his family. “I couldn’t be happier to have left the grind,” he says. “My job was rewarding in some ways, but it doesn’t compare to the time I now spend with my child and being able to surf. I feel so much better for it.
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Surf dude Leszek Zarebinski with his wife, Andrea and son Luke. Photo by Rafal Kostrzewa
His wife Andrea, whom he met in Bali, is now expecting another child in January and the couple plan to build a boutique hotel in the south of the region which should be completed by the end of next year. As a result, Zarebinski is selling his old townhouse.
He bought the house in 2009, after moving from London to Dublin. “I wanted to escape the craziness of London at the time,” he says. “I had spent a summer in Dublin years ago and loved it and had friends living there.”
House prices had crashed and although the house was in poor condition and with an overgrown rear garden, he saw his potential. “There had been a family of four living in the house, and they kept chickens in the back garden. It was in bad shape, but I knew it could be fixed. I put my heart, my soul and a lot of money into it. I was preparing to stay in Dublin and then thought this would be a home for my future family.
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One of the double bedrooms
Over the course of a year, the interior of the house was gutted and the interior walls on the ground floor were knocked down. In addition, the house has been extended by 42 m².
Now when you enter the hall there are two double bedrooms on the left side – one of them has an en-suite bathroom which is fitted with black units and uses wood and glass. The sink, for example, is a rectangular clear glass box that stands out from the wall.
On one side of the house, the original brickwork has been left exposed. This can be seen as you enter the hall and continue downstairs to what is now an open-plan kitchen/dining/living room with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that lead out to a patio area.
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Another view of the open-plan living area overlooking the garden
There is a comfortable square of sofas in the living area and a modern gas fire built into the wall. The floors are polished oak which Zarebinski had installed to match the existing ones upstairs which have been stripped and polished.
Kitchen units are wood and aluminum with black countertops and cupboards, and a bar-style island with a hob in the middle. Ceiling windows mean it is bright and airy, despite its northwest orientation. A concealed hatch in the kitchen floor leads to a spectacular ‘secret’ wine cellar below.
The greenery here offsets the industrial-like aluminum and a bonsai tree and large multicolored round artwork on the wall give the room an Asian feel.
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Another view of the open plan living area
This, says Zarebinski, was unintentional. “I love Asia and have spent a lot of time there over the years. In fact, I lived in Bangkok for a year, so it would make sense that I may have unconsciously recreated elements of style of my travels.
This can also be seen in the main bathroom, also on the ground floor, where the black sink is made from a single corrugated piece. There is a sunken bath with jets and both bathrooms have underfloor heating. The kitchen has a utility room next to it and opens onto the rear garden which
Zarebinski describes it as “another piece”. He had the rear garden landscaped when he first purchased the property and now has an abundance of mature trees and shrubs, with a concrete path leading across the lawn to an office at the end. The property had planning permission to build a two-bedroom maisonette at the back of the garden when Zarebinski first bought it. Although this is now obsolete, it offers great potential for potential buyers.
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The office at the bottom of the garden
The existing office has a large window overlooking the garden and is perfect for remote working. This is also where Zarebinski stores his surfboard. Although he lives in Dublin, he regularly traveled to Donegal and Sligo to surf while living here.
“Surfing was one of the reasons I moved to Ireland,” he says. “I really loved living in Ireland and especially in Dublin. I thought I would be there for life. But now I surf every day in Bali and I’m very happy with it.
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