Old-fashion charm with modern touch

(Josh Reynolds / Globe Photo)

Standing in front of this renovated carriage house on Ashmont Hill, it is easy to understand why the neighborhood is considered Dorchester's sweet spot. Though it is just a few minutes walk to the Ashmont MBTA station on bustling Dorchester Avenue, the setting, insulated and shaded by tall trees as old as the barn-like structure itself, the property could easily be mistaken for a Victorian estate in some leafy suburb.

Developer and contractor Patrick O'Sullivan of Milton did a to-the-studs rehab, but left the barn doors and hayloft window above it intact so that, from the outside, the structure retains its old-fashioned charm. Inside, however, Dorchester interior designer Melissa Miranda selected of-the-moment finishes such as the 12-by-24-inch Italian porcelain tiles on the kitchen and bathroom floors and the glass tiles and gray limestone on the walls. In the sleek 12-by-18-foot kitchen, the countertops are 4-inch-thick quartz and the solid wood cabinets are painted a shiny pearl. Appliances include an Electrolux refrigerator, Bertazzoni professional-style range, and a Fisher & Paykel double-drawer dishwasher.

The 25-by-25-foot living/dining room occupies the rest of the first level. Original hardwood floors have been refinished, there's a new gas fireplace, and, in addition to the working barn doors, a set of French doors open to a secluded deck and side yard. Upstairs, light fills the 18-by-13-foot master bedroom, which has two large skylights and original wide pine floors. Two smaller bedrooms, one where the hayloft once was, are also bright and cheery. The fully finished basement could serve as a media room, exercise space, or home office.

The carriage house is in back of the Victorian home it once served. O'Sullivan has converted that into two townhouse condos offered at $649,000 each. Larry Gettings of At Home Real Estate is conducting an open house for all three units today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

GAIL RAVGIALA