Arts and Crafts ambience in Foxrock

Everything about Suncroft echoes its period and design, even the comfortably modernised kitchen and bathrooms fail to make a dent in the Arts and Crafts ambience.

Designed by Richard Orpen (older brother of William) in 1900, it is quintessentially of its time and style: detached and gabled with high, wood-panelled ceilings and walls, ornate hardwood fireplaces, steel casement windows, an elaborately carved staircase and garden intended to harmonise with life in the house. It does too; wide lawns and high trees, roses, rhododendrons, bluebells, fuchsia and white garden furniture give it an out-of-world- and-time feel.

In 1904 Sir Richard Orpen was given credit for “quite a colony of pretty, red-tiled gabled houses in the fashionable residential district of Foxrock”. Suncroft, one of these, is a relaxed, meandering house, inside and out. The wide, dark wood staircase meanders from an entrance hall with an oak floor, panelled ceiling, box bay window and fireplace.

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Two garages

The entrance hall itself meanders, into nooks, corners and a guest WC, into a proper coat-hanging cloakroom, a second cloakroom with a window and, via doors, to dining, drawing and livingrooms and the kitchen/ breakfastroom.

The vendor, who has lived for 10 years in Suncroft, has been appreciatively caring of its style and ornamentation, and it shows. With an entrance driveway and two garages, Suncroft has a floor area of 240sq m (2,600sq ft) in which there are four bedrooms (the main en suite), three reception rooms, kitchen/breakfastroom and family bathroom.

On a 0.57 acre site, Suncroft will be sold with full planning permission for a house of similar size (228sq m/2445sq ft) on the grounds. Agent Finnegan Menton is asking €1.95m for the private treaty sale.

The livingroom is a showcase of Arts and Crafts features; high panelled wood ceiling with white painted beams, fireplace with inset tiles, dado rail and casement windows overlooking the gardens. The much grander drawingroom is brighter, has a door to a garden sun veranda, an entire wall of bow window over the garden, panelled ceiling and picture rail. Most eye-catching of all is the 7ft high, elaborately carved wood surround fireplace. The deep over-shelf is highly practical and the fireplace itself in fine working order.

Contemporary addition

The kitchen/breakfastroom does its own meandering, leading to a scullery at one end, at the other to a WC, large utility and enclosed yard. A patio door leads to the garden. Though a more contemporary addition, the kitchen emphasis is on wood fittings, the floors are of quarry tiles and a stove fits into an old, white-tiled chimney breast.

Three of the bedrooms have fireplaces, all have high ceilings. Garden views are another bedroom priority and one has a door-window leading to a small balcony overlooking the garden.