A large detached five-bedroom Victorian house on Kerrymount Avenue, Foxrock, is to be auctioned on November 3rd by Daphne L Kaye & Associates. Its location on one of Foxrock's most prestigious roads, in two-thirds of an acre of beautifully-kept gardens, almost guarantees strong interest.
Daphne Kaye is guiding in excess of £1.5 million for Aviemore - a typically pretty Foxrock period house with a wealth of timber and plasterwork detail. Kerrymount Avenue, off Brighton Road, is a quiet leafy road with large detached houses on either side. Only a handful of these have changed hands in recent years, although Daphne Kaye sold two houses quietly about two years ago for well over £1 million. Aviemore is set back from the road behind tall hedges and has a south-west orientation. Like most houses in the area, it has been well-maintained and the many period features are carefully preserved. Where an extension was needed, this has been incorporated into the main house with a minimum of architectural disturbance. All the sash windows have brass fittings and are in good order, there is attractive coving in the reception areas and original period fireplaces in most of the rooms, including bedrooms.
There is a gravelled driveway and a veranda porch with an old climbing hydrangea overhanging the door. Inside, the hall floor is maple and a guest cloakroom off has a terracotta tiled floor. The drawing-room to the right of the hall has several tall windows and a lovely Bath stone fireplace. This room extends a further seven feet at one end creating a separate bay-windowed nook looking out on the side garden.
A family sitting-room has a white marble fireplace with cast-iron inset and the floor is polished wood. The family has extended to the rear of the house to create a big country kitchen/breakfast-room and connecting dining area which has become the heart of the present house. The flagged dining area has dimmer lighting and doors out to the terrace and back garden. A study off this is part of the original house. The magnificent kitchen has a good range of cherry-wood units with granite worktops and a Belfast sink.
In true country style, there is a gas-fired Aga in a brick surround, an island serving area and period fittings. The integrated fridge and dishwasher are part of the sale. Off the kitchen, a quarry-tiled utility room is shelved and has enough space to keep the ironing board set up. A mahogany railed staircase rises from the front hallway. There is one double bedroom, a guest lavatory and a shower room on the first floor return. This bedroom's sash windows overlook the back garden and there is a cast-iron fireplace and fitted wardrobe.
The main bedroom, family bathroom and three further double bedrooms are on the first floor. The main bedroom is large, with a cast-iron fireplace, a white-tiled en suite shower room and a shelved dressing room. The family bathroom has a large glass block window that lets in plenty of light. One of the bedrooms has a bay windowed alcove to match the drawing-room below. The present owners have put several years' work into landscaping the garden. It is divided into separate areas, with an enclosed paved side terrace and an undulating lawned area stretching back to the boundary wall. Meandering cobbled pathways and a wonderful old weeping beech break up the expanse.
Outside the kitchen/dining-room area there is a flagged terrace and three water features. There are two garages, one detached from the house and with a tiled pitched roof.
