Large family home with air of quiet luxury

Donnybrook: €2.2mA large detached house near to town with good-sized gardens to the front and rear has been given a complete makeover prior to coming on the market. Orna Mulcahy reports

Errisbeg, at 8 Stillorgan Road in Donnybrook, is a house that has changed out of all recognition since it last came on the market in 2001.

The 1930s detached house, which is virtually hidden from view behind a high hedge, and has a large west-facing garden, did not sell at auction three years ago. The owners withdrew it from sale and decided to give it a complete makeover to make it more appealing to the kind of buyer who wants to move straight in without renovating.

The refurbishment is now complete, and the house is back on the market through Gunne which is quoting €2.2 million prior to auction on June 17th.

It's a manageable house of around 250 sq m (2,700 sq ft) and with its totally remodelled interior and air of quiet luxury, it is likely to appeal both to trade down couples seeking a well-located home as well as to affluent buyers with young families. The guide price seems attractive when compared to nearby Greenfield Park and Crescent where two family homes are currently for sale, guided at €3.75 million and €4 million respectively.

There is a large gravelled garden in front of the house with parking for up to eight cars behind electronically operated gates. The pale sage green front door opens into a welcoming cream-painted hallway where what looks to be a bookcase, opens to reveal the first of the improvements - a family room running from front-to-back of the house in what was once the garage. With French doors to the back garden, and its own front door, this room would be ideal as a staff quarter, though it also makes for a comfortable extra reception room.

A large inner hall leads to the main reception rooms which are now linked by wide panelled doors. These are delightful rooms, full of light thanks to twin sets of French doors, with pale carpeting throughout and an elegant marble fireplace in the drawingroom. Leading off the diningroom are two further rooms - a cosy family room with a fireplace, and a study.

The kitchen is at the front of the house with two windows and a big rooflight that catches the morning sun. The tongue and groove fronted cupboards are painted a lovely soft shade of green, topped in solid beech and surrounding a full range of Smeg appliances that are to be included in the sale.

A guest cloakroom and a utility space completes the downstairs layout. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, including the main bedroom which has a superb room-sized en suite bathroom. Here and in the family bathroom, underfloor heating and top-of-the-range sanitary ware are teamed with muted Farrow and Ball colour schemes for a very smart look. The en suite has a Jacuzzi bath as well as a shower while the family bathroom has a double shower with numerous nozzles.

A new staircase, modelled exactly on the old, goes on up to the attic level where there is a charming fourth bedroom complete with en suite shower room.

The long walled back garden is a rarity so close to town. It has been well maintained, while the neighbouring garden's trees provide both privacy and interest.