Dublin 18: €6m A luxury Foxrock home on an acre has tremendous appeal and a realistic price, says Property Editor Orna Mulcahy.
A large detached house on just over an acre of grounds backing onto Leopardstown racecourse in Foxrock, Dublin 18, is one of the most interesting properties to come on the market so far this season.
Invergarry on Torquay Road is a five-bedroom house with impressive grounds that include a swimming pool and a tennis court. A short walk from the village and golf club, "it's on the right side of Torquay Road" says its owner of 30 years. "The gardens face south and west so you get sun until close of play." Inside, it's exceptionally bright, with most rooms dual aspect, and a sophisticated lighting system that creates different moods in each room, and illuminates the garden's magnificent trees at night.
Dating from the 1930s, the 504sq m (5,430sq ft) house has been lavishly refurbished and extended to accommodate first young children, then elderly parents, and now a grown-up family. Now downsizing, the owners are taking a realistic view of the market pitching their AMV at €6 million prior to auction on October 3rd. Simon Ensor of Sherry FitzGerald is handling the sale.
Dense trees shield the house from the road, and electronic gates open into a long driveway with parking for several cars.
The front door opens into a hallway floored in solid oak parquet that continues down broad steps into the drawingroom. This is a large bright room that faces the garden with tall windows on two sides overlooking the patio and lawn. Decorator Peter Johnson designed it in the style of a library with lots of comfortable chairs, deep green walls, and fitted mahogany shelving on one side.
A butler's pantry in the hall means that drinks can be arranged for parties.
On the other side of the hall a games room complete with pool table connects through to the heart of the house - the big sunny kitchen warmed by an Aga and with its own fireplace to sit around.
The kitchen leads through to a sunny dining area with a barrel vaulted roof which continues through to a very large conservatory that is used winter and summer. A cosy sittingroom comes into play on winter evenings.
An elegant staircase leads to the first floor where the first of the bedrooms is a big sunny suite with its own fireplace, dressingroom and bathroom. The main bedroom suite is bigger again, with two dressingrooms and a superb bathroom with circular jacuzzi.
The prettiest bedroom is at the top of the house with windows on four sides. There is lots of attic storage on the top floor while downstairs a large utility room off the kitchen has its own entrance from the front driveway and is fenced off for the family dog.
