Fine family home in Blackrock for €795,000

John and Mary Lavan purchased Mandalay in 1981 and the house was given a complete overhaul in three phases overseen by architect Kenneth Hunt and Associates. Now retired, the couple intend to travel and spend time in sunnier climes and have placed their home of 135sq m (1,455sq ft) on the market through estate agent Sherry FitzGerald with an asking price of €795,000.

“We were left with four walls,” explains Mary, a retired accountant. “The house bears no resemblance to what we purchased, we added 50 per cent more space, insulated the entire house and replaced everything.”

On entering the house, the detail and imaginative flair that Mandalay has undergone is immediately obvious. The front hallway has Tuscan mosaic flooring and is painted in Farrow and Ball neutral tones. All the windows and external doors are solid Iroko and the house has solid oak flooring throughout, with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms which are travertine and marble.

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A dining-cum-living room stretches the length of the house with French doors to the garden and features a white limestone fireplace with slate inset. During renovations, Mary decided to include small recesses on each side of the fireplace which are lit internally and house some of the couple’s collection of oriental art.

The kitchen is in shaker style with alder wood units, integrated Neff appliances and black toe kicks echo the glossy black granite countertops. A breakfast area to the rear is set in a beautiful conservatory and overlooks the garden.

Upstairs via an unusual piranha pine painted staircase are three en-suite bedrooms, the master of which has oriental themed Sliderobes in dark wood and glass. A fourth bedroom is downstairs and currently used as an office.

What will really attract buyers to Mandalay is the rear garden. Designed with the help of landscaper Des Dwyer, it has been given a Zen theme, with box hedging and lots of oriental grasses and ferns. A bamboo seating area enjoys a water feature and the couple's Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) produced its first berries this year thanks to last year's glorious summer.

Although not large, Mandalay is perfectly laid out and meticulously decorated. Should they need more space, new owners could convert the garage.

The only room that buyers may want to change is the downstairs bathroom in a cobalt blue which the couple have kept for posterity.

Other than that, Mandalay is a fine family home in walk-in condition.