Sandyford house set up for entertaining, indoors and out

Just off exit 14 of the M50, on the outskirts of Sandyford village, is a sweet-looking, cut-stone cottage that has nailed the indoor-outdoor living and entertaining elements that Covid-era buyers demand.

When the owners of the double-fronted, dormer-windowed house bought it in 2016, it already had a bar installed in its front room-cum-entrance hall. In fact, much of the hard refurbishment work had already been done.

What they did was highlight the features to the best of their ability. And they’ve done this in spades. They kept the bar, hung a custom-made mirror engraved with Quinn’s Inn on the wall and added mood-changing lights to ramp up the space’s party atmosphere. They also lined the walls in a library-look wallpaper from Wallart and installed a giant TV screen that flips up so you can watch it when you can no longer sit on a high stool and have been relegated to the leather recliner in the corner.

While the bar even has its own closing time bell, it’s a feature they haven’t used much. Before they had a second baby, their parties were legendary. One even went viral, with Conor McGregor fans knocking on their front door during his Las Vegas fight asking to join in the festivities, having seen the set-up online after the couple sent a video of their bedecked place to Joe.ie.

While always on the guest list, the neighbours must also be thankful for the foot-thick exterior walls that divide the properties.

But while they like to kick up their heels, they’re now parents to two small children and have factored that into their home’s layout. There’s a small room off the bar that they use as a playroom but could also be a study or fourth bedroom. The bathroom is next door and is home to a free-standing slipper bath where they bathe the children.

A set of steps take you down to the heart of the house, a large kitchen-living-dining room where two 65-inch screens hang from the ceiling back to back so the sports-mad fans can watch the rugby from both the dinner table and the living area without having to move the screen.

The soft grey kitchen has fashionable rose gold handles, overhead pendants, light switches and sockets. Its island includes a breakfast bar and means whoever is on chef duty can also engage with visitors and guests.

Off this large, dual-aspect room is a large utility where there is an additional under-counter fridge, chest freezer and white goods with direct access out to the deck, a space that spans the width of the house and overlooks the city.

Also accessed from the sitting area it includes a seating area, barbecue, fire pit and awning to keep off too much sun or the recent torrential rain.

Glass balustrades and steps lead down to a lower level. Covered in artificial grass it is a safe place for small children to play and be supervised from above.

Asking €650,000 through agent Janet Carroll, it’s an incredibly private property that extends to 163sq m and has a C3 Ber. In walk-in condition it boasts oodles of living accommodation and acres of storage, including walls of it along the landing.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms, two of which are double and a good-size single, and are in the original part of the house with sloping ceilings, tongue and groove panelled ceilings and dormer windows.

The main bedroom is a fine size and located at the back of the house. It has a Juliet balcony overlooking the garden and a big en suite bathroom. The other two rooms share a sizeable and smartly appointed shower room.

The house is set back from Leopardstown Road in a small cul-de-sac where the owners park on the street, as do all the neighbours, but have gotten planning permission for off-street parking to the front. This would mean you lose the front courtyard, currently where smokers retire to, should the next owner prefer this option.