US-style opulence on Orwell Road

A contemporary luxury house has six Philippe Starck bathrooms, electronic gates and a BER rating of B2

NUMBER 77a Orwell Road, in Rathgar, Dublin 6, is an imposing three-storey house just up from the Orwell Park intersection, on the Rathgar village side. The box-bay-fronted house is one of two semi-detached houses built in 2006 and is decorated in an American classic contemporary style.

It is deceptively big, measuring 301sq m (3,240sq ft) and is for sale for €1.2 million though agents Colliers International.

The house comes with six bathrooms, all of which have some Philippe Starck fixtures. It has underfloor heating and its German-built, heavily insulated draught and soundproof doors contribute to its BER rating of B2.

The front door opens onto a Crema Marfil-tiled hall. Double doors lead into an American oak-floored sittingroom with a gas-fire that can be illuminated via remote control.

Another set of double doors leads into the large, open-plan kitchen/living/diningroom.

There’s a wood-framed painted kitchen that comes with Gaggenau appliances, an American fridge/freezer, a microwave, a grill warming drawer and a dishwasher. The Falcon gas/electric free-standing range has a gas hob and extractor fan. This big room is a Crema Marfil-floored blank canvas. The space is bright and light-filled thanks to its vaulted ceiling and a bank of roof lights.

Adjacent is a utility room with plenty of storage and a Whirlpool washing machine and dryer.

There is a small outside patio and token patch of lawn to the rear. The space is super private and east-facing, so sunny in the mornings.

There’s a pedestrian side entrance, hidden from view. At present, the house is vacant and devoid of furniture, which makes it feel empty and a bit unloved. Some of the stone flooring would benefit from some sound-reducing rugs and runners. But try to see past this. What is on offer is a seriously high spec house.

An antique gold gilded wrought iron staircase and Crema Marfil- clad stairs lead to the first floor. The main bedroom is to the rear: it has an en suite shower room and a sliding door into a walk-in wardrobe. You don’t hear any noise from the rather busy road outside.

To the front is a second sittingroom which has an elevated view of the treescapes opposite.On the second floor there are three bedrooms, two of which are sizeable doubles and have shower en suites.

The third room would make a great study or home office. The family bathroom is also on this floor and includes a rather nice Philippe Starck free-standing bath.

There is a sizeable attic room on the third floor, which would make a great space for an au pair or nanny or even a teen who wants some sense of independence.

This room and the front double bedroom are closed off from the rest of the house by one of the aforementioned sound- and draught-proof doors. It could be the perfect place to put two boisterous kids.

The finish throughout is high- end but the house offers very little by way of storage. There’s a huge unused space under the stairs that’s crying out to be used more efficiently. The bedrooms, bar the master, do not have any wardrobes.

There is off-street parking for one car. Electronic gates open onto the main road. There is a visual intercom to open the gates with one unit on the ground floor and a second on the first floor.

77a Orwell Rd, Rathgar, D6

Three-storey box-bay-fronted house of 301sq m with six bathrooms

Agent: Colliers International