You don’t have to live in a big period house or a former ambassador’s residence to have an address near Ailesbury and Shrewsbury roads. There are plenty of fine, spacious family homes in the area that don’t require an entire staff to run. One such home can be found on Ailesbury Drive, which links Ailesbury Road with Anglesea Road in the heart of Dublin’s embassy belt. Number 1 Ailesbury Drive underwent a complete transformation in 2015, when the owners extended, redesigned and refurbished the house to create a superb five-bedroom detached family home that is now a generous 283sq m (3,046sq ft), almost double its original size, says the selling agent. It’s for sale through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €2.85 million. It has a B2 Ber rating.
The architect-designed refurbishment was extensive, with everything modernised and upgraded, including the addition of high-spec fittings, joinery and bathrooms. The large double-height entrance hall gives you a flavour of the new design, providing a view to the gallery landing above. The hall has limed-oak flooring and a sunken mat, and ceiling cornices add a touch of elegance. Off the hallway is a guest WC. Next to that is a generous cloakroom with no shortage of hanging and storage space. There’s even space in the hall for a nice understairs seating area.
To the right of the hall is a large interconnected living room and dining room. The traditional double reception room configuration is there, but it has been given an extra layer of luxury and home comfort. The living room to the front has a nice big bay window and alcove shelves, and both rooms have limed-oak floors, ceiling cornices and recessed lighting. To the left of the hall is a sitting room, which could be a perfect TV room, library or even a comfortable home office.
The design also called for an impressive open-plan kitchen/breakfast/family room, fully tiled, with three sets of French doors opening on to the rear patio and back garden, and a recessed glass-fronted gas fire. Two large Velux roof lights make the space feel bright and airy, and just in case that’s not bright enough, there’s also a large atrium-style roof light right above the kitchen island. The kitchen is well equipped with bespoke floor-level units, stone work surfaces and splashback, a Belfast sink, a Siemens larder fridge, Siemens twin ovens, a Siemens five-ring induction hob, a Whirlpool integrated dishwasher and a wine fridge. There’s underfloor heating and recessed lighting throughout, and a large utility room with plenty of wall and floor units, plus stone work surfaces, a stainless steel sink, an integrated freezer and dishwasher, plus a washer and dryer. The gas boiler is here too, and a door brings you out to the side passage.
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Upstairs are five good-sized double bedrooms; the main bedroom to the front has a bay window and recessed lights and a big walk-in wardrobe with lots of hanging space. You can also reach the attic from here. There’s a large en suite with tiled floor and subway tiling on the walls, a double shower cubicle with a rainwater shower head and a twin wash-hand basin. Bedroom three to the back also has an en suite, and there’s a well-appointed family bathroom with bath and shower attachment, and a separate step-in shower with a rainwater shower head, plus a bidet.
The front garden has a driveway laid in Ballylusk gravel and is nicely landscaped, with room for several cars to park. On each side of the house is a gated side entrance that leads to the back garden, which is very private, surrounded by walls and laid out mostly in lawn, with mature plants and shrubs and two patio areas for maximising your al-fresco dining.
Ailesbury Drive has all the leafy quietude you need, but it’s also the ideal central location for all the amenities Dublin 4 has to offer. The RDS, Energia Park and Aviva Stadium are all close by, and you can quickly walk to either Donnybrook or Ballsbridge villages from here. Bus routes are easy to access, and you can quickly get to either Sandymount or Sydney Parade Dart stations. Restaurants and cafes abound, and schools in the area include St Michael’s, Gonzaga, Sandford and Teresian.
