Number 9 Braemor Drive sits on one of a quiet warren of residential streets just off Braemor Road in the south Dublin suburb of Churchtown. The owners bought it in 2020 and proceeded to gut it and rebuild it completely, going out to the side, the back and up into the attic, creating a second floor.
It’s now in walk-in condition with a sizeable floor area of 200sq m (2,152sq ft). The owner, who works in the construction industry, was not afraid to spend generously on quality materials throughout the house. It’s an entirely smart and high-tech house, and this is evident as soon as the electronically controlled gate purrs open.
He and his wife wanted the exterior areas to be maintenance free, so the front drive is laid with a resin bond and a gravel effect. There is parking for two cars and an EV charging point. An extensive bank of solar panels on the roof to the front points to the energy efficiency within – a similar bank is on the rear roof, making the most of the property’s southerly orientation.
The front door opens on to a hallway with an attractive solid-oak staircase with glass balustrade. They used the space at the side of the house to extend, and there’s an office/playroom on the right-hand side that could serve as a small fourth bedroom. The sitting room, on the left-hand side, is painted a soothing shade of green and is warmed by a wide gas fire.
One in five people expect to pay mortgage in retirement, survey finds
Irish architectural great Ronnie Tallon built a home far superior to Mies van der Rohe’s original. Time to protect it
Sherry FitzGerald CEO Steven McKenna to leave firm to ‘explore new opportunities’
Avoiding double taxation on sale of a property abroad
A large guest WC is painted in a moody burgundy and has wood panelling on the wall and the ceiling. There is custom-built understairs storage, and a large mirror outside the guest bathroom for those last-minute outfit checks.
Through a glazed door is the pièce de résistance of this property: a large kitchen and living area. The dark hues favoured by the owners continue here with a dark grey Kube kitchen, offset by pale quartz countertops. All appliances are top of the range, with an AEG double oven, a Samsung fridge and an Elica induction hob on the island with inbuilt extractor fan.
It’s very much the smart home. The owner takes me through to the utility to show me how the battery unit for the solar panels work: he estimates he is in credit with the house’s electricity bills from March through to October. The property has a Ber rating of A1, with triple-glazed windows throughout, smart lighting and CCTV.
The rest of this room is equally as sleek and dramatic as the kitchen, with two rooflights illuminating the living area with a huge TV. Sliding doors open up into the maintenance-free garden with new walls and fencing. At its end, to catch the evening sun, is a covered canopy area with seating and a gas-effect fire, with additional storage space for garden things hidden behind a slatted black wall.
Back inside this home, the streamlined, clutter-free vibe continues on the first floor, with two bedrooms, a family bathroom and a long, well-kitted-out walk-in closet. The owners went to Italy to source and buy everything they needed for the house’s three bathrooms, and it shows in the quality of the tiling, the showers and beautiful baths and basins.
The main bedroom on the second floor is an elegant retreat, with a stunning en suite and hidden storage accessed through doors hidden under the eaves.
With their focus now on another project in the area, the owners aren’t moving far. They love Churchtown, citing its proximity to Dublin city centre and the M50, which is a 10-minute drive away. Shopping is within easy reach with a cluster of shops on nearby Braemor Road, a SuperValu down the road at Churchtown and Dundrum Town Centre just a short drive away.
Number 9 Braemor Drive is on the market with DNG Terenure, seeking €1,195,000.