Aghanloo is an architectural gem nestled on a third-of-an-acre site in Foxrock, south Dublin. You can’t miss it – look for the striking facade, with its eight vertical strips of opaque glass bricks running down the front.
This detached five-bedroom house is one of just two art-deco homes built on Kill Lane in 1947 by architect Anthony Johnson, and influenced by the work of Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen in the 1920s. The sharp lines, brilliant white exterior, high ceilings and wide windows are classic features of the style, which is all about creating a clean design aesthetic and bringing in lots of natural light.
The current owners bought Aghanloo in 1987, and they have a framed colour copy of Johnson’s original architectural drawings on display in the livingroom. In 2006 they carried out a huge refurbishment, adding a kitchen/breakfastroom extension downstairs and a main bedroom suite upstairs, significantly expanding the living area and carefully finishing it to blend in beautifully with the overall period design. The result is a superb, light-filled home measuring 250sq m (2,690sq ft), which is Ber exempt, in walk-in condition and for sale through Janet Carroll Estate Agents, asking €1.995 million.
Inside, the art-deco style is matched with earlier period features such as ceiling coving, centre roses, chandeliers and feature fireplaces. It works, and the owners have put in antique furniture pieces that add elegance to the overall decor. The advantage of art deco is evident in the huge livingroom, which has a window running almost eight metres along its entire width.
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The kitchen/breakfast room has a wide window looking out to the back plus double doors out to a huge raised patio deck running the width of the house, measuring 69sq m, with composite flooring and glass panels. This is the perfect spot for barbecues and outdoor parties, and it’s no surprise to learn that the house has been a magnet for many get-togethers over the years.
The kitchen/breakfast room has fitted wall and floor units, granite worktops, an island with storage presses and a Rangemaster gas hob and double oven. One wall also has the house’s signature strips of glass bricks, adding an extra design dimension.
A home office to the front has a dual aspect, and could also serve as a TV room/den. The diningroom has two windows looking out to the front and is spacious enough for a large dinner party. A cloakroom, utility room and guest WC complete the downstairs space.
The stairs have a concrete banister that evokes a Mediterranean villa, and they lead up to five sizeable double bedrooms, with the ceiling heights of nearly three metres adding to the roominess. The main bedroom has fitted oak flooring, ample wardrobe storage and dual aspect to the back garden, with extra-large windows. The main bedroom en suite is a full bathroom comprising pedestal bath with shower attachment, his-and-hers wash-hand basins and step-in shower cubicle. Both it and the main family bathroom have three vertical strips of opaque glass blocks, ensuring both natural light and privacy. Bedroom two, facing the back, has an en suite shower room.
There’s ample space to park several cars out front, and the southeast-facing back garden extends 28m beyond the decked patio, with a width of 18m, and gets sunshine for most of the day. Last year the owners secured planning permission for a 135sq m bungalow to be neatly tucked away at the end of the garden, with its own separate access from Kill Lane, which a prospective owner may wish to construct.
