Millions of people have seen this house, although few know exactly where it is located. Carafell - a four-bedroom bungalow on an acre of manicured gardens near Enniskerry, Co Wicklow - is familiar to television viewers as Brian Quigley's house in the BBC series Ballykissangel. The role of local entrepreneur was played by the late Tony Doyle and there are still a couple of episodes to shoot in the house.
Agent Douglas Newman Good is guiding £520,000 before auction on June 22nd for the 2,800 sq ft architect-designed house, which is perched on the side of a hill above Enniskerry village with fine sea and mountain views. The famous Jacuzzi is no longer there but a glass conservatory runs along two sides of the house off the kitchen/ family room and the main sittingroom. The house is large and full of quirky innovations to make living easy. The decor, somewhat 1970ish, will probably be updated by a new owner and a more up-to-date kitchen installed.
Carafell is a long, low house which gives the impression of being folded into the hillside. There is a sweeping driveway to a tiled entrance porch with sliding hardwood doors to the front hall.
The living accommodation is designed in a semi-circle, so that each room flows into the other. Concealed panels can be removed, so that the family room, sittingroom dining room and kitchen can form one space for large family gatherings.
The most-used room is the cosy kitchen/family room to the back. This has a good range of units and a multi-fuel stove and a large utility room off. The sittingroom has a timber panelled ceiling and double doors to the drawingroom and sunroom. There is a raised corner fireplace and a vaulted pine ceiling.
The conservatory, which was used to house Brian Quigley's Jacuzzi, has cutstone floors and magnificent views of the Sugarloaf and the sea. Up a couple of steps from the drawingroom, the diningroom has a corner window and doors to the hall. Four double bedrooms are at the end of a long hallway. The main room has an en suite shower room. A separate studio/workshop to the side is fitted out with shelves, while the gardens have been lovingly kept.
