Dublin 13: Walking distance of Howth Summit, sea views, multiple reception rooms and bathrooms - Las Rocas on Barren Hill off St Fintan's Road in Sutton, Dublin 13 has all the attributes of a great family home. Kate McMorrow reports.
Ganly Walters is quoting €3.25 million by private treaty for the 511 sq m (5,500 sq ft) four-bedroom house, which was built 11 years ago to an exacting specification by the current owners. Children grown, the family are now downsizing within the locality.
It took them several years to find the location, tucked into a 1.25-acre quarry and surrounded by flourishing rhododendrons and azaleas, some of which are over 100 years old. The living areas and the main bedroom suite are on the first floor, to take advantage of the "ocean liner" sea views.
Downstairs is for the children, with three double bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gymnasium and a spacious family room currently divided into "his and hers" offices. Floors throughout are polished maple, ceilings are burnished parana pine and there is an abundance of wall panelling. A very pretty lead-windowed entrance door opens into a wide hallway, a bright atrium leading the eye upwards to the main living quarters. Shafts of coloured light stream through the stained glass dome, which is patterned in flowers like an indoor garden. The sittingroom, kitchen / breakfastroom, formal diningroom and main bedroom suite all open onto a broad terrace with breathtaking views over Dublin Bay. The elevated nature of the site and luxuriant gardens provide great privacy and nowhere is overlooked. A detached mews has potential for use as a studio or nanny quarters.
Dramatic emerald green walls in the drawingroom are an effective backdrop for the view and marry well with the timber ceiling, teak corner bar and stone fireplace. Five picture windows overlook the bay. The main rooms are wired for a sound system.
Next door is the kitchen, spacious yet cosy with its antique pine units and pine ceiling. Worktops are granite and a circular breakfast table has a matching granite top. Flooring is Chinese slate and every possible electrical appliance is built-in. A utility room is fitted for laundry use.
A door opens from the kitchen to the formal diningroom, which can also be entered from the upstairs hall. The family sittingroom has walls panelled in red deal and maple flooring. Along from this is a guest toilet, separate cloakroom and the main bedroom suite, which occupies the south end of the house and opens onto the terrace. There is also a well-fitted dressingroom and full en suite bathroom with bath and steam room. Off the terrace, which wraps around the house at first floor level, is a brick-walled conservatory with oil heating. Downstairs, one of the three double bedrooms has an en suite power shower, the other two share a bathroom.
A third sittingroom off the hall has been divided by a glass partition into two smart home offices with sea views. Next to this is a gymnasium with red deal walls, pine ceiling and maple floor. The boiler room houses the built-in vacuum system.
Outside, the detached mews includes a sitting/diningroom, kitchen area and toilet. Keen gardeners, the owners have planted every surface of the 1.25 acres, with flowering climbers tumbling down the rock face, giant rhododendrons, rock pools and a secluded lawn.
