A pair of 30 ft high gate pillars on Brennanstown Road in Carrickmines gives some indication of the scale of Cortina, a completely remodelled Edwardian house on 2.4 acres. It will be auctioned by Lisney on June 14th with a guide of £4 million (#5.08).
Work on renovating and enlarging the six-bedroom house has recently been completed by its owner, who is involved in the property industry. It has not yet been lived in.
He bought the classically plain period house five years ago and has since spent a small fortune redeveloping it. The work was designed and supervised by architect John Cully.
Columnar cypress trees imported from Italy line the front terrace and tall pillars support a scallop-shaped half dome, giving the appearance of an old Hollywood cinema. The Portuguese limestone tiles of the terrace continue into the wide hall where a staircase with an eccentric wrought iron banister rail leads the eye to a stained glass dome. French windows beneath the stairs and an arched window above look into the rear courtyard. Stencilled vine leaves accentuate the garden-room atmosphere here.
The extravagant proportions suggest a house purpose built for entertaining, but two rooms to the left of the hall, designated as a morningroom and a library, offer a private retreat. Like all the downstairs rooms, they feature polished American oak floors and are painted in neutral tones, with cornicing, ceiling roses and recessed lighting. Across the hall, the diningroom, which can hold a table to seat 20, resembles a conference room.
There is ample space to cook food for 20 or even 200 in the kitchen, with its vast granite-topped island, array of cupboards and Waterford Stanley range. A glass rooflight set in a hipped timber roof and a wall of arched windows overlooking the courtyard make this a pleasant work space.
It is also the corridor linking the hall and the "entertainment room" - actually a ballroom, complete with minstrels' gallery. Here the wrought iron balustrade matches that in the hall, but the goldpainted motifs here include musical notes and tiny figures of musicians. Also echoing the hall is a stained glass light in the ceiling.
French doors open on to a terrace with a wall overlooking a tennis court-cum-helicopter pad. Beyond this are two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms. The larger of the two also has a balcony above the walk-in wardrobe, suitable for a futon bed.
The remaining four bedrooms are upstairs; all have en suite bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes. Floors of polished pine and small fireplaces add a homely effect.
Two coach-houses contain a garage ample for four cars and a house for staff. This has three bedrooms, one en suite, a livingroom and spacious kitchen. In an oddly inconvenient arrangement, the utility room is also separate from the main house.
