One day we’ll get around to putting preservation orders on some of our more wonderful examples of art deco housing. In a perfect world you wouldn’t be able to touch an inch of Cavrean, except possibly the kitchen, which has already been re-done since the house was built in the 1930s.
The house is currently empty, having been rented out for some years by the grown-up children of the former owners. Without furniture you get the full impact of the really good parquet flooring, super Modernist door handles, and tastefully restrained and ever so elegant fireplaces.
Some of the windows, including a lovely little bay off the living room / dining room, have their original metal frames too.
But Modernism and art deco aren’t to everyone’s taste, and you could equally be looking to Cavrean for its position and potential. Avoca Avenue is the kind of road people aspire to move up into when they dream of Blackrock, and where new builds sit side by side with their older neighbours.
These range from the rather nice – such as Rue Du Bac, which was built in 2005, and sold for €1,992,500 in 2011 against an asking price of €2.6 million; to the extremely bling Greenan, built in 1998, and currently on for €2.4 million with Allen & Jacobs.
Cavrean has a large front lawn and parking, plus a long back garden including a lawn tennis court and wooded area at the end.
Next door at Donmar Lodge, planning permission was obtained for an additional 456sq m (4,901sq ft) residence on site, so something similar at Cavrean may be achievable.
Still it would be a great shame to lose the lovely art deco proportions and touches in a more radical redevelopment. Today’s discerning buyers may prefer en suites, and may not be mad about flat roofs – even though this one doubles up as a fantastic terrace, but it would be nice if Cavrean could find someone who appreciates how special it is.
Downstairs incorporates a living room, which leads to the dining room, and on round to a kitchen that as noted isn’t original and, while perfectly nice, probably merits some upgrading. There is also a family room, wc and a separate garage. Plus there some smaller outside storage sheds.
Upstairs are four bedrooms, none of which are en suite, a bathroom and separate wc, and stairs up to the roof terrace.
Cavrean is for sale by private treaty with Sherry FitzGerald for €2.15 million, having gone on the market earlier this summer at €2.25 million. See it for yourself at an open viewing this Saturday at 2.30-3.30pm.
