As an address Stillorgan Grove, just off Stillorgan Park Road, is a relic of an era before the N11 bisected this part of south Dublin. The Y-shaped estate of fine-size family homes has a Blackrock address because it is situated on the eastern side of the thoroughfare, but is only five minutes’ walk to Stillorgan village.
The Rookery, number 10, is a four-bedroom, detached home that has been enlarged several times since being built in 1946, and now extends to 254.6sq m/2,740sq ft.
The current owners have lived here since before the turn of the millennium, and it had already been substantially added to in the 1960s. They added to it further, beginning with hiving a study and guest w.c to the left of what was originally a very large entrance hall.
Now that their children are reared they are trading down but staying in the area, moving up the road to a smaller house.
To the right of the hall are a living and dining room that have been knocked into one large space that connects to a separate sitting room from where there is access to the patio and garden via a glass sliding door.
From here you can also go through to the breakfast room and kitchen, which can also be accessed from the hall and was remodelled most recently about five years ago. It includes a cooking area, set in a C-shape and divided from the eat-in area by a breakfast counter. There is also a utility room.
To the rear of the kitchen, jutting into the garden like a peninsula, is a family room with fold-back doors opening out and more light streaming through the bank of Velux windows on the roof.
The rooms all link through giving plenty of space for every family member to have a spot to bring their friends home to.
The garden gets good sunlight and is laid out over two levels. A sandstone patio spans the ground-floor level and steps lead up to a raised level, which is laid out in lawn. A brick-and block-built home office of about 40sq m, takes up almost the width of the back and has a charming curved front. Inside are two separate workspaces and a shower room. Like the recent upgrades within the house it was designed by architectural technician Graham Fitzpatrick of Design Solutions.
Inside the house has four bedrooms. The main is to the back of the house and has a good-sized bathroom en suite. There are two more doubles, one of which opens out to a terrace. The fourth is a single. The attic has been floored and is ready for conversion.
The property, which has a Ber rating of G, is asking €1.4 million through agents Colliers. Number 40 sold for €1.11million in November 2019, according to the property price register.
