Lansdowne Place, the upscale residential apartment scheme on the site of landmark hotels, the former Berkeley Court and the Ballsbridge (formerly Jurys), launched in 2017 to much fanfare.
The mix of one-, two- and three-bed apartments and penthouses built by Chartered Land was the first post-Celtic Tiger luxury development to break ground. While construction has been delayed in the intervening period, a spokesman for the scheme said 150 of its planned 215 units have been brought to market and more than 100 units sold to date through joint selling agents SherryFitzGerald and Savills.
It is an attractive scheme, from the planting and central arbutus sculpture in patinated bronze by Rachel Joynt on its central plaza, to its location, finish and facilities, including a 24-hour concierge service, gym and sauna. These features, combined with the residents’ lounge and private dining and function rooms, were what attracted the owners to number 12, a third-floor two-bedroom apartment in the Templeton building.
They bought the property in August 2019, having traded down from a four-bed with sea views in Sutton, paying €1.65 million for it, according to the property price register.
“It was the right move at the time,” says one half of the couple. Their children had flown the coop and the couple wanted a change. They set about decorating the 138sq m/1493sq ft property, with the help of Ger Smyth, investing in classically contemporary furniture from upscale Italian design firm Presotto, available though Bushell Interiors, to work with the existing warm oak timber floorboards in the open-plan living space.
The lockdown in March has caused a change of heart. Both owners had to work from home, and one daughter returned home from university in the UK. Suddenly there were three using the space to work and live in. Even with meeting room facilities within the complex, it demonstrated their need for more space, she explains.
“I’m on video calls all day and my husband already worked from home so I’m taking over his space. We now need three [work]spaces.”
Soft, voile-like linen curtains sheath all the glazing, letting in light but ensuring complete privacy, and these, along with the fixtures and furniture, help create a luxury hotel feel in a pared-back setting.
The hall has more than 14 cubic metres of storage, and this is where the owners have installed their laundry facilities and a robotic vacuum cleaner that can be operated remotely via an app.
The open-plan kitchen cum living room is large and light-filled, with an extra slice of space in the shape of a winter garden, adding 19sq m to the overall 137sq m (1,474sq ft) floor plan. This glass-fronted area has Juliet balconies, allowing light and air in in summer through the triple-glazed aluminium windows. This space can be cleverly closed off from the rest of the room via fold-back glass doors. The living room overlooks part of an old hotel accommodation block, which is due to be demolished.
The upside to the owner’s full nest is that their daughter does most of the cooking, although there is no sign of any wear and tear on the pristine Silestone waterfall countertops. The O’Connor’s of Drumleck-designed kitchen, with solid walnut internals, is set in a U shape, and while smaller than their Sutton kitchen is a far better use of space, the owner says.
The main bedroom overlooks the front plaza and has a swish en-suite bathroom with underfloor heating, Gerbrit and Dornbracht monsoon showers and bespoke vanity units and stone tiling sourced direct from Portuguese and Italian quarries by the London design team.
“It was too soon for us to downsize,” the owner says. They entertained trading up within the development but nothing was available. “We just need another room. We’re now right-sizing and looking for a three-bedroom property.”
Before lockdown they had enjoyed many social events with other residents, availing of the cinema room and gym, sauna and steam rooms in particular. Even during lockdown there were still some socially distanced drinks on the plaza.
They would like to stay in the Ballsbridge area. “We’re able to walk everywhere, to Grafton Street on a Saturday morning, the National Gallery on Sundays, morning strolls through Herbert Park where the ducks are now my best friends and sundown strolls along Sandymount Strand.”
The A-rated property, which was designed by O’Mahony Pike, is seeking €1.45 million through agent DNG. The annual management fee is €7,800.
