A six-bedroom Victorian house in Killiney, lavishly refurbished in French and Moroccan styles, is on the market for over €4.5 million. Orna Mulcahy reports
A turreted Victorian house with a sumptuous interior, overlooking the bay at Killiney, Co Dublin, is expected to fetch over €4.5 million at auction through HOK Residential on March 25th.
Three-storey Cliff House stands on 1.5 acres of terraced gardens that sweep down to Strathmore Road, where the property adjoins that of the Canadian Embassy.
The 1870s house has six bedrooms, two superb reception rooms, a games room and a large living area that is currently used as a recording studio. The ground floor is neatly arranged as a two-bedroom apartment that includes a large sittingroom and has separate access, making it ideal for guests or staff.
The current owners, who are in the entertainment business, bought the property in 1997 and refurbished it fashionably lavishly in a mix of French and Moroccan styles and with money no object.
Hidden behind electronically-controlled gates on a private avenue off Killiney Hill Road, the house can only be glimpsed through the trees. It has a modest facade with narrow windows flanking a high Gothic- style front door.
Walk around to the back garden, however, and the house transforms itself into a romantic villa with balconied windows facing the sea.
Inside, this is a very comfortable and opulent home with the emphasis on relaxed rather than formal living. For instance there are two fabulous drawingrooms but no diningroom - instead, meals take place at a baronial-style table at one end of the vast country-style kitchen. The table is positioned in front of a wide window to make the most of the sensational views.
The view is also the main focus of the reception rooms, with the drawingroom having tall French windows. Beyond this room is a large study leading into a second drawingroom or music room, where the turret is curtained off with padded window seats.
Beyond this room again is the recording studio which will easily convert back to extra living space. It has stairs leading down to the games room below.
... There are two staircases to the upper floor - the main one leading from the entrance hall and a secondary stairs leading off the back lobby, where one also goes down to the ground floor.
Upstairs, the first landing has twin sets of steps leading up to the first two bedrooms. One of the rooms is a smart guest bedroom with a toile de Jouy scheme, while the other is a child's room with seaside murals.
The first floor has a single bdroom, a big study facing the sea, and the main bedroom has a fabulously ornate en suite bathroom.
The gardens at first seem very elaborate but in fact are cleverly planted with banks of low maintenance agapanthus providing good colour and shapes in summer.
A pebbled patio behind the house has steps leading down to a formal garden. Lower still is a large play area for children, and right at the bottom of the garden is a large area that fronts on Strathmore Road and could be developed in the future, subject to the necessary planning permission.
A large front garden, driveway and garaging complete the package at this exceptional property.
