Ambassadors and tech-giant executives will be very interested in this fully restored Victorian property on the corner of Raglan Road and Elgin Road, right in the heart of Dublin’s embassy belt, with an asking price of €5.25 million. The rest of us will just keep on dreaming. Number 17 Raglan Road is a stunning, completely refurbished and modernised residence that commands a triple-aspect view, and draws in all available light from every side. Originally built around 1875, the house had fallen into disrepair and was divided into several apartments by the time the current owners bought it. Their vision was to restore it to a magnificent single-family home with all the period features and all mod cons, and that is exactly what they have done. All the ambassador has to do is bring the Ferrero Rocher.
The owners got in John Meagher of de Blacam & Meagher to design the refurbishment, and, with help from a top team of professionals, set about this daunting project. The entire building was completely gutted, with internal floors, walls, windows and roofs removed; the only original feature worth saving, says the owner, was the staircase. Given a clean slate, the owners were able to insulate the walls and put in double-glazed windows, making it one of those rarities: an energy-efficient Victorian home – though it is Ber-exempt. Underfloor heating systems were installed, negating the need for ugly radiators, thus leaving the walls free for furniture and shelving. The house has also been wired for phone, audio, TV and security system, and there’s an interior vacuum system, eliminating the hassle of dragging a Hoover around the house.
Anything that could be salvaged was lovingly restored, including the original cornicing. Anything that couldn’t was replaced with an expertly sourced period piece, including the feature fireplaces and beautiful chandeliers. The five bathrooms and two guest WCs are particularly impressive, all laid out in luxurious marble. The owners flew in a team of Italian craftspeople to fit out the bathrooms in Calacatta and Jerusalem Gold marble. In an impressive feat of craftsmanship, all the marble slabs have been near-perfectly bookmatched, with incredible results. The handmade cabinetry in the bathrooms was built by John Daly, and he took up the Italian challenge by bookmatching the grain on the timber.
The main entrance has a tiled reception hall with ceiling coving and centre rose, and an inner hall with teak flooring. The large drawingroom and diningroom lead out to a sunroom/winter garden overlooking the rear, with folding doors that can be opened out to create a terrace, and remote-controlled rooflights fitted with rain sensors so they’ll automatically close when the weather starts getting a bit Irish. You can imagine hosting elegant receptions, your guests enjoying aperitifs (and Ferrero Rocher) in this elegant space. There’s also a large dual-aspect home office/library to the rear that gets lots of light in the afternoon and evening.
Downstairs at garden level is a nicely laid out Bulthaup kitchen in a Hampton conservatory, with cantilevered units, large centre island and Gaggenau appliances, including an oven, steam oven and microwave lined up in an impressive row. The glass ceilings allow for all-day light, and the skylights are remote-controlled with rain sensors. It opens to a fully landscaped west-facing garden with cut granite walls and mature planting and hedging. There’s an underground rainwater harvesting system that pumps grey water to irrigate the garden (it also supplies the toilets).
A large family room adjoins the kitchen, and there’s a small study/office and two bedrooms, one with en suite. Through an arch on the first-floor return you’ll find a bright, dual-aspect bedroom and a bathroom with a large picture window to the side. The first floor is completely taken up with the magnificent dual-aspect main bedroom, with sliding sash picture windows commanding a view over Raglan and Elgin roads, along with large walk-in wardrobe and en suite shower room. There’s another bedroom suite on the third floor, along with a small room on the second-floor return that could work as a laundry/ironing room, a small study/office, or simply a handy storage space.
Outside there’s off-street parking for two (large) cars, accessed through electric sliding gates to the side. There’s also a handy side entrance so the caterers can easily get in and out. Ten years ago, you could rent 17 Raglan Road for €15,000 a month, but now it’s ready for a lucky diplomat, tech entrepreneur or Lotto winner to simply move in and call it home. Number 17 Raglan Road, extending to 415sq m (4,467sq ft), is for sale through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty, asking €5.25 million.
