It’s easy to see why the owners of Carlton, on Torca Road in Dalkey, fell in love with the house when they viewed it 10 years ago. When they walked into the kitchen and took in the stunning views of Dublin Bay below them, they were ready to go sale agreed right away.
Happily, the owners never regretted their snap decision, and Carlton has served them well over the past decade as a spacious, light-filled family home. This lovely Victorian house is nestled in a quiet cul-de-sac on the slopes of Killiney Hill, where the main traffic is likely to be people walking their dogs on the many winding paths leading up to Dalkey Castle and the obelisk.
The owners tastefully redecorated the house, and added a larger two-storey extension designed by Helen Murray Architects, featuring a kitchen-dining area downstairs and a main bedroom with en suite upstairs; the views from the bedroom are even more stunning. The wedge shape of the extension – widening out at the back – gives the impression of opening out to the panoramic seascape.
The old house has many charming period features, from its cast-iron pedestrian gate and feature fanlight over the front door to its high ceilings, picture rails, ceiling coving and original fireplaces inside. With large drawingroom and sittingroom, four bedrooms, four bathrooms (one en suite) and large kitchen-dining-family area, the house extends to a generous 202sq m (2,174sq ft) – and none of it is wasted.
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“We don’t have a ‘good’ room where no one is allowed into,” says the owner. “We use every room in this house, and that works brilliantly for us.”
Carlton is certainly welcoming from the moment you walk up the quarry-tiled pathway in the front garden up to the front door and into the hallway with its 3m ceiling height and wide-oak floorboards.
The sittingroom has two windows looking out to the front, and an original Victorian cast-iron fireplace, and bespoke fitted bookshelves and cupboards – a great general reading room or TV room. The drawingroom has a big bay window looking out on that fabulous view out to Howth Head, and there’s an original grey marble fireplace which has been fitted with a solid wood burning stove.
Steps down from this level bring you to a lobby with a coat-hanging area and a guest WC with tiled floor, which leads on to the kitchen-dining-family room.
After you’ve pulled your gaze away from the sea views, you can see the kitchen is tastefully done in a minimalist style, with contemporary high-gloss units, a large central island/breakfast bar and lots of storage and pantry space. There’s also a neat utility room with tiled floor, stainless steel sink and drainer, washing machine, dryer and combi boiler.
The kitchen extension is laid out in a rich reclaimed hardwood parquet floor sourced from Wilson’s Yard in Dromore, Co Down. “I wanted to tie the extension in with the old part of the house, so it wouldn’t look completely separate, and this flooring works perfectly,” says the owner.
To the back of the kitchen is a dining table with three stylish pendant lights suspended overhead, and a neat alcove with a sofa and side table – perfect for sitting down and enjoying the views. Sliding glass doors lead out to a sloping back garden, and a wraparound patio that gets morning and evening sun – and, of course, 24/7 views of the bay. The garden is laid out to maximise the sunlight as it moves through the day, so in the afternoon you can sit in the pergola at the end of the garden with its outdoor seating, and in the late afternoon you can move the party to the sun loungers on the patio. The garden is bordered by granite walls that have been completely rebuilt.
On the first-floor return is a landing with a large Velux window to let in lots of light, and the main bedroom suite has a large picture window looking out to the panoramic view. The window has an electric blind operated by remote control. “I don’t even have to get out of bed to get the view,” says the owner.
There’s an en suite with Victorian-style tiled floor and there’s also a shower room. On the first floor are three more generous bedrooms, one of which is being used as a home office. Up on another return is a family bathroom with deep-set bath, Velux skylight and heated towel rail, and there’s access to a floored attic space via a Stira staircase, which affords lots of handy storage.
More storage is available in the large garage to the side of the house, which the owners rebuilt with stone dashing, a concrete floor, a steel door and a pitched roof. It’s also wired for electricity.
Between the house and the garage is a large gravelled driveway with EV charging point and side access to the back patio. The driveway is also a pedestrian right of way to the nearby Knocknacree Road, but, says the owner, it is rarely used, so you might just spot the odd dog walker making their way along the overgrown pathway that goes down the hill.
Dalkey heritage town is a short walk away, with lots of cafes, restaurants, pubs and craft shops, and it’s a 10-minute stroll to Dalkey Dart station. There are many schools nearby, including Loreto Abbey Dalkey, Harold Boys’ National School and Castle Park School. When school’s out, there are wonderful walks to be taken around Dalkey and Killiney hills and on the Vico Road.
Carlton, extending to 202sq m (2,174sq ft) with a Ber rating of B3, is on sale through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty, asking €1.8 million.
