With its commanding position on a bend half way up Cambridge Road in Rathmines, Cambridge House looks tall and imposing as it looks back haughtily towards Castlewood Avenue.
Beyond the hall door, however, this late Victorian detached house reveals itself to be a practical family home set over three floors, with many of its original period details in place, but with less of the formality.
“Victorian Gothic” would be a closer description of this home, built in a blend of granite rubble masonry and red and brown brick, which was probably fired in Dolphin’s Barn, says selling agent Peter Kenny.
The owners did a “belt-and-braces” refurbishment, says Kenny, sparing no expense in restoring the cornicing and ceiling roses, and putting concrete screed in the upper-ground floor and first floor to enhance the stability of this protected structure and improve insulation – both thermally and acoustically.
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The result is a very solid-feeling home which, rather than echoing, has a warm, cushioned sound. Throughout the house is a combination of double- and secondary-glazed casement windows and gas-fired underfloor heating which help give this old house a D1 Ber rating.
The move away from traditional Victorian is apparent in the front door, which sits atop a set of granite steps. Instead of having a fanlight above, the door itself simply arches upwards to fill that half-circle. The intricate polished tiling in the entrance hallway and inner hallway is impressive, a rich blend of russet, cream and grey, and the tiling in the four bathrooms – mostly cream and black – repeats the richness.
The two interlinked reception rooms to the right are not that formal at all. Both have solid parquet timber floors – you could be stomping around these rooms all day and never detect the slightest creak. Both rooms have Belle Cheminee marble fireplaces with gas inserts. The diningroom to the front has a double aspect, while the livingroom to the rear has a fine bay window looking out to the mature side garden.
Behind the livingroom is a bedroom with en suite, and there’s also a guest WC at this level.
Downstairs at garden level, the kitchen flows nicely into a family/TV room. Downstairs at garden level, the kitchen flows nicely into a living/TV room, where the practicalities of busy family life come into play. Conveniently, you can access the kitchen from a path down the side of the house. The luxury designer kitchen has been handcrafted and installed by Andrew Ryan; there’s a fine central island tracing a natural line to the family room, which has a gas stove and a bay window looking out to the garden and patio.
Off the kitchen is a good-sized utility room with lots of storage, a comms room (the house is wired for sound for audiophile owners, with ceiling speakers and surround sound) and a small WC. There’s a fifth bedroom with en suite at this level also.
Upstairs are two large bedrooms with roomy ensuites, plus a third, smaller bedroom. The family bathroom has a stunning feature: a Victorian shower installed over the bath, with a curved glass surround and a rainwater shower head mounted on steel pipes. Bath time is guaranteed to be extra luxurious.
There’s access to the attic via a Stira in the smaller bedroom, and the house is fitted with a Beam vacuum system to keep it all fresh and dust-free. Outside to the front is a large cobblelock driveway with twin automatic gates, so you can drive in an out without having to make a 10-point turn.
The side garden and patio has a southwesterly aspect to catch the sun, and there’s a separate private walled garden that can also be accessed from the front drive.
Landscape architects PC Roche and Associates have done a nice job with the garden and driveway design.
Cambridge Road is a quiet, leafy stretch nestled between Belgrave Square and Rathmines Road – so it’s really an ideal location, allowing easy access to the shops, restaurants and amenities of Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar, and with regular bus services to the city centre, which is just 3km away.
For those with children of a school-going age, there’s an excellent choice of schools in the vicinity, including the High School, St Mary’s College, Alexandra College, Terenure College and Our Lady’s College. You’ve also got your choice of sports clubs, including golf at Milltown and tennis at Brookfield.
Cambridge House, at 15 Cambridge Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6, extends to 306 sq m (3,294 sq ft), and is for sale through Knight Frank, seeking €3.5 million.
