Number 4 Killea on Barnhill Road in Dalkey is one of four homes built by a family on a plot the owner’s father bought in 2016. He proceeded to knock the cottage that was on the large, deep site, like so many on Barnhill Road have done, where builders at various houses are working on new builds and renovations. They could see the potential to create a family co-living arrangement and, with planning secured, built the houses, designed by CPR architects, in 2019.
Now the owners at number 4 – a semidetached three-bed at the end of the gated enclave – are selling up, the house is on the market with DNG, seeking €1.195 million. All the houses are bespoke, with their own footprint and layouts but following a similar aesthetic with warm golden brick, dark-framed windows and square shapes. The site is beautifully landscaped, and the houses, four years on, are well bedded in.
Interiors impress immediately. The front door opens on to a long entrance hall with oiled-oak engineered floors; they run through the entire ground floor, which has underfloor heating. There’s a storage unit with inset bench to the right of the door and a guest WC beyond it, which is smartly tiled and panelled.
The main living area lies to the back of the 140sq m (1506sq ft) house. It’s a bright space, well designed and laid out. The kitchen by OnCraft has lots of drawer-style units, quartz countertops and a generous pantry built along one wall. There are double doors out into the garden, and a square arch leading through to the living area with L-shaped picture windows allowing light to pour through.
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The fireplace is wood, with stone inset and gas fire. If new owners wanted to separate this space, it could easily be done with a new double door or even a large bookcase as the current owners have considered. There’s a capacious utility at the back of the house, opening off the end of the hall with a door out to the back garden.
Outside is a truly charming space with an old granite wall mirroring the warm yellow brick of the house. There’s a small lawn but plenty of space on the rear patio for a collection of garden furniture, and around the corner at the back of the house lies a further surprise: a garden pod that the owner currently uses as his office but which could also be repurposed as a studio or a small home gym.
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Behind the pod is more storage space for garden tools and bikes. It’s a testament to the heavy insulation and triple-glazed Munster Joinery Aluclad windows that the first time I hear the Dart that runs behind the house is when I’m in the garden. The Ber rating is A2.
There are three bedrooms on the first floor and a main bathroom; the shower enclosure is tiled in a beautiful dusty pink colour. The bedrooms to the back look out towards Howth and the sea is just about glimpsed. The window of the guest bedroom at the front of the house is filled with views of Killiney Hill.
The main bedroom has a bank of fitted wardrobes, another storage closet with more hanging space and a handsome en suite, with more of that lovely tiling, but in baby blue this time. It would suit a family or could be a great, easily maintained home for downsizers who want to stay in Dalkey. It’s right beside the Metals, Barnhill Stores is at the end of the road, the Dart is an eight-minute walk away and there are many fine junior schools within walking distance.
