Bramley on Killiney Hill Road is one of a series of Tudor-style, redbrick cottages built over three levels, designed by the Victorian architect Sir Thomas Deane for the labourers of the Warren estate and their families. The original footprint of these cottages was one room on each of the three floors but Bramley has been extensively renovated to create a four-bed home with stunning views over Killiney bay with lots of quirky features.
Just down from the village centre and within walking distance of Killiney hill, there’s parking for two cars on the cobble-lock drive and the front door opens on to the first floor with a suite of rooms that reflect the origins of the house as a cottage, with many rooms opening directly into the next, a layout that will either charm or madden potential homebuyers. A glazed porch and tiny hall opens directly into a lovely sittingroom with a handsome box-bay window, and on the left of the sittingroom is a study with a small fireplace.
A hall connects the sittingroom to the kitchen at the back of the house, there’s a lovely bathroom at one end of it and, at the other, the most interesting room in the house: a completely glazed dining area, with windows on all sides offering superb views over Killiney, its hills and the sea. Stairs in this room lead down to what is a self-contained suite with a tiled room, shower room and decent kitchen. This could make for a wonderful home office, accommodation for an au pair or studio for an older child.
The garden is small but very sunny and contains a twisting spiral staircase that leads up to another of this 190sq m (2,045 sq ft) property’s surprises. There’s a terrace on the flat roof, the side looking over the road has glazed panels, allowing for privacy. With views over the shining, glittering sea, it would be a superb location for entertaining or just soaking up the views.
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Back on the first floor to the back of the house is the kitchen, which could benefit from a cosmetic refresh, and a family room. Both have deep bay windows, although while they are picture-box pretty with leaded panes, updating them would help upgrade the property’s Ber of D2. Dividing the kitchen and family room is a set of stairs with a door at its end opening into the garden. There’s access at the bottom of the stairs to a large storage space that should prove invaluable.
The final level has three bedrooms, with sharply sloping eaves adding character and even more charm to an appealing home, if with a somewhat challenging configuration of accommodation, but the location should prove worth it. The principal bedroom is just lovely, with angled ceilings and dual aspect windows offering fantastic views. Double doors open out on to the flat roof terrace which would be an absolute joy on sunny mornings.
One of the bedrooms is en suite and a clever use of space has seen a shower room created here too. It’s a very unusual property in the heart of Killiney among a cluster of high-end properties and famous neighbours. Killiney hill is minutes away, it’s a two-minute drive and a 20-minute walk to Killiney Dart and beach, the nearest shopping is in Ballybrack and Dalkey. Bramley is being brought to the market by Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €1.075 million.
