A big rambling six-bedroom contemporary house on an acre on Old Carrickbrack Road, Baily, is quoting £1.5 million (#1.9m) by private treaty sale, through Gunne Residential.
Coillrua is positioned on an elevated site, with a breathtaking wide-angled aspect over Dublin Bay. The 3,100 sq ft redbrick house was designed 22 years ago by architects Keane Murphy Duff, with insulation as top priority.
This part of Baily is a Special Amenity Area, so further development on the road is unlikely. The present owners, family flown, are looking for something smaller in the same area. The garden's natural wilderness, with steep pathways winding through copses of birch and holly, has been a paradise for two generations of children.
Coillrua is designed on an airy open-plan theme, with high vaulted ceilings, plenty of natural wood and simple modern fittings. The sittingroom has a raised basket fireplace with a marble hearth and floor-to-ceiling pine windows opening out to a large sun terrace. A mahogany staircase climbs to a mezzanine dining area with a polished mahogany floor.
A door off the diningroom leads to a roomy kitchen/breakfastroom, described by the owners as the heart of the house. Red deal hand-made cupboards have mahogany worktops and there is a floor-to-ceiling picture window in the breakfast area, facing south.
Next door is a comfortable family sittingroom with an open fireplace and French doors to a high-walled balcony. This is the most used part of the house and especially safe for toddlers, says the owner, who has small grandchildren to stay. The main bedroom is on the first floor. This has an extensive range of wardrobes and an en suite bathroom with bath and separate shower. A small single bedroom with a vaulted ceiling on this landing is used as a study. Four further bedrooms (one en suite), a bathroom, two guest toilets, laundry room and a large family room are all at garden level.
The family room, with a parquet floor and bookshelves, was used as a teenagers' den when the family were growing up. There is an acre of terraced gardens with sleeper steps disappearing behind clumps of shrubs and an abundance of mature trees. Squirrels come down to eat from the bird table outside the kitchen door. There is a tool shed and carport to the front and a sweeping driveway from the road to a large parking forecourt.