A while back a film location manager got in touch with estate agent Martin O’Mahoney to see if he had anything on his books that might work as a location for a film set in the 1960s. He didn’t then and the film is probably long made but if that call came in now he could, truthfully, say that he has the perfect location and the wardrobe department could start sourcing kaftans and bell bottoms. It’s The Orchard on Cross Avenue in Blackrock and it is for auction on July 3rd through Property Team O’Mahoney with an AMV of €1.6 million.
The detached house was built in 1962 and at the time it must have been the last word in suburban style. There are picture windows in all rooms, a green and white Formica kitchen complete with a vinyl-upholstered L-shaped breakfast nook; six bedrooms, most with built-in vanity units and wardrobes, and an open-plan livingroom and diningroom with pale green folding doors made of fabric that concertina back to create a room that runs the width of the house.
As was the fashion, there’s varnished teak everywhere – from the glazed front doors and the panelling in the livingroom, to the open-tread stairs. Even the porch is of its time with an exposed brick “feature” wall and black and white chequer-board floor tiles.
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One of the owners was an architect and it’s clear that when the house was built she wanted everything to be top quality and bang up to date. Excluding the integrated garage, The Orchard has 216sq m (2,321sq ft.) of space.
But not everyone is a fan of authentic 1960s decor and it’s likely prospective buyers will be looking out the picture windows at the site potential rather than looking in.
The house is on three quarters of an acre of gardens and it has extensive road frontage on to Cross Avenue, so its development potential, subject to planning permission, on this popular residential Blackrock road, is immediately obvious.
A well-located potential site is a rare thing. Indeed the agent has included an ordnance survey map of the plot – always a sign that the site is viewed as being more important than what’s currently built on it.
Though that’s not to rule out the possibility of a family, attracted by the mature gardens and private site who want to completely remodel the house into a contemporary home.
