During the time that the 19th-century architect Thomas Newenham Deane was busy in his Woodward and Deane architectural practice, designing some of Killiney’s more elaborate, gothically-themed mansions as well as buildings in Trinity College and the Kildare Street Club, and restoring several cathedrals, he lived in the relatively modest Dorset Lodge off Killiney Hill Road.
And it was a rental, although the terms – a 60 year lease – allowed him to work on the 18th- century house. In the 1860s, he extended the house on both sides and at the rear so that now Dorset Lodge is a very pretty house with a charming, rambling layout, a mix of Georgian and Victorian architecture with period details from both eras as well as the Arts and Crafts features that made his work so popular. The five-bedroom house, with sea views, on 0.6 of an acre of beautifully designed and maintained gardens, is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald for €2.6 million.
Lovely reception rooms
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The current owners bought it in 1989 and updated as they went along, installing a new kitchen and reworking the bedrooms, reducing them from seven to five to create larger bathrooms and a dressingroom for the main bedroom.
At that time, the stables had planning permission for conversion to living accommodation but as they did not need the additional space – Dorset Lodge has 438sq m (4,714 sq ft) – the owners let it lapse.
The pink and white house, built as the Duke of Dorset’s hunting lodge, is entered through a pretty porch that opens into a magnificent square tiled hallway – some of the encaustic tiles look to have been remants from Deane’s restoration work in cathedrals – with a striking fireplace and a sitting area with a wide bay window overlooking the front garden.
There are several lovely reception rooms including a drawingroom leading to a large conservatory, a big sittingroom, and a diningroom next to the kitchen. Beyond the kitchen are several useful rooms including the pantry – renovated but with its original shelving – and boot room.
Showstopping garden
The owner, who has a background in design, antiques and textiles, has decorated the interior in a bright airy style with lots of soft colours and muted tones.
Upstairs, four of the bedrooms lead off a wide landing, including the main bedroom suite with its dressingroom and large bathroom. An additional suite of rooms accessed via a private stairs includes the fifth bedroom.
The garden, which wraps around the house, is a showstopper – lushly planted in an English cottage style and surrounded by mature trees on this very private site.
