Breathnú is a new build, A2 Ber-rated home that has been stepped into its site on Ulverton Road, near the turn to Bulloch Harbour.
The word means “look-out” for it was built on a piece of scrub land at the top of the garden of the house below, explains its architect Paul McCleary of Extend, a practice that has partnered with husband and wife developers, Conor and Niamh Hanratty of Brinnin Holdings. Together they have worked on developements at Temple Park, Blackrock and have another project in the pipeline for 14 units at the junctions of Avoca, Priory and Grove Avenues with planning through for another small scheme in Cabinteely.
This one-off build has smart Dura wood battens to the front and a silicone-based exterior render that works for coastal homes. From the front the house appears to be two storey but the design sets the property over three floors to the rear.
In walk-in condition, it boasts spectacular sea views from several levels starting with the living room, which spans the width of the house at entrance level. The room opens out to a glass-balustraded balcony, accessed via sliding doors that are the same height as the ceilings, about 2.7m high. These alu-clad designs by Kokoon have been created to weather the coastal setting and this chimes with the colours on the interior walls and doors, an appropriately named range called Salt that is a series of tonal greys, part of Paint & Paper Library’s Monochrome collection, that gives a rich depth of field to the doors and architraving. The door hardware, the Red Dot Award-winning Minimal by M&T, are a very slick look, one of many smart finishing touches.
The first of the property’s four double bedrooms is at this level as is a smart shower room, clad in marble-effect porcelain tiles.
The oak timber stairs, by Colin Healy, lead down steep steps to garden level where there is a large and really understated L-shaped room.
The Michael Farrell-designed kitchen is blissfully uncluttered by overhead cabinets and includes loads of storage and clever details like double drawer internals magnetised to keep them in place. A Bora extractor set into an induction hob helps with this streamlined look.
A wall of smoked oak laminate doors conceals the entrance to the utility room. This is set up like a boot room and with space thoughtfully set at hip level for the washer and drier. Off this a sliding door leads to the plant room where the tank for the pressurised water system is also housed. This keeps all ambient noise out of earshot once the doors are closed.
Secreted off the stairs is an internal space that would work really well as a yoga room or home gym or even a formal office where its lack of windows may help you stay focused.
The dining and living areas overlook a granite terrace where the wall of glazing includes tilt and turn windows as well as large-format triple-glazed sliding doors so you can enjoy sea breezes on stormier days without the bluster of off-shore winds.
Steps lead down from the terrace to the garden, set out in artificial lawn and planted with hedges of evergreens Portuguese laurel and Photina ‘Red Robin’.
On the first floor there are three more double bedrooms and the family bathroom. The master is to the rear where you can enjoy sea views from the bed or from the room’s Juliet balcony. From here you can see sailboats on the bay and the big golden rocks of Bullock Harbour where you can pick up just landed fresh lobster or crabs, the latter for as little as €3 apiece.
Behind the bed is a vertical half wall, a hotel type of hide that conceals a walk-through wardrobe which is smartly laid out but probably a little on the light side for a co-habitating couple. There is a full wall of space to install more wardrobe and or drawer space. Behind it is a smart and windowed wet room.
The house has underfloor heating throughout thanks to an air to water heat pump and a mechanical heat recovery system.
The property, which extends to 194sq m (2,088sq ft), is asking €1.525 million through agents SherryFitzGerald has off-street parking for two cars.
