In the 1800s Tivoli Road was an old path connecting the castles at Monkstown and Bullock. Avoca Lodge, and her neighbour which are located directly opposite St Joseph’s School, were constructed as hunting lodges by the De Vesci estate in the 1870s.
The property was purchased by current owner Jane Olden 33 years ago, when the house was divided in two, with a family living on each floor.
“It was in absolute bits,” says Olden, a legal recruitment consultant, who spent five years gutting the property. “We slept on a mattress in what is now the drawing room, and the only element of the original house to remain are the joists as so much refurbishment was needed.”
Set over two floors, the villa has a drawing room and interconnecting dining room at hall level. Opposite lies the master bedroom. Both rooms to the front of the house have an enormous amount of light thanks to the large bay windows overlooking the front garden. The dining room, with a southerly aspect, overlooks the rear garden and opens into the hallway opposite the kitchen.
The kitchen, although not large, could, if new owners wished, be opened into the master bedroom to create a very large and bright kitchen-cum-dining area, and still leave three fine bedrooms at garden level.
On the ground floor, which is accessed via a spiral staircase from the kitchen, lies a small den, which opens out to the rear garden. One of the selling points of the property besides its proximity to Dun Laoghaire and local schools is the rear garden which is laid out as lawn bordered with shrubs and a patio to the rear.
“We put the patio at the end of the garden as is gets the sun all evening, and we wired it for electricity so the garden can be lit up for summer barbecues,” says Olden. The property also has access to a rear lane.
Three further bedrooms lie at garden level – one of which opens to the garden via sliding doors. The bedrooms to the front, although having large windows, would benefit from painting the pine ceilings white as this would reflect more light.
There is a good-sized utility at garden level which opens to the front garden under the granite steps.
The property, in excellent condition, is on the market through Sherry FitzGerald with an asking price of €845,000.
