Charlotte Grove on Torquay Road looks like one of Foxrock's older houses but in fact it was built just 10 years ago. The owners bought a 1970s house on the wide site at the Leopardstown Road end of the thoroughfare and embarked on what proved to be a lengthy planning process to build their own home.
That time, they say, proved to be a good thing in that it allowed them refine exactly what they wanted on what was an ambitious build. Having lived nearby they looked at houses in the vicinity, borrowing elements from the substantial Edwardian and Victorian houses that line these leafy suburban roads.
Primarily, though, what they wanted was a large house – and this has 505sq m (5,543sq ft) – that was also a comfortable family home.
0 of 7
Snooker room
The detached house has five bedrooms over three storeys and the significant square footage allowed for several other rooms including a snooker room and a soundproofed music room.
In keeping with the period style they were going for, the owners scoured architectural salvage and auctions for key interior elements. So the entrance hall – a double height space with a sweeping curved staircase – features a substantial oak and Connemara marble Victorian fireplace, and fine period fireplaces were also found for the drawing room, the formal dining room and the kitchen dining area which also has reclaimed stained walnut flooring. Sash windows throughout – and there are many as several of the rooms have dual aspect – also add to the period feel.
The drawing room and dining room are one side of the house but the most used space is the large eat-in kitchen which is to the front and opens into an informal living room which in turn opens through to a sunroom at the back. Off this is an attractive timber verandah overlooking the rear garden which is planted as a woodland and is now maturing nicely. The kitchen features bespoke units made from walnut with a stone-topped island.
Upstairs the main bedroom suite is laid out over 56sq m and is made up of a large bedroom with a slate fireplace, a walk-in wardrobe and dressing area and a full-sized bathroom en suite with marble wash hand basins, a roll-top bath and a double walk-in shower. The remaining four bedrooms, all doubles, each have an en suite and there is a large utility/laundry room on the first floor.
The fifth bedroom is on the top floor near the snooker and music rooms and up here there is also a home office and storage rooms.
Rear garden
As the family was made up of teenagers when they moved in, the rear garden, which is wide but not particularly long, was planted as a woodland with a sandstone patio area for outdoor eating. This might not suit families with younger children who want a lawned garden for playing in.
To the front in the lushly landscaped garden set behind electric gates, there is a detached garage tucked into one corner and parking for several cars.
The family are now downsizing in the area and the very comfortable and roomy Charlotte Grove is for sale through Lisney for €2.25 million.
