Skyline is an apt name for the house that now stands at 3 Ballyedmonduff Cottages in Stepaside. Bordered by the Dublin Mountains to the rear, views to the front of the property encompass the entire sweep of Dublin Bay.
The original house was a small artisan cottage from 1932 built for workers of the local granite stone works, which goes to explain its lovely cut-stone exterior. The current owners engaged architect Terry O’Connor to add an extension that now gives the house a generous 210 sq m (2,260 sq ft) of floor space.
“We wanted to make the most of the garden as well as the views,” say the owners, who are both green-fingered.
In addition, the family are keen mountain walkers and bikers so the site was a logical place for their home. This is especially true for its access to walking in the Dublin Mountains, as from the third garden – located at a height with the best views – there is access over the fence to the mountains where you could literally walk for days. This path is also equidistant (about 2km) to Johnny Fox’s and the Blue Light hostelries.
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One of the owners comes from an engineering background and sought to future-proof the property, which has been done with mechanical ventilation and a heat recovery system along with solar panels and underfloor heating, which gives the property a good Ber of B2.
With five bedrooms, four of which are en suite, there’s lots of room in the split-level house. Two bedrooms plus a home office in the attic lie in the old stone cottage to the front, with three further bedrooms in the contemporary space designed by O’Connor.
Three gardens, all of which have different functions, sit on 0.2 of an acre and form the standout feature of this property. To the rear, just off the elevated open-plan living/kitchen/dining area is a formal garden with specimen planting including azaleas, rhododendron and a fabulous rice paper plant with oversized lobed green leaves.
A middle section of the garden is dedicated to fruit and vegetables, where the owners grow an abundance of strawberries in addition to blackcurrant, apples, lettuce, brassicas and peas that allow the family self-sufficiency in autumn.
At the top, via old granite pathways, lies a spot with superb views over Dublin city and the best place to watch the stars and fireworks on New Year’s Eve and Halloween while huddled around the fire pit.
As the children have flown the coop, the owners are rightsizing and have placed their lovely home on the market through DNG, seeking €900,000.
