The owner of number 2 Shrewsbury Park bought the site of this property sight unseen and had the former house knocked before engaging architects de Blacam and Meagher, and later LyonsKelly, to design a new home tailored to his requirements.
The design of this house was inspired by the work of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, who drew from Italian court and tower buildings to create the Saynatsalo town hall in Finland in 1945. Built in 2012, this property still feels incredibly fresh. Every room, all surfaces and all materials have been carefully considered and brilliantly installed to create a home that is a triumph of excellent design.
The exterior of this 296sq m (3,186sq ft) U-shaped house unfolds slowly. A level, one-storey-high, connecting the two wings is hidden behind a timber-block trellis now covered in jasmine, and a limestone path to the right of the gravelled drive leads to the porch.
A bright entrance hall lies in the centre of the house, with the first bank of iroko-framed tall windows that run through the ground floor and around the courtyard, maximising the southwest orientation. On the right of the hall is the wing containing a livingroom and enclosed study with Crittall-style windows. Limed poplar slats cloak the ceiling, offering a visual break and an acoustic stop to the 3m-high rooms. There’s also a stove that the owner says he never lights as the underfloor heating is so efficient; the Ber is B3.
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Stairs lead to a self-contained suite on the first floor, with clerestory windows lighting the wardrobe-lined passage connecting the studio to the bedroom. Outside the studio is a roof terrace and connecting the studio and the bedroom is a bathroom with green tiles and marble brought in from Italy, all lit by a rooflight, creating a luxurious space.
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The left wing begins with steps down from the hall, past a guest loo and a utility/boot room and then on to the kitchen, with a bank of windows overlooking the courtyard and garden. Most of the furniture here and elsewhere in the house was custom-built oak, and in the kitchen there is an intricate storage bench under the windows with space for books, wine and bench cushions.
The kitchen is by Bulthaup, featuring sleek grey units and pale quartz worktops, and the appliances are Gaggenau. The floors are herringbone oak, and the ceilings have the same limed poplar as the sittingroom. A door opens on to the garden with a brick patio that leads to a potting shed – there is also an outdoor plant room and outdoor storage area accessed through a trellis iron gate. The garden is densely planted with 24 tall white birch trees and there are copper-faced planters filled with jasmine.
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Upstairs, over the kitchen wing, is the children’s suite, with three bedrooms, a lovely bathroom, more clerestory windows and an impressive bank of oak wardrobes that allow for an absence of clutter in the bedrooms, two of which are fitted out with good desks and shelving. All the beds were designed by LyonsKelly and are for sale with the house, subject to negotiation.
Children grown and flown, the owner is moving on and hopes another family will enjoy the house just as much as his did. On the market with Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty seeking €3.25 million, it’s in the heart of Dublin 4′s embassy belt. The small estate is just off the Merrion Road and close to the schools of St Michael’s, Conleth’s and Muckross Park. The RDS is at the top of Merrion Road with frequent buses into the city and the Dart at Sandymount is a five-minute walk away.
