JRR Tolkien fans will know Lothlorien as the woodland kingdom of the elves in the author’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lothlorien in Foxrock, south Dublin, may not quite compete with the magical splendour of Tolkien’s fairest fictional realm, but this four-bedroom dormer bungalow on Mart Lane can conjure up some enchantment of its own nonetheless. This generously proportioned home was built in 2018 to a discerning standard, with an impressive A2 rating, floor area of 227sq m (2,440sq ft), luxurious interiors, high ceilings and an abundance of light. It is now on the market with Hunters estate agents, seeking €1.5 million.
The owners of Lothlorien have put a lot of thought into the interior design, blending contemporary, clean styling with earthy colours and textures to create a bright family living space that is also warm and cosy. They also added a three-bay car garage to the front of the house with a double glass door, a remote-controlled door and a garden room/home office at the back with dual-aspect bifolding doors. The room has been specially designed to be a tranquil work-from-home environment, and has a walk-in filing/storage cupboard to keep everything neat. However, if you don’t need a home office, you can easily see this room serving as a relaxing yoga room or a chill-out space.
Inside the house are two double bedrooms downstairs to the front, both with French-style window shutters. The one to the right of the entrance hall has bespoke wardrobes and shelving and lush carpeting; the bedroom to the left is currently repurposed as a home gym complete with a large, illuminated wall mirror. This opens in to a carpeted walk-in wardrobe with wall-to-wall shelves and hanging spaces, and then on in to a Jack-and-Jill bathroom with polished porcelain-tiled walls and floor and bespoke recessed wall lighting.
Across the hall is a large reception room with double windows, wide-plank flooring and an eye-catching illuminated tray ceiling, but the real focal point here is the feature Stanley wood-burning stove mounted on a black marbled hearth, in front of which is a C-shaped couch.
Housing in Ireland is among the most expensive and most affordable in the EU. How does that happen?
One in five people expect to pay mortgage in retirement, survey finds
Irish architectural great Ronnie Tallon built a home far superior to Mies van der Rohe’s original. Time to protect it
Sherry FitzGerald CEO Steven McKenna to leave firm to ‘explore new opportunities’
Double doors lead into the wide, inviting open-plan kitchen, dining and family room, decorated in woody greens and browns with wide-plank flooring, vaulted ceilings, Velux windows, recessed lighting and bespoke hanging lights. A large potted tree provides a centrepiece for this space, and floor-to-ceiling windows provide views out to the landscaped back garden, adding more lush green to the palette. Nordan sliding doors open from the livingroom to the back garden patio. Practically every window you look out, you see greenery.
The kitchen is painted in deep shades with illuminated granite worktops, metro-style tiling and granite-topped centre island. The utility room also has hand-painted cupboards and granite worktops.
There are two large bedrooms upstairs, both with vaulted ceilings, luxe carpets and French-style window shutters. They also have porcelain-tiled en suite shower rooms, and the main bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe with wall-to-wall shelving and hanging space, plus handy access to the roof and under-eaves storage.
Lothlorien is well set back from Mart Lane, behind tall electric gates, surrounded by trees and hedging, enjoying complete privacy. The tarmac front drive has space for several cars and there’s also a three-car garage. Side passages on both sides lead into the southwest-facing back garden, with a granite patio area and a low-maintenance faux lawn that doubles as a putting green, bordered by mature high hedging and raised flowering beds.
Mart Lane is close to Cornelscourt and Foxrock villages, and it’s just a short stroll from the N11 quality bus corridor, Dunnes Stores in Cornelscourt and Cabinteely Park. And it’s just a short drive from Carrickmines Green line Luas stop, Carrickmines Lawn Tennis Club, Leopardstown Racecourse, Westwood Fitness Centre and Foxrock Golf Club.
