It may have the look of a modern beach property, but Rock Lodge House in Killiney, Co Dublin, has stood on the same plot since the early 1900s. Over the years, various owners have added and taken away, knocked and rebuilt. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the privacy and seclusion of the grounds off Claremont Road.
The 399sq m (4,295sq ft) property has retained its grand entrance as it is approached through electric gates and up a tree-lined avenue. It is hidden behind mature trees and foliage and sits on more than half an acre.
On the market through Sherry FitzGerald with an asking price of €2.75 million, the house, after its most recent transformation, has four bedrooms, five bathrooms and an outdoor spa area.
The current owners bought the house in 2020 after falling for the security and discretion afforded by the grounds. With more than 16 rooms, it took them a while to find their feet in terms of how to make the layout work for their young family, but they, like the owners before them, adapted and created a home of their own.
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From cosmetic changes such as new carpets and parquet floors, paint and woodwork, to the more technical jobs such as installing security systems and solar panels, the C2-rated house is in mint condition after its latest makeover.
One of the biggest additions to Rock Lodge House this time around is in the garden. A sauna and hot-and-cold shower have been installed, taking the already lavish home up a notch. With the increased awareness on the benefits of a sauna followed by a cold shower to really get the blood flowing, the owner thinks the new installation has been well worth it.
Inside, double glass-panelled front doors open into the wide hallway. The character of the succession of arches and curved architraves integrate perfectly with the more modern touches, such as the teal walls and parquet flooring.
It’s a case of something old, something new, as you walk through the rooms on the ground floor. To the left of the hall is a home gym with engineered wooden floors and wall uplighters, along with a much moodier cinema room directly across the way, with dark polished floors and timber panelling.
There are steps down into the drawingroom, which has a double-height ceiling and is lit up by the floor-to-ceiling windows at each end, with a marble fireplace in the centre.
The kitchen is large and conducive to family life with plenty of storage in the cream fitted units and a light-filled breakfastroom to the rear, where the orangery would have been in the original house. Off the kitchen is a large utility room as well as a playroom or study that has engineered wooden flooring over the polished wood to protect it from the toy cars and arts and crafts mishaps.
Upstairs, the principal bedroom has a seating area with full-length windows that can be closed off with shutters. There are doors from here out to two balconies that look out over the sea, and there is also a walk-in wardrobe. The en suite bathroom is beautifully designed with Soho House his-and-her hand basins, a travertine marble floor with underfloor heating and a large shower and separate cast-iron bath.
The second bedroom was once two rooms and is now a large twin room with an en suite bathroom and a balcony. The third bedroom has French doors to a veranda overlooking the garden, and the fourth has a Juliet balcony and en suite. There is also a family bathroom on this level, and the attic has been converted but has retained large eaves for storage.
Outside, the grounds around the house are immaculate. There is parking to the front for multiple cars and at the back is the barrel sauna and shower, a barbecue area with overhead awning, and well-maintained lawns from front to back.
The house is minutes away from Killiney Hill, Druid’s Chair pub and Killiney Castle Hotel, yet it feels like it is in a world of its own once the gates are closed, with the only sound coming from the birds and the kids playing in the garden.
