A classic Victorian house modernised nearly 20 years ago while retaining original period features looks pretty much as it must have when it went to auction in 2001 – still fresh. It was withdrawn at auction then at €1.74 million and bought afterwards. The owners have rented it out since they bought it; having been freshened up for sale and staged by Hyde (formerly FitOut) Interiors, it seems ready to move into.
The semi-detached five-bed extends to 275sq m (2,960sq ft) and is for sale for €2.5 million through Lisney.
Niagara Villa is a short walk from Dalkey village, on the opposite side of Coliemore from the houses that run down to the shore. Two of its striking features are the uninterrupted view of Dublin Bay from the bay window in the main bedroom on the second floor—and the fact that the rear of the house is slightly larger than usual, with back stairs leading from the kitchen up to two bedrooms.
High electronic gates off winding Coliemore Road open into a parking bay for two cars, with steps up to the garden at the side of the house and more up to the front door, which has a fanlight over it.
The hall and main reception rooms have elaborate plasterwork, with restored ceiling cornicing and coving and centre roses; other period details in the house include an alcove in the hall, sash windows, polished original floorboards and marble fireplaces. The deep bay window in the drawing room looks through houses across the road towards the sea; it’s a pretty room with a large marble fireplace with colourful tiles inset.
All the rooms downstairs open into each other, and three of them – the dining room, family room and kitchen – have glazed double doors opening on to the garden at the side of the house. Double doors lead from the drawing room into the dining room, which has a side bay window and French windows on to a patio. More glazed doors with stained-glass insets open from the dining room to a family room, with matching doors opening into the kitchen. The kitchen has a glossy blue Aga set into a brick-surround chimney breast, a granite-topped island unit and a bright breakfast area overlooking the garden.
There’s a utility room off it, and at the very back of the house a sitting room or office. Stairs lead up from here to a small bedroom with a fully tiled en-suite shower room and to the first return (also accessed from the front stairs), where there’s another en suite bedroom with a balcony that overlooks the sea.
There are two double bedrooms on the first floor: the main bedroom has the best sea views from the house through a tall bay window like the one in the drawingroom below. It has a large white marble fireplace, polished timber floor and a large en suite with a jacuzzi and separate shower. There’s another room off the main bedroom that could be turned into a walk-in wardrobe. The fifth en-suite bedroom at the top of the house is a single, probably a maid’s room in days gone by.
There are good views of the sea from the top of a gently sloping 101ft (31m) rear lawn that’s surrounded by stone walls and mature bushes. A gravelled path leads down to an arch leading back to the parking area at the front.
