A quaint two-bedroom gate lodge in Blackrock, Co Dublin, owned by former Virgin Prunes rocker Trevor Rowen and his wife Rachel is on the market. Fairhaven, their two-bedroom Victorian home, the lodge of Blackrock House on Newtown Avenue, is at the edge of the village, but has a country-style interior which creates a sense of being on retreat from the modern world.
Such splendid isolation doesn't come cheap. Gunne expects the property to fetch in the region of £350,000 at auction on April 28th. Trevor, who is now manager of the three-piece rock pop group Pelvis, and Rachel, are moving due to an expanding family. They have lived in Fairhaven, the lodge of Blackrock House, for the past 12 years and have permission to extend the 1,050 sq ft property by a further 700 sq ft. This would appeal to someone who is interested in designing their own home, but not wanting to start entirely from scratch. The house is steeped in period character and has already been thoroughly refurbished. The entire ground floor is covered by quarry tiles and timbers such as doors and skirting have been stripped back and polished. The entrance porch is bright with built-in window seating and leads straight into a spacious livingroom, the dividing wall between it and the hall having been removed. This room has an antique cast-iron fireplace and a timber-panelled ceiling.
The kitchen is charming without being fussy. The dining area is ample and the room is fitted with a range of old pine hand-made units which tone in with the deep yellow of the walls. Despite modern appliances such as hob, cooker, fridge freezer and washing machine/dryer which are included in the sale, the overall impression is of being in a rustic wonderland.
Also downstairs is a diningroom presently used as a study which could be a third bedroom. It has a pine fireplace with a cast-iron inset.
The staircase is of stripped pine and there is understairs storage. Upstairs is the bathroom which has a shower, but no bath, although plans to extend include the provision of a bigger bathroom. The sink is blue and in the shape of a shell.
The main bedroom is finished in a distinctive grape red colour which contrasts vividly with the white of the vaulted timber ceilings. The room also has a fine period radiator - there is dual central heating, gas and solid fuel.
The second bedroom also has sloping ceilings and is a good-sized double. Outside is a rear sunny patio area and the garage, which was the original stables for Blackrock House. To the front of the house is a courtyard with a parking area. The lodge is situated close to the amenities of Blackrock, including the sea and the DART, as well as many schools. It is on a slip road away from the by-pass, so there is little traffic running past which adds to the overall sense of being in the countryside.
