Tanglewood, on Upper Kilmacud Road in Dundrum, looks like an old house but it was built in 2007. It’s a bit of a landmark in this part of town, sitting majestically at the end of a gravel drive next to its twin, Winterberry. The house neatly combines a period feel with a 21st-century sensibility, so you’ve got the elegant, classic style but also the functionality a busy family needs. And it’s got the added advantage of being located right next to the 38-acre Airfield estate, with sweeping views over Airfield’s parklands and over the Dublin mountains, with a high garden wall separating Tanglewood from the estate.
The owners have three small children and they’ve made many visits to Airfield, Dublin city’s only working farm. “We’d be walking through Airfield and realise that our house was just over the wall,” say the owners. Sadly, there’s no secret door into Airfield from the back garden, you have to go further down the road towards Dundrum Town Centre to reach the main entrance (the original entrance was just a few doors down from Tanglewood), but it’s still great to have this excellent amenity within easy reach.
Tanglewood is three storeys over basement and its owners have turned the house into a paradise for their three kids, converting the basement into a wonderful kids’ play space, ideal for parties or just letting the kids run wild on a rainy day. This space could also make a great artists’ studio or a workshop. They also decorated and furnished the children’s bedrooms to make bedtime magical.
For potential buyers, the magic begins in the spacious entrance hall, with its Crema Marfil marble-look floor and vertiginous triple-height ceiling with large windows, letting lots of light cascade down. The staircase splays out at the bottom and leads up to a gallery landing. There’s space in the hall to hang coats and leave buggies/scooters and a guest toilet. To the right of the hall are two large interconnecting reception rooms stretching from the front to the back, with Crema Marfil floors and matching limestone fireplaces – one with gas fire and the other with wood-burning stove. The drawingroom to the front has a feature bay window.
Rate of home mortgages over 90 days in arrears falls to lowest in 15 years
Greystar buys Dublin student housing scheme for around €150m
Typical price paid for home by first-time buyer up €88,000 on five years ago
Housing in Ireland is among the most expensive and most affordable in the EU. How does that happen?
The real hub of the house, though, is the kitchen/dining/family area which stretches to 74sq m (800sq ft) over two levels. The kitchen is fully fitted with floor-to-ceiling units, top-of-the-range appliances including Fisher & Paykel free-standing fridge and Liebherr wine cabinet, black granite worktops and a large island. Off this is a well fitted-out utility room with a Belfast sink, washer and dryer and integrated Bosch upright freezer.
[ Sea view from airy Dalkey five-bed for €2.25mOpens in new window ]
Down a few steps is a stunning dining/family space with vaulted ceilings and windows all round, overlooking the rear garden. The southwesterly aspect means the sun pours in here and the owners fitted neat blinds all around in case it gets too blindingly bright.
The back garden has a neat lawn, with a big patio area that makes use of the evening sun. There’s an external plant room here and storage for bikes.
Upstairs are six bedrooms: five doubles and one single which is used as a home office. The main bedroom has double doors, wide-board timber flooring and built-in wraparound wardrobes. It commands superb views over Airfield and the Dublin mountains. It also has custom-made shutters to ensure privacy. Behind double mirrored doors is an opulent large en suite, with marble flooring, double shower unit and a free-standing cast-iron bath.
Bedroom two has a bay window overlooking the front of the house and an en suite with tiled flooring. The bathroom has a Fired Earth washstand and Grohe walk-in shower and is currently being used by the family’s au pair. Most of the bedrooms have built-in wardrobe space and some have handy undereaves storage. There’s also a large walk-in closet with full-length fitted wardrobes and a hatch with Stira leading up to the attic. The main bathroom has a free-standing bath, Grohe shower cubicle tiled in marble and a free-standing Vernon Tutbury washstand.
[ Turnkey three-bed terrraced home off Ennis road in Limerick for €369,000Opens in new window ]
Besides its proximity to Airfield, Tanglewood is also handy for Dundrum Town Centre and the Luas Balally stop is just a short walk away. Schools including Mount Anville secondary school are within easy reach and the owners say the excellent network of cycle paths means the family members get around on two wheels with minimum hassle.
The house is secure behind automated entrance gates with an intercom and the house is fully alarmed with outside security lighting and is wired for TV. The home has an energy-efficient B2 Ber with a gas-fired central heating system.
Tanglewood extends to a generous 424sq m (4,564sq ft) and is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €2.475 million.
