Carezza, a detached house built in 1928, takes its name from the Dolomite region in Italy where a young Irish couple had taken their honeymoon. When they returned to Ireland the father of the bride had a surprise for them: a brand new 5,000sq ft house on its own grounds in Shankill, to which they gave the name of the Italian spot.
It has had just two further owners since it was built almost a century ago, and the current residents, who purchased the house 27 years ago, added 3,000sq ft on to the house so it now gives a whopping 815sq m (8,773sq ft) of accommodation over two floors.
The extension, which was designed by the owner, took the form of a study, an atrium and a spa along with an extension to the existing diningroom.
The study, which has impressive wood panelling that runs over the walls and ceiling is warmed by a gas fire, which, along with fireplaces in the diningroom and lounge, were imported from Italy “and heat the rooms in minutes, while also being low cost to run,” according to the owners, who hope to move to the country to pursue equine interests.
No expense has been spared in the all-white Clive Christian kitchen with Italian marble laid in parquet style and warmed by underfloor heating. This room too has been extended by amalgamating ancillary rooms and now triple its original size, has a breakfast area and doors to the garden, while also being served by a fine utility room/cellar. With four chandeliers and lots of glazing, the room is incredibly well-lit. The countertops were imported from North America and fit well with the overall design of the room. “Every room is unique, we wanted to put our own spin on it but we didn’t want wooden countertops as we preferred the non-porous one we imported,” say the owners, who were heavily involved with all parts of the design.
A full bar – which changes colour – lies off the diningroom catering for guests before dinner. It was previously a snooker room and was also designed by the owners: “We both spent time in London and independently we both used to go to Quaglino’s [the brasserie-style restaurant in the heart of St James] and based our bar on theirs, but ours has a marble-effect onyx design.”
More colour-change effects happen in the spa, which is visible from the front door, as the owners designed the extension so you can see the whole way through the house right into the pool.
Here, his and hers changing rooms service a good-sized indoor pool, complete with relaxation beds, in addition to a sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. With two children, who they describe as avid swimmers, they use the pool on a daily basis, and the lady of the house often hosts girls’ lunches where they all end up relaxing poolside.
At this level, there is also a large conservatory (added by previous owners), an atrium with a special waterfall feature within its glazing and a large lounge, where the family tinkle away on a grand piano.
Upstairs lie five bedrooms and as you would expect the principal room is enormous. It has a substantial en suite, two dressingrooms and a balcony overlooking the gardens.
Gardens, which would have been larger a century ago, still retain just under an acre (0.9 acres) and are well laid out with mature plantings and herbaceous borders off a sweeping driveway. A large children’s playhouse and triple garage lie to the rear and side of the house, which has a Ber of D1.
The property is now on the market through Colliers, seeking €3.45 million.
