Hard to believe looking at the turreted wonder at Sakura, 110 Churchtown Road Lower, that up until 12 years ago a modest 1930s bungalow had stood on the 0.3 acre site. The owners had lived in it for nearly 20 years before deciding the time was right to knock it and build the house of their dreams – so they had a lot of time to make a wish list.
In their ambitious build, there are not one but two beautifully crafted red-tiled turrets: the one to the front houses a striking curved staircase, the three-storey one to the rear which rises from the basement patio makes space for a circular meditation room for the owner opening directly off the main bedroom.
A basement was also on the wish list and at 93sq m it is larger than the bungalow that originally stood on the site. It is accessed via a staircase from the dining area at the rear.
To the front Sakura has the look of a traditional detached 1930s house with its bay windows, arched front entrance porch and red-tile roof. Inside there is a room on either side of the wide hall, one a bedroom en suite, the other a small dining room used as a home office. Beside that there’s a family room.
After that the layout is far from conventional.
A double-height living room, with a glazed wall and doors opening to a side patio provides a link between the front part of the house and the rear, where at ground floor is a bright eat-in kitchen and adjacent utility room. A bridge walkway overhead in the living room similarly connects the bedrooms upstairs to the front to those at the rear. There are four bedrooms up here (three with en suite) and a family bathroom.
Another decorative feature is the extensive use of custom wrought iron at the rear where there are Juliet balconies and a railed exterior walkway and staircase. Even with a 4,520 sq ft/420sq m house built on the site, there was still space for a substantial 38m (125ft) long garden and the house is set well enough back from the road to provide parking for several cars.
The owners are now downsizing and selling Sakura, 110 Churchtown Road Lower, through Savills, seeking €2 million.
