Sydney Lodge is that rare and paradoxical thing: a country house in the city. It is on Booterstown Avenue, which is handy for schools, shops, the Dart and the city centre, plus you've got the sea at the bottom of the road.
But when it was built, in 1847, Dublin hadn’t spread out so much. The detached house was either a farm house, or a steward’s lodge for the Fitzwilliam estate.
The current owner, who has lived there for 40 years, raising her family of four, isn’t quite sure. “One thing I do know,” she says, “is that it’s a very happy house”.
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Gorgeous windows
She’s right, but what is it that makes it so? The layout and proportions help: you get Georgian elegance and style, without the sometimes daunting grandeur of the taller period residences we’re so familiar with in Dublin.
There are gorgeous windows, and that dedication to natural light that the Georgians were so good at, as well as generous fireplaces (one of them is an Adam), but the formality isn’t so rigorous.
And even though the public transport and local amenities are so good you may seldom want to use your car, there’s off-street parking for two cars to the rear in the charming walled garden, which also has lawns, mature planting, seating and a small shed.
Inside, and off the hallway downstairs are a drawing room, diningroom and famil room, which all have the charm of a house lived in and loved for more than four decades, while to the rear in a well-thought out, and in-keeping extension, is a bright contemporary kitchen with a cosy stove.
There’s also a smaller inner hall, with a pair of pantries, a study and a downstairs wc/bathroom. Upstairs is a wide landing, with five bedrooms (one is off the return); a mix of singles and doubles.
There’s a very large family bathroom which can also be accessed from the master bedroom that has a lovely dual aspect, and views to the mountains. In all there is 245sq m (2,637sq ft) of accommodation.
Sydney Lodge, which is for sale with Lisney at a guide price of €1.5 million, has a charming atmosphere, some very nice original features, and all the timeless ease and grace of a period home, but the kind of period home where you and your family can relax and feel very at home indeed.
