The development of the old Orwell Lodge Hotel site, on the corner of Orwell Park and Orwell Road, took so long to complete that the time-lag between when building eventually started in 2006 and when the apartments and two houses came up for sale the market had turned. The houses, semi-detached and facing on to Orwell Road came on the market seeking €3.8 million apiece. It was a price that rapidly moved downward so that when Grasia, 77A Orwell Road eventually sold in 2012, the Property Price Register recorded a price of €1.05million.
The three-storey box bay-fronted house, with granite pillars at its entrance, was always pitched at the high end of the market – similar in size to its period neighbours at 325sq m (3,500sq ft) but with the promise of comfortable contemporary living.
As well as a B3 energy rating, high-spec interior features in the German timber-frame home include Philippe Starck bathroom fixtures, Crema Marfil-tiles on the ground floor, stairs and landing – there is underfloor heating throughout – draught and soundproof doors and a luxury fitted kitchen with a massive island, top of the range appliances, and dark painted units topped with polished stone work surfaces.
The front door opens to a wide hall with glazed double doors opening into a good sized living room with American oak-flooring and a feature fireplace. To the back of the house is an open-plan kitchen/dining room with a large seating area. Off it is a well-fitted utility room.
It was originally sold as a six-bedroom home but comes on the market now as a four bed – each a double with en suite – a fifth bedroom has been fitted out as a dressing room, and the main bedroom now has a very large, room-sized walk-in wardrobe. The bedrooms are spread over two floors and above that is an attic room which work as another bedroom – the house is effectively four storey. There’s also a family bathroom and a guest toilet – so six bathrooms in all.
The east facing, townhouse-size rear garden – 7.45m by 8.77m (24ft by 29ft) – features a partially glazed outdoor room with heaters and seating facing a stone-faced barbecue. The area is fringed with planting designed by Formality.
The biggest change on Orwell Road since Grasia was built has been the development of the luxury Marianella scheme next door. Some of its townhouses now overlook Grasia’s rear garden.
There is off-street parking to the front for two cars.
Grasia, Orwell Road, is for sale through Lisney for €1.75 million.
