A Victorian villa near the sea in Sandycove comes with the ultimate glass box extension, as well as surround sound, mood lighting and more for €2.25m
THE ULTIMATE glass box extension, a €10,000 bathtub, and a light system that allows for 200 different colour combinations in the bedroom are just some of the features inside number 2 Lower Albert Road in Sandycove.
The Victorian semi-detached villa was gutted and rebuilt in penthouse style by its owner, a young businessman who called on top-level contacts in the design and building world to achieve the transformation.
Now the two-bedroom house is on the market asking €2.25 million through estate agent Owen Reilly.
The owner, who is relocating to the UK, says he's unlikely to recover his investment in the house which was redesigned by HKR Architects with a host of features normally associated with large-scale commercial projects such as the extension designed by glazing expert Sean Billings, with its slim, electronically operated shades that glide silently across the roof. These alone cost £14,000 (€16,760).
The eye-watering spec also included over €100,000 for a bespoke audio visual system designed by Cloney Audio; a €60,000 kitchen, and a pebble strewn fireplace that the owner spotted in a scene in the James Bond movie Casino Royale. There's a fully equipped gym, and super luxurious bathrooms.
Striking contemporary landscaping by Bernard Hickey includes swathes of black gravel, basalt paving, and leafy shrubs that sway behind glass panels lit by LED lighting.
Interior magazines have been clamouring to feature the 186sq m (2,000sq ft) house, which is near the junction with Sandycove Road, close to Fitzgeralds pub and a short walk from the seafront.
However, the owner, a perfectionist who designed much of the interior himself, with the help of fashion designer Helen Cody, admits that the market may be limited for this kind of home.
The neighbourhood is popular with rich retirees who want to be close to the sea and Cavistons.
Number 2 would be ideal for downsizers with attitude - empty nesters who want a cutting-edge home to entertain in rather than a cosy nest.
It will also be eyed by affluent singletons aiming to move straight in with just a suitcase - the entire furnishings, most of it Italian and very expensive, may be bought by separate negotiation. New owners would be foolish not to: the Poliform bookcase in the glass-box livingroom, for instance, was made to order, and fits exactly into its niche, while the diningroom suite is terrifyingly smart.
The layout flows well with a double livingroom on one side of the white, airy hallway. Underfloor heating throughout the ground floor is super efficient.
Turn right at the end of the hall and you are in the pristine white kitchen which opens into the perfect glass box livingroom that overlooks a large sheltered patio. A limed timber staircase off the kitchen leads up to the bedrooms - you can pause at the bottom to set the music in a key pad that offers a "party mode" option. There's a smart guest bedroom with black tiled shower room, but the main bedroom is a show stopper, with its spa-like bathroom, sink-in carpet and walk-in dressingroom that includes a shelved attic with space to store everything a man about town could want.
