It is testament to a property when two generations of the same family choose to make it their home. One of the current residents at 21 Greenfield Park, an impressive detached home in Donnybrook, has lived here since 1982. It is also where the owner’s wedding was hosted. On the big day, 200 guests dined in a marquee in the garden, he says. Rachel Lamb designed the grounds in question, which wrap around the house.
The ease with which this property is a movable feast is down to London-based architect Georgina Hutton, who was tasked with creating a Hamptons-style home in Donnybrook, akin to those that populate the New York state seaside resort popular with the rich and famous. The brief was to create “a lateral space where all the rear rooms open out to the garden and to create an easy flow within”.
London-based designer Serena Williams-Ellis curated the interior, which features lots of antiques, panelling, a bespoke Chalon kitchen and solid flooring. No expense has been spared in this meticulously kept home, which seamlessly integrates the gardens that surround it.
Works took a considerable two years to complete, resulting in a balance between formal and comfortable spaces and every inch of its 467sq m (5,024sq ft) has been well thought out. Most impressive is the temperature-controlled wine room; you can peek at the collection of vintages while en route to the kitchen/diningroom via an internal window.
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Off the main entrance hall lies a study and two bedrooms to the left, while the bulk of rooms lie to the right to take advantage of its aspect. Two spacious rooms in the form of a kitchen/diningroom and livingroom make the most of the gardens. These rooms are supported by a pantry, hot press, utility and separate linen room. Upstairs are three further bedrooms, all of which have garden views.
Last year the owners were approached by film production company Lionsgate, which requested to use the property for director Jan Komasa’s film Anniversary, a provocative thriller starring Diane Lane, which has yet to be released. “They were looking for a Hamptons-style American house and, as we were away for three months at that time, we said: why not? At the end of it, they even repainted the entire house and redid all the floors,” says the owner.
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Quite a number of sales have taken place on this road in recent years, and judging by Dublin City Council planning documents, many of those are in the process of complete renovations. For example, number 1 Greenfield Park, which achieved €3 million in 2021, is being renovated, as is number 24, a 337sq m house on 0.3 of an acre that sold for €1.875 million in 2023.
As one of the larger homes on the road – lying opposite Nutley Lane if you dissect the N11 dual carriageway – it also occupies a significant site as houses past the Greenfield Crescent tend to be double sites.
The C1-rated property in the heart of Donnybrook, close to University College Dublin and a several sought-after schools, is in walk-in condition. Its current owners, who have enjoyed the light, flow and location, have decided to rightsize due to an empty nest and have placed this pristine property on the market through Colliers, seeking €5.25 million.
