An Edwardian Shankill house gets a Hamptons-like glow-up that includes a bathroom with a view, museum glass on windows and artworks, 280 square metres of terraces to follow the sun, and open the house to the garden, its mature trees, and guest house.
Situated on the south county Dublin coast, Shankill is the last Dublin address before you hit the Co Wicklow border at Bray’s Dargle river.
It’s a spot savvy buyers recognised as offering value in large houses on lands and yet still within an easy commute to Dublin city centre, either by car via the M1, by Dart or Luas at Cherrywood, a 10-minute drive.
Hazeldene is one of the big houses in the postcode. Set on an acre of grounds, the original Edwardian-era house has been completely reimagined by architect Ciaran Mulhall, who now works for Demesne Architects.
Address: Hazeldene, Falls Road, Shankill, Dublin 18, D18 W3C2
Asking price €3.8 million
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Bray
Now a seven-bedroom, six-bathroom residence, including an annexe, it looks like it was transplanted from the Hamptons, the summer playground of New York’s elite.
Situated at the eastern end of Long Island, its proximity to Manhattan, world-class beaches, celebrity residents, and a vibrant property market hidden behind towering privet hedges, it has become a byword for relaxed luxury.
The summer season draws an A-list crowd. Sarah Jessica Parker summers here while Beyoncé & Jay-Z have a place in East Hampton.
So does Robert Downey Jnr. Gwyneth Paltrow grew up summering in Amagansett and still maintains property in the area, while Jennifer Lopez escapes to an eight-acre estate in Water Mill.
In Shankill, the local celebrities are Pádraig Harrington, the three-time Major championship winner, and RTÉ sports journalist and broadcaster Des Cahill.
The Hamptons is also considered one of America’s key art colonies since the late 19th century.
Drawn by its maritime light and quiet landscapes, the region evolved from an Impressionist haven into the birthplace of Abstract Expressionism. Jackson Pollock moved here, and Cindy Sherman has a house here.
Hazeldene is a house that could compete with the aforementioned celebs' East Coast homes.
Set on an acre of mature grounds that includes listed trees, it marries the same sense of privacy, scale, and finish.
Rebuilt in 2009, it has been reoriented to follow the sun and allow ease of access to the beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds.
Extending to that extends to 698 square metres, it now also boasts all the creature comforts the superprime buyer is looking for.
The A3 Ber-rated house opens into a double-height entrance hall.
The principal bedroom ensuite is above, and its crescent-shaped opening, a bathroom with a view that frames a tree canopy vista, can be seen here.
There are multiple access points to the wraparound terraces that allow you to follow the sun from daybreak to sundown.
All told, there are about 284 square metres of terrace to enjoy.
One of the standout parts is off the kitchen, where bi-fold doors open an entire wall to the outdoors.
The kitchen has a central rooflight that pools natural light over the task areas, including the island, which is over 3.5 meters long.
The property includes a two-bedroom annexe with a roof terrace that can be accessed from the kitchen and also has its own separate entrance.
A mahogany staircase leads up to the first floor, where the property’s five main bedrooms are.
The residence has underfloor heating throughout its two floors, warmed by a geo-thermal system.
There’s a biocycle system for the management of waste and wastewater, and a rainwater harvesting system.
The house is replete with art, and the owners have had all the works and the glazing throughout finished with museum-quality glass that blocks any glare, so the galleried spaces throughout can show off their works without fear of damage.
It demonstrates the attention to detail shown throughout.
While no one can liken Shankill’s shingle beach to those of the Hamptons, it gives swimmers and watersports fans direct access to the water.
From here, you walk all the way north to Killiney beach, also shingle.
Sherry FitzGerald Bray is seeking €3.8 million for the pristine property, which puts it at the top end of the Shankill market.
The most recent high-end sale in the area was Abingdon, a large and smartly decorated five-bedroom, five-bathroom period property with a contemporary extension on Shanganagh Road.
Extending to 461 square metres, including an annexe, it sold for €2.3 million last August.
