The devil is in the details. In addition to a starchitect name, you’ll find lift access to all floors, movies and gaming on tap, a statement staircase, a designer kitchen, and an A2 Ber-rating in this D4 home.
We’ve all watched the shows from Million Dollar Listing to Selling Sunset and The Parisian Agency and seen spectacular homes.
We can scroll for further inspiration forever on socials, but what these shows fail to illustrate is how the spaces they sell feel when you inhabit them.
The really good designs transcend superficial finishes and imbue a sense of comfort that is the foundation of every home.
But at this level, it's all a bit more elevated.
The real luxury is how the house feels to live in, how considered, relatable and comfortable it all is.
At the Merrion Road end of Shrewsbury, on the grounds of the former Chester Beatty Library, at 20 Shrewsbury Road, is a gated development of just seven luxuriously appointed homes.
Address: 3 Shrewsbury Gardens, Shrewsbury Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, D04 E9R9
Asking price: €4.5 million
Agents DNG Donnybrook
Called The Collection, and developed by Glenveagh, it launched in 2022.
The detached residences have been designed by Irish starchitect practice de Blacam and Meagher, and the brick and render fronts are sympathetic to the character of the surrounding Edwardian and Victorian architecture.
That same year, number 7 was among the most expensive houses to be sold in Ireland, with the 565 square metre, five-bedroom property transacting for a sum of €6.55 million.
This includes VAT of 13.5 per cent that is added to new builds.
Number 3 is a two-storey-over-basement level house, an A2 BER-rated residence that has underfloor heating throughout.
At its heart, it is a family home, pitched at the super-prime market.
The finishes are tactile without ever being showy. It’s a smart mix of form and function.
The four-bedroom, six-bathroom property opens into a spacious hall, laid in a solid, rubric-patterned timber floor.
A full-size lift is to the right and services all four floors.
Or you could choose to go up or down the floors via the statement staircase that climbs through the centre of the house.
Simple coving and ceiling roses add texture to the extra height rooms and draw the eye upwards.
The living room is at the front overlooking the formal gardens. Set in a box bay windowed room, it has a coffered ceiling, a gas-fire inset and pocket sliding doors that can close the room from the adjacent kitchen.
Mirror-backed, bespoke cabinetry occupies the alcoves on either side of the chimney breast and reflects light into the room.
These are painted a soft spring green.
The kitchen is designed by Rhatigan and Hick, purveyors of handcrafted cabinetry.
One wall has glazed cabinets, counterspace and a near full-height marble splashback, while the bespoke units running the length of the opposite wall are vegan leather-lined.
One of these is a pantry.
A long island fills the centre, big enough to comfortably seat four.
Double doors lead out from the kitchen to a small terrace.
Beyond is a set of steps down to the basement, where there is a large garage with roller shutters that can accommodate up to three vehicles.
The utility room is also here, which may seem like a mistake until you factor in lift access from the bedrooms to deliver laundry at the press of a button.
Part of the draw here, for many, will be the cinema room.
Designed and fitted by Cloney Audio, it is a place for the family to gather and watch movies on tap, binge mini-series or partake in a bit of next-level gaming.
The accommodation is across the first and second floors with two bedrooms on each level.
All have en-suite bathrooms.
The principal is on the first floor and enjoys the box bay window.
It includes a spacious ensuite bathroom.
Adjacent to it is a dressing room that was originally a study.
There are two more big bedrooms on the second floor, where the room at the front opens out to a balcony, where you can greet the day.
Extending to 380 square metres, number 3 originally sold in 2023 for €3,473,000, including VAT.
It is the first of the houses to return to the market.
Extending to 380 square metres, agents DNG Donnybrook have listed the property as POA (price on application), but it is expected to command in the region of €4.5 million.
