A high-end Killiney home with a Sicilian flavour that serves up a New York kitchen, an Ibiza-esque chillout zone, and a balcony where your morning salutations will literally greet the sun’s rise from below the sea.
Whether it’s on a beach after a long night out on holiday or standing at the top of a mountain and greeting the new day, there is something magical about watching the sun rise.
It gives hope at a serene time of the day when the rest of the world hasn’t quite woken up, as if the world is yours alone.
Address: Palermo, Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, County Dublin, A96 DP66
Asking price: €5.95 million
Agent: Vincent Finnegan
At Palermo, a Victorian villa built around 1848 in the Italianate style so favoured by those returning from Grand Tours of Europe, and that helped transform Killiney Hill during the mid- 19th century, this can be done from several spots.
These include the balcony running along the back of the house at hall level, from the principal bedroom or at garden level, where two sheltered terraces evoke the chillout lounges on party island Ibiza.
Houses on Killiney Hill Road in Killiney, Co Dublin, have some of the best sea views in the country, and Palermo may just be the property in pole position.
The two-storey-over-garden-level residence is on an acre of rolling lawn and overlooks Killiney Bay.
The current owners bought the property in 2019 from Fionla and the late Louis O’Sullivan, who ran very popular antique fairs.
Under architect Karen Brownlee and builder Sean Regan, the five-bedroom, five-bathroom residence has been completely transformed.
To take advantage of the views, the main living rooms are on the hall level, where both the kitchen and drawing room have bay windows at the back of the property that open onto the view.
And what a view it is. From the drawing room, you can see all across Killiney Bay and beyond.
A crescent-shaped sofa in a tourmaline blue velvet echoes the lines of the bay window and faces the open fireplace.
A panel on the wall may be a hand-painted design by de Gournay wallpaper.
You can access the kitchen through a door connecting from the drawing room.
It appears minimal in style, but the hard-working cabinetry and counter are concealed behind fold-back bespoke joinery by Rhatigan and Hick.
This New York kitchen style allows you to close the tall cupboard doors on the clutter and present a sleek island with waterfall countertops in quartzite as a monolith piece of furniture anchoring the centre of the room.
From here, French doors open out to a balcony that now spans the width of the house at the back, leading down via a wide spiral staircase to a terrace with not one but two seating areas below.
These open off garden-level rooms.
Halfway down the rolling lawn, there is a second terrace with built-in seating.
This location captures views of Bray Head and the Sugar Loaf across an expanse of sea.
A staircase with a striking striped red, grey and orange runner and a glass balustrade leads to the garden level.
The rooms here are timber-floored and have underfloor heating. A large study at one end opens onto the terrace outside. This, or the gym room, could be the fifth bedroom.
The family room, which has a wood-burning stove, is at the other end of the hall and also has access to the garden.
There’s a wine cellar through an arch in the old brick coal cellar, and the large utility room has a Belfast sink and lots of storage cupboards.
Four of the five bedrooms are on the first floor.
The best sea views in the house are in the principal bedroom, where you can see from Bray Head to Howth.
Three of the rooms have ensuite bathrooms, along with a family bathroom at this level. All are impeccably finished.
One has a mezzanine level and graffiti tiles from Design Emporium in its ensuite.
Outside, two gravelled terraces are sheltered beneath the main balcony and look down the rolling lawn.
A gate near the bottom opens onto Strathmore Road, from where it’s a reasonably short walk, past Bono’s house, to Killiney beach and Killiney Dart station.
Extending to 425 square metres with a C3 BER rating, agents Vincent Finnegan is seeking €5.95 million for the Victorian house.
Last May, Palermo first came to market seeking €7.25 million for both it and a new A-rated mews house.
Palermo is still available with the mews at that price. The mews is not for sale separately.
