Detached Blackrock home offers countryside feel a short hop from the city

Address: Priory Bank, Sydney Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin

Price: €1,950,000

Agent: Lisney Sotheby's International Realty

It was the countryside-like setting juxtaposed with city convenience that attracted the current owners to buy Priory Bank, off Sydney Avenue in Blackrock, Co Dublin, 11 years ago. The 1970s bungalow occupies a wonderfully private site at the end of a quiet laneway, and is just minutes from Blackrock village.

With an engineering background and a good builder on board, they were able to retain much of the bungalow’s original footprint while removing the interior walls and reconfiguring the layout.

The B-rated house now extends to 155sq m (1,668sq ft) and benefits from an emphasis on natural light and a flow through the rooms that extends out to the garden. Accessed through a gated, gravelled driveway, it feels removed from the surrounding urban setting, with mature trees providing privacy from the outside world.

The front door, to the right of the building, opens into a reception hall where built-in storage helps keep the space uncluttered. From here, the layout leads into an open-plan area that incorporates the kitchen, living and dining spaces. Full-height glazing along the rear opens the room towards the southeast-facing garden, allowing natural light in throughout the day.

In the kitchen, the cupboards reach from floor to ceiling, adding to the sense of height in the room. A large island provides seating for six, and a four-ring hob is positioned opposite it, alongside additional units with a marble worktop.

The living area also faces the garden and opens into a more formal diningroom. A second reception room provides another space to retreat to, with all rooms beautifully designed with a mix of modern fittings and antique pieces.

There are two double bedrooms, one of which is en suite, while the other has exclusive use of the main bathroom. There is also the main bedroom suite, which was created by adding to the floor space of the original house.

“We made it into our little haven so we could decamp into our own studio if the kids had taken over the kitchen,” one of the owners says.

The house wraps around a garden that looks as neat as the indoor spaces. The owners undertook the landscaping themselves, planting ferns and mature shrubs around an artificial lawn. Extensive timber decking provides space for outdoor dining and relaxing, allowing the garden to be a regular extension of the living areas.

During Covid lockdowns, the owners built a small bar to one side of the garden. It has a fold-up hatch at the front and a separate door to the side, adding a bit of fun to the space. The garden is not overlooked from any angle, while a gate provides access to Blackrock Tennis Club, which the family used regularly during their time at the house.

A garden room was also added at the entrance gate, which the owners had as a teenage den and later a home office, offering a degree of separation from the main house.

Despite the sense of seclusion, the property, which is on the market with Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty guiding €1.95 million, remains close to Blackrock village and its amenities. Schools within a short walking distance include Carysfort and Booterstown national schools, as well as St Andrew’s, Blackrock College and Sion Hill.

With the children now grown up and making their own way in the world, the owners are looking forward to their new chapter in life.

“We’re reaching an age where we’re thinking, ‘Do we have one more project in us?’ and I think we do. We’ve done up a few houses before, and we’ve learned so much along the way, so we’re excited about taking on a new challenge.”