Dermot Bannon’s builders turn to big single home projects
Beloved of Dermot Bannon, Sugrue delivers a Dublin home that signals a trend for boutique builders thinking big, writes
THE BRAMBLES Streamstown Lane, Malahide, Co Dublin Asking price: €1.595m Agent: Savills North Dublin, (01) 8530630
THERE’S no doubting the popular draw and screen presence of telly architect Dermot Bannon as the lynchpin presenter of his RTE hit show Room to Improve .Butthe lanky (and sometimes cranky) one with the penchant for box extensions has been given a run for his money more than once on air by Cormac Sugrue, the builder Bannon often favours with many of his on-screen one-off house projects. Appearances by Cormac of Sugrue Builders have lit up Twitter more than once with a largely female contingent clamouring to express a swooning appreciation for the tradesman’s talents. But proving that Sugrue, the family firm of 40 years, is up for more than extensions, is the firm’s latest one-off project at Malahide just completed on behalf of Red Emerald. In the aftermath of the crash wipeout, surviving boutique firms like Sugrue, which were careful through the boom years, have been quickly clambering upmarket, taking a niche for luxury new one-off homes which can be built over a year or two on sites in luxury locations. All across the capital, a few strong small to mid-sized firms have been making a name for themselves in period home conversion and extensions with quality bespoke workmanship and finishes not seen since Irish building outfits employed their own craftsmen and ran them on strict apprenticeship systems of old. Now these firms are moving into one-off home building at the very top end. Located at Streamstown Lane in Malahide, The Brambles is a double fronted four-bedroom new home with more than a few differences on board. The approach throughout is for full on quality hand craft, just like in the days of old. Not least is the vaguely Georgian-inspired modern designer staircase in solid oak. It’s zany, arresting and stylish in equal measure and a triumph of bespoke carpentry. This home has bespoke skirts, bespoke hardwood doors, patio doors by Munster Joinery and solid wood floors in the main receptions. Craftsman joiner Peter McAuley is in evidence upstairs with his limed oak interiors in the master bedroom’s walk-in dressing room closet and similar work in a second bedroom. Downstairs McAuley Kitchens has provided a hand painted and bespoke kitchen with a wide planked limed wood floor. There’s a large island unit in Charleston Grey, stone worktops and upstands with an additional feature solid walnut worktop. It comes with a large traditional food larder. There’s a Quooker boiling water tap and all units are Neff. The house comes in at an A3 BER with passive house characteristics for energy efficiency. Accommodation includes a lobby, a main hall, a sitting room, a family room, home office, a guest wc and a kitchen and dining room at ground floor level. Upstairs all bedrooms have bathroom suite access while the master chamber has an ensuite and a walk-in dressingroom. Bedroom three also has a dressing room. Some wardrobes here are by Dakar. The list of top notch makers goes on. The house has top notch Villeroy & Boch bathroom ware including a svelte stand alone tub and ware by Roseberry with showers by Kohler and also by Hansgrohe. The house has been designed by MTW Architects and wired by Auden Electrical. The asking price for the property is €1.595m through Savills North Dublin.