A blanched Meath mansion with a stairs from Brown Thomas
Clean lines dominate a modern Meath mansion with a replica of stairs from Brown Thomas, writes
After months of living, working and playing in our homes, we’ve all been guilty of coveting our neighbour’s house at some point during lockdown. Who hasn’t looked on with envy at those who had a bigger garden, a spacious home office or a separate playroom for the kids?
A house in Reask near Ashbourne has just come on the market and should we end up back in lockdown, this would make the ideal isolation pad.
Don’t be fooled by the gates at the entrance to Astoria in Co Meath. They look like they might lead to a grand old period home but, in fact, at the top of the driveway is a house that was built only a decade ago.
It’s not the same house that the vendors bought back in 2002. When they were looking for a home outside the city, they couldn’t resist the location and size of the site, but the house wasn’t exactly what they would have called a dream home. What they bought was a newlybuilt mock Georgian house that just didn’t rock their boat, so after a few years of living there, they decided to go for planning permission to build a house that was more to their own taste.
In 2009, full planning was obtained to take the 2,800sq ft property to a whopping 6,200sq ft. Everything bar the front of the house was torn down. The facade had to be retained as a stipulation to the planning, but it was all that remained of the old building when construction work began. Once this wall was pinned to provide structural support, the massive renovation got underway.
It was a major project that took over a year to complete, but the owners made sure they got everything from their wish list into the new house.
The first thing on this list was a staircase that was modelled on the spiral staircase in Brown Thomas department store. The marble-slabbed concrete staircase is complemented by metal spindle work and a hardwood handrail. It’s definitely a bit of a show-stopper when you walk in the front door. With marble tiled floors, clean lines and white walls, the staircase looks right at home in this shiny, happy property.
The vendors also decided they would do whatever it took to make the house as energy-efficient as possible. The house is insulated to a high degree and has airtight membranes. There is a mixture of double and triple glazing windows and doors throughout the home, with Argon gas between the panes providing more thermal efficiency. Two Bosch Worcester geothermal pumps provide underfloor heating to both floors of the house and hot water is supplemented by vacuum solar panels. In the loft space there are three Itho HRU Eco 4 mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems that are controlled by wireless controllers.
There is also a dual day and night ESB meter installed to reduce the electricity costs associated with the heat pump, and with lighting coming from mainly LED and fluorescent sources, the annual cost for all heat and power in this very large A3-rated home is about €4,000.
The other thing the vendors wanted was a house where family and friends looked forward to visiting. This was achieved by putting in a huge kitchen with doors that open out to the patio to keep the adults happy. A playroom or den was installed beside the kitchen for the younger children.
For teens and young adults, this is the ultimate dream home. Not only does it come with its own tennis court and home cinema, but the two-storey detached garage has a gym and open-plan entertainment area with a bar, foosball and air hockey tables and a 5ft by 10ft snooker table.
The house may have a huge floor area, but it has been designed so that every room has a function and nowhere is left unused. Off the hallway is a study that was made for these remote-working times. It’s big enough to fit three desks, so a step up for anyone who has been working out of the spare bedroom.
Then there is the dining room that has folding doors into the living room, and doors from here into the kitchen. The whole area can be opened up, making it a great house for a party. The living room has a Bellfire wood-burning stove and is large enough for a seating area and a grand piano.
The kitchen is sleek and modern in design. The units and over-sized island are from Snaidero Italian Kitchens. Integrated appliances include Gaggenau electric and steam ovens, induction hobs and a coffee machine. There is also a double American fridge, a wine cooler and a pantry that is shelved and home to the wine cellar.
Beside the kitchen is a den or playroom, and on the other side is the highceilinged sunroom with a stove and double doors out to the patio.
There is one en-suite bedroom downstairs, while upstairs, off the atrium on the landing, are four more en suite bedrooms. Each of them has a walk-in wardrobe and television. The master bedroom has doors out to a balcony and the en-suite has his-and-her sinks, a rainfall shower, bath and a separate frosted glass screened WC area.
The three acres around the house are fairly low maintenance with lawn and a laurel hedging border. There is a shed for garden equipment and a 600sq ft dog run at the back of the house. The tennis court is tarmacadam and the patio has a porcelain tiled floor. The house is fully alarmed with electric gates at the entrance and remote access CCTV.
The property is about five minutes from Ashbourne village by car, where there’s a choice of four supermarkets. For younger children, St Andrew’s National School is nearby and private secondary schools like Castleknock College and Sackville are served by a commuter private bus service, with the journey taking just over half an hour.
With so much going on in one house, it would nearly take a lockdown for you to find the time to enjoy it all. Oh, and did I forget to mention the hot tub?