Georgian home has a surprising interior
A big surprise lurks behind the Georgian frontage of this classical rural home
The real surprise about Birchville House is that it is a completely newly built property, its streamlined, light-filled contemporary interior a complete contrast to the Georgian façade to which it pays homage.
That façade is a story in itself. Today, it looks exactly as the old farmhouse did about 200 years ago...brand new. When the owner bought Birchville, it was in dire need of renovation. He had planned to re- tain and refurbish the original front wall and build a modern five-bed 348.3sq. m/3749sq.ft home behind it.
But when the old building – which was of little architectural value apart from the façade – was demolished, it was discovered that the old foundations weren’t deep enough to support the
new building and the old façade had to go.
Consultations with the planners ensued and they agreed that he would build an exact reproduction of the original double-fronted farmhouse, complete with Georgian-paned, deeply recessed sash windows, granite sills set into thick walls and a front door with an overhead fanlight. The house was also roofed with old slates and the result is as you see it, a beautifully proportioned contemporary interior with all the modern comforts hidden behind a traditional, creeper-clad Georgian frontage.
A gravel avenue, old limestone paving, stone-walled outhouses, a large lawn and mature trees are the perfect foil to this luxurious property.
Inside, a wide hall opens to the interconnecting and more formal living room and dining room to the right. These dual aspect rooms have two large windows at the front and a french door that opens onto the patio at the back. Heating throughout is underfloor and there is also an open fireplace.
On the left of the hall is a family sitting room, again lit by the large Georgian-style windows at the front. It opens into the family kitchen and breakfast room. Here, a beautifully fitted, stylish, high-tech Gaggenau kitchen provides a simple contrast to the feature range cooker and black slate floor. There is a large study off the family room and a big games room at the back large enough for a pool table and gym equipment.
The stairs are traditional and all the more attractive for it, lit by the double-height, west-facing Georgian-style window that allows light to flood through the house.
The master bedroom suite is on the right – a huge bedroom with an internal balcony, dressing room and bathroom with a huge walk-in shower. There are four more bedrooms and a bathroom.
The house stands on mature gardens with stone out offices in the middle of Kilquade, near the Druid’s Glen Hotel and golf course. This is a popular residential area in north Wicklow, close to schools and the pretty St Patrick’s Church and a short drive from the N11, Greystones and the Dart.
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Greystones, (01) 287 4005