Going Dutch in city suburb
Live the high life in Low Countries style, suggests Paul Drury
THE historical twist of fate only became apparent to Richard McKeon once he had moved into the handsome Dutch-style villa on Glasgow’s south side. He was drawn to the house because of its ornate frontage, reminiscent of homes alongside the canals of the Low Countries.
He had also been brought up in a house with Dutch influences just a few streets away in the suburb of Newlands.
But when he became the owner of 7 Mulberry Road, it triggered a coincidence that echoes down through the years.
His sister, Lisa, lived next door in a nearidentical property but what he did not realise was that both houses had been commissioned by spinster sisters in the 1930s because they wanted to live close together.
Mr McKeon, a businessman in the city’s rag trade, said: ‘I guess you could call it a nice coincidence. More than 80 years after they were built, they are both occupied by siblings once more.
‘My sister and I were brought up in a house in the Dutch style not far away, so perhaps we have been influenced by the look without even realising it.’
There is no authoritative explanation why the style emerged in the Glasgow suburb but both homes cut distinctive figures with their sloping red-tiled roofs and decorative gables.
This home comprises three public rooms and five bedrooms in firstclass decorative order. The ground floor consists of a good-sized lounge, dining room, kitchen and sitting room, which offers access to the garden through French doors.
The garden is one of the main attractions of the property, stretching further than you would expect of a villa of this size.
If that’s not big enough for you, Newlands Park and Pollok Country Park are a short distance away.
The gazebo is also worthy of mention; it’s where Mr McKeon and his wife Heather were married.
The five bedrooms are upstairs, along with a luxury family bathroom refurbished by Porcelanosa.
The rich specification includes gas central heating, double glazing, an integral Bose sound system, CCTV and twin electrically operated gates.
The secluded location belies the home’s proximity to one of the main thoroughfares to the city centre. Standing in the garden, you cannot hear the traffic on Kilmarnock Road, which can whisk you into town in 15 minutes.
Just a few minutes takes you into Shawlands, a miniature town on its own with pubs, banks, supermarkets and some of the best restaurants south of the Clyde.
When you get the bill from one of its fine eateries, make sure you settle it yourself... ‘Going Dutch’ stops when you leave this front door.