There is a certain cachet with The Burnaby – large period houses arranged on private sites just a stone’s throw from the beach in Greystones
Ironically, Col Burnaby – the man from which the estate takes its name – only ever spent two weeks there, for the sole purpose of meeting his future in-laws. They were the family of his fiancé Elizabeth Hawkins Whitshed, who lived at Killincarrig House – now Greystones Golf Club.
Killincarrick Road runs to the side of The Burnaby, and its many Edwardian and late Victorian houses add interest to the streetscape.
Pine Lodge, set inside electric gates, was built 15 years ago, and its décor is testament to how well period furniture can sit within a modern house.
It has echoes of a French country home; filled with antiques that sit happily in a really relaxed atmosphere. There is no formal dining room – the kitchen is of ample size to accommodate 10 for dinner, and the spacious utility facilitates this, while also allowing lots of storage.
An elegant drawing room is located adjacent to the kitchen with a period fireplace as its central focus. Again, the attention to detail becomes apparent – the curtains dress the room appropriately, providing a period feel. Set under simple pelmets the drapes comprise an incredible volume of expensive material - falling perfectly flush to the polished wood floor.
From here there is access to the rear garden, which is almost maintenance free – as there is no lawn. Instead, large raised beds filled to the brim with colourful shrubs and flowers are arranged around a paved courtyard.
To the front of the house is the family living room – which is also used as a home office, and a bedroom lies opposite.
The house when it was originally built had four bedrooms in total, but in its current layout it has three, as the principal bedroom now has a spacious dressing room – in lieu of the fourth bedroom. It will be a simple task to reinstate the fourth bedroom should new owners require.
A little piece of history lies at each end of the property; the rear walls are constructed with granite which once fenced in St Vincent’s Hospital and the flagstone paving in the front porch once stood outside the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.
Pine Lodge is a special house as it has achieved that lovely balance that very few modern properties get right – the marriage of modern convenience with period pieces – and not a reproduction ceiling rose or cornice in sight.
The property, which extends to 260sq m (2,800sq ft), is on the market in turnkey condition for €1.25 million through Sherry FitzGerald.
Given the prices of new houses in the Marina Village development by Glenveagh Homes up the road, where 216sq m (2,325 sq ft) semi-detached properties are being sold off plan from €1.05 million, Pine Lodge on a private site – which lies in part of the Burnaby Estate – is likely to attract interest.
