September 21, 2012

I’ll Take This: Irish Georgian

With the death of the Celtic Tiger, property values in Ireland have sunk like a stone. The Irish currency is tied to the Euro, not the British pound, so Ireland’s taken more of a beating than England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have. So there are some great properties for sale in Ireland, and I noticed a great one in the New York Times today.

I love that this isn’t your typical Georgian heap, but it’s got a little more character. There are about a dozen chimney pots (and probably, once upon a time, a corresponding number of fireplaces) and a great huge Palladian window. A coat of paint would really make this place glow! imageLOVE this front hall with the matching gilt mirrors and the separate staircase. And the dahlias are a great touch. They’re probably from the property’s gardens.imageGreat sunny library with its messy bookshelves and collection of Toby Jugs. I can imagine curling up on that squishy looking sofa and reading the day away.imageGreen velvet wallcovering, great mirror, horrible chairs. imageThe main kitchen is in the basement, but look at the height of the ceiling! And the Aga fits perfectly in the old cooking hearth. I am curious what’s just to the left of it. An old bread oven?imageThe sink that so many new kitchens aspire to be… but fail miserably.imageMore of the kitchen, with mismatched chairs, another messy bookcase and the great high ceiling.image

Upstairs hallway. Isn’t that doorway amazing? It seems more like the American South than Ireland. I love prints and sculptures of animals done by people who’ve clearly never seen one. Have you ever known a camel to look like that?image

I had a suspicion the wonderful window was at the landing of a staircase, and indeed it is!image

First/ground floor study – I think that a lot of the room’s detail is lost in the red wallpaper. Obviously a movie buff. Are these all Irish films?image

I am not wild about any of the bedrooms, so I am going to skip them. You can find the article and all of the images here.

Love this view and love the dog. If he’s like any of the border collies and herders I knew in Wales, he’ll nip your heels!image

The house and 30 acres are on the market for $1.7 million or €1.35 million. And the property tax is only €100!

22 comments:

  1. Meg Meg Meg. The camel with one hump is a Domedary. There is a camel with two humps that is called a Bactrain Now Meg the camel with no humps , what do you call a camel with no hump. Humphrey.

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  2. The Irish (Republic of Ireland) currency IS the Euro, (not "tied" to it), much to their chagrin, sadly. That said, I do enjoy the Georgian symmetry, but it does need a bit (a lot?!) of work on it.

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    1. Corrected! Thanks. I knew that, but don't know why i wrote it that way.

      I wonder if the work that it needs is mainly cosmetic?

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  3. it looks like real people live there. a diamond in the rough.

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    1. Linda... i think when you look at the european design/decor magazines, the houses seem much more lived in and much less styled.

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  4. The kitchen is fabulous, and I love the proportions of the millwork throughout the home, especially the skinny trim framing the arched entry to the dining room and the curved paneling in the deep casing of that arched window in the landing.

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    1. can't you just picture a huge family and friends hanging out in the kitchen, drinking lashings of tea?

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  5. the dining room chairs don't bother me -they look old, simple and solid which is fine - but the wall to wall carpeting KILLS me......it was the first thing to get ripped out of my new place!

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    1. stephan... especially since many of the other floors are so good-looking!

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  6. I'll take it! I agree with ArchitectDesign the wall to wall must come out! xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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  7. I'll come visit Peggy in the summer. This is a super house.
    Mary

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    1. me, too. we can all hang out in the kitchen. it's my most favourite place in the house.

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  8. Just found your blog today ! Love this post and this house. Being Irish in the U.S.A. if I ever do return home to Ireland I would love if it were to a house like this....sigh....I can dream right ?

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    1. Welcome, Brenda! So glad that you have found us and we hope you stick around!

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  9. Love it. The bedroom with the animal mural reminds me of the one I painted for my kids when they were small. I took the design from their sheets and put it on one wall. They loved it.

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    1. I thought it was really cute, but I wasn't wild about any of the other bedrooms they showed, and could have been very curious to see the baths!

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  10. Hello Meg,
    I, too, love this house. Was drawn to it on the NYT website, and spent more than a little time studying it. With but a million euros or more of cosmetic investment (on top of buying it) the place would look marvelous, indeed! Given how cheaply good 18th and 19th century furniture is going at auction for these days, you could fill the joint up with it quite easily. My guess, by looking at the study's posters, is that this house either belongs to Daniel Day Lewis, or someone who is obsessed with him and his career! Reggie

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  11. The cabinet to the left of the Aga looks like an old silver safe. M.

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