Dormer is one of a kind in an oasis of suburban calm

THERE’S a timeless aesthetic to certain houses which you know will appeal to a lot of viewers.

It’s not about the quality of the various bits and pieces and not necessarily about the house itself — it’s how it’s put together and how it feels.

No 6 The View is just such a house, a warm appealing family home that justifies the brochure’s praise. Built about 10 years ago, it’s a 2,200 square foot detached dormer at the very beginning of the Broadale estate on Maryborough Hill, Cork.

The estate, which is fully mature, is McInerney-built with a broad range of house types.

The View, however, is comprised of a few self-builds in a narrow row which faces onto a wild, woodland valley.

It’s calm and private here and No 6 isn’t overlooked at the rear either, adding to its attractions.

And while the house isn’t on a very big site, it’s perfectly proportioned and finished.

There’s plenty of parking to the front, with enough left over for a well-planted garden at the rear.

The main entrance hallway is square, but dominated by the staircase which runs left across the back of the hall and on to a wide gallery. One of the large dormers on the roof lights this space from on high and the ceiling is in soft cream sheeting, with a wall of art work along the stairs.

Handmade double doors lead down to a sunken drawing room with cool, modern furniture and a raised hearth at one end. Again, the walls are filled with images and family portraits and fine panelling runs along to waist level.

So far, so formal, but once you enter the kitchen door, the entire house opens up. First, there’s a big statement run of units in cherry, with beech worktops and hand-painted doors. The kitchen is dominated by an island that runs the length of the room and at one end, there’s a utility and bathroom: at the other a dining table and dresser in cream.

Light streams in through a big sun room which runs perpendicular to the kitchen/diner and opens out into the garden.

While the kitchen is finished in wide plank, blond oak, this room has underfloor heating and is tiled. An L-shaped couch fits the room perfectly. Double doors lead out to a patio set in the crook of the two rooms and then overhead, there’s a large, dormer extension running the full length of the dwelling and finished in clay shingle.

This is a genius piece of work because it extends the upper floor beyond the strict parameters of a dormer. Not only does it give increased head room, but it adds extra square footage to all of the bedrooms, making the house functional and comfortable.

The rest of the ground floor is taken up with an informal living room, (with clever bi-fold doors that allow more useable space on either side). Soft, muted colours are used throughout and the house is finished to a tee: buying here means little else needs to be spent.

The bathrooms are all newly completed with timeless cream marble tiling and double showers, even in the master suite. And each room has a range of tasteful fitted wardrobes and study units, with light flooding into the back rooms courtesy of big windows in the dormer extension.

No 6 The View is a detached, one-off in a large, suburban setting and has all the amenities that involves, but then, there’s the mature woodland and the privacy it offers.

Sean McCarthy of ERA Downey McCarthy Murphy is inviting offers of €625,000 for this lovely house.