Address: The Slopes, Knapton Road, Monkstown, Co Dublin
Price: €1,595,000
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald
Arriving at the Slopes on Knapton Road in Monkstown feels a little like pulling on to the set of a 1970s film. A gravelled driveway leads to a bridge that brings you up to roof level, where you park before stepping through the front door. From this vantage point, the house appears almost as if it is emerging from the ground. The land around the entrance was intentionally kept flat so cars can turn easily before exiting. Entry is into what the owners call the “penthouse”, and it is only once inside that the full layout becomes clear.
Built in 1978, the design of the house was heavily influenced by the Edith Farnsworth House in Illinois by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Farnsworth’s house, positioned in a meadow beside a flood-prone river, was raised on steel supports and designed with extensive glazing to connect it to its surroundings. The Slopes adopts a similar approach. Constructed on steel and cast concrete columns, it is elevated to create a floating effect and to maximise its relationship with the garden.
The Slopes was built on a site that once housed a Victorian residence of the same name. When it was demolished, the land was divided into plots. The current owners had first choice and selected the elevated site that was known as the “sunny corner”.
Rooftop entrance 
Entrance hall known as the ‘penthouse’ 
Livingroom 
Kitchen
At entrance level a staircase runs down through the three floors, giving a view of the layers below. A 2m square window draws light into the centre of the house and highlights paintings by Irish artist Daniel Henson that were specially commissioned for the tall hall walls.
Down on the main floor are the kitchen, diningroom and livingroom. The kitchen has timber wall and floor units that were fitted in the 1970s but have stood the test of time and may still appeal to those who enjoy some retro chic. There is a raised breakfast bar and a hatch into the square-shaped diningroom.
The livingroom feels as though it is suspended among the trees with its dual aspect and height. It has a fireplace with exposed brick, and the only sound is from the birds outside who are celebrating a rare break from the rain.
Also on this level is the principal bedroom with en suite, along with a second bedroom and a bathroom. A door from the kitchen provides access to the gardens and to the undeveloped space beneath the house. This large area was not built out at the time but offers scope to extend the accommodation, subject to planning permission.
Down at garden level, there are three more bedrooms, each one feeling engulfed by the garden in the best possible way, along with a utility room and a shower room. This part of the house could be redesigned to create a separate living space for a relative or to generate income as a rental.
Main bedroom 
Staircase 
Bedroom 
Garden
The west-facing elevated gardens are planted with mature trees, shrubs and flowers, and include a pond. They overlook the grounds of Christian Brothers College Monkstown, with views out to the Dublin Mountains. The setting feels private and peaceful, but it is within walking distance of the village and Dart station.
In 2017 the house was upgraded with the installation of triple-glazed windows and additional insulation around the kitchen, bringing the energy rating to C2. The property extends to 200sq m (2,152sq ft) and is on the market with Sherry FitzGerald seeking €1.595 million.
For the family’s now grown-up children, the house is inseparable from a catalogue of happy memories that include playing ghost trains in the space beneath the structure, roller-skating on the roof, and later hosting milestone birthday parties. As they prepare to pass on this unique Monkstown home, their hope is that another family will fill the rooms with as much fun as they did.