An accountant by trade, Audrey always aspired to be a chef, and in true carpe diem fashion, decided to start a seven-course fine dining experience straight from the living room of her Kildare home.
Five years later, if the walls of The Ranch, Dublin Road, Monasterevin, Co Kildare could talk, what kind of food and drink-charged chatter would they spill? Well, that's for the new owners to find out, as it's been put on the market for €695,000.
The Ranch, Dublin Road, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, €695,000.
In conversation with the Irish Independent, Audrey said The Ranch provided the inspiration for a "small, intimate" establishment with "candles and flowers and nice music".
"We only sat 12 people, but after doing a six-week course at JP McMahon’s cookery school in Galway, I kind of thought, 'Oh, God, I love creating dishes. So we opened a restaurant offering a seven-course tasting menu in our home'," she said.
The Ranch, Dublin Road, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, €695,000.
Audrey admitted, "Come Sunday morning, I couldn't get out of bed", after working as an account Monday through Friday, and working the dining experience exclusively on Saturdays.
The Victorian-era property itself is exquisite. Upon entrance, you're greeted by a welcoming hallway with high ceilings, ambient wall lighting, ornate coving, and a tiled floor.
The Ranch, Dublin Road, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, €695,000.
It also boasts a striking glass feature window, which allows colourful streams of light to flood in, while an original side window completes the design.
There's a guest WC decorated with elegant granite flooring and warm timber panel surrounds.
Elsewhere, the study is a light-filled space with two large windows that frame scenic views - in case you need a well-deserved break after being hard at work.
It boasts tongue-and-groove flooring, and the ambient wall lighting in the area makes it uber-comfortable and inspiring.
Next is the dining room, a beautifully appointed space with dual aspect windows, rich solid herringbone flooring, and stained glass accents. In keeping with the rest of the home, there's ornate coving, and double doors provide a seamless flow to adjoining rooms.
The stunning focal point of the room is a marble open fireplace with a cast-iron inset. Cosy!
The drawing room, which boasts warmth and character, is also on this floor. It has an original cast-iron open fireplace, dual aspect windows, and rich walnut herringbone flooring.
The Ranch, Dublin Road, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, €695,000.
The crème de la crème of the property for Audrey is the kitchen/breakfast/dining room, where her ideas and creations came to life. It's a spacious open-plan room which has views to both the side and rear gardens.
At its heart, there's a charming cast-iron oil-fired stove set against a brick wall. It has slate tiled flooring and solid cherry oak cabinetry, both of which perfectly complement the granite worktop and tiled splashback.
The Ranch, Dublin Road, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, €695,000.
On the first floor, there are five bedrooms, three of which are en-suite. There's also the main bathroom, which boasts beautiful old-world charm.
A home gym on this floor is a welcome addition for fitness fanatics, or it can be converted into another home office, studio, or hobby room. Whatever your lifestyle calls for!
* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.
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