Prestige property: your chance to own a Rennie Mackintosh

Altondyke, Bridge of Weir Road, Kilmacolm, Inverclyde.

Kilmacolm, situated between Port Glasgow and Paisley, is a highly sought-after Inverclyde locale, renowned for its grand houses, and the village features fascinating works by world-famous architects, including James Salmon and Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Indeed, the latter put his talents towards the design for Altondyke at the turn of the 20th Century, while working at Glasgow-based architects Honeyman and Keppie.

The modern-day practice – now called Keppie Design, and based in the city’s West Regent Street – was enlisted again in 2000 to create a rear extension for the house that was sympathetic to the original design.

Now, the four-bedroom detached villa is an impressive example of an Arts and Crafts design which is suited to contemporary family living, while adorned in delightful period features.

Altondyke, Bridge of Weir Road, Kilmacolm, Inverclyde. Image: Stuart Russell

“We refreshed it in quite a few areas to modernise the house to an extent, but we were really keen to keep the original features of the house,” recalls Pat Kenny, who moved into the property in February 2015 with his wife and two children.

“We haven’t done anything too drastic or fundamental, and we have tried to protect [its] integrity.”

The Kennys have installed a new bathroom with a large walk-in shower and free-standing rolltop bath, wood flooring in the ground floor, and a bespoke Newcastle Furniture Company kitchen, complete with a four-oven Aga range.

The house is entered via an elegant stone arch and its grand entrance hall features an Art Nouveau fireplace as an impressive focal point.

Its dual-aspect sizable drawing room features a vaulted ceiling with exposed wooden beams and a log-burning stove, while the formal dining room boasts an Adam-style fireplace and plenty of room for a sociably large dining table.

But at the heart of Altondyke is its open-plan kitchen, breakfast and garden room in the rear extension. It benefits from a huge island, light and airy vaulted ceiling, and elegant French doors that open onto the home’s rear terrace and garden.

A period staircase leads to the first floor which contains the four generously sized bedrooms.

Outside, the grounds extend to an acre and, despite the size, the gardens offer exceptional privacy.

“The seclusion the property has is what really first attracted me to it,” explains Pat, who works as an auditor. “It is almost hidden from anywhere apart from during the winter when the trees are a bit bare.

“The grounds cover an acre so when lockdown happened, we were really lucky to have been able to have that outdoor space.”

To the front and sides of Altondyke are well-maintained lawns, which benefit from sunlight for most of the day due to their south-facing position.

Electric gates open to a sweeping driveway bordered by mature trees and shrubbery, which Pat says have been strategically stocked to ensure privacy and year-round colour.

To the north are five garages, providing plenty of storage space.

Altondyke is just a short walk from Kilmacolm village centre, where there are plenty of independent shops, a Co-op outlet, and a strong community feel.

Pat explains that while he and his wife are reluctantly relocating due to family reasons, they will miss the location of the house which is abundant in greenery.

He adds: “Kilmacolm has a reputation for being a nice upmarket town that is commutable to Glasgow, which is only around 20 miles away.

“It has a really nice village centre with some local shops, including a butcher and baker, and a lot of people come here because of the really good school St Columba’s.

“There are lovely views from the house, and I think the overall tranquillity and privacy of Altondyke is quite rare.”

Altondyke is priced at offers over £995,000.

For more information, contact Robb Residential on 0141-225 3880.