Bright bungalow with an eye on the garden

Delgany/€1.05m: A light-filled house designed by an architect has three doors opening onto a patio and an acre of landscaped gardens. Anne Dempsey reports

Springhill, Dromont, Delgany, Co Wicklow, an exceptional bungalow on an acre of landscaped gardens, will be auctioned on November 3rd with Hassett guiding €1,050,000.

Dromont is a 10-year-old development of large homes set in great privacy and tranquillity around a medieval castle between Greystones and Delgany, and retaining many large beech trees and hedgerows.

The 167.5sq m (1,800sq ft) interior of Springhill was designed by Dublin architect Paul Arnold, who gracefully fulfilled his brief to create a light-filled home. The ceiling in the hall and kitchen soars up to glass panels, many rooms have an abundance of windows, some internal doors are glazed.

The rooms flow into each other, and three have patio doors to the garden. There is an underfloor heating system. Internal building work, including the fitting of maple flooring and beechwood doors throughout, was undertaken by John Staunton of Glenealy, Co Wicklow and the garden, which features a pergola and herb garden, was designed by horticulturist Tanya O'Brien of Kilquade, Co Wicklow.

The hall door opens onto a dramatic square hall floored in Liscannor slate with a high ceiling and Velux window. The sittingroom to the left has a vaulted ceiling, limestone fireplace and four windows giving a lovely variety of views, including sea glimpses. Elegant window shutters rule out the need for curtains, and double doors open to a recessed patio.

The diningroom has a wood-panelled ceiling, another clutch of windows, patio door to the garden, and recessed open shelving currently furnished with books and dinner plates.

The high ceilinged kitchen/breakfastroom - with light pouring in from a row of roof windows - is intelligently designed for the committed cook. There is a comprehensive range of integrated equipment, including a Rayburn range in forest green, Siemens stainless oven and microwave, Scholtes oven and hob, fridge/freezer, washing machine and dryer.

The floor and central island units are in yellow-painted wood, the Marmoleum floor is a pinky-red. A large dining table sits beside the patio doors, and the kitchen opens into both sitting and diningroom.

There are three bedrooms. The main room has a domed ceiling, Jotul wood-burning stove and several windows, one with a deep window seat. Its en suite with bath and Mira shower is tiled in mid-blue mosaic. There is also a walk-in dressingroom. Two further bedrooms each have wardrobes with shelf and hanging space, their doors painted a sky blue. The family shower room is decorated in white with blue mosaic tile.

Entrance gates are electronically controlled and the front drive curves round to a carport with a timber-panelled roof beside the front door. A separate large garage could become a home office or have other use. The gardens feature a picturesque recessed south-west facing patio, a pergola with honeysuckle and roses in season, herbaceous border, mint garden and large areas of lawn with apple trees. A fig tree sited in a sunny spot supplies figs to the household each summer.