CO WICKLOW: €400,000:SET HIGH on Silsean mountain in north Co Wicklow, a modern house called the The Ledge commands a bird's eye view over the Blessington lakes.

The three-bedroom house, on the outskirts of Ballyknockan village, is for sale through Murphy Real Estate Alliance, asking €400,000.

The Ledge was built in the 1970s but was substantially refurbished and extended in 2004 by its owners, poet Jim McAuley and his wife, Deirdre, who have decorated the house in a warm, easy-going style.

Polished timber floors run throughout and there are beamed ceilings in most of the rooms, including a large, comfortable bathroom, designed for sitting around in with an Oriental rug and piles of books and an armchair.

The brightly decorated hallway, furnished with books and art, leads through to a airy livingroom with floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s plenty of space to group sofas around a fireplace set into a full-height, exposed stone chimney breast. The livingroom opens directly through to the kitchen, which is sleek and modern with neat, pale timber units and a tiled floor. There is space for a small dining table in front of yet another picture window that frames the view.

The main bedroom is at a lower level and is another spacious and bright room, with access to the garden. There’s a good-sized ensuite and also a reading area with bookshelves.

Readers and writers alike will appreciate the office, a separate chalet in the grounds, with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on two sides.

The Ledge, Ballyknockan, Blessington, Co Wicklow

Three-bedroom house with bookish interior and superb views over Blessington Lakes, built in the 1970s but refurbished and extended in 2004.

Agent: Murphy Real Estate Alliance