Life could be sweet at foot of Sugar Loaf

Four large new houses costing from €2.8m in a Wicklow village turned suburb are aimed at affluent southsiders. Anne Dempsey reports

The line between south Co Dublin and north Co Wicklow has blurred to the extent that Kilmacanogue is a new suburb of the city rather than the quiet crossroads village it once was.

Like all satellite villages, it's seen a lot of development in recent years, but most of it has been at the top end of the market, with large family homes being built rather than high density apartments.

The Vale is a case in point. It's a small development of four high spec houses priced between €2.8 million and €3.5 million, on sale through Lennox Estates.

The four houses are on a site of two acres in the Rocky Valley, just a few minutes' walk from the post office and church in the village.

All are exceptionally large houses with one at 520sq m (5,600sq ft) and the showhouse and remaining houses between 418 and 465sq m (4,500 and 5,000sq ft).

The target is high-earning familiies looking to trade up into a house with contemporary fittings in a countryside setting.

Designed by architect P D Lane Associates and built by Cole Con Ltd, the two-acre development - on the site of a 1970s home with a large garden - is a short walk from Kilmacanogue village at the foot of the Sugar Loaf.

Each house, on almost half an acre, is designed and orientated to capitalise on its glorious views.

Each exterior is clad in Liscannor stone, with a west-facing landscaped garden and a deep south-facing patio area with detached double garage nearby.

Inside plain pale walls, floors in oak, walnut and marble combine with double-height ceilings and glass-panelled balconies to offer peaceful and light-filled spaces throughout.

Standing in the kitchen of the showhouse, you look along the length of the ground floor to the sunroom at the end of the hall, with garden views beyond.

There are five reception rooms, five bedrooms and four bathrooms in the 450sq m (4,843sq ft) house.

The kitchen, a central hub of the house, is connected by sliding glazed doors to a rear diningroom and front-facing livingroom.

The livingroom has a vaulted ceiling, large windows, limestone fireplace in simple classical style and is overlooked by a first floor gallery. A front facing sittingroom is equipped for home cinema, which complements the surround-sound music system.

The Poggenpohl kitchen has top notch Miele appliances. All the extras as standard - such as the wine cooler, plug socket tower and electronically-controlled roof lights - give some idea of the high specification, attention to detail and careful sourcing which is evident throughout.

The rooms upstairs open off a galleried landing. The main bedroom has a balcony and dressing oom, while its en suite has both power shower and Jacuzzi bath.

The development does not fall within Wicklow County Council's 'locals only' conditions, so potential buyers can come from further afield.