Grand designs beside Malahide Castle from €775,000

Situated just across the road from the main entrance to Malahide Castle and Demesne, Ashwood Hall is a scheme of 56 semi-detached and detached houses built by two developers, CE Cladewell Estates and Carroll Estates, who share the site. The latter brought the scheme’s first 10 semis of 157sq m (1,690sq ft) in size to market last summer with prices starting from €775,000, and all sold out in a day.

CE Cladewell Estates is bringing a further 10 semis to the market. Measuring the same size asking prices for these range from €775,000 to €790,000 through agent JLL.

The homes have the same smart facades, which feature heritage redbrick, alu-clad windows and slate roofs.

Each house has powder-coated steel railings to the front, and the sharp look of the exterior is reflected in the layout of the interior, a design by McCrossan O’Rourke Manning Architects that includes 9ft ceiling heights.

The showhouse has been designed by Cormac Rowell of Donnybrook-based Rowell Design. The livingroom – a good square shape – is lit by a trio of 6ft high windows set around a Gazeco Riva electric fire, the focal point about which sofas and chairs are set.

Masculine design

The kitchen is a masculine design of two-tone grey, fabricated by BeSpace, and includes a large island with quartz countertops and matching splashbacks. But if this isn’t your cup of tea you can customise yours, as there are a further four shades of cabinet and countertop to choose from. The appliances are mainly Siemens and the package includes a Quooker hot tap. The utility area is fitted with the same units and comes with its white goods supplied, set at hip level for ease of access.

A wall of glass, comprising three large sliding doors, glides back to open out to a reconstituted granite patio and a large garden, the kind more common in older estates.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms: three good doubles and a single that is big enough to take a double bed. The master bedroom includes a rather slick velvet-and-chrome-frame bed from Rowell’s Silverback range, with suspended retro Gilly bedside lights rocking a 1970s vibe. A walk-through wardrobe leads through to the master en suite, fitted with Sonas sanitaryware, supplied by TileStyle.

The attics have been floored and are accessible by a loft ladder. There is off-street parking for up to three cars. Malahide Dart station is about a 20-minute walk.