Bypassed since the mid-2000s, Ashford village in Co Wicklow is a well-known hub for the film and horsey sets located an hour south of Dublin. Hit TV series, Vikings, was filmed at Ashford Studios where construction on its €90million expansion is due to start in the next month. For equine enthusiasts there's a local pony club, a hunt and the Bel-Air Equestrian Centre, and if horses aren't your thing there are miles of hiking trails including the nearby Devil's Glen.
The tranquil setting of Mount Usher Gardens and Avoca is another great draw.
Ballinahinch Wood is a new development of 169 three- and four-bed semi- and detached houses on the edge of the village which takes the locale into consideration with its Edwardian-inspired look. According to architect Michael Browne of Delgany-based BBA Architecture the style is reminiscent of many of the gate lodges and country homes in the area.
The houses have exposed truss gables that give the houses a one-off feel and more of a sense of place, says Jessica Crowley, divisional director of development at housebuilder Ardstone Homes. This attention to place is part of the housebuilder’s signature she says. “It makes the homes seem like they’ve been there for a long time.”
The houses have solid 1.7m tall casement-style alu-clad windows, supplied by Munster Joinery. The layout of the estate, in cul-de-sacs each of about 12 properties makes this feel like a much smaller development than it actually is.
Prices for the semis start from €330,000 for a three-bed, with two doubles and one single bedroom over 104sq m/1,129sq ft. The four-beds have two doubles and two singles across 118sq m/1,274sq ft and are priced from €375,000 through joint agents Sherry FitzGerald and Clarke Auctioneers.
The kitchens and wardrobes were done by Fitzgeralds Kitchens. The worktops in the kitchen are an unhoned stone and all are fitted with Candy appliances. The bathrooms have been fitted by Sonas Bathrooms.
The development also includes a selection of smartly appointed detached bungalows that will appeal to downtraders and first-time buyers. In this first phase it is mainly the three-bed style, 112sq m/1,210sq ft in size, that are for sale. Set on plots that extend to 12m wide with the average garden measuring 140sq m in size, asking prices start from €385,000.
The showhomes were fitted out by Arlene McIntyre of Ventura. In the bungalow it includes bespoke joinery painted in a fresh on-trend green – Colourtrend’s Gris Verte from its “historic” collection – that resonates with the rolling landscape surrounding this estate.
VENTURA FORTH WITH START UP INTERIORS PACKAGE
Arlene McIntyre has designed showhouses for many new homes schemes, fitting them out with bespoke furniture from her firm Ventura in a classic contemporary style. At Ballinahinch she’s bringing a new look to the market with V2, a new range of furniture and furnishings targeting a younger, more contemporary look.
All the furniture is made either in Ireland or Europe and includes a capsule collection of wood-frame sofas, from €1,290 and armchairs that buyers can customise in a selection of colours and textures.
There is a metal collection featuring accent tables (side, coffee, and consoles from €350) that will introduce colour to the space, McIntyre explains.
A range of dining tables (from €750) and chairs (from €90), in fabric and leather options are on offer along with smart headboards.
V2 also provides smart laminate flooring, carpets and perfectly proportioned window treatments, high-quality roller blinds as well as curtains and voiles set on a stylish track system that will really help make your home feel lived-in without overwhelming the rooms.
The new range launches at a pop-up shop at Ballinahinch this weekend with a €10,000 package, excluding VAT, being offered to home buyers that can include any of the above elements. To kit-out a four-bed house to walk-in condition, including lighting, furniture, flooring, dining table, chairs, barstools, beds, bedheads and window treatments will cost about €27,500, inclusive of VAT, but will save countless hours spent trawling industrial estates for individual purchases.
The full collection will be available to view within the development and the new showroom opens at Ventura’s Ballycoolin premises at the end of the month.
