If getting away from it all is a criteria for the perfect house, Caie Le Mar might be the spot for you. Perched on a lane just off Rocky Valley Drive, Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow, it's surrounded by wild and wonderful views from the mountains to the sea. On the other hand, it's just over half an hour to the airport, and 40 minutes into the city centre, so your wilderness is also within a reasonable commute. There are plenty of nearby schools to choose from too.
When the current owners bought the six-bedroom house back in 2002, they fell in love with the location, but also had some changes in mind. “The living room was very dark,” the owner says. “The end wall had a series of small windows, each framing a different view, so I can see why they did it, but we took all that out.” Instead, they replaced the wall with glass, which makes the room feel almost as though it’s floating on the hillside.
The owners also updated the kitchen, adding an Aga to the welcoming country-style space. There’s another lovely view from the window here, so much so that the owner tells me “it’s a joy to wash up”, which is really saying something. The kitchen leads to a den, and out to a rear patio garden, which is completely enclosed so pets and children can play happily and safely.
Alongside a library, there are two bedrooms upstairs, the master having both a balcony and en suite. Downstairs find four more bedrooms, one currently in use as a play room, plus a utility room and family bathroom. And if that’s not enough space, alongside is a home gym / games room with an office adjoining, which offers plenty of options for home working.
"You're only limited by your imagination," the owner says. And you could do some serious imagining in a spot like this. Overall, the house is on just under an acre, and has 336sq m (3,614sq ft) of space, plus the home gym. It's on sale for €1.05million with Sherry FitzGerald.
