Westminster Wood is a brand new low-density development of 23 buff brick- and zinc-clad homes situated on a 1.65acre site off Foxrock’s Springfield Park.

Situated opposite Foxrock church and beside Loreto College, the site was bought with planning last year by Francis Rhatigan’s Winterbook after it was offered for sale by tender guiding €5 million in 2017.

The developer worked with Ferreira Architects and selling agent DNG to tweak the layouts and the resulting changes have created smart homes with a really good sense of flow. All the homes have better than average ceiling heights, are flooded with light and have impressive amounts of storage.

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The show homes were designed by Think Contemporary, and feature some lovely ideas alongside quartz-countered kitchens by McNally, oak-lined wardrobes by Cawleys, bathrooms by Ideal Standard and triple-glazed windows and doors by Rationale that certainly help to dial down any traffic hum from the nearby N11.

Of the 23 units there are just two one-bed plus study apartments. These offer an affordable way to buy into the development. These sizeable units measure 70sq m/762sq ft and have west-facing gardens, one has 77sq m of outdoor space, while the other has a huge 143sq m that would have strong appeal for a downsizer gardening nut. These units have a master en suite bedroom, a separate study and guest toilet and cost from €440,000.

Smart gardens

The development has six two-bed apartments. These ground floor units come with smart gardens and range in size from 92sq m to 95sqm/994sq ft to 1030sq ft and are priced from €550,000.

The two-bed plus study duplexes, set on the first and second floors above the two-bedroom apartments, look to be the best buys in the scheme. Ranging in size from 131sq m to 135 sq m/1410sq ft to 1453sq ft, these would be comparable with many traditional four-bed semis. The living room is completely separate from the kitchen and located to the rear of the unit, while a utility cum pantry is bigger than most average duplex cooking quarters.

There is also a sizeable outdoor terrace screened from the surrounding homes by opaque glass panels that are about six feet tall but still low enough to get sun and remain utterly private. There is also a small internal study at hall level. Upstairs there are two very nicely appointed bedrooms, as well as a study that has been decorated as a nursery and could take a queen-size bed. Floor to ceiling windows light the accommodation and there is access to a terrace from the master bedroom. There are glimpses of the sea from some units. These start from €615,000.

For those in the market for large A-rated family homes there are seven, four-bed terraced houses that range from 183sq m to 194sq m/1964sq ft to 2088sq ft. Set over three floors all but two of the properties have sea views from the third-floor terrace.

Extravagantly spacious

Everything about these homes feels extravagantly spacious from the wide entrance hall onward. The L-shaped hall features a smart boot room inside the front door where Think Contemporary has installed a bench with concealed storage for footwear. Adjacent is a sizeable cloakroom for sports gear and school bags. Hidden from view is the entrance to the living room, a fine square-shaped room whose windows have been perfectly designed to take a sofa without blocking any light. These A-rated homes don’t feature a fireplace.

To the rear is the open plan kitchen, a German Nolte design. It includes wide and deep pot drawers as well as internal shallow drawers for cutlery secreted within deeper drawers. The living area is lit by a roof light above and there are glass doors leading out to the very private garden that extends more than 6m across.

On the first floor there are four rooms, three generously appointed double bedrooms and a fourth room, considered a study under building regulations. The master bedroom is on the third floor and has access to a private terrace. Two of the four bedrooms have en suite bathrooms.

The houses come with two car parking spaces.

The bus stop, well serviced by the 46A and a slew of other buses, is just a five-minute walk.