One of the developers of a new scheme of seven houses in Delgany, Co Wicklow, took a close interest in the interiors, writes Rose Doyle

Delgany, with charm in every turn of its hilly streets and picture-pretty surrounding countryside, has quietly become one of Co Wicklow's more aspired-to locations. No one appreciates the location more than the developer behind a new scheme in the village.

Frieda O'Neill is a 50 per cent partner and director of Clarkson Financial & Property, the development company responsible for a luxury, seven-house project at Struan Hill, Delgany, Co Wicklow which goes on the market today through Colliers Jackson-Stops.

With its sea and village views, commuter-belt location and O'Neill's very personal intention to make every house "unique and really liveable in", Struan Hill has more than a little of O'Neill's own beau ideal about it.

The gated development on a hillside, a short distance from Delgany village, will have seven large, detached houses, on an eight acre site. The original house on the site, a Georgian villa, will be sold at a later date, according to Colliers's Marcus Magnier.

Prices for the new houses start at around €3.45 million, rising to €3.9 million. Each house will be on around an acre, with one on 0.6 acre. Each will have a floor space of some 464.5sq m (5,000sq ft) with an additional 93sq m (1,000sq ft) of attic space and each, although unique, will mirror the showhouse ideal of five bedrooms (though six bedrooms are planned for two of the houses) five reception rooms and a kitchen/breakfastroom.

Two of the homes have already been reserved; the completed showhouse is not yet for sale.

The showhouse, completed to Frieda O'Neill's specifications, is a light-filled example of her design for the other houses in the development.

"We bought the site with planning in place," she says, "but I gutted the internal plans and changed the interiors.

"Because the light in Ireland is often so dull we need light, light and more light so windows had to be a priority. The interiors had to work too in the sense of being spaces people would enjoy living in." O'Neill was "dabbling" in property and looking for, though failing to find, her own family dream house when she realised "there was an opening for a company willing to provide quality homes for busy professionals who couldn't put time, as well as their heart and soul, into the search."

She's happy with the showhouse, "There's nothing it hasn't got," she says, with justification.

The sense of space and light is immediate in a reception hallway where a 35ft high ceiling soars above a cream coloured Italian marble floor. Height is a feature throughout, with ceilings everywhere averaging 10ft and doors eight feet tall. Marble and limed oak floors, along with sandstone fireplaces, make the most of the light coming through the many windows.

The layout is fluid and open-plan, with the drawingroom leading through double doors to the diningroom and that in turn leading to the large, open-plan kitchen/breakfastroom, fitted by Robinsons of Belfast. From here, from where steps lead down to a family room. The first-floor landing runs above the entrance hallway and the main bedroom, as well as an en suite and walk-in dressing room, have double doors which O'Neill says offers "grandeur".

O'Neill points out that, under Matt Cleary as Project Manager, they've engaged local craftspeople for much of the work, with local firm Hughes Brothers responsible for most of it.

The architect is Colm O'Broin, based in Bray, and the gardens were designed by Aine Powell.