The emphasis is on quiet seclusion at Furness Manor, a small development of five-bedroom detached homes near the old village of Johnstown, Co Kildare. A stone wall surrounds the 21-home development and a turretted entrance, which is soon to have electronic security gates, adds to the fortress-like effect.

There are two main house types in this Swanward Enterprises development, which is now being launched - a house of 2,300 sq ft which costs £435,000, and one of 3,040 sq ft priced at £540,000. There will also be a bungalow. Sales are being handled through Colm McEvoy and the houses will be completed by next October.

All of the gardens, which vary in size, are seeded front and back and have ornamental black iron railings as a standard feature and a curved yellow and dark brick cobble lock driveway.

Entrance to the 3,040 sq ft house, of which there will be seven, is through solid mahogany double doors with a stained glass inset into a roomy porch area. The porch leads to a spacious hall, which the showhouse demonstrates can comfortably fit a small table and chairs.

This house type is light and airy with nine ft high ceilings, generous proportions and an abundance of windows in all rooms. All of the interior doors, windows and skirts are mahogany.

The drawingroom has a huge double glazed window and a small picture window, which look out to the front garden. A white marble fireplace with black iron inset is a prominent feature in this spacious room.

To the back of the drawingroom is the family room, a smaller but reasonably-proportioned space with a black marble fireplace which leads out through French doors to a superb and amply-proportioned solid mahogany conservatory. The conservatory opens on to a redbrick patio area in the back garden.

The kitchen/diningroom is perhaps the most impressive of all the rooms in the house - the attention to detail is striking. Not even the air vent, which is finished in burnished gold, is overlooked. The kitchen units are solid and well-finished in mahogany, with black granite work tops and ceramic drawer knobs.

An island worktop stands in the centre of the kitchen and a Waterford Stanley range operates the central heating with a dual circuit for both floors.

The kitchen leads into a dining area large enough to accommodate a large dining table and chairs and a settee with ease. There is a second diningroom to the back of the house between the kitchen and the family room.

Off the kitchen is a fair-sized utility room, to the left of which is a small study or office.

There is a downstairs lavatory to the left of the hall door and a larger main bathroom upstairs with a bidet, bath and shower and plenty of maple storage units.

Four of the five double bedrooms upstairs have en suite bathrooms, all of which are reasonably sized and have power showers. The main bedroom has large French doors leading on to a narrow yellow brick balcony with black wrought-iron detail.

There is a walk-in hot press off the expansive landing. The house also has a central vacuum system and coving throughout. The smaller house type is of a similar layout but has two en suite bathrooms and a smaller kitchen/dining area.