MOUNT MERRION €2.25M and €2.5M:The five-bedroom houses in this small gated development come with open-plan living areas and west-facing gardens, writes Alanna Gallagher

ST THOMAS' WOOD is a small development of three five-bedroom homes that sit on the corner of Mount Merrion's The Rise and beside St Thomas' Road.

Designed by architects Cloonan O'Donnell, the houses have three storeys, are set on an east-west axis and are bay-fronted with copper cladding adding a luxurious feel. This is echoed in the high level of finish inside.

Two of the homes sit next to each other, each of these are 205sq m (2,200sq ft), while the third property is 221sq m (2,400sq ft).

The properties are for sale by private treaty through agent Felicity Fox.

Houses one and two cost €2.25 million with the larger of the three asking €2.5 million.

Houses one and two are accessed at hall level via a set of granite steps. Their livingroom and sittingrooms interconnect. A study or bedroom number five is also on this level.

Downstairs, at garden level, there is the large open plan kitchen, diningroom and den. The kitchen, with granite worktops, is spacious with oodles of storage. There is a utility room just off the kitchen.

The sandstone paved patio is accessed through a large wall of retractable glazing that opens to bring the outdoors in.

Upstairs on the second floor there are four bedrooms and the family bathroom. The main bedroom is to the front and has a shower en suite.

These two houses are unstaged, which means you get to appreciate the clean and polished finish throughout. Spatially though the rooms feel smaller than they actually are.

House number three is staged and the furniture lets the rooms speak for themselves.

There is a gorgeously proportioned kitchen that overlooks the den area which leads directly out into the garden.

The diningroom is to the left of the kitchen. It's a very well balanced and light-filled space.

The formal sittingroom is to the front of the house and comes with a limestone surround fireplace. There's a small study on this level too.

Upstairs on the first floor are four bedrooms, all with built-in wardrobes and one also with a shower en suite.

The main bedroom is on the second floor and enjoys a large bathroom complete with free-standing bath and a large walk-through close area, all hidden behind closed doors.

The gardens are all west facing with low-maintenance shrubbery and lawn.

The properties are incredibly well located with numerous schools and other facilities within walking distance.

The gated community has an electric gate entrance that close off the homes from the nearby busy Stillorgan Dual Carrigeway.