TOP GEAR meets Wind in the Willows is the only way to describe two remarkable houses on the River Liffey at Islandbridge, Dublin 8. Hip young urbanites in search of spacious city homes will be interested in Swan Lake - two large riverside homes priced from €1.8 million to €2 million for sale through agent Owen Reilly.
Built on a rare, particularly tranquil city site, the three-bedroom houses are directly across the road from the entrance to the Phoenix Park on Chapelizod Road.
To the rear they back onto the River Liffey, looking over to one of Dublin's hidden gems - the War Memorial Gardens.
Called Swan Lake, numbers 1a and 1b Chapelizod Road are surrounded by wildlife. This patch of the Liffey is home to a host of serene swans, kamikaze ducks and is a good spot for some salmon angling. On a good day, deer in the Phoenix Park can be spotted from the upstairs, according to developer David Wright (of the Wrights of Howth family).
However, it is not all a waters and the wild pastoral idyll: the homes have been teched up to within an inch of their lives and would impress even the most jaded Jeremy Clarkson fan.
First up there is the parking spot - a Batman-like turntable on the ground floor, hidden from view behind a remote controlled teak wall.
Of course, if you don't want to travel into town in your Ferrari, there is always the option of a 15-minute zip down the Liffey in a boat from your pontoon to moorings at the IFSC.
Inside, the houses are the last word in top-end gizmos and modern luxuries. Underfloor heating, intelligent mood lighting, electronic blinds and surroundsound can all be controlled via the super smart AMX system.
This system, according to Wright, will control everything in your house, except the weather.
But given the Irish climate, a dedicated home cinema, with a 2m wide screen and reclining armchairs, has been installed at lower ground floor level for the rainy day.
The two homes were designed by Grafton Architects and have been built on the site of an old fishing lodge called Swan Lake. Wright has secured the adjoining site and has plans for three or four more houses.
Laid out over three floors and 160-180sq m (1,733-1,937sq ft), the houses have a clever design with lots of large windows, turned to face the river, to ensure total privacy.
A glazed bridge over the car-parking area divides the house into two sections and doubles as a light-infusing atrium.
A large kitchen/dining area dominates the ground floor. It has a swanky high-gloss kitchen and an equally swish utility room.
An oak staircase leads to an impressive minimalist livingroom with a wall-mounted gas fire with a mirror surround.
The three bedrooms are on the top level. The main bedroom has access to a great terrace with a bird's eye view over the river.
The rear gardens have timber decking and granite steps down to the pontoon. An outdoor hot shower and external speaker system are the finishing touches to a trophy home that would impress even the supercilious Toad of Toad Hall.
