The clue is in its name - the Garden House is encircled by eye-catching and enticing grounds with huge appeal, divided into areas showcasing varied styles and all enclosed by private and secure hedging and fencing.

This is impressive enough but the house itself is breathtaking, a contemporary eco-home which has been extensively rebuilt and extended and now provides spacious and energy-efficient family living.

“We have created a house that has an extremely high performance rating,” the owners said. “It is very well insulated, draught-proofed and triple-glazed.

“Photovoltaic panels offset our energy use and an MVHR (Mechanical Heat Recovery and Ventilation) system reduces heating demand and cleans and filters the air.

“We live in a simple, efficient, well-designed house that is very comfortable and provides for great sustainable living.

“It also has a strong architectural aesthetic and although the gardens stretch to more than half an acre, they are relatively low-maintenance.”

The Garden House has a rendered exterior with Accoya cladding while full-length windows reflect the landscaped setting.

The accommodation channels a design-led approach to both ecological living and contemporary style.

Natural hues and finishes create a sense of calm with cement coloured ceramic tiles for entrances and wet areas, hand-made light, birch panel flooring, shadow gap finishes to all wall and door surrounds, solid wooden doors and Scandinavian pine to all internal window frames.

Overall these combine to create a very elegant, unfussy and contemporary interior with a double-height reception area, sitting room, living/dining room, ground-floor guest suite and contemporary kitchen.

Upstairs are four more bedrooms, the master en-suite, and a luxurious bathroom.

Garden House is on Meadowfield Road in Stocksfield’s desirable Painshawfield Estate. It is on the market at £750,000 from Andrew Coulson, tel. 01434 600146.