So you want to live... in a glasshouse

Light-sensitive individuals need not apply - a good proportion of the structure's walls and roof is made from toughened sheets of glass, with some rooms covered from top to bottom in double-glazed panes.

What, from top to bottom?

Light-sensitive individuals need not apply - a good proportion of the structure's walls and roof is made from toughened sheets of glass, with some rooms covered from top to bottom in double-glazed panes.

Anyone would think it was some whim of a glassmaker

It was. The vendor owns a glass factory in the nearby town of Ashford, Kent, and clearly felt he should apply his passion for transparency to create a blindingly bright home. The original structure, built in the Sixties, was converted a few years ago, with sheets from the vendor's own factory.

Let's go window-shopping

Very funny. This is essentially a five-bedroom family home with a contemporary twist. It's not in London Docklands (as befitting such an unconventional design) but in the heart of the North Downs, near the town of Elmstead.

Not so central, then. What else?

It also sports a reception room and dining room covered in wall-to-wall glass, a steel-decked kitchen with a bullet-proof glass counter, a light-enticing sun lounge, assorted store rooms, a stunning en-suite bathroom (with glass sinks) and extensive external decking.

Wow, so who would go for that?

The agents admit this would appeal to people with a more urban outlook; those looking for a bit of grand isolation often lean towards the hunting-and-shooting crowd.

How much?

Lewisham house has an asking price of £745,000 to £760,000 (Strutt & Parker, tel: 01227 451 123)