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HOME OF THE YEAR

HOTY Programme 7 House 3 Aine and Mick Sweeney and family Image Name: HOTY Programme 7 House 3 Aine and Mick Sweeney and family Description: Home of the Year Programme 7 Thursday April 21st RTÉ One Aine and Mick Sweeney and family Copyright: RTÉ 2016
HOTY Programme 7 House 2 Eva Berg and Family Image Name: HOTY Programme 7 House 2 Eva Berg and Family Description: Home of the Year Programme 7 Thursday April 21st RTÉ One Eva Berg and Family Copyright: RTÉ 2016
HOTY Programme 7 House 1 Niamh Mac Gowan Image Name: HOTY Programme 7 House 1 Niamh Mac Gowan Description: Home of the Year Programme 7 RTÉ One Saturday April 21st Niamh Mac Gowan Copyright: RTÉ 2016
Home of the Year - Series 2 Image Name: Home of the Year - Series 2 Description: Home of the Year - Series 2 RTÉ One Episode 2 - Thursday March 10th Judges: Hugh Wallace, Deirdre Whelan and Declan O' Donnell Copyright: RTÉ 2016. Photo Credit: Lili Forberg
Home of the Year - Series 2 Image Name: Home of the Year - Series 2
Home of the Year - Series 2 Image Name: Home of the Year - Series 2
Home of the Year - Series 2 Image Name: Home of the Year - Series 2
Home of the Year - Series 2 Image Name: Home of the Year - Series 2 Description: Home of the Year - Series 2 RTÉ One Episode 1 - Thursday March 3rd 2016 Judges: Hugh Wallace, Deirdre Whelan and Declan O' Donnell Copyright: RTÉ 2016. Photo Credit: Lili Forberg

 

Home of the Year – Thursday April 21st RTÉ One

Over eight weeks, 21 homes will compete for the Home of the Year title, with three very different and unique properties featured each week.

From unusual conversions to architectural gems and countryside retreats, Home of the Year features people who have built their dream home, just the way they want it. The series will showcase homes from all across Ireland including a converted workshop, a modernist inspired new build, a barn turned dream home, and a radically transformed Dublin terrace to name just a few.

Making the tough decisions on which homes go through to the final are our three expert judges; design legend Hugh Wallace, acclaimed architect Declan O’Donnell and award winning interior designer Deirdre Whelan.

Looking for individuality, functionality and clever design, the judges will individually score each of the homes out of 10, the home with the highest combined score in each programme will go through to the final, where the ultimate winner will be crowned.

Programme 7 of 8 

This week the judges see two Dublin based homes and one in County Wicklow. With a petite terraced cottage crammed with creativity to a timber house and beautifully restored period home in Dublin, the judges have their work cut out for them in the final heat of Home of the Year.

Niamh Mac Gowan is an interior stylist and printmaker living in County Wicklow with her partner Jay http://www.niamhmacgowan.com/

Originally built in the late 1980’s Niamh has made the most of every square inch of this petite terraced cottage.  Using her experience as an interior stylist, she and her partner Jay have spent the last number of years completely restyling the home. Niamh has a keen eye for salvage and this can be seen throughout the home. She describes the style of the home as; ‘rustic, country, cosy and atmospheric’.

Eva Berg is a Pilates instructor who lives in a timber house in South Dublin with her two sons. http://www.thesecretpilates.com

Eva has lived with her two sons Aaron and Gabriel in their timber home in South Dublin for over 7 years.  The style of their home is influenced by the ten years Eva spent living in Norway. Her home doubles as her place of work, with a Pilates studio situated on first floor level. Designed in Ireland, but built in Austria, the house arrived flat packed on trucks along with a crew of builders and was assembled in around 3 days. Surrounded by beautiful scenery the house nestles into the surrounding landscape.

 

Aine and Mick Sweeney live with their 3 children and Aine’s dad, Tim, in a restored period home in Dublin. Aine is an interior designer (www.ainesweeney.com)

Aine and Mick wanted a home that would suit three generations of their family, where everyone would have their own space but be able to spend time together as a family as well. Built in 1912 the house was in need of some renovation. The preservation of this period property is something that Aine and Mick are very passionate about. They extended and restored the house to create a comfortable and relaxed family home.  Aine project managed the renovations and carried out all of the interior design. She has collected a number of antiques and eclectic pieces over the years which can be seen throughout the home.

JUDGES BIOGS

Hugh Wallace MRIAI, MIDI

Company: http://douglaswallace.com

Interior Designer and Architect Hugh Wallace has over 30 years’ experience in the interior design industry, and is world renowned for his insight and knowledge as a leader in design. In 2014 he received a life time achievement for this contribution to the Design Industry in Ireland.

Graduating in architecture from Dublin’s Trinity College in 1980, he immediately set up in practice with his then business partner Alan Douglas, a conservation architect. In his own words, “at that time there was no architectural work, only interior design,” so he focused on interiors and soon became the go to man for luxurious design in Ireland.

Working at the highest end of residential design in Ireland and aboard, Hugh also works with word renowned brands to create prestigious and glamorous design for exacting clients. His clients include Brown Thomas, The G Hotel, Ritz-Carlton, Dunnes Stores, Peter Mark, Harrods and Espa International. Hugh is now working on a number of residential projects in Dubai and Oman while continuing with hotel and residential projects in Ireland.

To Hugh, design is about creating a unique environment where people’s imagination can take flight. The design he creates is about inspiration, desire and creating a place that people are happy in and enjoy as a result.

 

Deirdre Whelan

Company – http://deirdrewhelandesign.com

Deirdre Whelan is an award winning Interior Designer based in Dublin.

Deirdre has over 25 years’ experience in the interior design industry in both residential and commercial projects.

Having established her own private practise in 1996 she has since collaborated as lead interior designer with a selection of highly respected architectural firms on high end projects including the Clarion Hotel Dublin and Cork, Dublin’s Gibson Hotel, several of Dublin’s best known restaurants and most recently the Marker Hotel in Dublin.

Declan O’Donnell

Company – http://www.odkmarchitects.com

Declan O’Donnell is a highly respected award winning architect based in Dublin.

Declan studied architecture at Queen’s University Belfast and the Mackintosh School of architecture in Glasgow. On completion of his Postgraduate Degree he was invited to join the international architecture firm, Foster + Partners in London. During his time there he took a lead role in the design of some of the most significant and challenging projects across the globe at the very cutting edge of contemporary architecture.

In 2008 he returned to Dublin to setup ODKM Architects, who have developed a reputation for delivering bespoke eye-catching architecture, and with an impressive selection of residential projects already completed, he has quickly established himself as an Architect with a difference.