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ROOM TO IMPROVE

Room to Improve - Series 12 Image Name: Room to Improve - Series 12 Description: Room to Improve - Series 12 RTÉ One Sunday September 15th Joe Kenny and his bride to be Mary Hayes with presenter Dermot Bannon Copyright: RTÉ 2019. Coco.
Room to Improve Image Name: Room to Improve Description: Room to Improve - Series 12 RTÉ One Sunday September 15th Joe Kenny and his bride to be Mary Hayes with presenter Dermot Bannon Copyright: RTÉ and Coco 2019
Room to Improve Image Name: Room to Improve Description: Room to Improve - Series 12 RTÉ One Sunday September 15th Dermot Bannon, Mary Hayes and Joe Kenny Copyright: RTÉ and Coco 2019
Room to Improve Image Name: Room to Improve Description: Room to Improve - Series 12 RTÉ One Sunday September 15th Mary Hayes, Dermot Bannon and Joe Kenny Copyright: RTÉ and Coco 2019

SERIES 12, EPISODE 2

In the second episode of Room To Improve, Dermot Bannon heads to Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary, to meet Joe Kenny and his bride to be Mary Hayes. Joe’s house is a 3 bedroom, 2 storey house on a half acre site about half a mile from Borrisoleigh, with beautiful views of green fields.  Mary and Joe are creating their dream home, to move into just after their wedding. Joe has lived the bachelor life up until now and his house reflects this.  Dermot can see exactly why Mary is insisting on a redesign.

Mary says Joe’s house needs to be dragged into the 21st century, as they are getting married and she won’t be moving in otherwise!

There’s the ‘M50’ of a driveway that goes around the house.  A sea of tarmac that circles the property, ideal for driving around but not for much else. At the front of the house, stands a canopy with four white pillars.  Joe’s pride and joy.  But Dermot sees it differently.

Inside, the house is made for one – the ‘good room’ that’s only used for drying clothes, the kitchen that isn’t suited for any guests, and the bedroom with bare floorboards and unfinished light fittings.

Dermot sets to work on making this house a home for both Mary and Joe.

In the middle of all of this, is a wedding.  Paul the builder is keen to get the house finished in time for the big day.  A tall order for a house that needs a lot of TLC.

Room To Improve Series Overview

Room To Improve is back, with Ireland’s favourite architect setting out to create a diverse range of beautifully designed and cleverly built homes.  Starting on Sunday 8th September, at 9.30pm on RTÉ One Dermot Bannon returns with more of his innovative and contemporary designs. 

This year, Dermot is ready to take on an array of properties, some with quirkier challenges than others.  From pebble dash to plywood, from steep embankments to faux Georgian pillars, this year’s clients will need to be trusting, with an architect who is known to be persistent.

Our homeowners are more informed, more opionated and more demanding than ever before.

But similar to all other years, there is only one person who they feel can make their household dreams come true.   

Dermot is passionate about design and will go to any lengths to persuade his homeowners to take on his ideas. This year, he has three quantity surveyors to work with, all determined to keep his designs on budget. Claire Irwin, Divashni Mathura and Alan Morrissey are the trio who have been entrusted with this tricky task. Our homeowners come from the four corners of Ireland.  Mary and Joe live in Borrisoleigh and are due to tie the knot, mid build.  In the sunny south east, Claudia, a Feng Shui consultant and Tom, a pilot, bring Dermot down to Tramore, to create a home that will make the most of their stunning sea views.  And in Kildare, Dermot enlists garden supremo Diarmuid Gavin, to take on one of the most challenging gardens ever on Room To Improve. 

The role of the architect is sometimes designer, sometimes mediator and always perfectionist.  In this twelvth series, Dermot Bannon shows no signs of slowing down, as pushes his creativity and his passion to the limit.  With stunning results.