Series 12, episode 3 – Rathfarnham
In the third episode of Room To Improve, Dermot Bannon heads to Rathfarnham, where Yvonne and Adrian Saunders live with their daughter Lauren.
Yvonne and Adrian’s house is a detached 1950s two-bedroom property, in need of massive transformation. Dermot likens it to a ‘Hansel and Gretel’ house.
The house is deceptive, the opposite to a tardis – from the outside it looks a sizeable home, but inside its unusually small.
One of the most appealing features is the pebbledash exterior. Well Dermot thinks so. The couple, however, has a completely different opinion on the outside walls. They want to get rid of the pebbledash, Dermot has other ideas.
This Rathfarnham home has a large garden that the couple absolutely love. Adrian is a keen gardener and wants to… you’ve guessed it… bring the outside inside.
Dermot is keen to extend to the side – he wants to take full advantage of the sunlight, and the new extension will be stepped back to maximise space and keep it from dominating the existing structure.
However this house is close to the road, so an extension to the side will bring its own challenges.
The couple’s budget is approximately 250k and as Adrian is a project manager, he will be over every single detail of the build and keeping tabs on Dermot.
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.