HOME OF THE YEAR SERIES 6 – EPISODE 3
House 1
Kevin O’ Neill is a senior architectural technologist who converted an 1800s barn on his family’s land into a stunning home. Every detail in the home has been designed by Kevin and he built the furniture in the bedrooms. The barn was dilapidated and in bad condition when he took it on. He started the work in 2017 and it was always his dream to design his own home. The back and side walls are completely original and everything at the front is from what they reclaimed. For the interiors he wanted an industrial look with a New York loft vibe. The barn has been designed to modern standards using modern building techniques. Working in architecture Kevin says he knows what he wanted and put a lot of thought into every aspect of the design. He wanted to tie in with the original building so he used materials such as exposed brick, timber and metal. Kevin loves to cook so having a nice open plan kitchen was very important to him. The house is on the same land as his brother’s home and his parent’s bungalow is next door. It was very much a family project as Kevin’s Dad is a builder and his brother a quantity surveyor. Kevin works in O’Mahony Pike architects in Dublin and loves coming home to his converted barn.
House 2
Eoin Murray and wife Kate O’ Donnell bought their house over three years ago. The house was cleverly transformed thanks to the designs of Eoin’s architect sister Ciara Murray of Newmark architecture. The house sits on an unusual site so Ciara and her business partner Sinead had to work with that. The house is a 1930s council home and they added an extension. Eoin and Kate tried to put as much of their personality into their house as possible. They gutted the entire house and basically rebuilt it and doubled the floor space. They love the open space of the kitchen dining area as it’s open plan with a lot of natural light from the garden. It is also a great space for entertaining, when the weather is good the sliding doors open and makes the garden an additional space. What they love most about the house is that every space has been carefully designed and is fully utilised. From the outside the extension is hidden and as soon as you open the front door it feels like a hidden surprise. They also love the natural light in the kitchen and the warmth it brings into the house. It’s not your typical extension and it has lots of unusual angles to bring in lots of light. They feel their home shows the potential of what you can do with a small home. They are very proud of the home they have created for themselves and their daughter Evie. For more on the house:
https://www.newmark.ie/eden-villas
House 3
Helen Mc Vitty O’Hara lives in a new build town house with her husband Alan O’ Hara in Belfast. They bought the house in 2016 and they have managed to add their own personal touch to their home. When they first moved in it was a white box and a blank canvas for them. They have gone for brave colours and design choices that gives it personality. Helen says when choosing a starting point for every room it could be anything from a cushion to a rug or something that you want to tie a theme around. The style and design reflect the couple’s personalities and they decorated every inch of their home. They even cleverly transformed their garden into an urban retreat. Helen said she couldn’t put a label on what her style is and Alan thinks there is a wow factor in every room.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Home of the Year returns for a sixth series in 2020. Championing creativity, individuality and clever design, Home of the Year features homeowners around Ireland who have done something special to the place they call home.
HOME OF THE YEAR RETURNS FOR A SIXTH SERIES IN 2020
RTÉ One 8.30pm from Tuesday the 25th February 2020
What makes a House a Home?
Championing creativity, individuality and clever design, Home of the Year features homeowners around Ireland who have done something special to the place they call home.
The hugely popular series Home of the Year is back for a sixth series. Over 8 weeks, 21 homes will compete for the Home of the Year title in 2020, with three very different properties featured each week. From restorations, new builds, renovations and re-design Home of the Year features people who have created their dream home. The series showcases very different homes located all over Ireland and homes in this series include a lighthouse keepers’ cottage, converted buildings such as a former carriage house and a former shop, re-imagined semi-detached homes, architectural homes, DIY homes, restored period homes and new builds. The judges making the tough decisions are three expert judges; design legend Hugh Wallace, interior designer Deirdre Whelan and architect Peter Crowley. 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.
Home of the Year is produced by ShinAwiL for RTÉ ONE.
More information on the three judges below:
Hugh Wallace MRIAI, MIDI
Company: http://douglaswallace.com
Hugh Wallace is a well-respected award-winning architect and founding partner of Douglas Wallace Consultants. Hugh has been a judge on the series every year for six years. He loves working on the show and says “this year I was gob smack by the creativity and passion every home owner showed. They just get better and better every year.” Hugh has a passion for creative design that engages with its audience to create conversation and comment. He believes that good architecture is essential to create social cohesion and enhance our enjoyment of our landscape and living environment whether in the city or country side. He loves homes that create a sense of place, belonging and smile on your face. Hugh 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. Hugh was past president of Institute of Designers of Ireland and is a member of the R.I.A.I.
Peter Crowley – MRIAI
Company – https://pacstudio.ie/
Peter Crowley is back for his second series of Home of the Year and he says ‘this year’s journey around Ireland brought myself, Deirdre, and Hugh to a fantastic mix of unique homes, amazing locations, and great creativity.’ He is a founding director of award-winning architectural firm PAC Studio, a design-led practice where environmental considerations are central to making places and spaces that feel good. At PAC Studio Peter is currently working with the team on large social and private housing projects, public and commercial fit-out’s, high-end retail design, and some of the most prestigious domestic projects in the country. Peter believes that the fundamentals of great architecture are quite simple – the best buildings respond to their context and environment first and foremost, and create sustainable, warm, bright, healthy spaces to live, work and relax in. Peter is a Member of the Royal Institute of Architects.
Deirdre Whelan-BA Design Interiors & Furniture
Company: https://www.stwarchitects.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. After 20 years of private practice she is now an associate in one of Dublin’s highly respected architectural practices, Scott Tallon Walker Architects. She and her colleague Raffaella Roncoroni run the Interiors Department in there. Commercial interiors are her forte, and range from hotels such as the Gibson and the Marker, office fit outs for some of the big law firms, healthcare, and occasionally some high end residential. This is Deirdre’s fifth year as a judge on the series.