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00:00What makes a house a home?
00:03Homes full of style and character are competing for the title of Home of the Year.
00:09Making the tough decisions are design legend Hugh Wallace.
00:14I have a fabulous space for the dogs. I'd fit in there.
00:18You could put me in there.
00:20Award-winning architect Amanda Bone.
00:22It feels overly cluttered and it's taking away from that sense of calmness.
00:27It's gone too far here.
00:28And award-winning design consultant Siobhan Lahm.
00:32I completely disagree with basically everything you've said.
00:36And this year, it's not just their scores that they'll have to decide.
00:40The Golden Key is an opportunity for the judges
00:43to put a home straight through to the final.
00:46I think it's brilliant. I love it.
00:49The search continues for Ireland's Home of the Year.
00:58After meeting on a yacht and working and travelling the world together,
01:02Tony and Fanon decided to settle in Kerry after some life-altering news.
01:06We were on the yachts working. That was our career path set.
01:10And I was diagnosed with stage four cancer.
01:12And that's when we made the commitment to kind of leave the sea life
01:16and settle into a more relaxed country way of living.
01:19So to come through that and now just wake up and be healthy and be in our home,
01:24I think it's such a gift.
01:26The home was kind of, it was a good fusion of my South African roots
01:31and then the Irish living and the lifestyle.
01:34So we've designed the house so that you can come in, park in the carport
01:37and keep your hair dry, your in which you're shopping into the next room and unpack.
01:42So it's very functional for the Irish weather.
01:44So we've taken what we liked from across the world and made it Irish proof.
01:48Our favourite spot is here in the lounge.
01:51It's just the place where we come when we're really finished with our jobs and we can relax.
01:56We get a beautiful view of the home and the open plan living, so we love it.
02:01If I think of Fanon's family coming to help organising things for us
02:04and my parents and even, you know, my dad.
02:07He's built these beautiful things in our home for us.
02:09The door's always open because they've put as much love in as we have.
02:13The judges must now assess the home armed with only the basic facts about the property,
02:18and its owners.
02:19This new build is modern, it's striking,
02:22but my eyes are brought to this entrance in that stone wall detail.
02:26It's such an interesting mix of old and new,
02:28and I wonder, is that mix continued on the inside?
02:32Well, let's find out.
02:36And there's the visual connection.
02:38Oh, wow, look at that.
02:40I think the homeowners have intentionally kept the palette very restrained.
02:45It's because the homeowners have put the focus on that beautiful landscape.
02:49The success of that window is actually the fact it's a square,
02:53and it's like a painting on the wall.
02:55And I'm looking out through the window to the painting.
02:58Yeah, there's just an overriding sense of calm standing here,
03:01and I think that's because of the choice of materials and finishes.
03:05And I'd say a lot of that has got to do with what you can see from where I'm standing.
03:13Oh, wow.
03:17Look at that view.
03:19This room is just so special, and it just feels right.
03:25You know, the location of the dining table, the sitting area, and the kitchen.
03:30But from everywhere in the room, you get those views.
03:33It feels calm. It feels beautifully balanced.
03:38I love the seating area. I like that little pop of denim, actually.
03:41I think it makes a difference in a room which is quite muted.
03:44I'm just going to go back to where we came in,
03:47because standing here looking at this was unexpected and a beautiful surprise.
03:54And I actually think I said the word wow.
03:56That's how much an impact it had on me.
03:58But when I come further into the room, there's a couple of things that, for me,
04:05take away, again, from that overriding sense of calm.
04:09And that is the kitchen. Look at the design of the kitchen.
04:12The finish of the tiles.
04:14I love those tiles.
04:15And the finish of the countertop.
04:16I'm quite happy. Sorry.
04:18Do you not find it's jarring with the overall sense of calm?
04:20No, it's a bit of bling. A little bit of bling. Lift.
04:21I think is much more important in this home is would I like to live here.
04:27So, yeah, I'll move in.
04:31Wow. This is stunning. Look at the playground.
04:35Isn't this fantastic?
04:36I mean, it's just such an amazing outside space.
04:40Imagine sitting out here with your family, having a barbecue,
04:43and looking at that incredible view. It's amazing.
04:45I'm usually against the good grass, but for me, here it works,
04:49because I have this yummy green perfect grass,
04:52and then I have the wilderness of wonder.
04:55It's just spectacular.
05:04I see the favourite spot.
05:10Sitting here, I think you actually get to appreciate everything
05:14that this home is giving you.
05:16But also, it's my favourite move in the home so far,
05:19is that cranked wall.
05:20And it provides a great separation from the open plan.
05:23This room, the colour tones are just wonderful,
05:26and very much related to the colour tones from the landscape outside.
05:31And, you know, here we have, look.
05:35Ah, back out to the hall.
05:37So I'm back out here.
05:39And all of a sudden, I have a fantastic connection
05:42and just great circulation.
05:45Yeah.
05:46And balance.
05:47This is the same rug as the one in the hall.
05:49The colour palette is bringing it together.
05:52And every room in the home,
05:53you're looking out to that incredible view.
05:55You should come and sit on this couch.
05:57Oh, we have to move on, Amanda.
05:59We've got to go.
06:00Come on.
06:01Come on.
06:06Come on.
06:08Wow.
06:09It's like walking into a luxury hotel.
06:13Oh, this is gorgeous.
06:16I love the different layers.
06:18I love the textures.
06:19Again, the colours are spot on.
06:22In fact, they've brought in a bit more warmth with this throw.
06:25The tactility in this room is beautiful.
06:28It's very safari, I would say.
06:31I love it.
06:31For the first time in this home, it feels overly cluttered.
06:36And it's taking away from that sense of calmness.
06:39It's gone too far here.
06:41This, to me, isn't what the home is about.
06:43It's cluttered.
06:44There's a mix of styles.
06:45It's just too much for this room.
06:47I completely disagree with basically everything you've said.
06:51But look.
06:52Look.
06:52Everything just about fits where it is.
06:54Look at that piece.
06:54Look at the bed.
06:55Look at the table.
06:56Look at the sofa.
06:56Yeah, that's perfect.
06:57Just about fits is perfect.
06:59There was a sense everything could breathe and you could move around.
07:02Everything here.
07:03This is a bedroom.
07:03It's supposed to be cosy.
07:04It's supposed to be tactile.
07:06It's supposed to be comfortable.
07:06And it's taking away from that.
07:08You get none of that because there's too much.
07:10I think in this home, they've understood the different functions of the different rooms
07:15and played to their skill and talent in terms of interior design.
07:21Well, I just love it.
07:23Hugh, do you love it?
07:24I love it.
07:25Amanda, do you love it?
07:26No, but I love you.
07:28Well, sometimes you, but I love you too.
07:32The home will now be marked out of ten.
07:35One score will be held back until the judges have seen all three homes when their combined
07:39scores will be revealed.
07:41What stood out to me was the homeowners considered use of materials.
07:45The combination of wood, rattan and natural linens creates a warm, cosy layered environment.
07:51I'm giving this home a nine.
07:55This home truly has it all.
07:56There's a sense of simplicity, calm and the personality of the people who live here.
08:04I'm giving it a nine.
08:08Walking into this home was a lovely surprise.
08:11There's an overriding sense of calm and a great visual connection to the outside.
08:17Robin and Esther renovated this late 1800s house in Dublin to create a wonderful family home for their young son
08:24and their dogs, Ruby and Florence.
08:27It's an ode to traditional and the front of the house.
08:30Then at the back of the house, we've kind of gone for more modern because that was really the big
08:35new extension that we put onto the house.
08:38Even though the front of the house is traditional, we've really thought about everything that comes into the house.
08:44So I definitely think it has the design element.
08:47We love hosting.
08:49We're a really social house and so we wanted a kitchen that would be able to support that.
08:53And then just to have a bit of fun with some of the designs.
08:56So there's arches in the roof.
08:58There's fun sort of angles as well.
09:00So it was the practicality first and then it was how can we make it look cool and a house
09:05that we're going to be really proud of.
09:07This is our favorite spot.
09:09Sitting at the island, you can see the old house and the new house.
09:13And there's usually our son Finn and our dogs playing somewhere in the middle and it's definitely the most social
09:18seat in the house.
09:19Definitely a bit nervous because we love our house and we want everybody to love our house.
09:24I mean we're proud of the house so it's lovely to show it off and like obviously an honor to
09:28be involved in the show.
09:31Well the homeowners have certainly thought about the details on the outside.
09:34That letterbox looks like it's been painted to match the railings and the entrance gate.
09:38But that pink door tells me that it mightn't be as restrained on the inside.
09:43Do I hope so.
09:50Wow, look at this. I love a dark moody hall. It's so evocative and this is just stunning and the
09:58art is brilliant.
10:00Outside, it was quite restrained. So what I expected was that we were going to slowly come through kind of
10:05a build up of colors or patterns or textures.
10:08It's very abrupt. It's very sudden. It's dramatic. But I think it works.
10:14Yeah. Yeah.
10:14This is about shock. But I think that's great in this house.
10:23Oh, look at this. Oh, it's open plan. I love it.
10:29Wow.
10:29These homeowners have a really fantastic eye for design. The lighting is great. The greys on the wall are fantastic.
10:36They've kept that white on the ceiling. So there's consistency from the hall, which I love.
10:40In terms of the homeowners bits and pieces, I think everything is just overscaled or too large for space.
10:45However, I'm looking at the overall design and the layout, and it's very successful.
10:49What I want to do is just keep going.
10:54Into what would have been the rear room of the original house. These rooms can be very difficult as to
11:01what you do with them. But because you've got the big opening into the living area and the big opening
11:07down to the kitchen, this room is perfect as the dining room.
11:12Wow.
11:13Now, isn't that floor just terrific? Look at this. I have a fabulous aubergine sort of utility room, plus the
11:22space for the dogs. I'd fit in there.
11:25Go on. Go on. You could put me in there. You'd put me in there, wouldn't you?
11:28And look at this. Standing back. To me, it looks like a tree.
11:32It's great. It's beautiful.
11:36And look, it's the favourite spot. Sitting here, you can see all through the house. You can see the stunning
11:44art and the walls. The colours are beautiful.
11:48I think it's fascinating looking back to the original house. Beautiful sunlight coming in and lovely colour tones.
11:56When you're standing here, I can get a clear understanding of the design intent of this home. And the overall
12:03layout has been thought about and it works. But, and it is with a heavy heart that I say this,
12:08there's just too many materials and I think the homeowners are interested in design.
12:12To me, I think they've just gone too far and they just need to have reined it back.
12:17There's no relief. That's it. There's no relief. I do understand there's relief in the marble, but again, it's quite
12:24busy and dark and it's amazing. Can I just tell you, this is just yummy. And the detailing.
12:33The home thus far has been so successful, but there is a totally different style. I feel like there's an
12:41Asian influence in here. The dark wood, the table. I really do.
12:45Now, what have we got? Look. Yeah. Does this do the blinds?
12:54Oh. It's James Bond. That is so fun. I've never seen anything like that before. I want one.
13:07Wow. What a terrific bedroom. Look at the scale of it. I love these rooms because it's the full width
13:13of the house.
13:14And you have the two windows. So these rooms get tons of light and fantastic wardrobe space on both sides
13:23of the room.
13:24It's a really spacious room. The light pouring through the windows is great.
13:27I would question the colour choice. And I think if anything, I would have gone for a darker colour because
13:33it just feels a little disjointed when you come from a hall from that really rich, inky navy into this
13:39bright blue.
13:40It's the main bedroom. I think the layout is good. But when I'm looking at it, the design of the
13:46wardrobes has a cornice detailing, but it doesn't go up to the ceiling.
13:50There's a gap there. So you have a ceiling cornice that doesn't meet the ceiling.
13:53I think that the joinery is such an important element of this room, and it's really well made.
14:00I find myself torn, almost heartbroken, because of its overall good design layout. And there's so many good ideas, but
14:09sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.
14:12The home owners clearly love bold colours. Personally, I think if they had a more consistent style, the overall design
14:21would have been much more cohesive. I'm giving this home an eight.
14:27This period home has clever design details and beautiful finishes throughout. However, the homeowner's use of multiple different colour tones
14:34and materials creates abrupt transitions from room to room. I'm giving this home a seven.
14:41This period family home is a lesson in considered design, balance, exquisite colour selection, and beautiful furniture. It's a fun,
14:50fearless, and refreshing family home.
14:55I feel like I can't speak too loudly in here. It's very tranquil.
14:59Let's snuggle!
15:03Mark and Kate, and their three daughters, moved into this new-built home in Cork in 2024,
15:09and set about making it their own.
15:11We bought it from the plans, so it was a blank canvas. We picked everything from the floor, to the
15:17kitchen units, to the bathroomware, paint colours.
15:19Everything was our decision, which is really nice because we got to put our own stamp on it.
15:23My wife looks after the interiors of the house, so she has free reign to kind of do whatever she
15:29wants there.
15:29We may argue about certain things, but to be fair, at the end of the day, Kate's nearly always right,
15:35so...
15:36This is my favourite spot. Sitting on the couch in the living room after a busy evening.
15:40You can close the door away from all the busyness and look out of the garden and the playhouse and
15:44over the fields.
15:44It's just really pretty, and it's nice to come in here and relax and have some quiet time. It's lovely.
15:50We're so happy with the way it's finished off now. We can really just enjoy the girls growing up and
15:56for them to have a lovely space to live in and enjoy and play.
16:00It's everything we ever wanted, I suppose, to have a family and a nice home and we have it now
16:05and we're delighted and we're very lucky.
16:11This is a recently built home on a new housing development in Cork.
16:15So what I'm hoping to find is a modern interior style that aligns with the home.
16:19Shall we go in?
16:26This is beautiful. It's such a large hallway. And straight away, I love this slatted wall detail.
16:33And this gorgeous rug. So we've got texture, we've got colour. It's a great start.
16:38They've even used the porch, I think, in a great way where they've got the chair out there and a
16:43reading light.
16:45And...
16:47Oh, look, there you go.
16:49Isn't that wonderful to have that off the hall?
16:51That is a super boot room.
16:53There's a strong sense of continuity because I'm looking at the colour tones, the vertical timber cladding on the black,
16:59which I can see picked up in the kitchen and coming to the same material in front of me,
17:04but also on the half landing of the stairs where they reversed it.
17:08Yeah, it's really interesting and actually standing here and I can look out to the back garden,
17:12they have a slatted timber fencing.
17:14We've got a great sense of connection in this home and we're only in the hallway.
17:22Oh, look at this. This is beautiful.
17:26The scale and the size of the kitchen is just terrific. I have a bank of tall units.
17:31And what do we have in here? Look at that. Coffee station, tea, toaster, everything that you want in there.
17:38What I think is really smart is the homeowners have kind of used colour to define the different areas.
17:43We've got orange and black in the lounge area. We've got green in the kitchen.
17:46So they've really put their own stamp on it.
17:48The tone of the green for me actually works well.
17:51The one thing that's jarring and I can't ignore it is the colour on the end wall.
17:55I personally love the orange wall, but what was throwing me off were the green cushions.
18:00So perhaps that's part of it.
18:01Think back to when we walked into this home and the entrance hall.
18:04Think of the colours there.
18:06That's the colour palette that I understood that this home was about.
18:09And standing here looking back, the greens that work with that colour palette,
18:12which is why I find that so jarring.
18:15It should have been more of an earthy tone, a stronger tone,
18:18if that's what they were going and trying to do.
18:20I think the wall unit is just wonderful.
18:22I love the black timber and the walnut finish.
18:26You don't really see the telly. It sort of disappears into it.
18:34Ah, another living room.
18:37What a great room.
18:38And the homeowner's favourite spot.
18:43What has struck me walking through this home is that it's very much a family home.
18:47It's about family.
18:48Homeowners sitting there looking out and think, watch their kids play.
18:52Beautiful room.
18:53Love the coloured tones.
18:55Yummy big couch.
18:56I love it.
18:57I love all the different textures that the homeowners have introduced us with the cushions.
19:02It seems very tranquil in here.
19:03It seems cosy.
19:05And then you have that incredible view.
19:16Oh, we have a child's bedroom. This is so lovely.
19:21I feel like I can't speak too loudly in here.
19:24It's very calm.
19:25It's very calm.
19:25It's very tranquil.
19:26Let's snuggle.
19:27I think this room is very well considered.
19:30The homeowners, they've kept the background neutral.
19:32You white walls and ceiling and a neutral coloured carpet.
19:35Even the way they've done the hearts on the wall.
19:37And look, they then turn onto the horizontal, onto the unit.
19:40It's a lovely room.
19:46The bathroom.
19:48There's a lot going on, isn't there?
19:50There's a lot of finishes.
19:51The tile they've used, it's like the vertical timber clowning we've seen in the rest of the house.
19:56I then have a floor, which is different to the wall tiles.
20:00And even looking at the bath, where it's a black finish.
20:04So there's a lot of finishes going on.
20:06You know, downstairs in that hallway, I really felt like I knew who the homeowners were, what their style was.
20:11But in this room, it just feels off.
20:17Ah, look at this.
20:20Lovely, light-filled bedroom.
20:23Look at the cows outside.
20:24They may as well be in the house.
20:25Isn't that fantastic?
20:27The great thing about having a suite like this is you have the walk-in wardrobe.
20:31And in here, we have a really brilliant en suite.
20:36Strong colours.
20:37It's just fabulous.
20:38I actually adore this wallpaper.
20:41I find it a bit luxurious.
20:43If anything, I would like the homeowners to have wrapped the whole room in that wallpaper.
20:48It would have been fab.
20:51There's been a slight change of style in this room.
20:53For me, there was a confidence in the entrance hall and the open-plan living.
20:57When we come in here, those curtains, they don't make sense.
21:00And there's just the introduction here of glitz.
21:03It's steadily diluting away from that purity that I experienced on the ground floor.
21:08It's a beautiful room.
21:09There are just a couple of things I would have tweaked.
21:15These homeowners have created a functional and spacious family home.
21:19The soft green cabinetry in the kitchen is beautiful.
21:22However, the main bathroom feels disjointed, and it's at odds with the rest of the home.
21:27There are too many different tiles, and the colour palette doesn't work.
21:31I give this home an eight.
21:34This is a bright, comfortable, and generous family home.
21:38The entrance hall makes a good first impression.
21:40However, I feel the design intent in the main bedroom didn't match that of the ground floor open plan or
21:46entrance hall.
21:47I'm giving this home a seven.
21:51The homeowners have a wonderful design eye, and that's clear in the choice of the colour of the kitchen, the
21:58charming cloakroom downstairs, and that media wall in the open living area.
22:03This home feels calm, comfortable, and beautifully considered.
22:10Now that the judges have visited all three homes, it's time to see how they measure up against each other.
22:16First, Amanda reveals her score for the light-filled home in Kerry.
22:20When we walked into this home, there was an immediate sense of warmth and comfort.
22:25But for me, some of the choice of finishes took away from that sense of calm.
22:30And particularly in the main bedroom, I found there was too many different styles.
22:33I gave this home a seven.
22:34Gosh, Amanda.
22:36A nine.
22:37Two nines, and a seven is 25.
22:42Next, Siobhan gives her score for the red brick home in Dublin.
22:46This is a beautiful period home.
22:48Moody, elegant, sophisticated.
22:50And then we walked into the kitchen, which was super slick.
22:53I thought I'd walked into a Bond movie.
22:55There was a bit of a disconnect between the kitchen and the living dining.
22:59And for that reason, I gave this home an eight.
23:01Two eights, and a seven.
23:03Twenty-three.
23:05Finally, Hugh reveals his score for the new-built home in Cork.
23:09Walking into the hall, it was really fresh and open.
23:12Very nice colour scheme downstairs, with amazing views over the landscape.
23:16However, walking upstairs has all got a bit confused, particularly in the main bathroom.
23:22But for me, I thought this was a great family home, and I gave it an eight.
23:26Super score, Hugh.
23:27Two eights, and a seven is 23.
23:31Which means that our Kerry home is through, and this home really deserves to get through.
23:35I'm delighted.
23:36Last week, Amanda used her golden key.
23:39So now, Hugh and Siobhan have a decision to make.
23:42These are two great homes.
23:44What do you think?
23:45I'm not going to use mine.
23:46I'm going to hold on to mine.
23:48So, we have our winner through to the final.
23:50The home going through is the light-filled home in Kerry.
23:54Next time, on Home of the Year.
24:26Transcription by CastingWords
24:28CastingWords
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