- 12 hours ago
Home of the Year Season 12 Episode 1
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00:00What makes a house a home?
00:04Homes full of style and character
00:05are competing for the title of
00:07Home of the Year.
00:09Making the tough decisions are
00:11design legend Hugh Wallace.
00:14What takes your eyes is the wonderful
00:15wallpaper, lovely fishies.
00:18Award winning architect Amanda Bone.
00:20Can we have it for the flush doors?
00:22This is what you need.
00:23It's a new build home
00:24and it's a contemporary kitchen.
00:27And award winning design consultant
00:28Siobhan Lahm.
00:30I have been driven to mentored by you and Amanda.
00:33Come on, I'm actually, I'm good.
00:36This year, the judges have a new
00:38tool at their disposal, the golden
00:40key. The what? Excuse me?
00:43What's the golden key?
00:44The judges each get one golden key
00:47to put a home that hasn't won its
00:48episode straight through to the final.
00:51This is new.
00:52Is this new? Oh, I love it.
00:57Tonight, the search begins
00:58for Ireland's Home of the Year.
01:04Adrian and Lorcan live in this home in
01:06County Kildare, which they built
01:0820 years ago.
01:09We wanted a home that was bright
01:12and light and kind of full of character.
01:15So when we were recently built the house,
01:17I had planted a weeping willow
01:18just after my father had died.
01:21It's a beautiful tree and it just gives us
01:23a nice warm feeling when we come into the house.
01:26The garden for us is very important
01:27and we built the house with the garden in mind.
01:31I had sections made up where plants were going to go,
01:34trees were going to go.
01:35We have our little tea house.
01:37You can go down there and you go literally
01:39through a little wood.
01:41So this is our favourite spot,
01:42sitting in our tea house, chilling.
01:44Sometimes we'd argue over who's sitting here.
01:47Small argument, but I usually win.
01:50You know, you'd pick up a book maybe
01:51and read it.
01:52Sitting, relaxing, far on, have the tea.
01:55Have, you know, the G and tea.
01:57Love it. Absolutely love it.
01:58Yeah, no, it's great.
02:00At the end of the day, we'd go to the tea house
02:02and we'd just go and chill and just sit back
02:04and admire the garden and the house and go,
02:06like, we've done this and we've built this.
02:11The judges must now assess the home
02:13armed with only the basic facts
02:15about the property and its owners.
02:19What a gorgeous, calm, tranquil house.
02:23I'm fascinated.
02:24All the different outdoor areas,
02:25I can see a bar, a chess set.
02:27Through the house, I can see some sort of chalet.
02:30There's so much to look at.
02:31There's so much to figure out.
02:33Shall we go in?
02:34Yes.
02:35Yes.
02:35Yes.
02:38Look at that beautiful wall.
02:42The texture and the fabulous flooring.
02:45My goodness.
02:47It's so bright.
02:48And the double-height atrium over the dining table
02:52and that spectacular west-facing garden.
02:56Goodness, what a place to entertain.
02:58I was a little bit confused about the home
02:59because I can't make out all the different architectural styles.
03:02I'm looking around.
03:03There is a lot.
03:05I mean, it is cluttered.
03:07Look, a dresser packed full of ceramics,
03:09flyer arrangements, candles.
03:10There are several gallery walls.
03:12It's a really busy space,
03:14but I think this is absolutely magnificent.
03:18I feel like they built this home almost with the garden in mind.
03:21It's an incredibly tranquil space.
03:24There is a lot going on.
03:26There's a lot of different styles happening,
03:28but they're telling me a lot about the homeowners,
03:30about their journey, their travels,
03:31and I think they're collecting things
03:33and putting them in their home.
03:34And why wouldn't they?
03:35I would question whether all of the styles are melding well,
03:40but that doesn't take away from the fact
03:42that this is an absolutely stunning home.
03:47Oh, wow.
03:49Straight away, this feels a lot more intimate.
03:53What I do love is that gorgeous soft green on the walls.
03:57There's a lot of styles.
03:58For me, this is about sitting.
04:00It's more intimate.
04:01And again, it just has an incredible connection to the garden.
04:05I mean, yeah.
04:06Yeah, look.
04:07You see?
04:07It's lovely.
04:08It is lovely.
04:09But I'm distracted by those cushions,
04:12and I'm distracted by that throw,
04:14and I'm distracted by those flowers.
04:16What I would have loved is if these homeowners
04:18had just pulled it way back in here
04:21so that I could enjoy the garden,
04:23let the garden do the talking,
04:25which I didn't think I'd ever say.
04:26Yeah.
04:33Isn't this just magic?
04:35A teahouse in the garden.
04:38What a fabulous location
04:41to have their favorite spot.
04:44This is about green fingers
04:45and the joy of having such a wonderful garden
04:50and this treat of a room.
04:53And I don't know if you've noticed,
04:54but there's no tech.
04:55There's no distractions in this room.
04:57All you have is the gorgeous stove and books.
04:59So you come out here,
05:01you have a little cheeky gin and tonic,
05:02and you read a book.
05:03It's the perfect escape.
05:12Goodness.
05:14Very nice.
05:15Oh, I don't know about the black hue.
05:17That is a lot.
05:18Like, if you're going to do black,
05:20let's do something that is matte,
05:21not shiny gloss,
05:24which completely does not work in this space.
05:27Yeah, you know, when I walked in here,
05:29my first reaction was,
05:30why is it so dark?
05:32But I'm getting into the spirit of the homeowners,
05:35into their vibe and personalities.
05:37Why is everyone okay with this?
05:39I am.
05:40Look at us.
05:40We look terrific in the reflection.
05:43Come on.
05:43You're right.
05:44You're all right.
05:57Wow.
05:58The main bedroom.
06:00It's huge.
06:02It's restrained.
06:03It's amazing, isn't it?
06:04What a treat to have a sitting area,
06:08lovely views out,
06:09lying in the bed,
06:10seeing the canopy of the trees.
06:11That window is so perfectly positioned.
06:14Come on, Amanda.
06:16Get on.
06:16Come on.
06:17Over you.
06:17Come.
06:18Enjoy, guys.
06:19Enjoy.
06:20Look at that.
06:21Oh, that's amazing.
06:22We are in the trees.
06:25We're just so excited.
06:26It's beautiful.
06:27Come on.
06:27Come on.
06:27Get in there.
06:29I'm actually, I'm good.
06:30Yeah.
06:35Oh, wow.
06:36Look at this.
06:37Look at all the lush planting and the window.
06:40It frames the bath beautifully.
06:43You're in the Weeping Willow, in the canopy.
06:45I would question the colour of the bath, like white.
06:48Why isn't this bath white?
06:50It's all very safe, but yet you have this exaggerated bath, which really doesn't do anything for us.
06:57When you walk into this room, it actually doesn't matter what colour the walls or the floor or the bath
07:02is.
07:02I feel that I've stepped into a greenery, but I'm embracing the homeowner's passion.
07:08Step in here, I feel like I'm in the trees.
07:11There's a hue of green.
07:14The home will now be marked out of ten.
07:16One score will be held back until the judges have seen all three homes when their combined scores will be
07:22revealed.
07:22I get the feeling that this house was designed around the landscaping from the very beginning.
07:29The result is wonderful.
07:31Every window frames a different, magical view.
07:35I'm giving this home a nine.
07:39This biophilic home sits in one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever been in.
07:43The functionality and layout of this home works well.
07:46What doesn't work for me is the mix of styles, the finishes, and the furniture.
07:52I'm giving this home a seven.
07:55This home is one of the reasons why I love being a judge on Home of the Year.
07:59As soon as we arrived, the magnificent gardens told me that this home was different.
08:05From the moment we stepped inside, the homeowner's personalities were immediately clear.
08:10It's joyful, playful, and completely unexpected.
08:16Dean and Denise lived in this terraced home in Wicklow for a year, before renovating it and making it their
08:22own.
08:23I love colour.
08:24I have to be paired back.
08:25Dean probably pairs me back.
08:26A little bit.
08:27Yeah, a little bit.
08:27So we're going for the kitchen.
08:29Denise kind of picked out this colour.
08:31She needed to kind of give me a little nudge to kind of go, we go for this.
08:34So it was bold, but at the end, it was like, it was the colour to go for.
08:37I like to get stuff that has a story.
08:40I have books that I got in different places I worked.
08:42We have paintings from Dean's dad.
08:44We don't have a lot of space, but the space that we have, we wanted to inject colour and our
08:50story in it, kind of.
08:51Even like my wedding veil.
08:53We didn't want it hidden away, so I put it into like a box frame and have it up on
08:56the wall.
08:56So, because all the colours as well, I think you can see what's the house, really.
08:59My favourite spot is in our craft room.
09:03It's a lovely, bright room.
09:04I'd spend a lot of time up here sewing, knitting, reading.
09:08I'm so lucky to have a space where I can just work on hobbies and be creative and let my
09:13imagination run wild.
09:14I'm interested to see what the judges think of the house with the colours and the kind of furniture and
09:18kind of what we've kind of done.
09:20We love it, so.
09:21Yeah, that's the main thing.
09:25This dark facade is striking.
09:28I'm loving that contrast between that chartreuse door and that dark navy.
09:33Painting the outside of your home a dark colour has become increasingly popular.
09:36And you expect to find dark and tense, monochromatic interiors.
09:40But looking at the colour of the door, the letterbox and the plants, I don't think that's the case here.
09:45I think we're going to find colour, florals and patterns.
09:48I imagine everyone on the street has an opinion of this house because of the colour scheme.
09:54For me, I just love it.
09:55I think it's like a graphic postcard and I'm really looking forward to seeing the inside.
10:00Shall we?
10:05Goodness.
10:06Isn't that fabulous?
10:08These homes are amazing.
10:09They're over 100 years old.
10:11And yet today, they're so desirable because they're always in great locations.
10:15That hall really sets the tone for this home.
10:18These homeowners adore colour.
10:20They adore pattern.
10:21But there's so many styles here.
10:23It's a real mishmash.
10:24But for me, it's coming together beautifully.
10:27They've got quite a lot of furniture.
10:28Some of the furniture is quite oversized.
10:30But at the same time, the room feels usable and it doesn't feel overly crowded.
10:35They've a lot of art.
10:37They've a lot of bits and pieces.
10:38But looking around, it's a very bright-filled room.
10:41This is the one item that it feels quite heavy, but also it's blocking the circulation.
10:46I don't know.
10:47I think I like this chest.
10:48It's nice and narrow.
10:49Let's have a look and see what's inside.
10:50No.
10:51Oh.
10:51Storage.
10:52No.
10:52Beautiful.
10:53That's genius.
10:54Do you know what I love?
10:55I love the accent colour on the ceiling that the homeowners have brought in from the front
10:59door.
10:59And it creates this really beautiful contrast between the white walls and the ceiling.
11:04It's stunning.
11:05It's striking.
11:06No, it looks great.
11:11A bright and colourful kitchen.
11:14It really is bright, actually.
11:15I'm surprised coming from that room because it was quite dark in the living area.
11:20That's what a roof light does.
11:23Yeah, it's bright.
11:24It's spacious.
11:25You know, you've got these beautiful ceramic flowers over the dining table.
11:28The kitchen's in the right place.
11:29So from a functional point of view, this really works.
11:32The colour scheme, I just think I've walked into a different house.
11:36These colour tones, I don't know where they've come from.
11:39That aubergine, it makes a statement for sure.
11:41I think the layout could have been a bit better.
11:44What I would have done, I think I would have dropped that window down.
11:47So you're coming in and you're right out to the external area.
11:53Oh, what a beautiful little bathroom.
11:56Really well laid out.
11:58Toilets hidden.
12:00Wash on basin and a great shower.
12:02But what takes your eyes is the wonderful wallpaper.
12:05Lovely fishies.
12:07There's a boldness of design in this bathroom, which I'm just loving.
12:10So I think they've got this perfectly right.
12:22Oh, oh, look at the wallpaper.
12:27Ah!
12:29Favourite spot.
12:31This is gorgeous.
12:32Look at this old school sewing machine.
12:35I love that green armchair.
12:37It's stunning.
12:38Walking through the home, I guessed that the homeowner had made some of the art pieces.
12:42So it's no surprise to find the favourite spot here, where they're surrounded by and can indulge in their passion.
12:47I just adored the idea that their favourite spot is at a sewing machine.
12:53And they've got great, look at the size of these knitting needles.
12:58It's amazing.
12:58My goodness.
12:59So these homeowners are definitely creative.
13:02And I think that was very obvious from the bold statement on the outside of the home.
13:10My goodness, look at this.
13:13A cacophony of colour, more wallpaper.
13:16Oh, the little side tables are dinky.
13:19And they're a great size for a room this neat.
13:22They've loads of storage behind, all organised.
13:26However, when I look around, I have a very busy wallpaper.
13:29The pattern is too big for the scale of this room.
13:33I'm not doing any justice to this room whatsoever.
13:36This room should have been white.
13:39I really enjoy the wallpaper.
13:41I think it's fun and it's obviously their thing.
13:44And if anything, I want more of it.
13:49The living room is my favourite space in this home.
13:52It feels considered.
13:54In other areas, the homeowners have gone too far with their choice of colours, materials and finishes.
14:00That said, there is no doubt that the homeowners have made this early 1900s traditional home their own.
14:09The homeowner has shown that while the house is small, they have maximised every inch to create a truly unique
14:17home.
14:17However, for me, the inconsistency in the design styles between the different rooms feels jarring.
14:24I'm scoring this home an 8.
14:28My journey through this home has been delightful.
14:30I really enjoy the homeowner's bold use of pattern and colour, as well as their flawless styling.
14:37And we have it for the flush doors.
14:39This is what you need.
14:40It's a new-built home and it's a contemporary kitchen.
14:47Architectonia lives with her husband, Nullig, and their children in this new home that they built on a side garden
14:53plot.
14:54So this is a new-built, A1-rated house.
14:57It was really important for us that we would fit in really well with the rest of the streets.
15:01So you can see at the front, we really look like one of the original houses on the road.
15:05And then when you turn the corner, you discover that actually it's a very contemporary new house to the site.
15:09Oh, it's been really, really fun putting the interiors together.
15:13We tried to take really calm, quiet colours.
15:15And then we were able to add to that then when we were putting in our artwork.
15:18In the kitchen, we have a lovely folding wall that pulls back.
15:22So the children have their playroom, music room on one side.
15:25So that's a really nice family space.
15:27But then if we want to entertain, we can pull the doors back and we have a huge, big entertaining
15:30space then.
15:31This is our favourite spot in the house.
15:33It's a lovely sitting room.
15:34It was really important for us to have a room that we could just relax in, a quiet, peaceful space.
15:40It's a great couch.
15:41We can all sit out together.
15:42The children are snuggled up.
15:43It's really, really, really comfortable and we love sitting here.
15:45It's really nice to be included in Home of the Year.
15:47There might not be enough colour in it maybe for some of the judges.
15:51But we're really happy to show our homes to everybody else and hope they enjoy it too.
15:54What a fantastic home on an infill site.
15:58Very much sympathetic to the rest of the houses in this estate.
16:02I love a red brick home and that yellow door is bright, it's welcoming and it's making me feel quite
16:08optimistic about the inside.
16:10Will we go in?
16:17Well, look at that.
16:20What a terrific entrance hall to walk into.
16:22It's really warm and inviting, beautiful use of materials.
16:25I love the herringbone floor and the staircase in timber, which really gives a softness.
16:31And then this lovely handrail detail, which is just really comfortable.
16:36This piece here, I think, is lovely.
16:38A square cut mirror that goes straight to the ceiling.
16:41It doesn't have any fancy bits or bobs in terms of frames.
16:44It just is what is.
16:45And look at this, a perfect little reading nook.
16:49And it's panelled on that gorgeous green.
16:52It's a great use of space.
16:58The favourite spot.
16:59Wow.
17:00This room, it feels like somewhere you'd go to at the end of the day.
17:04It's a lounge, it feels like a lounge.
17:06It's not somewhere you'd relax.
17:07Very comfortable sofa, I can see the record player.
17:10You've got your fire, and you have your door at your south-facing garden.
17:16Favourite lampshade, all-time favourite lampshade.
17:18And it's calm, it's tranquil, there's no TV.
17:21I love that this is the favourite spot.
17:25Now let's see what we have here.
17:28Lovely little laundry room.
17:30They've really used every square inch.
17:35Beautiful.
17:36Oh, what a crisp, simple kitchen.
17:38Lots of natural light.
17:41Great architectural detail.
17:43I love the idea of the brick screen,
17:45which gives privacy,
17:47but yet you can open the windows
17:49and get lots of ventilation.
17:51These homeowners have thought again about that palette.
17:53They've brought that green in here.
17:55The view is fab.
17:56I mean, outside, it's kind of,
17:58I don't know, it's incredibly bright.
17:59I think it's because of the use of the outdoor furniture.
18:04She's happy.
18:04Can we have it for the flush doors?
18:06This is what you need.
18:07It's a new-built home
18:08and it's a contemporary kitchen.
18:11We've seen terrific lighting elsewhere in the home,
18:13but unfortunately now,
18:15the obligatory down lights have appeared,
18:18particularly in the dining area
18:19where I'm relying solely on ceiling lights.
18:22For me, the dining room
18:24is just a little bit of a letdown.
18:25It's lacking colour.
18:26It's lacking contrast.
18:28There is plenty of contrast.
18:31Through the window,
18:31you can see the red textured brick.
18:34There is more than enough contrast.
18:36This is a calm room.
18:37That's a calm dining table and chairs.
18:40Okay, let's have a look
18:41and see what's actually behind these folding doors.
18:44Oh, wow.
18:47Look at this.
18:49It's a music room and a playroom.
18:51Isn't that terrific?
18:52And what it does is it gives super volume to the dining area.
18:57I think that music room is brilliant.
18:59The design behind this,
19:00particularly those door-height folding doors,
19:03it operates as a separate room.
19:05Then you open up
19:06and it really transforms this open-plan area.
19:13Now.
19:17Oh, the main bedroom.
19:18Ooh.
19:20I just love the light into this room.
19:24Isn't it fantastic?
19:26A bed with tons of colour,
19:27which is a bit of a surprise.
19:29I'm not quite sure about the colour of the headboard,
19:31funnily enough.
19:32The minute I open that door,
19:33the focal point is that bed back.
19:35We haven't seen anything like that elsewhere in the home.
19:37The colours are completely out of context.
19:40They're too bright.
19:40They're not restful.
19:42I love that headboard.
19:43I think it is so fun.
19:45It's that pop of colour that I was looking for.
19:47I love that the homeowners have gone for blue tones,
19:50which is a nice change
19:51from those soft greens in the rest of the home.
19:55The main bathroom.
19:57This is a bright family bathroom.
19:59I love where they've put the pendant light over the bath.
20:02And we've got some mirrored cabinets over here.
20:04These actually have two jobs.
20:07They bounce light beautifully,
20:08but they also have storage behind there.
20:11Looking at the size of the room,
20:12a lot of light,
20:13but for me that bath is too big.
20:16Freestanding baths are designed
20:17to be the focal point of a room.
20:19They're not meant to be jammed into a tight corner
20:21in a compact bathroom.
20:25Oh, wow.
20:27Look at this.
20:29Oh, I'm up in the air in my balloons,
20:32floating along.
20:34What a fantastic kid's bedroom.
20:37What are they called?
20:38Patchwork quilts.
20:39My aunt made me a patchwork quilt,
20:41hand-stitched,
20:42which I still have.
20:43There's a meaning behind patchwork quilts,
20:45isn't it,
20:45before a child is born?
20:46What was it?
20:47About collecting histories or stories
20:49relating to the families
20:50and connecting them together.
20:52Am I right there?
20:53Well, all my family must have been
20:54from Walt Disney.
20:56I just think this is just
20:58a fabulous kid's bedroom.
21:02This home is all about functionality.
21:05Cleverly designed to maximize the footprint,
21:07sneak storage into every crevice
21:09and bring natural light into each room.
21:11For me, the dining room is somewhat at odds
21:13with the rest of the home
21:14and there's a noticeable lack of color.
21:17Overall, this is a well-considered,
21:19sophisticated family home
21:20and I give it an eight.
21:23Parts of this home
21:24are beautifully thought through.
21:26The music room, for example,
21:28is cleverly integrated
21:29into the open-plan space
21:30with full-height flush folding doors.
21:33The main bedroom
21:34lacks the refinement of other rooms.
21:36That said,
21:37the neutral background
21:38creates a calm
21:39and relaxed atmosphere
21:41throughout the home.
21:42I'm giving it an eight.
21:45This is a great example
21:46of an infill you build home
21:48that showcases
21:50simple yet excellent
21:52architectural design.
21:54For me,
21:54I'd like to see
21:55a more effective lighting solution
21:57in the kitchen
21:58and dining area.
22:02Now that the judges
22:03have visited all three homes,
22:05it's time to see
22:05how they measure up
22:06against each other.
22:07First,
22:08Amanda reveals her score
22:10for the botanical home
22:11in County Gildare.
22:12This home
22:13is one of the reasons
22:14why I enjoy
22:15Home of the Year so much.
22:17Each room inside
22:18connected with the outside,
22:19even when you were
22:20on the first floor.
22:22I gave this home
22:23a 10.
22:23Well done, Amanda.
22:25I'm delighted.
22:26You're joking.
22:27A 10,
22:28a 9,
22:29and a 7.
22:30Oh.
22:3126.
22:33Next,
22:34Siobhan reveals her score
22:35for the terraced home
22:36in Wicklow.
22:37This home was bursting
22:39with creativity.
22:40I really had a sense
22:41of who these homeowners were.
22:43They were artistic.
22:43They were creative.
22:44And then we walked
22:45into the kitchen.
22:46The colour,
22:47it just didn't suit the home.
22:48And for that reason,
22:49I gave this home
22:50an 8.
22:51Two 8s
22:52and a 7.
22:5323.
22:54This is a delightful home.
22:56This home
22:56deserved better than that.
22:58Finally,
22:59Hugh reveals her score
23:00for the side garden home
23:02in Dublin.
23:03For me,
23:04this home shows
23:04how you can take
23:05a very small site
23:07and create
23:07a brilliant family home.
23:09In the kitchen
23:10and dining room,
23:11there was an issue
23:11with lighting.
23:12And also,
23:13there was a lack of colour.
23:15I give this home
23:16an 8.
23:17Great score.
23:183 8s.
23:1924.
23:20And we have our winner,
23:22the home in Kildare.
23:23Well-deserved finalist.
23:25One last order of business.
23:27Does anybody want
23:27to use their golden key?
23:30You are.
23:31I am.
23:31Can you guess which one?
23:33Side garden modern family home?
23:36Well,
23:36John and Amanda.
23:37This is one of those homes
23:38that's given me sleepless nights.
23:40I scored it too low.
23:41And this is what's so good
23:42about the golden key.
23:44Two great homes
23:44through to the final.
23:46Super.
23:47The homes through to the final
23:48are the botanical home
23:50in Kildare
23:50and the side garden home
23:52in Dublin.
23:53Next time
23:54on Home of the Year.
24:05The ancient art
24:07of stone masonry
24:08is reaching
24:09a new audience now
24:10thanks to TikTok
24:11and Oliver Callen
24:13chats to the young man
24:14responsible for this
24:15from 11
24:15tomorrow on RTE Radio 1.
24:18Next today
24:19Beyond Paradise.
24:26more hypocritical
24:26who visited everywhere
24:26it
24:26or something
24:27or just
24:27or something
24:27or somebody
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