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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 Home of the Year.
00:10Making the tough decisions are design legend Hugh Wallace.
00:14This is fabulous. It's like being in a dream.
00:15You know, if you're going for it, go for it.
00:18Award-winning architect Amanda Bone.
00:20You're wearing this,
00:22and you're saying the floor is giving you a headache.
00:25Just subtle, darling.
00:26And award-winning design consultant Siobhan Lahm.
00:29Ooh, light and bright.
00:32Oh, wow, look at the stairs.
00:35And this year, it's not just their scores that they'll have to decide.
00:39After the winner of the episode is revealed,
00:42we will get a chance to use our golden key on one of the runners-up.
00:46We get one key throughout the series, so we've got to use it wisely.
00:51The search continues for Ireland's Home of the Year.
00:57Grace and Robert bought and extended this Dublin home in 2021,
01:01and have tried to blend its existing features with their own personal style.
01:07The home is open-plan.
01:09It's got a lovely flow to it.
01:11The finishes are very warm.
01:13Try to keep everything quite natural.
01:16Even the tiles in the kitchen you'll see are gorgeous kind of terracotta, warm reds and beiges coming through.
01:23I think the windows, like all the neighbors are commenting on the windows.
01:27They just walk by and they're like, we love your windows.
01:28We were quite conscious about coming in and not wanting to sort of do something completely outlandish.
01:32But thankfully, unless they're just being polite, I genuinely think the feedback has been pretty positive.
01:38This is our favorite spot.
01:39It's a functional space where the kids can have breakfast.
01:42They do their homework.
01:43It's a very casual space.
01:45And also in the evening, we can sit here and have our dinner and a glass of wine.
01:49You're also connected to the outdoor area.
01:51So it actually makes you feel like you're in a space that is in the center of everything.
01:56But also you're in the corner, you're a little bit of a fly on the wall as well.
02:00I think what we've done here is we've made something that's just perfect for us and the boys.
02:05The judges must now assess the home armed with only the basic facts about the property and its owners.
02:11This is Dublin city at its finest.
02:14We have red brick.
02:15We've got pebble dash.
02:16And there's so much character straight off the bat.
02:18I cannot wait to see if that charm and character continues on the inside.
02:22Pebble dash heaven, Amanda.
02:24I just love it.
02:25This house has been refurbished and extended.
02:27And from the outside, I've no idea what the inside is going to be like.
02:30Well, let's find out.
02:36Oh, look at this.
02:39Nice intimate hallway.
02:41Beautifully presented simple hall.
02:44And you see the way they've kept the architrave around the door, the original door and the handles on the
02:51doors.
02:52So isn't that great now they've kept those elements of the original house.
02:56When we were outside this home, there was a really strong sense of character.
03:00And that has continued throughout the home.
03:02I mean, we're only in the hall, but already I can feel it.
03:05They've got a timber floor demarcating the original part of the home.
03:09And then they've a new tile floor, which I'm guessing is in the extension.
03:12This is not what I expect from the outside. This is so much better.
03:15I think this is great.
03:16I'm curious about this home.
03:17Well, let's explore more.
03:21Oh, the kitchen.
03:25Oh, this is gorgeous.
03:28It's beautifully curated.
03:30The shelving area is delicious.
03:33Why is this room so successful?
03:35Looking around, it's contemporary, but it's got tactility.
03:40Coming in here, there's a real understanding, I think, of how to extend an existing home and how to extend
03:46it well.
03:48And this is great.
03:50I've surface mounted ceiling lights, but the bulb is recessed.
03:55So all I get is the effect of the light. I don't have any glare.
03:59I find the pattern on the floor distracting and just dominates this room.
04:07I love the contrast of the floor.
04:09It's something that is completely, I think, out of the left field.
04:13You wouldn't necessarily think that it would work in a home like this, but it works.
04:17It's giving me color.
04:19A headache.
04:20No, not a headache.
04:21I've got a headache.
04:22Gorgeous.
04:22I love that the homeowners have done this.
04:25No, it's unique.
04:26It's different.
04:27And it works.
04:28You're wearing this, and you're saying the floor is giving you a headache?
04:34Just subtle, darling.
04:37Oh, we have the favorite spot.
04:40This is such a great little bench.
04:43Beautiful green pillar table.
04:46The doors here, the natural light is pouring through the window.
04:49It's calm.
04:51It feels sophisticated.
04:52I love it.
04:53But I think they've chosen this as their favorite spot because of these doors.
05:00And it really is about the inside and the outside.
05:04And then you have the sliding door.
05:09And all of a sudden, I have a whole sort of circulation.
05:16That's a very clever piece of design.
05:18I could actually sit here, I think, and just wax lyrically about this home.
05:22Because there's so many beautiful details.
05:24You know, over your head there's a timber finish, which reminds me back to the timber that's in the hallway.
05:29And there's just a connection, a connection out and through and back.
05:34I keep using the word great.
05:35Great hall, great kitchen, great countertop.
05:39Well, it is a great home and this is a great spot.
05:46Ooh.
05:47The living dining room.
05:50The tones and color scheme is absolutely bringing the whole home together in terms of its consistency.
05:58And then I find the floor in here is busy.
06:02The floor in the kitchen and dining room is really busy.
06:05Yeah, I do think that the flooring choice in this home, you know, in the kitchen, in the dining area,
06:10is unique, but it really works.
06:13But in this home, the choice of that timber floor makes sense.
06:16It adds the character and tactility, but it also contrasts well with the neutral palette of the walls and the
06:22furniture.
06:22And sometimes when you walk into somewhere and it just feels right, but it's not tangible.
06:27And that comes down to the good design, the good layout and the good moves.
06:39Ooh.
06:41Oh.
06:42Oh, my goodness.
06:43Beautiful.
06:44What a terrific main bedroom.
06:48Oh, wow.
06:49Beautiful windows and light coming in here.
06:52I mean, this is a beautiful room.
06:54It really is.
06:54That bed is stunning.
06:56This bed is oversized for this room.
06:58For me, the circulation on the open plan ground floor was one of the joys of this home.
07:02Whereas you come up here to the main bedroom and that's gone.
07:06The design style of the windows, they're overwhelming and they take away from the overall sense of calm that you're
07:12looking for in a main bedroom.
07:14So we have some gorgeous storage here, a great little vanity area and an ensuite.
07:21That does look nice, doesn't it?
07:23It's gorgeous.
07:27The home will now be marked out of ten.
07:29One score will be held back until the judges have seen all three homes when their combined scores will be
07:34revealed.
07:35This wonderful house has been refurbished and extended in a way that truly complements the original architectural features.
07:46Personally, I question the busy floor finish on the ground floor.
07:49I'm giving this home an eight.
07:53The open plan design with opposing sliding doors between the kitchen and living dining areas creates a great sense of
08:00connection between the new and old.
08:02The main bedroom feels overpowered by the scale of the bed and the window design.
08:07I give this home an eight.
08:11This family home is an inspiring masterpiece.
08:15It perfectly combines function and aesthetics and leaves a lasting impression.
08:23In Donegal, Paul and Josephine fell head over heels for this Victorian property that was built in 1870.
08:31When we initially started to look for properties, we were downsizing.
08:34And that really, really was our plan.
08:36I mean, if somebody had told me that we would have bought a Victorian manse, I would have bet the
08:40price of the manse that we would never have done that.
08:43Something just happened.
08:44I don't know.
08:45That was destiny, I think.
08:46We love antiques.
08:48I just love it.
08:49I could stay buying furniture all day.
08:52You could spend your life buying furniture.
08:53This is why I bought the big house for all the antiques.
08:55You could go mad, yeah.
08:57We have quite a few characters in this house, apart from myself and, of course, Josephine.
09:02There are many characters in this house.
09:03We like a lot of company.
09:05Possibly.
09:05People could argue they have no place in a Victorian home, but we don't care.
09:09We love them.
09:09This is our favorite spot.
09:12When myself or Josephine sits in this chair, we find that we can make very good decisions and feel very
09:18relaxed.
09:19And so far, we've never made a bad decision sitting on this chair.
09:23It's a strange thing, but it's a true thing.
09:25I hope the judges respect what we've done to the property.
09:29To get it half as much as we get it, we're having a chance.
09:32We're having a chance.
09:32We're having a chance.
09:35I loved walking up this tree-lined entrance to this Victorian home on the hill with a yummy red door.
09:43For me, with these homes, you either got one style or another.
09:47Looking at the boot pots and the glimpse of the curtains I can get through the windows, I have an
09:52inkling of the type of style we're going to find here.
09:54Well, let's find out.
09:58Wow.
10:01What an entrance.
10:04It's like stepping back in time.
10:06It's like going to my grandmother's in Batarlington.
10:09And I just love it.
10:10The furniture, the wallpaper, and the way they've exaggerated the cornices and the ceiling rows using pink and gold.
10:19Coming in here, I'm actually holding onto this table.
10:23Where do I look?
10:25I'm trying to see the home itself because it's built in the 1870s, so it's Victorian and it's going to
10:31have Victorian details.
10:32But all I can see is pink and pink and pink and pink and frills.
10:38Do you know, for me, the overriding feeling is fun.
10:41These homeowners are playing with the interior, which I really enjoy, and it makes me very excited about exploring the
10:47rest of the home.
10:48On the outside of this home, this is exactly what I was hoping for in the inside, and I haven't
10:53been let down.
10:57Oh!
10:59Oh, I love it!
11:02Oh!
11:04We're in the royal chamber.
11:07I just think it's wild.
11:10Definitely something.
11:11Girls, girls, we're in heaven.
11:15Isn't this just wonderful?
11:16Imagine being able to have a home where you can really hush out the boat in terms of your style,
11:24personality,
11:24and taste, and I love the bravery of these homeowners.
11:28Like, it really is just fun.
11:31I am speechless.
11:33It's a wild combination of genres.
11:36The colour of those chairs is not working for me, but I applaud their bravery.
11:42I think these chairs are sort of like a nod to the Renaissance. I just love them.
11:46What is, what is, where, where, where, where are we?
11:49It's like being in a dream. You know, if you're going for it, go for it.
11:59Oh!
12:01Isn't this just fabulous? The homeowners' favourite spot. And it's such a change in mood.
12:10You know, you feel nestled in. It's more of an intimate space than the other rooms you've been in, in
12:16what is a very large home.
12:17I think the side tables are absolutely brilliant. These homeowners have a sense of humour. They're playing with the furniture
12:24here.
12:24So I would imagine, you know, sitting here of an evening with a book in hand. It feels incredibly cosy.
12:38It's a dining room.
12:40Well, that is a clock and a half. What a beautiful dining table. This is gorgeous.
12:46What I'm really enjoying, actually, is the floor. I love that they've switched from the carpet to wood, and it
12:53makes a huge difference. I don't know, it feels lighter.
12:55I wish that they had run it, though, into that kitchen.
12:59It's great to see. The range was null to the past, as are all the bells. So you would have
13:05rung for your tea, and this would have been the original kitchen.
13:09You know, walking through this home, I would expect it, if the homeowners were going to be consistent, a completely
13:14over-the-top, flamboyant, doesn't-make-sense kitchen.
13:18But for me, it feels like one home stopped here, and another starts there.
13:23Yeah.
13:23I couldn't agree more. It feels like I'm walking into another home, one that has absolutely no connection to the
13:33home that we've just been in.
13:34Personally, I just love the kitchen, and I just love here. I can sit here, read my book, look out
13:43into that magnificent garden, and write my menus for the week.
13:54Wow. Oh! It's huge! The main bedroom.
14:03Look at that bended chandelier. Beautiful room. What's not to love, Amanda?
14:09For me, the colour of the walls, the colour of the furniture, the colour of the bedspread. It's too much.
14:15Even in a room of this scale, they're just taking away from this room.
14:18I feel like if the homeowners had embraced that mad, gilded-age, over-the-top throne feel that they were
14:25going for in that living room, it would have worked much better.
14:28To me, this house is the highest accolade in terms of pushing the boat out with personality, creativity, and I
14:39love it.
14:40What a wild ride this home is. The entrance hall is welcoming, warm, and pink.
14:45I do applaud the homeowners' unapologetic commitment to creating a home entirely in their vision, but for me, it's all
14:53a bit too much. I'm giving this home a 7.
14:57The homeowners have really pushed the boat out with their unique and exuberant design style. Some people mightn't like this
15:06home, but I loved it. I'm giving this home a delicious, delightful 10.
15:15From the exterior, I got a hint of the interior, but it did not prepare me for what we found
15:20inside.
15:24It's not neutral. They're going for sophistication.
15:27Oh, here we go.
15:33Vivian and Enda began this modern new build in Kilkenny in 2022, and designing it with their daughters in mind,
15:41they moved in in 2024.
15:44Yeah, we want to design a family home that would suit our needs. Personally, I always wanted to have a
15:48playroom for the girls, a home office that was really important.
15:52The external style of the house is quite modern and architectural, like lots of clean lines, so we wanted to
16:00make sure that inside we introduce some warmth.
16:02Even the archways, just with a cosy feel. And I love to paint. The girls love to paint.
16:08And we have some of our own artwork on display around the house, which feels really special and really personal
16:14to us.
16:15And yeah, we're very proud of it.
16:18This is our favourite spot. We like to come here in the evenings and play a board game with the
16:22girls, or when they're gone to bed, we watch a movie.
16:25I hope the judges feel as comfy as we do here. I hope they just sit back and relax and
16:30make themselves at home.
16:34I just think this is a great piece of contemporary architecture.
16:38Love the boldness.
16:39This is a new build home. I'm looking at the contrasting colour palette, the black and white, the desire of
16:44the raised flower beds, the choice of planting.
16:46What I'm really interested to see, though, is what the homeowners have done with the interior. Is it contemporary? Is
16:51it colourful?
16:51Shall we go find out?
16:56Ooh, light and bright. Oh, wow, look at the stairs.
17:00It sort of sweeps your eye up to that walkway to what I presume is the main bedroom.
17:09But the best of all is you've got this terrific view through the kitchen, the dining and the living area.
17:16Lovely connections in this home.
17:18Outside, I was looking at the home. I was trying to understand the type of home that it is.
17:21And for me, the homeowners are trying to do something that's quite contemporary and quite restrained and minimalist, you know?
17:30Look at this. Oh, my goodness. The scale and size of this kitchen is just wonderful.
17:37You have the big window facing south. But the best bit, actually, funny enough about this room, is you have
17:43east light, south light and west light.
17:45So this room must always be bright.
17:48What we find here is a spacious kitchen. And in terms of the layout, it works well.
17:52The units, the aisle in the table, then a step down to break the open plan. All of that works.
17:57I am a little disappointed. I just think if the homeowners had embraced a different colour over here, like in
18:05the chairs, like one of the colours in that gorgeous art piece, like the pink or the green, it would
18:10have really lifted this room.
18:11It's just so neutral. It's not neutral. They're going for sophistication.
18:16Oh, here we go. Anyway, I found the best bit of this kitchen.
18:26You go ahead there, Hugh. Oh, happiness is. Look at this. Ah, perfect.
18:39Favourite spot.
18:45Well, sitting here, you have a great connection with the outside. You've liked coming in on three sides. There's great
18:50height. You know, it's actually very comfortable.
18:53And it feels a lot more cosy than you'd imagine, given it's a spacious area, part of an open plan.
18:59I have my outdoor trampoline hidden in the grass. So there's been a very considered approach to the external landscaping,
19:08but also its relationship to the inside of this house.
19:13So if you like, that outdoor terrace is definitely an extension to this home.
19:19It really makes sense that this is the favourite spot. You've got your light, you've got your TV. It's a
19:23nice cosy atmosphere in here.
19:26And look, they each have their own sofa.
19:35Magic. Look at the size of this bathroom.
19:38Wow. This is fab. It's like a spa, isn't it? It's huge and it's luxurious.
19:46This is an interesting bathroom. It's a great size, particularly that walk-in shower. But for me, it's not quite
19:54working.
19:54They're trying to create a very luxurious, and I think you said spa-like bathroom.
19:59Yeah. But for me, the WC stands out because you'd imagine a WC in this type of home would have
20:05a concealed cistern, that it would be floating, that it would be wall-mounted, that it would be off the
20:11floor.
20:11And that's taking away. It's just not quite working.
20:21Wow. I didn't expect this.
20:23Coming in here, like, it's a bright, spacious main bedroom. There's a bit of contrast with these black curtains. But
20:33again, where's the personality?
20:35Throughout this home, there have been some really large, great pieces of art with tons of color. So for me,
20:43I think that is the personality of this home. So this room, to me, is yummy, big, light-filled, great
20:50scale and size for a main bedroom.
20:53What a treat for this young family to have this fabulous home.
20:58Here, for me, the homeowners are experimenting. They're trying something different. There's originality and individuality here. You have the powerful
21:07painting, you have the art, you have the heavy black drapes.
21:10To me, that's somebody trying to experiment. That's theatrical. I'm assuming there's a walk-in wardrobe behind there. This is
21:16different to what we've seen before. So actually, I commend them. I think it's an interesting bedroom. I think it's
21:21one that works.
21:23While I noticed some details of contemporary design on the outside, that same approach didn't always fully carry through to
21:30the inside. The main bedroom, however, caught my attention.
21:33This is a good example of how the homeowners have pushed their design boundaries and are embracing a more contemporary
21:40aesthetic to express their individuality. I'm giving this home an eight.
21:46This is a modern, spacious family home with large windows bringing in lots of natural light, great proportions and a
21:53gorgeous connection to the outside. However, I think this home lacks personality and color.
21:58It was all a bit too neutral and too safe. I'm scoring this home a seven.
22:05This is a wonderful home, great architecture and a super interior design.
22:14Now that the judges have visited all three homes, it's time to see how they measure up against each other.
22:19First, Siobhan reveals her score for the timeless semi-D in Dublin.
22:23It was like transformative. There was a flow. The whole house was connected. That living room was delicious. And the
22:30fact that all this was inside, you know, this terrace home in Dublin, it was absolutely brilliant.
22:35I gave this home a 10.
22:37Well done. Great.
22:38Well deserved. Two eighths and a 10.
22:4126.
22:42Next, Amanda reveals her score for the Victorian home in Donegal.
22:47From the outside, I enjoyed how this home just sat so proudly at a height. But when we walked in,
22:52I mean, I just swallowed up in so many different colors and vibrant patterns. And I gave this home a
22:59six.
23:01Six, seven and a 10, 23. Outrageous.
23:06Finally, Hugh reveals his score for the modern home in County Kilkenny.
23:10This was an amazing home. I thought for a new build, it was wonderful. It was bright, open and airy,
23:16lovely staircase, a great living area which you step down into and out to that terrace.
23:21I thought this was a great family home and I gave it a nine.
23:25Hmm. That's a great mark.
23:27Yeah. A seven, an eight and a nine is 24. And we have our winner going through to the final.
23:35It's so fabulous. It's such a beautiful home.
23:38With Hugh and Amanda having already used their golden keys, Siobhan now has a decision to make.
23:44I am not going to use mine.
23:45This is our winner. It's so well deserved. I'm absolutely delighted it got through.
23:49The home through to the final is the timeless semi-D in Dublin. Next time on Home of the Year.
24:27We're up at the final.
24:27Now take advantage of the new Marian progress.
24:27Now if I can never post this in the event on the first Thursday we guide my disease that reacts
24:28away prior to coming up with my heart.
24:28Look at the Damage in the face.
24:28I was
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