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00:01In the search for Ireland's Home of the Year,
00:04we have visited 21 incredible homes.
00:06Wow!
00:10Tonight, the three judges will celebrate the finalists
00:12and face the difficult challenge of choosing just one of them
00:15to be the winner.
00:17Ten homes in the final, all fabulous.
00:20It's going to be very difficult to get our winner.
00:23Today, I'm looking for a home that is original,
00:26that is authentic,
00:27that expresses the homeowner's personality.
00:30I'm looking for a home that has a sense of place.
00:32That's the thing that has struck me this season.
00:34The homes have been so different from each other,
00:38but so different from any, you know, homes that I've seen before.
00:41For me, the winner of this competition
00:42is personality, individuality,
00:46something in the air in the house
00:48that's slightly intangible, but makes the house a home.
00:53This is the final of Home of the Year.
01:00At the picturesque Palmerstone House Estate in Kildare,
01:03our homeowners have gathered to celebrate reaching the final.
01:07To get that call to say you're in the final is such a shock.
01:10I think for such a small house to be recognised,
01:12it just feels like such an honour and I'm so proud of it.
01:16We never thought this would actually happen
01:18even looking back at this day last year
01:19when we were watching the show.
01:21So to be here is just a bit phenomenal
01:22and a bit overwhelming, really.
01:26Apprehensive, nervous, all of the above, yeah.
01:29On a whim, we entered and I can't believe we're here.
01:34I watch Home of the Year every year
01:35and it's just really interesting to see kind of the kind of work
01:38that people have done in their homes,
01:39so I'm just absolutely thrilled to be here.
01:41We're really excited to see the other homes in the final
01:45because we're very nosy about other people's houses anyway,
01:48so this is a bonanza.
01:51Absolutely delighted that the judges have got us here.
01:54Even extra special, I suppose, that we got the Golden Key.
01:56It's new to this year.
01:58Anything that happens here is just an extra bonus.
02:02It's going to be really fun to be surrounded by like-minded people
02:05who all love interiors and homes.
02:07Admittedly, that's all I talk about every day anyway,
02:10but hopefully it'll give my family a little bit of a break.
02:14Tony's finally going to give me a list of jobs to do
02:15and I'll say, oh, the judges, they liked that,
02:17but they didn't like that, so they're going to have to change it,
02:18so I'll probably have more work to do after this,
02:20but other than that, I'm very happy.
02:23First of all, I couldn't believe we were picked in the first place
02:26and then to get to the final, it's, yeah, so...
02:28But to win will be...
02:29Karen's being very polite. I want to win.
02:34I kind of feel like I need to pinch myself to be here today.
02:37It's just that bit of validation
02:38and it's confirmation that all the hard work that we've put in,
02:40you know, it's something to show for it, I guess.
02:47The judges won't be meeting the homeowners just yet
02:49and will remain in the deliberation room
02:52until a winner has been chosen.
02:54We have been all over Ireland in the most beautiful homes,
02:57and now we have our ten finalists.
03:00This is going to be difficult, but interesting.
03:03I know which homes I'm passionate about.
03:05All the scores are out the doors
03:07and we're starting again.
03:09Amazing collection of finalists.
03:11So, will we begin?
03:12Let's do this.
03:14Why don't we start with the timeless semi-D in Dublin?
03:18I adored this family home.
03:20After we waltzed through the ground floor,
03:22I realised that we could open all the doors
03:24and it was open plan.
03:25It was absolutely incredible.
03:26And that kitchen.
03:28Oh, my God.
03:28I was obsessed with that kitchen.
03:30Completely unique and a beautiful balance
03:33of aesthetics and functionality.
03:35I am obsessed with your kitchen.
03:37And the tiles and everything.
03:38Yeah.
03:39Did you come up with that yourself?
03:40Yeah.
03:41The tiles are like a recycled material,
03:42so they're really hard to keep clean,
03:44but they look incredible.
03:45But they like the parts.
03:46This is beautiful.
03:47I was kind of shocked when I saw all the boards.
03:50I was like, whoa, this is really stiff competition.
03:53I thought the whole standard overall was amazing,
03:55so I'd imagine it's going to be a tough choice for the judges.
03:58I was so delighted to enter this home in Galway
04:01and see that the homeowner had just completely transformed it.
04:05Beautiful relationship between the back bedroom
04:08and the outdoor courtyard.
04:10And then you end up the stairs
04:11and that wonderful turret inside,
04:14which I can definitely see
04:15I was the homeowner's favourite spot.
04:18Looking out all the way down to Galway Bay.
04:20This is kind of my Rapunzel Norman.
04:22Oh, really?
04:23Yeah, yeah.
04:24You let your hair put on a bit, were they?
04:26It's hot.
04:27So in the morning, then,
04:28I can, like, have a cup of coffee there
04:29or something like that.
04:30Yeah.
04:30It's just a really lovely kind of space.
04:33Everyone is really great that I've met here today.
04:35Winning would certainly be the icing on the cake,
04:37but I feel like, you know,
04:38coming this far is just as good.
04:42This is a new-built home on a side garden site.
04:44And it's actually my golden key.
04:46Do you remember the open-plant kitchen dining?
04:49And then you had those floor-to-ceiling flush folding doors.
04:52And when you opened them, how it transformed that space.
04:55You know, it was a compact house,
04:57but I think in terms of the layout was successful,
04:59particularly on the ground floor.
05:00I love the yellow door.
05:02Yeah, that's definitely, we love that.
05:04Yeah, it's just so bright and welcoming.
05:06It's gorgeous.
05:06And it works so nice against the brick as well.
05:08I think it'll be lovely that we'll always have this memory,
05:11both being involved in the show
05:12and also having built our house from the ground up
05:15with the children involved.
05:17I think it's something special that we'll always look back on.
05:20I was utterly captivated by this home.
05:23I mean, walking up to it,
05:24it was like a magical gate lodge in a storybook.
05:27And then we opened the door into that kitchen
05:29and I was enamoured.
05:30The whole thought process in this house just dumbfounded me
05:36because it was so creative.
05:38And I have no doubt that this homeowner loves to live in this cottage
05:43because I most certainly would.
05:45Did you say you have a fashion background as well?
05:47Yes.
05:47You can definitely see that.
05:49It's amazing.
05:49No, it's true.
05:50I just hope I don't get sick if all this happens.
05:53I applied for Home of the Year
05:54because a lot of people that came to visit the house,
05:56there were so many compliments all the time
05:57and I thought, you know what,
05:58if other people like it, I'll just go for it.
06:02This was a great example of apartment living in a busy city centre.
06:06That dual aspect open plan living area was great.
06:09You know, they had quite a lot of bits and pieces of furniture in it,
06:11but it didn't feel cluttered.
06:13And that was down to the colour tones.
06:15The homeowners here created a tranquil retreat
06:18from the chaos of the city centre outside.
06:22I could see myself hang out here.
06:24That's my favourite spot.
06:25Some of the houses are just huge.
06:27And then our apartment, obviously a smaller space,
06:29but the amount of work we put in got us into the final.
06:32It's a lovely endorsement to feel like you're kind of
06:34holding your own among these fabulous houses, yeah.
06:39Design is about how it makes you feel
06:42and that home felt delicious.
06:45There was just a mood.
06:46There was an atmosphere that the homeowners had created
06:48by making the Kerry landscape the focal point
06:51in every single room.
06:52These homeowners brought their passion of the sea
06:57right into this home.
06:58Brilliant home.
07:00Oh, I know these beekeeping suits.
07:02Yeah.
07:03That's another midlife crisis of ours.
07:05We suddenly got into beekeeping this year.
07:07We started one hive and we're up to five already after summer.
07:09Yeah, it's a great hobby of ours together.
07:11Nearly like a wedding here with everyone.
07:13You know, you're meeting people.
07:14You feel like you nearly know them.
07:16We've already planned for a come down with me home addition
07:19to visit each other's homes.
07:20So we look forward to that.
07:24The botanical one in County Kildare, I found it intriguing
07:27because of the way in which the homeowners had connected
07:31the inside and the outside.
07:33You can't talk about this home without talking about those gardens.
07:36They were simply the most beautiful gardens I've ever been in
07:38my entire life.
07:40They were absolutely stunning.
07:41No matter where we traveled through the home,
07:43there was another fantastic view of another beautiful garden.
07:47It's an absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous home.
07:49The house was originally built around that tree.
07:52Does it affect any of your light or anything or is it...
07:55That's it. This is it here from the other side.
07:56Oh, amazing.
07:56So this is from our bathroom.
07:57Yeah.
07:58And that's what you're looking directly into.
08:00Gorgeous.
08:00It's been a fabulous day.
08:02Like we've met some really nice people
08:04and we've had great laughs and banter
08:06and it's actually really happening down there.
08:08It's good.
08:08Yeah, it's been really good.
08:10The home in West Cork is all about nostalgia.
08:12There was a room that evoked so many memories.
08:16That front bedroom, like the floral pattern,
08:18kind of the curtains that remind me of my grandmother's
08:21or my mother's home.
08:22It was fairly enjoyable.
08:23I was delighted to give this home a golden key.
08:26From the outside, I was expecting nothing.
08:28But once you walked into the hall, it came alive.
08:32Obviously, you're very creative.
08:34Are you into art?
08:35Yeah, that's my studio.
08:37The studio.
08:37Wow.
08:37Yeah, yeah.
08:38And obviously your travels have brought you
08:40to create a map on the wall as well.
08:42Such a great feature.
08:44Yeah.
08:44Going around all those homes,
08:46they are so lovely and so diverse.
08:49Whoever wins it, it's well-deserved.
08:53I think it's amazing to think the home in Kildare
08:55is an estate house.
08:57Very simple colour palette, beautiful furniture.
09:00And what I loved, in fact, was the location
09:02of the mirror in the kitchen.
09:03You've got all this great light reflected in the home.
09:07And then you had the wallpaper in the bedroom,
09:09which I just thought was wonderful.
09:11What this home showed is you could take an estate home
09:14and transform it into something exceptional.
09:18And this is our dog's room.
09:20He sleeps in here.
09:22He's not spoilt.
09:23Yeah, not spoilt at all.
09:25The talent that is in that room that we were in today
09:28is absolutely phenomenal.
09:30The colours, the textures, what they've created out of small spaces
09:33and open spaces as well, it's just unbelievable.
09:38So let's talk about the colourful two up, two down in Dublin.
09:41This home was so charming.
09:43When we opened that door and we were straight into
09:45that gorgeous green kitchen,
09:46I could tell that this home was going to be full of creativity.
09:50I was delighted to pick this home as my golden key.
09:52It really deserves its place here.
09:53Like, it's just, you have the beautiful pink and then the yellow
09:56and then it's like a mustard.
09:58So many natural textures and materials as well.
10:00It's fabulous.
10:01There's just so many of those houses I want to live in as well.
10:03I guess it makes us feel extra proud too,
10:05because whenever you see these other homes
10:07and see that you're in that same pool of people,
10:09it just kind of reinforce how proud we are
10:11of exactly what we've done with our home.
10:14Ten finalists that represent Irish creativity.
10:17We have to decide which one of these delicious homes
10:21will be home of the year.
10:23Okay, let's get going.
10:26It felt overly curated for me.
10:29Would you tell her she's wrong?
10:31Oh, listen. Seriously?
10:37It's the final of home of the year.
10:39And difficult decisions lie ahead for the judges
10:42as the elimination process begins.
10:45We have ten finalists that represent Irish creativity.
10:49We have to make the difficult decision as to which home is home of the year.
10:54The home I suppose I would like to chat about is the home in West Cork.
10:58This home was all about nostalgia.
11:01In some areas, this was interesting in terms of how it impacted on me personally,
11:05you know, got me to think about things I'd long forgotten.
11:08But in some areas, it just went too far.
11:10Great.
11:11Well, I love the home.
11:12And for me, it's too early for this home to leave the competition.
11:17Why don't we talk about the apartment?
11:19This was a delightful surprise.
11:22You know, the open-plan living, dining area was absolutely fabulous.
11:26However, when we travelled into the main bedroom,
11:29there was an almost immediate disconnect.
11:31The flooring changed and it felt overly curated for me.
11:35Would you tell her she's wrong?
11:37Oh, listen. Seriously?
11:39Siobhan, come on.
11:40I'm just being honest.
11:42I suggest we compare this home with the home in Kerry.
11:45Yeah.
11:46The home in Kerry, it's a new build home.
11:49There is a sense of calmness and there is a sense of warmth.
11:52But at the same time, they've introduced finishes and fixtures and styles.
11:56That kind of jar, you had soaring ceilings.
11:58Oh, loved them.
12:00The kitchen didn't align with the proportions of the space that was there.
12:04So are you suggesting that the home in Kerry goes out?
12:07Yes, I am.
12:08For me, it's a little bit early for the Kerry home to leave the competition.
12:12But we need to get things moving, so let's say bye-bye.
12:16I just hate this part of the show.
12:18But unfortunately, we have to start.
12:22Okay.
12:23So let's look at two compact homes.
12:24Your golden key, Siobhan, compared with the home in Galway.
12:28They're different periods.
12:30They both express individualities in different ways.
12:33But I do feel the home in Galway makes the most of the views,
12:36connects to the garden.
12:38Whereas the home in Dublin, although it's very expressive of the homeowners,
12:42I think it's overly done. It could do some editing.
12:44I'd push for the one in Dublin to go.
12:46For me, I thought the Galway house just has it over the home in Dublin.
12:52Yeah, I would agree.
12:54These are two lovely homes.
12:56But when I compare them side by side, for me, the Galway home just pips the Dublin home.
13:02I think we should say goodbye to Dublin.
13:04I do.
13:05I'm very sorry.
13:06I am, yeah.
13:07And so am I.
13:08So.
13:11The semi-D and the side garden home, I think, are very interesting.
13:16One is a new build, and then we have the extended house.
13:19For me, this home had an amazing sense of openness.
13:23Because of the ingenuity of putting in those sliding doors, I thought in the new build,
13:30there were a couple of decisions which weren't right.
13:33I thought the living room was very successful.
13:36But when I go to the kitchen, I felt that attention to detail wasn't quite there.
13:42I think this home should leave the competition.
13:46When I compare these two homes together, it's the semi-D that stands out for me.
13:50Either they both go or none go.
13:52I completely disagree.
13:54Yeah.
13:54No.
13:54In my opinion, this home has a further journey ahead of it.
13:59See, I don't agree with you.
14:01Well, may I make it just a bold suggestion?
14:04Yeah.
14:05I suggest that both these homes leave the competition.
14:09I think they're both unique and very special.
14:12However, I believe other homes have better cohesive design.
14:17I do think there are stronger homes left in the competition.
14:20I think we should say goodbye to these two homes.
14:22You know, it's very difficult.
14:24And I'm very sad to lose my golden key home, which I thought was spectacular.
14:31So, one, two, three, four, five, six.
14:34Gosh, lads, we've a long way to go.
14:36I would suggest the home in Kildare and the home in Galway.
14:42If you're looking at these two homes, I'd push for the home in Kildare to go.
14:46Well, I want both of them to go.
14:48You want both of them to go?
14:49Yeah.
14:50Wow.
14:51We're getting down to who's winner.
14:53I think Kildare should go.
14:55I mean, it's utterly beautiful.
14:56Both these homes need to go.
14:58I'm not ready to let go of Galway yet, but I am ready to let go of Kildare.
15:02Same.
15:03So, Kildare is going.
15:05Fabulous home.
15:07Inspirational.
15:08Let's compare this house.
15:11Gorgeous.
15:12And this house.
15:14Which one of these should leave the competition?
15:16You know which one I think should leave the competition?
15:18For me, it was completely over the top, excessive.
15:23It was too much.
15:24Outrageous.
15:25I left this home feeling so inspired.
15:27This is the kind of home that I'm looking for.
15:30Whatever about it being the homeowner's dream, this is my dream.
15:33I'm not denying the quality of the home, but it's not.
15:35You're going on like you've never seen anything like this before.
15:37I've never seen anything like that.
15:38This is the style.
15:38I have never walked through a home like that ever before.
15:41That is the style.
15:42It's maximism.
15:43It's excessive.
15:44It's overwhelming.
15:45For me, the home in Kildare, I thought this was just stunning.
15:49Beautifully thought about using wonderful materials.
15:53They're both staying, I think.
15:54Oh, okay, fine.
15:54I think they're both staying.
15:56May I make another bold suggestion?
15:58That we talk about the apartment and the property involved.
16:03The home in Galway.
16:03I think in terms of design, they both pushed the boat out.
16:08But for me, the apartment in Dublin worked better than the home in Galway.
16:14I think the home in Galway should leave the competition.
16:19Okay, I'm going to agree with you.
16:21I actually feel that they should both go.
16:23No.
16:24No, no, no.
16:25The apartment isn't going anywhere.
16:26Yeah, so you can forget about that.
16:28Yeah, sorry about that.
16:29I don't agree, but it's one versus two.
16:35And now we're left with four.
16:37I'm going to suggest the apartment and the timeless semi-D.
16:42The apartment is presenting itself as, look what we've done.
16:44We've been able to transform this in a certain way,
16:47and we've been able to, within our limitations, do this.
16:49I just think you have a certain set of rules for some houses,
16:52and then you have another set of rules for other houses.
16:55I do, I have different rules.
16:55And that doesn't seem fair.
16:56No, I have different rules for every single home.
16:58You're dead right because of the atmosphere.
16:59You should have the same set of rules for every home.
17:01No, because every home is different.
17:02I personally think what was done in the apartment is inspirational.
17:08Yeah.
17:08I think that should stay in the competition.
17:10I agree with you, yeah.
17:12Look, there's three judges.
17:13I feel a certain way.
17:15You two clearly don't.
17:17I'm not going to win there, so.
17:19Let's say bye.
17:21Unfortunately, this fabulous home is going.
17:24Yeah.
17:24And we're left with three.
17:27Our top three homes.
17:29They're amazing because they're so diverse.
17:30What am I looking for in Home of the Year?
17:33You know, the minute I walked into this home,
17:35it changed how I felt.
17:38And I haven't forgotten about it.
17:40It left a really big impression on me.
17:43I think all of these homes are quite extraordinary.
17:46But I have to tell you, I was smitten by this home.
17:52I believe this home is a worthy winner of Home of the Year.
17:55Are you sure?
17:56Absolutely.
17:57I think we all felt something, that it was a very special home.
18:01But I'm just devastated because I love it.
18:03I know you do.
18:06I knew I was going to cry.
18:07I don't know.
18:08I don't.
18:09I don't agree.
18:10But it is a worthy winner.
18:12Well, we have our winner for Home of the Year 2026.
18:21Let's go meet the homeowners.
18:27Hugh, Amanda and Siobhan will now meet all the finalists
18:30before announcing their winner.
18:32Congratulations.
18:33Thank you so much.
18:34You were my golden key.
18:36We knew it.
18:37I loved all your curios and your accessories.
18:40I was like, I know these people.
18:42I loved it.
18:43Siobhan was a...
18:44A fangirl?
18:45Yeah.
18:45We were delighted that she was our golden key person.
18:49We knew she'd like her home.
18:50We had our suspicions and we were right, so...
18:52I think in this series, what surprised me the most is the originality of these homes.
18:57How creative Irish homeowners are.
19:00It's utterly inspiring.
19:01I just loved your home.
19:03I was just blown away.
19:05We met Hugh and he said some really nice things.
19:09Amanda and I had such a time in the home because it was one of reminiscing.
19:14For me, this year was all about personality.
19:17I really believe the homeowners pushed the boat out.
19:21It is an absolute pleasure to meet both of you.
19:24So we met Amanda.
19:25It went really well.
19:26And the thing about your home was the strong connection between outside and in.
19:30She seemed to be very impressed and seemed to love the melding of all our different design elements in the
19:36house.
19:36And the amount of work that each and every homeowner has put into their home has to be acknowledged, has
19:42to be celebrated.
19:43I am obsessed with your house.
19:45Thank you so much.
19:45It is so gorgeous.
19:48Today, seeing the photos, it's really hard to believe how far you've came from the start of the project to
19:54what it is today.
19:55And you're just so proud of it coming to life.
19:58Congratulations on your home.
19:59Do you know, it was actually my golden key.
20:01Oh, that's fantastic.
20:03Lovely to hear.
20:04She was very complimentary, which was lovely to get that, particularly from another architect.
20:08That was really, really nice.
20:09Just such a yummy big house.
20:12Glad that you like it.
20:13And this has been one of the most memorable and special things for us to do together.
20:17It's just such a blessing.
20:18Tell me what your inspiration was.
20:20It's been a whirlwind from the first application.
20:23To be in the final, it feels like it's just incredible.
20:27Personally, I love apartments because it's such a surprise.
20:30You know, you never know what you're going to find.
20:31To be honest, I really enjoy kind of getting into the interior side of things.
20:35So the more kind of tasks I'm given and kind of different fittings to attach to roofs and whatnot,
20:40I really enjoy picking up those skills.
20:42I'm so glad that's been gone on camera.
20:44I'll definitely keep it up.
20:45My house is quite classic and timeless, but I do like to have that kind of surprise of color.
20:50I love it. I think that we are the nosiest nation every season that rolls around.
20:54It's just really interesting to see, you know, a new batch of homes and what have they done.
20:57You said about trying to make something different and just to stand out from the crowd.
21:01The standard's very high. Every year I say that though, when I watch the show, I'm like, wow, look at
21:05this.
21:05And this year seems to be higher again.
21:07He often thinks he's the fourth judge.
21:09I do.
21:19Series 12 of Home of the Year has been spectacular.
21:22And all of your homes are such worthy finalists.
21:25It's an honor to be here to celebrate with you everything that you've achieved.
21:30For us as judges, it was very difficult to find our winner as every home had something special, unique and
21:38creative.
21:39But we got there.
21:40But before we announce our winner, we'd like to tell you about our top three homes.
21:46The first home feels authentic.
21:49It's playful, it's joyful, and it successfully combines a variety of styles.
21:55This home is the botanical home in County Kildare.
22:05The second home is magical and inspirational and a wonderful blend of styles with meticulous detailing.
22:13That home is the Gate Lodge.
22:21And the third home was a dream to walk into.
22:25It's considered refined and has a divine sense of style.
22:31And that home is the serene apartment in Dublin.
22:41So here we go.
22:43The winner of Home of the Year 2026 is...
22:56The botanical home in County Kildare.
23:10We're extremely proud.
23:11Very proud.
23:12Very proud.
23:13Because we didn't expect this.
23:14So it's incredible.
23:15So many beautiful houses.
23:17And ours, one of the top three and everything.
23:19It feels absolutely fabulous.
23:21It's fantastic here.
23:22For me, they're the Home of the Year because when I stepped into their home, I just felt pure joy.
23:27What a brilliant winner.
23:29Home of the Year is creative.
23:31It's inspirational.
23:32It's all about love.
23:33And you can feel it in the room tonight.
23:35Can I just say, when I walked around your house, I knew it was the winner.
23:39Come on, darling.
23:41You scored the feeling in here.
23:42Fabulous.
23:43Wonderful.
23:43I mean, everybody is so excited about Home of the Year.
23:47And the winners are amazing, as are all of the homes.
23:55Hello, darling.
23:56Hi.
23:57Do you want us to go back farther?
23:59The result is wonderful.
24:01Can I hold it?
24:01I'm just listening to my voice.
24:04And it puts a smile on your face.
24:05Yay.
24:06I have a smile on my face.
24:08So, how do you want to come in?
24:09Did I say something wrong?
24:11I'm delighted.
24:12I'm not delighted because I'm actually talking to the camera.
24:14It's a different show.
24:16I'm coming out.
24:17I want the world to know.
24:20My favourite room in this home was the en suite.
24:23I just wanted to lick the tiles.
24:25No, probably didn't want to do that, did I?
24:27Anything else you'd like to say?
24:29No, I just, I thank you very much.
24:30You know, these are real fun and a treat, so thank you.
24:34Great, perfect.
24:35Well done, you.
25:05Thanks.
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