Celebrating creativity, individuality, and clever design in houses across Ireland, these Home of the Year finalists all deserve to win!
“A home isn’t just about good design: it needs to be functional with a layout that works, lighting that enhances a room, and an ability to capture views. But above all, a truly amazing home should have heart and soul.” So says Hugh Wallace, Amanda Bone and Siobhan Lam, the judges of RTÉ’s popular Home of the Year show. Here’s a preview of the seven finalists and their finished projects …
MARY PHELAN AND AIDEN FITZPATRICK
Mary and Aiden purchased their period home in Ranelagh in Co Dublin in 2005 and undertook extensive renovations, doing most of the work themselves over a four-year period, as featured in THE GLOSS Interiors. The couple had always aspired to own and renovate an old Dublin townhouse, and while this was a huge labour of love 20 years on they still love everything about it.
ROISIN COLLINS AND MATTEO BANDIERA
Roisin and Matteo bought their Dublin home, dating from the 1930s, in 2020. They tackled its renovation over several years by combining their expertise: Roisin, an architect, designed it while Matteo put her ideas into practice. They redesigned the layout to maximise space, and were inspired by mid-century and Scandinavian design styles with clean lines and natural materials to add warmth.
JENNY ANNE CORKERY
Jenny Anne from Dublin lives in this contemporary new build with her husband and two children. She was passionate about building an A-Rated home, so when this restricted site came up she jumped at the chance to redesign it. The novel approach to city living makes use of a derelict garage structure to the rear of an existing property, subdividing a single plot into two dwellings.
LYNNE CLARKE AND NICK DREW
This former nursing home in Co Wicklow, built in 1862, was vacant for ten years prior to its purchase in 2022. Lynne and Nick spent two years renovating it from the ground up – demolishing the entire rear, building an extension, incorporating period-style sash windows and bringing the whole house up to a BER A3 rating – while retaining any original features possible.
VIVIAN WONG AND PHILIP MCKENDRY
In 2021, Vivian and Philip purchased a house in Co Kildare that had been left unfinished and unoccupied since the financial crash of 2008. They moved into an empty shell with no kitchen, flooring, or even a functional bathroom, but in just three weeks the interior layout alterations were complete. They overhauled the internal function of the house, with décor in a contemporary mid-century style.
CLAIRE AND SEÁN FOX
Claire and Seán Fox from Co Tipperary turned a former shop into a home. The property was built in the 1860s and they purchased it in 2020. They retained as much as possible from the old building by repurposing dressers, wardrobes, and the original spindles from the shop. Claire worked with her dad, a retired engineer, to adapt much of the furniture including making a backsplash from the copper water cylinder and even turning a bunkbed into kitchen cabinets!
AMY AND EOIN MARTIN
Amy and Eoin fell in love with their 1970s house in Co Limerick which they managed to bring from a D3 BER rating to an A3. The property is an upside-down layout with the main living area and kitchen on the first floor; making the most of their garden. The home is a passion project for Amy, an interior designer, who loved having the space to unleash her creativity.
