Last week's episode of Home of the Year featured a Belfast manor, a renovated Victorian villa and a West Cork retreat all competing for a place in the final of Home of the Year. And this week, the show returned with three more very different homes.
Barrister Fiona Carolan and her husband Martin Murphy's home was first up last night. The original structure was in three separate flats when they first bought it, and Fiona did all the interior design on their transformation herself. This house has a striking interior which uses a lot of dark colours on the walls and ceilings to create a cosy atmosphere. Fiona enjoys mid-century furniture and sourced lot of the pieces throughout the house online. Their pink ensuite with vinyl floor was a talking point, as it didn't have a door yet as the couple are planning on building built in wardrobes with a secret door into the ensuite.
Ann Marie Bourke and her husband Neil's new build in South Dublin was up next. A contemporary space put together by interior designer Ann Marie, the kitchen/dining and sitting area were black and white with marble flooring and monochrome furniture, and edgy poured concrete floors featured in the playroom. Ann Marie is mad about painting and upcycling old furniture, which is obvious through the house.
Rounding out the episode was Colm and Oonagh Digby's architectural slate house with sea views in Kerry. They spent 18 months building their home, taking into account the additional needs of their coastal property with all-weather needs. They built around taking advantage of the sea views, with the outdoor courtyard designed to be functional for many occasions, with built in stone seats.
It was the Dublin redbrick belonging to Fiona that took the place in the final in the end of the episode, with a score of 27 from the judges.
If you've got eyes on the Home of the Year prize after watching yourself, check out our interview with judge Hugh Wallace to see the top three things he's looking for as he examines each home for the series.
Home of the Year airs on Tuesday evenings at 8.30pm on RTE One.
