Peter Finn on home makeovers: ‘You can’t fake OMG moments’

We talk to RTÉ’s ‘Home Rescue’ builder about rethinking living spaces in a pandemic and how TV renovations can change lives

Thu, 19 Nov, 2020 - 11:52

Eve Kelliher

As we rotated inwards in our newly shrunken worlds, so many of us decided to revamp and rethink our living spaces in recent months.

The streets may be deserted again now we’re in the middle of a second lockdown but increased time confined to base equals more people decluttering and having a go at those DIY jobs they’ve put on the long finger, says builder Peter Finn.

“It’s good to make to use of the opportunity to create a nicer living space,” he says.

Peter, of course, is one half of RTÉ’s Home Rescue duo, and he and architect and designer Róisín Murphy swooped, in socially distant fashion, on houses during the first lockdown to effect what he describes as “life-changing” renovations.

Because we're in lockdown now, space in the house is more valuable than at any other time

Martin McKenna at Rose Cottage which features in a TV makeover on 'Home Rescue' this week.

“There’s such a keen interest in home renovation now,” adds Peter. “What’s great about this show is our home makeovers are done on a tight budget — one that most people are within touching distance of — and people identify with that.

“Because we’re in lockdown now, space in the house is more valuable than at any other time.”

Martin McKenna is one of those people who has made that discovery.

Dubliner Martin lives in the century-old Rose Cottage in the Wicklow village of Kiltegan — which he finds to be somewhat quieter than his old home in Crumlin.

Having completely refurbished the bathroom and kitchen of the cottage singlehandedly, the resourceful Martin was stopped in his tracks by heart problems just a few months after moving in.

For the last six years, with the solo renovation project stalled, clutter has consumed the cottage, filling what was supposed to be Martin’s bedroom with everything from old tools to a lawnmower.

He found himself sleeping in the living room, working all day as a lorry driver for the council, and avoiding the mountain of clutter in case, as he puts it, he “can’t find his way out again”.

Martin dreams of having his grandchildren to stay, but there’s barely enough room for himself.

His story features on Home Rescue this Thursday, November 19, when builder Peter and architect Róisín arrive with a plan to turn Martin’s makeshift bedroom into the plush living room it was supposed to be.

I always get a phone call from the homeowners afterwards. I am not trying to overstate it — we do genuinely change people's lives

They reconnect it to the garden by turning a window into a door and Peter and the crew set about finishing the sizeable renovation that Martin started.

Róisín invites Martin’s son to paint the exterior of the cottage true blue for the Dubs fan, which doesn’t go down as well as expected; as the skies open and Martin does his best to overcome years of clutter with the help from the clutter busters, Róisín is faced with having to design a new bedroom complete with storage from scratch.

JOB SATISFACTION

As for job satisfaction, longtime builder Peter says he never tires of seeing the expression on show participants’ faces once a makeover is unveiled.

“Really, what I get out of the whole experience is the OMG moment — you can’t fake that,” he says.

“I always get a phone call from the homeowners afterwards. I am not trying to overstate it — we do genuinely change people’s lives.

“Sometimes with home makeovers, people can be in dire straits for whatever reason. People’s health conditions might be compromised — there are many different reasons. We come in, there’s a blast over three days, there’s good design, energy and then we walk away — handing over a completely new living space. I love that we’re leaving that positivity behind us.”

As for Peter’s advice for turning a home into a haven? His two main practical tips are his touchstones.

Peter’s first and prime consideration is light. “As well as the obvious, windows and doors, you can also make the most of light in different ways, with bright colours, carpets and surfaces,” he says.

His second key piece of advice is good insulation. “You’d be amazed at the number of houses I go into only to find there’s no insulation when I go up into the attic.”