Back to the future for 1920s cottage in Home of the Year 

Garden furniture sparks debate as renovated Dublin house with extension is the fourth property through to the 2021 final

Go on, admit it. You're like me. You feel the tiniest bit sorry for the garden furniture, don't you?

As they’re discussed, the wicker chairs, sofa and table look like they’re crouching down apologetically in the garden of the renovated Dublin cottage that goes through the final in tonight’s episode of Home of the Year.

See, it’s not often a cheery suite like this finds itself sparking a heated outburst rather than prompting a fun, balmy soiree.

 “What is this obsession with Irish people and wicker outdoor furniture?” asks judge and architect Amanda Bone as the three judges stroll around outside the extended original 1920s residence.

“It’s heavy, it’s lumpy. There are so many other types of material and furniture available but it just seems that this is the only type that everyone has to have.” 

Not for the first time during tonight’s episode fellow judge and architect Hugh Wallace voices a different opinion. “Do you not want a bit of sugar or something, you need something to sweeten you up," he replies in surprise, adding: "I think it’s just fabulous."

Hugh telling me I need a bowl of sugar? It's just stupid

Amanda disagrees. Her reaction? Back indoors, she faces the camera and states: “Hugh telling me I needed a bowl of sugar? It’s just stupid.” 

A decade after buying their County Dublin cottage with single-storey extension, Sally-Ann and Ruairí Mitchell transformed it.

They gutted, re-modelled and extended it from a three-bedroom property to a four-bedroom home with a large open-plan, light-filled mezzanine area.

Harmony is also restored among the judges the moment they find the family’s favourite space: The main bedroom. 

“It’s a retreat away from the rest of the madhouse. It’s calm, it’s restful, it’s a peaceful place,” says Sally Ann. 

And Amanda, Suzie and Hugh are humming from the same hymn sheet in appreciation.

Both Amanda and Hugh admire the view and the private terrace, while judge and interior designer Suzie McAdam points to the warm tones on the walls and says: “You almost feel like you’re in the countryside here.” 

Sally Ann and Ruairí wanted an open-plan, split-level extension to the kitchen, and a private second wing for additional bedrooms for the family of six, including four boys.

“All your open public spaces as it were are on one side of the house and then on the other side of the house it’s private; it’s all our bedrooms and bathrooms,” says Sally.

“Down at the end of the corridor is our bedroom and double-doors leading you into the garden.” 

Sally-Ann describes their style as a blend of traditional and contemporary with an Irish cottage/loft vibe. 

“It feels homely I think we’re proud of what we’ve done,” says Sally Ann.

“We’re very fortunate to have the garden so during lockdown,” adds Ruairí.

“The kids were outside and the weather was great.” 

There's no hint from the street of an extension of this size and scale

Amanda loves these houses “because you never know what’s behind the door” and is impressed the moment they step inside with the interior’s “very, very clever design": “There’s no hint from the street of an extension of this size and scale.” 

Hugh adds: “There are s just so many layers here; it’s fantastic.”

Suzie compares the living area to an amphitheatre with its “continuous levels just stepping down and down until you reach the garden”.

Amanda is not completely convinced by the kitchen’s style. “I don’t want to be negative but if I was I question why have you got a country-style kitchen when you’re clearly going for an industrial kind of loft-style vibe?” she says.

But Hugh's a fan. “If you go for an industrial look — and I do understand where you’re coming from, Amanda — I think then you get very rigid in the materials and the furniture you can use, and I think they have a bit of everything in here and it all just merges quite perfectly." 

The living room also divides the judges.

Suzie loves it. “I think what’s special about this living room is even though it has the very high ceilings, it still feels very cosy, somewhere you really want to curl up,” she says. 

“I think the choice of sofa would allow the whole family to fit here.” 

Amanda however finds it “all feels a bit cluttered".

Hugh’s verdict? “I think people do need furniture and they need big comfy furniture and they need personality — and the house has oodles of personality.” 

Overall the judges deem it tonight’s winner and give it a score of 25.

RESTORED MILL 

Earlier the judges visited a converted industrial mill in Co Down.

Architects Rachel and Chris Larmour converted the 200-year-old property into a family home. They started restoring it in 2017 and it’s an ongoing process.

When they purchased their home, only the shell of the mill had been restored, the front door had been blocked up and there were no stairs inside for access to the first floor.

They started from scratch, got electricity, a septic tank and heating. There were a few internal walls and the rest was up to them to restore and renovate.

They considered building a new house but when they came across the mill and its heritage, they knew they wouldn’t be able to build anything that has the same character.

They adore their kitchen and living area, which are technically two separate rooms but are semi‐open plan with a stone and brick arch between the two spaces. It is a calm, neutral space that enhances the mill’s features, such as the sandstone cornicing and the holes in the solid stone walls for the mill chutes.

The judges give it a score of 22.

CONTEMPORARY CORK HOME 

Val O’Kelly and Karl Slyne completed their contemporary home in Cork in 2017. 

They built their architect-designed house to amalgamate their two families. 

They live there with their six sons, whose ages range from 11 to 17.

The home features vaulted ceilings and glass “bridges”. “Isn’t this extraordinary — a glass walkway looking right down,” says Hugh.

Suzie agrees, admiring the clever use of the glass floor so “the light really penetrates right through to the ground floor”.

The family like a modern style rather than a traditional look.

“We would describe it as a very happy home, it’s just been a great, fun house to live in,” says Val.

“A lot of the walls are neutral and then we put in our punches, our little features.” 

The home includes large sliding doors and contains many eye-catching original art pieces.

“A lot of the artwork around the place is done by my niece and I have a lot of paintings from my dad. It’s absolutely just gorgeous to have all the people I love around me,” says Val.

Karl adds: “The kitchen-living-dining area? We decided to just decided to make it a large open-plan area and it’s become the area where everyone likes to hang out.” 

Both Hugh and Amanda like the connectivity between indoors and outside.

Amanda is delighted that she “can see straight out to the back garden”.

“Also, it’s full of light because from this level it’s full of light, double-height space,” she says.

Suzie is immediately taken by the original collection of art.

The spaciousness bowls the judges over, with Hugh particularly enraptured by the kitchen and the home’s colour.

“Pops of colour and collections art and objects stamps their mark on this spacious home,” says Hugh.

Suzie adds: “This is a spacious and expansive home filled with natural light and bright colours I particularly admire their extensive art collection which added a real personal element to this home.” 

The judges give it a score of 22.

• Home of the Year airs on Tuesday nights on RTÉ One at 8.30pm or catch up on RTÉ Player, www.rte.ie