Victorian 'smart house' through to Home of the Year final
It may be 140 years old but this restored period home in Dublin has more tech in it than many modern houses, say its owners.
And if they could talk, the walls of this property would also have countless more stories to tell.
The very latest chapter opened tonight as the Victorian residence took its place as the seventh finalist in the 2021 competition.
“From the outside, you knew there was something special going on and when you walked into the hall it was a lovely restoration with all the dints of time,” says architect and judge Hugh Wallace on the RTÉ One show.
Kate and Cian O’Driscoll dedicated almost two years to restoring their home.
When they bought it, in 2018, it was divided into five bedsits, but they felt they could put their own stamp on the late 1880s-built property.
“I’ve always had a thing for interiors and Cian is an absolute tech nerd, so we’ve kind of combined the two in this house,” says Kate.
They were very hands-on in the restoration process. The property hadn’t been lived in since the late 1970s/early 1980s and although it was a protected structure, it had been pretty much derelict.
“We wanted it to be as modern as possible but maintain the fabric of the building,” says Cian.
In October 2018, the couple moved in to a property that had neither a kitchen nor central heating.
Over the next six to eight months, they restored the original floors, staircases, doors and architraves themselves and enlisted the help of an architect to plan a kitchen extension.
They had new glazing installed, and the entire house was rewired and replumbed, and all external walls insulated.
They also hired conservation specialists to restore the original fireplaces and to restore and double-glaze all the original sash windows.
Kate loves to relax in the kitchen, in her hanging egg chair. “It faces out into the garden but it also faces east so it’s the perfect morning coffee spot,” she says.
Cian, who works for a tech company, turned the period house into a smart home.
“That’s one of the funny things about this building — it’s nearly 140 years old but probably has more technology than most new houses today, I’d say,” says Kate.
“The amount of work we took on, in hindsight, was probably too much but I feel unbelievably proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Cian adds: “I feel tired!”
Architect and judge Amanda Bone immediately approves of the “elegant and restrained” home.
“It’s bright, it’s airy, it’s minimalist, and I love that you can see right through to the back garden,” she says.
The kitchen extension divides the judges.
“I think the location of the kitchen here under the natural light is absolutely fantastic; one detail which I really love is the island is actually raised up, it’s sitting on legs, so it looks more like a piece of furniture and it’s floating in the room,” says interior designer Suzie McAdam.
But Amanda feels the kitchen is in a “no man’s land” while Hugh says compared to the “elegance and control” of the other rooms, “I just feel this is a different house; there’s a confusion in style.”
All enjoy the continuity of colour in the main bedroom.
Amanda has not held back from airing her feelings about design choices during the series.
Yes, I'm talking about wicker outdoor furniture and kitchen islands.
And, thank goodness, in no way does she disappoint tonight.
“In general, Irish people, they’re obsessed about privacy and not being seen naked, particularly bathrooms and bedrooms — there are all types of blinds or coverings on their windows, but here, what they’ve done is they’ve covered the lower half of the window, so you’re getting your privacy but you’re not blocking out the light, or the views,” she says.
The property is the seventh and last selected to go through to the grand finale of the 2021 which takes place on RTÉ One next week.
The judges give it a score of 26.
The judges first visit a transformed bungalow in County Kerry with a “super-yacht” feel.
When Adrian Duyn, above, bought his 1980s property, it needed a complete revamp, so he gutted the house.
Left with a shell and a blank canvas to work with, Adrian designed the interior layout himself with a little help from his brother Killian, who is an architect.
He raised the ceiling above the entrance and in the kitchen dining area to create a sense of space, and placed the hallway through the centre of the home.
The kitchen-living-dining area is open-plan, with doors opening on to a south-facing decking area.
Adrian works in furniture design and conservation and he designed all of the interiors himself including most of the cabinetry, furniture and woodwork.
The home-owner built, made and fitted all of the interior fittings. Adrian describes his two-bedroom home as “cosy with a luxury hotel or superyacht feel because of the tactile surfaces”.
These include fabric walls, velvet window surrounds, and hardwood timber walls. He also has a few cherished antique pieces dotted around as a nod to his restoration work. He said it’s his own personal style and loves the feeling every time he enters his home.
“I was genuinely intrigued by this house,” says Amanda.
“I really wanted to give this home a high mark because one part of me thought it was beautiful; however, the bedroom was too small for all that was going on with it.”
The judges give it a score of 22.
The creative and glamorous style impresses the judges in the second home they visit tonight, that of art director Jen Connell and her husband Shane Keyes, above.
The couple searched for three years to find their dream home in Dublin and in 20017 they bought this newbuild that they could creatively transform in 2017.
The duo brought their own creativity, personality and aesthetic to the home.
Their favourite films, travel destinations and music inform their design choices.
“The moment you walked in the door you were met with this drama, this dark and moody colour palette that continued into the living room,” notes Suzie.
As it was a newbuild, the property came with some basic finishes like a simple kitchen and minimal bathrooms.
They floored the entire downstairs in a wood parquet to bring warmth to the spaces.
They knew they wanted to go dark in the sitting room and hallway to create a sense of drama. The house has four bedrooms and they converted what would have been the box room/single bedroom into a pink home office for Jen.
They painted everything in the room pink, woodwork, ceiling and even the piano.
They describe their style as “glamorous, eclectic and creative”.
The judges give it a score of 22.
- airs on Tuesday nights on RTÉ One at 8.30pm or catch up on RTÉ Player at www.rte.ie
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
