Clare woman's disco ball cottage scoops Home of the Year title 

Small is beautiful: Restored artisan property in Dublin has won Clare management consultant Jen Sheahan coveted 2021 trophy

Jen Sheahan outside her late-1800s artisan cottage in Dublin which has won the title Home of the Year 2021. Pictures: Joe McCallion

A restored 1800s cottage with a disco ball in its downstairs bathroom has scooped the 2021 Home of the Year title.

Hailed by longtime judge Hugh Wallace as “a masterclass in tiny-house living”, the Dublin property is owned by management consultant and Clare woman Jennifer (Jen) Sheahan, who said she was “floating on air” after it was revealed as the winner.

“I feel... I don’t even know how I feel yet — complete and utter shock! I’m floating on air, I’m so thrilled to pieces I can’t believe it,” Ms Sheahan said.

The disco ball in the downstairs bathroom.

The clever design of the bijou residence wowed the judges on the RTÉ One series, architects Hugh Wallace and Amanda Bone and interior designer Suzie McAdam.

“My home is little and it needs to have a lot of dual functions so it might be small, but a lot can be done in a small space that’s really just made for me,” said Ms Sheahan, a native of Killaloe.

Jen Sheahan with the trophy and, from left, judges Suzie McAdam, Hugh Wallace and Amanda Bone. 

Jen Sheahan's cottage was hailed by judge Hugh Wallace as 'masterclass in tiny-house living'. 

The seventh series saw the three judges visit 21 homes across the country before choosing Ms Sheahan’s as the ultimate winner.

Hugh Wallace said: “You know, arriving up to this cottage was a treat. You knew something special was going on. Entering the living/kitchen/dining area was terrific because it’s such a small footprint of the house.

The home has been re-imagined and oozes with the personality and style of the homeowner — the design, layout and functionality of this home was a real surprise."

Ms Bone said the property “is very cleverly thought out in terms of the layout, particularly the open-plan kitchen, dining and living area”. 

“And even though the ceilings are low, because of the light, it feels much more spacious,” she said. 

The clever design of the bijou residence wowed the judges on the RTÉ One series.

Suzie McAdam added: “I love that Jen's home was packed full of personality. These are functional areas and yet we saw colour. She even had a disco bathroom which I thought was so much fun. 

This home represents everything this competition is about, it's the right end to the story."

Ms Sheahan had wanted one of these cottages for a long time and was delighted when this one came on the market in 2019. It needed a lot of work as it was damp, had no central heating and the toilet was outside.

Jen Sheahan's cottage in Dublin. 

She did a complete renovation, knocked all internal walls, dug up the floor and lowered it, adding an extra floor to make it a two-storey.

The other six finalists were David O’Brien, Cork, Kate O’Driscoll, originally from Limerick, who modernised a period Dublin home, Sara McLoughlin, Limerick, Sally Ann Mitchell, Dublin, Kevin Desmond, Dublin, and Tanya Lee Conroy, Co Galway.