Room to Improve review: Dermot Bannon creates couple's dream indoor-outdoor living space
The kitchen is linked to the enclosed courtyard in the Moloneys' Thurles, Co Tipperary, home. Pictures: RTE
Looking out the kitchen window of Mary and Jim Moloney’s dormer bungalow in Thurles, Co Tipperary, Dermot Bannon has his “aha” moment.
This couple wants what everyone dreams of at the moment — the perfect indoor-outdoor sweet spot.
But for Mary and Jim, it’s an intrinsic part of their lifestyle.
At first, as herbalist Mary and project engineer Jim show the architect around on Room to Improve, they seem to differ very slightly on precisely why they want to revamp the house they built in 1990, the year before they were married.
“When you are were building your house then you didn’t know what your future was going to be, it was just a house for possibly a family, and then we were lucky enough to have a family, but it was just something you didn’t think about much, it was just a home, a shelter,” says Mary on episode four of the RTÉ One series.
The empty-nesters have raised their two children want to upgrade their home's insulation and “futureproof the house”.
“We moving into the second stage of our life,” says Jim.
But it’s when they reach the kitchen that they reveal what they most want from their living space now.
“This is the hub, this is the part of the house we both want to work really well," says Mary.
"The space that we’re going to spend most of the day needs to be connected to out there. I’m a herbalist so the kitchen has to work very well for me.
"Because we’re all the time bringing in what’s on the hedgerows, what’s in the garden.”
Pointing outside, Dermot says: “Your kitchen doesn’t stop here.
“This is the first time that I’ve seen you speaking at the same speed.”
Speaking to camera he adds: “They live that life now. This is their passion. I now have to turn this house into something that facilitates that passion.”
The Moloneys have a budget of €140,000-€150,000 but eventually they run with the more expensive option presented to them and expand their budget to €210,000.
Construction is delayed by lockdown and starts in early May at the reset budget, with extra outlay for the garden.
Contractor Paul O’Brien notes how the huge shortage of materials is bumping up costs and causing delays.
“And the suppliers are putting up the prices, since February, they've gone up over 25%,” he says.
Patricia Tyrrell creates the garden courtyard.
A pergola proves to be “ real link between the outside and inside”, adds Mary.
As the residence is made weathertight, there’s “trouble in paradise”, notes Dermot.
Contractor Paul approaches the architect.
“You might find it mad, but I think this is the first time I’m not waiting for a decision from you, it’s the client! They’re depending on you to shake the magic wand now.”
As Paul needs to get a time-scale in place as he awaits slabbers' arrival, Dermot is pressed into diplomatically easing the couple into faster decision-making.
“The house is now watertight so have you guys looked at bathrooms or anything like that? Normally people at this stage would have a brochure?” he says.
Mary muses: “Brochures wouldn’t float my boat. I need to get into the showrooms.
And, Mary is correct: It all works out.
The architect, quantity surveyor, contractor and landscaper are all pleased with the end result and team effort, with contractor Paul declaring he is “immensely proud” of the project.
A bank of photovoltaic panels follows and then the enclosed courtyard — the critical element that unites the interiors with the exteriors, completes the project.
Eight months after the start, the organic synthesis is complete.
This house, its former outbuilding and garden are all unified in natural materials and reinsulated for warmth.
As Dermot points out, the design is quite simple.
“There was a clatter of rooms at the back of the house, it was basically about clearing away all that, giving them one long room that addressed the garden but the most essential part was the garden itself — once you open the doors you step into an outdoor room."
The kitchen delights the couple.
“The kitchen is my happy place and it has to be right,” says Mary.
Quantity surveyor Claire Irwin gives an overview of the figures: "They started out with a contract value of €210,000," she says.
“They actually made €30,000 of savings by shopping wisely and using their PC sums, spending them really carefully."
Their contract value at final account stage was €200,000.
“They saved €10,000 overall,” she says.
Included in those figures is €25,000 that they obtained as a result of an SEAI grant.
This involved the “upgrade of their insultation to floor walls, changing out the windows, heating system, and PV panels to the roof”, adds Claire.
- is on RTÉ One on Sunday at 9.30pm and on RTÉ Player
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