Sleek Wicklow farmhouse in Home of the Year final
Kate and Shane Byrne's home. Pictures: Joe McCallion
When Kate and Shane Byrne took up residence in his family farmhouse in Co Wicklow they wanted to create a home that would stand the test of time.
The property has been in Shane’s family for decades and when they moved in, in 2018, they knocked through all the smaller rooms and added an extension to create an open-plan living space flooded with natural light.
“We got married in May and Max was born in November and the back of the house got taken down in June so we did it all in a year,” says Shane.
They extension serves as a “marriage between old and new” according to Home of the Year judge and architect Hugh Wallace.
Hugh and his fellow judges, architect Amanda Bone and interior designer Sara Cosgrove, selected the farmhouse as the sixth finalist to through to the 2022 final on the RTÉ One series.
Kate describes it as their “forever home”.
“I wanted it to be a modern take but with classic pieces of furniture that will go with the character of the old house.”
The orange chair in the living area is her favourite spot.
“It’s the area that I come and have my cup of tea in the morning while Max plays with his toys,” she says.
“We’ve a beautiful view of the garden and when I sit here it gives me a chance to reflect on what we’ve achieved as a family.”
Shane adds: “We’ve taken off any extensions that were built on over the lifetime of the house over the last 160 years; we’ve built our big kitchen area and brought a new look and a new feel to it.”
Hugh is enamoured of the charming entrance hall and original staircase and door handles and features “with all their knots and bashes”.
Amanda admires the “visual connection through the house right out to the garden”.
Sara is taken with the “restrained" back kitchen, the large kitchen island and the picture window.
As Hugh is drawn to a blackberry tart in the kitchen, the judges have a slight disagreement about the kitchen style.
Amanda says she finds it “very confusing”.
“When you’re extending a period home the important thing is to have a very clear distinction between what’s existing and what’s new. I find the style of the kitchen very confusing,” she says.
“The homeowners here have created a very modern open-plan contemporary space in contrast with the existing house but yet they’ve reverted back to the familiar country-style kitchen.”
Hugh and Sara disagree.
“Can I just say I think you need a slice of tart and cream because you just got out of bed on the wrong side,” says Hugh.
“To be quite clear I don’t agree with you about the style of the kitchen. I love it because there’s a relationship to the old house.”
Sara says she feels “there’s a comfort in the kitchen”.
Overall the balance of old and new and connection with surrounding landscape gets the farmhouse its place in the final.
The judges give it a score of 26.
Niamh Peare, an architect and interior designer, and James, an engineer, and their two daughters live in a 1970s home with modern refurbishment in Dublin.
The home originally had small rooms and was quite dark internally, so they carried out a complete refurbishment using custom-built furniture to provide a consistent connection with nature and introduced biophilic materials, textures and patterns.
“We wanted to create something that would suit our family dynamic and they way we live,” says James.
Niamh and James feel that the importance of a healthy home is more relevant than ever, and, as such, the couple wanted to create an interior that was flexible with a multipurpose family home and workplace.
The judges give it a score of 25.
Kerry Devlin lives in a 1980s chalet-style bungalow with her husband Nicky and their twin boys.
Kerry and Nicky stumbled upon this property and fell in love with the location and incredible views.
When the couple moved in, the house was neutral with dated décor, so they renovated the home to give it their own stamp.
The interior design of this home is inspired by mid-century, modern and Scandi interiors; mixing vintage and retro furniture with modern pieces with plenty of colour, pattern and textures.
The judges give it a score of 23.
- is on Tuesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One and on RTÉ Player
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