RTÉ Home of the Year: A look inside the maximalist Victorian house through to the final
Sara and Neil Austin's County Down house. Pictures: Joe McCallion
Sara and Neil Austin returned to County Down from London in 2019 and moved into a Victorian property the following year.
They share the double-fronted 1896-built residence with their two young sons, and tried to restore much of the original character of the house, says Sara. “When we moved in it was a little bit rundown,” she says.
But Sara has a “good eye for design,” Neil tells us ahead of the visit of the three Home of the Year judges.
They agree — particularly architect Hugh Wallace, who admires the couple’s “distinctive avant-garde style”.
They also knocked through from the master bedroom into the adjacent room to create an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe.
“We wondered: How do we strike this nice balance about what is this house really about but making it a nice family home for the 21st century?" says Neil.
Sara loves period properties and worked hard to restore the remaining classic features such as the stained-glass windows and the original fireplaces and cornicing.
Both Sara and Neil were conscious of respecting the heritage of the home while renovating, but also adding a modern twist to make the home functional for their young family.
Mags and John Phelan live in a contemporary country home in Killeagh, Co. Cork, along with their two teenage sons.
The couple came across the property when house hunting online while living in Kazakhstan and went sale agreed without seeing it in person.
It was “a gamble”, says Mags — but fortunately, they fell in love with it.
The home is a farm building conversion, made up of a barn at one end, cow shed at the other and a stone cottage.
They bought the house in 2015 and immediately began renovating the home, and have been working on it ever since.
It is now “a haven”, according to Mags.
“Originally there was a farmhouse here that was knocked,” she says.
John jokes: “We essentially sleep and live in animals’ bedrooms.”
The couple extended the area outside “to ensure that the flow” worked for the design, adds Mags.
They wanted to upgrade the house and interiors to ensure the home was fit for purpose but at the same time respect and maintain the character of the property. The couple think of their house as "a sanctuary and a wonderful family home".
“We built the extension around the fact that we owned a baby grand piano,” adds Mags.
“My husband is a musician and most evenings we’re in here enjoying a glass of wine and some music. It’s the perfect haven.”
Roisin and Stephen Whyte live in a contemporary new-build family home in Dublin along with their four young children.
The couple started the project in 2018 and completed the home in 2020 and used ICF Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) to build their home.
Roisin says that Stephen was really passionate about the build process, putting his heart and soul into it whereas her enthusiasm lies more with the interiors, which she wanted to make sure reflected their family.
Roisin describes the interior style as fun, eclectic and with a modern farmhouse twist and that every room has a little piece of their personality in it.
- airs on RTÉ One on Tuesdays at 8.30pm and is on RTÉ Player
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