RTÉ Home of the Year: Kilkenny house reminds Hugh Wallace of ‘Pulp Fiction'
Catrinel and Stefan Cadare's Kilkenny home is the sixth house through to the final on Home of the Year. Pictures: RTÉ
“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it works for us,” is Catrinel and Stefan Cadare’s verdict on their renovated Victorian residence.
They share their home with their son Anter, having purchased the Kilkenny property in 2020.
The family knew from the beginning they wanted to create something unique.
“It’s not a trendy home, we’re not fans of bright colours, we prefer moodier colours,” says Catrinel.
“I think you need to open your mind.”
The property was built around 1850 and of the interior, Catrinel adds: “It’s very calm even though it’s dark. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea but it works for us.”
The three judges select the period residence as the sixth to go through to the final on the RTÉ One series, with a score of 24.
Catrinel and Stefan removed the internal walls from the downstairs living, dining, and kitchen area to give them the comfortable living layout they wanted.
Their aim was to create a relaxed and industrial feel in their home, but also to make sure that the ground-floor zone offered scope for relaxing and entertaining.
The lack of internal walls gets architect Hugh Wallace's seal of approval. “They’ve ended up with this extraordinary space,” he says.
The first floor delights Hugh and fellow architect Amanda Bone, particularly the master bedroom.
Interior designer Sara Cosgrove, not so much.
Surveying the set-up, complete with leather chair and studded headboard, Hugh is impressed.
He adds: "It’s like a scene out of Pulp Fiction, it’s just amazing.”
Wide-eyed, Sara replies: “The bed location, the door — this room works for me on no levels.”
The décor is “too overwhelming” for her, she adds.
Amanda agrees that “there’s a lot going on”: “But I think it works.”
Referring to her usual preference for minimalistic décor, she adds: “It’s like you and I have swapped!”
Hugh also notes how the period home makes the most of its view of Kilkenny Castle.
Sara adds: “Arriving up to this home I was quite excited. I just felt like even on the brightest day I needed all the lights on.”
Amanda is taken by the dark, atmospheric colours. “All I can say to the homeowners is: Bravo. They’ve really gone for it, it’s brilliant.”
The property also features a west-facing courtyard where Hugh believes there has been a missed opportunity to “grab more light”.
Amanda believes he is wrong: “You’re missing the whole point; this home is about contrast, about shade and light.”
Tanya Neufeld Flanagan and Morgan Flanagan Creagh bought a new-build A-rated Dublin home in 2020.
Tanya, an interior designer, says that the home afforded them a complete blank canvas.
“I had actually decided to leave a career in marketing and advertising and pursue a career in interior design so it felt like the perfect place to hone my skills,” says Tanya.
They sprayed the kitchen white so that it would blend seamlessly into the walls and allow the architecture to breathe life into the space and used floating solid wood shelves and custom units to make the most of the kitchen and open-plan areas.
The couple decorated the home to represent their character, to create conversation and make people smile. Tanya describes the interior style of the home as modern and contemporary with vintage flourishes.
Martina Mahady and husband Aaron Doherty live in a lodge-style dwelling in Co Wicklow.
The couple bought the property in 2018 and began their remodel in late 2020 with completion in 2022.
Describing it as “such a calm place to live”, Martina says: “We still sort of pinch ourselves: Did we really do this? Is this really our home?”
Their refurbishment included new windows with double-height glazing at the front to frame the woodland views, a kitchen extension and a new larger porch.
“I have sheer envy that they can sit here and watch the seasons roll by,” says interior designer Sara Cosgrove.
Amanda Bone agrees: “The site is unbelievable.”
They also developed the exterior to create outdoor living spaces which include a canopy area to the master bedroom, and a canopy barbecue area to the side of the home with a wraparound patio.
Finishes included oak beams, cedar cladding, Donegal sandstone cladding and limestone paving.
“This home is about the inside and the outside and the homeowners have the perfect combination,” says Hugh Wallace.
This dream home has Nordic and American lodge influences.
This lodge style with oak beams and cedar cladding allows the home to seamlessly sit within its woodland setting.
The interior natural finishings, colours, and picture windows all allow for a unified flow out to nature and the connecting outdoor living spaces.
- Home of the Year is on RTÉ One on Tuesdays at 8.30pm and on RTÉ Player
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