Home of the Year winner: Inside the transformed 1920s terrace house 

Hugh Wallace: 'What they’ve done is used every little inch of space in an extraordinary way'

RTÉ 'Home of the Year' 2024 winners Marty Campbell and Shane Murray and right, interiors in their Dublin home. Pictures: RTÉ

If you won an Oscar where would you keep it? Famously, stars like Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hanks have their Academy Awards on display — whereas other A-listers stow the prizes away in more obscure nooks anywhere from refrigerators to wardrobes to bathrooms.

So, when Shane Murray and Marty Campbell were presented with the coveted Home of the Year trophy during the 2024 final on RTÉ One on Tuesday night, I'd love to know what location the creative duo will find for this latest lovely acquisition for their 1920s terrace home in Dublin.

They won’t be short of ideas — the homeowners have a flair for clever storage. “What they’ve done is used every little inch of space in an extraordinary way,” said architect Hugh Wallace.

The 10th series led Hugh and his fellow judges, architect Amanda Bone and interior designer Sara Cosgrove on an odyssey across Ireland and a snoop around 21 living spaces, from converted schoolhouses to rectories and new builds.

When Shane and Marty purchased their property in 2022 it was in a state of disrepair. Renovating the house was a major undertaking, which involved knocking down walls, replacing windows and upgrading the heating system.

Shane and Marty also repositioned the kitchen and gutted the interior and exterior of the home and even changed the front garden layout to allow for an electric charging station for a car. Luckily, Shane’s dad was able to pitch in and help them out with much of the building work.

“There was a long time between going sale agreed and getting the keys — nine months,” said Shane. “My dad would have done a lot of building work in the past, so we weren’t too overwhelmed. He steered us in the right direction.” 

The couple’s style was inspired by their passion for hotels and travel and they were keen to ensure their home represents their personalities.

It also “balances creativity and functionality”, Sara Cosgrove during the final, filmed in Palmerstown House in Co Kildare.

Marty admits they were chuffed that Sara noticed how their interior design theme reflected their interests when the judges called to look around. “Sara immediately picked up on our nod to travel and hotels,” he said.

Amanda Bone praised the “strong continuity of colour tones and materials” as well as the outdoor space.

Both Marty and Shane were “over the moon” to win, said Marty. “We’re delighted, we’re happy, we’re proud, all those emotions!” said Marty.

Shane added: “We didn’t believe we’d get into the final and then we didn’t believe we’d win it.” 

Interestingly, two revamped 1920s Dublin terraced homes found a spot in the top three, with father-and-son duo Eugene and Alex McCarthy’s modern home sharing runners-up honours with Peter Carvill’s Gate Lodge in Tyrone.

Eugene purchased his Dublin property in 2022 and completed extensive renovations both aesthetically and structurally. The house underwent a deep retrofit and rear extension with a view to transforming it into a contemporary A-rated home, adding solar panels and an electric car charging station in the driveway.

Their home’s “clever design makes the most of the orientation of the site, maximising space and light”, said Amanda.

The year 2022 was also when Peter purchased The Gate Lodge in Tyrone. The grade two listed building was constructed in the mid-1700s.

His work on the property is “a lesson in creativity”, according to Hugh Wallace. “Truly the feeling when you walked into the home was one of happiness,” he said.

The winner and runners-up had “a very clear overall design intent”, said Amanda.

“It’s about making the most of the site but overall it’s about how good it makes you feel when you’re in the home,” she added.

The other finalists were Ian Humphreys and Sarah MacCarthy, for the converted schoolhouse in Cork; Kieran and Olivia McDaid, for The Rectory in Derry; Craig Dee and Matthew O’Rourke, Waterford, and Rebecca and Eamonn McMackin, Offaly.

• You can catch up with all the episodes of Series 10 and earlier series of Home of the Year on RTÉ Player