Siobhan Lam is tickled pink to go from 'Home of the Year' fan to presenter

Eve Kelliher gets up close and personal with the interior design consultant who reveals the 'red dot' spots in her own home

Fri, 14 Feb, 2025 - 21:59

Eve Kelliher - Home Editor

The concept “fun interiors for a happy home” is how Siobhan Lam approaches life and work.

Renovating her period residence in Dublin’s Portobello inspired her to open her furniture, lifestyle and design studio with its signature flamingo-hued exterior.

Her favourite colour is pink and Siobhan gives Home an insight into how she creates her version of “la vie en rose” as she shows us the “red dot” spots in her house.

The design pro is no stranger to these — she’s sharing a behind-the-scenes look at her life and living space between roaming around rooms across Ireland with fellow Home of the Year judges Amanda Bone and Hugh Wallace as the hit RTÉ One show returns to TV screens on Tuesday.

The April and the Bear founder’s own dwelling featured on the first series. “We bought our house about 12 years ago and it looks very different today to back then!” says Siobhan who lives in the property with her husband, two young daughters and cat.

Siobhan uses a calm and soothing palette of soft greys, pinks and green in her bedroom.

“When we moved in, the house was in three fairly horrendous bedsits and we spent the first years in the house pulling apart the bedsits and bringing the house back together essentially, making it a cohesive home.”

Siobhan, who established her business in Rathmines 11 years ago, is a longtime fan of the hit TV show. “It’s inspirational yet accessible and it satisfies my innate nosiness about other people’s homes,” she says.

“One of my favourite pastimes is watching an episode and then gossiping about it with my mum, she’s [also] a huge fan of the show.”

How did Siobhan find herself on the other side of the screen? “So, last year, on a random Tuesday, I got a call from one of the fantastic producers on the show about whether I would consider joining the ‘Home of the Year’ team and obviously the answer was a resounding yes!” she says.

What has it been like slipping from her sofa to beyond other people’s front doors? “It was nerve-wracking at first, for sure, but it’s surprising how quickly you get used to having a camera on you!” she says.

“What I was most surprised about, though, was how attached and passionate I felt about certain homes — a home is a reflection of its owner, so you really do get to know them from exploring their home. So, when it comes to deciding which home should progress in the competition you get very passionate about your favourites — which totally took me by surprise.”

An especially “dreamy abode” stole her heart. “There were several, to be honest, but one home in particular was truly exceptional — the homeowners’ use of colour and light was perfection and their design choices throughout the home were divine,” she says.

“The attention to detail, the furnishing! It was a dreamy abode — I would have moved in, in a heartbeat!”

Siobhan can appreciate the painstaking work that goes into every aspect of a living space. It’s also what sparked the idea for her store. “As we renovated our first home, I found it increasingly difficult to find the kind of off-kilter homewares and non-generic furniture we wanted to fill it with — which was frustrating because I knew it was out there,” she says.

'Happy space': Siobhan Lam loves her bedroom in her home in Portobello, Dublin.

“This gap in the market inspired me to create a store that offered eclectic but beautiful homewares at affordable prices. And so, April and the Bear was born.”

Q&A

Where is your happy space at home?

Definitely my bedroom. It’s a large space with tall windows that overlook the Grand Canal so, especially in summer, we feel surrounded by trees and foliage even though we’re in the city. The bedroom has a calm and soothing palette — soft greys, pinks and green.

How would you describe your home/interiors?

We live in a period home in Portobello. My husband Jamie and I have very similar tastes in terms of interiors and because we were both very involved in the renovation of the house, this was a major blessing! Our home mixes classic period detailing with a definite industrial aesthetic. Bold colours were embraced throughout the home too and this was combined with fun art and eclectic home accessories.

Who do you share your home with?

I live with my husband Jamie and our two young, gorgeous daughters — and our lunatic cat Loki.

Favourite glow-up?

You know what, one of my favourite personal glow-ups was in our hallway. This was about six years ago. I had just put my eldest daughter down for her nap and on a whim, picked up a paintbrush and started painting black dots all over the walls. It turned out great, thankfully. Those polka dots still make me smile every day.

How you would describe it when you moved in?

Sad and underappreciated.

Why do you think interiors is such a passion in Ireland today?

Interiors are about creativity, passion and how people transform their homes to reflect their personalities and lifestyles so when you have an innately creative nation and people who love making their homes special that passion is easy to understand.

Best bargain ever for you?

We have great display sales in April and the Bear, so almost certainly something from one of those!

Biggest extravagance in your home?

Our Rico lounge chair by ferm Living — it’s curvy and chic and a little bit over the top which I love.

Favourite colour?

Unsurprisingly, pink.

Are you a DIY whizz and do you like to paint your own living space?

I consider myself a DIYer for sure — I paint frequently, hang pictures and wallpaper and can work a screw gun with aplomb but I’m not sure I deserve the title “whizz”, my hubby would be more worthy of the title “whizz” than me.

Who would be your ideal dinner-party guests?

First on my list would be Marty Whelan. I listen to him every morning on Lyric FM and I just adore him. Next, I would invite my favourite podcasters, Marc Maron and Adam Buxton who I regard as close friends though we’ve never met.

I’d ask the hilarious Bowen Yang along, as well as Gwyneth Paltrow and [US interior designer] Kelly Wearstler to pepper them with questions about building their incredible businesses. Oh, and Pedro Pascal for obvious reasons.

Did your Home of the Year judge colleagues turn out as you expected?

From the first day on set, they’ve been absolute dreamboats.

Do you have a favourite?

We all get on fabulously — are you trying to get me in trouble?!