Home of the Year: Cork couple take top prize for Limerick living space

Check out the colourful retro dwelling that wowed judges Siobhan Lam, Amanda Bone and Hugh Wallace and 'ticked all the boxes'

Amy and Eoin Martin with judges Siobhan Lam, Hugh Wallace and Amanda Bone, and right, interiors at their 1970s house. Pictures: Joe McCallion

Cork couple Amy and Eoin Martin raised the coveted Home of the Year 2025 trophy for their 1970s dream dwelling in Limerick.

First-time judge Siobhan Lam announced the duo as the winners after interior design consultant Siobhan and her fellow judges, architects Amanda Bone and Hugh Wallace, had deliberated over the seven stunning finalists.

Speaking on the  RTÉ One series finale on Tuesday night, Amy said: “I absolutely did not imagine getting to the final, let alone holding the trophy — I’m just chuffed.” Eoin credited his interior designer wife for “99% of the work”.

Judge Hugh Wallace said: “I love the 70s and this home was like The Brady Bunch — amazing colours and connection with a stunning garden. Brilliant winner.”  Series 11 had an "intensity" for judge Amanda Bone: “Among the five series I have been involved in, it stood out for having been the most competitive, emotionally charged, and challenging final to judge.” 

Amy, from Passage West, and Eoin, from Glasheen, share their home with their two teenage sons, Ben, 16, and Sam, 12, and their dog, Ozzie, and three cats.

It's clear to see Amy's a fan of renowned British interior designer and colour expert Sophie Robinson. She loves to unleash her passion for creativity and bright tones on her living space.

Colour is what wowed viewers and judges, particularly Siobhan Lam, who said: “From the warm, vibrant colour palette to the delicious retro details throughout — this home ticked all the boxes.” 

Conversations with Sophie Robinson and Home of the Year presenter Hugh Wallace had galvanised Amy, a longtime fan of both the RTÉ One series and TV interior design shows featuring Sophie, to follow her dream. 

Amy said: “I'm a nurse by trade, but I suppose since after covid, when the boys were young, I sort of stepped out of nursing for a while. I was looking after my mom and then really went: ‘Right, this is my time to study interior design,’” she said.

“A couple of [years ago] during the Ideal Homes exhibition, I knew Hugh Wallace was going to be speaking [at the event] and….Sophie Robinson. I went and I met Hugh Wallace and Sophie Robinson. At the time, I had just been doing sort of bits and pieces of interior design, little things for friends. And Sophie said to me: 'Just go for it. You should absolutely if it's what you're interested in.'” 

Following the fortunes of interior design consultant and previous Home of the Year contestant-turned-judge Siobhan Lam also motivated Amy, who enjoys browsing in Siobhan’s furniture and design store, April and the Bear. "I absolutely adore her shop," said Amy.

 

"It's quite close to where we have relatives living in Dublin, so they literally have to do a drive-by, and I jump out of the car and run in. So it was very exciting to hear that she was to be a judge as well."

The couple confess to being delighted and bemused to see passersby taking a look at what they have done with their 1970s retrofit. “I love a sticky-beak in people's homes, whether it's on the TV or walking past looking at the outside — just love it,” said Amy.

Falling in love with their own property was their starting point. They gutted and renovated the building, sweeping its BER from a D3 to an impressive A3.

What is their advice for others wanting to achieve such a feat? “Research,” is the answer from both.

On the subject of grants, Eoin added: “A lot of planning has to go into it. And it's still very expensive. But if you know you can cover the cost, it is worth it in the long run. And you don't have to do everything at once.” 

The 2025 Home of the Year offers “upside-down” accommodation, with the main living space and kitchen on the first floor, making the most of their garden and the natural light.

They’ve lived in Australia, where they had their own home in Brisbane for a decade, and between rentals and student digs, would have hung their hats in up to 30 houses over the years, according to Amy, but the big question — as a Cork couple, living in Limerick, is this the fabled “forever home”? "Cork is an hour and a half down the road. We're both there quite often,” said Eoin. “So yeah, I would like to imagine if there is such a thing as a forever home, then…if they build the motorway, then it'll definitely be. Yeah.”

Amy and Eoin Martin with Siobhan Lam, Hugh Wallace and Amanda Bone.

Amy added, “I can't imagine being anywhere else. We've made it just exactly what we wanted. We're very happy in Limerick.” 

Also very happy are the four four-legged family members. Any advice on maintaining a Home of the Year with fabulous furries in the mix? “Ozzie is a non-shed cavachon …. but we've learned to get up a half hour or 20 minutes extra in the morning to feed and animals and all! But the boys are older now, so we all just chip in,” said Amy.

Extra fencing and gates in the garden help. “We can just leave the back door open and then they're all in and out without us having to worry about keeping an eye on them .... so from a practical point of view, that was a good adaptation,” added Amy.

Not being “precious” is equally important. “I clean and tidy, but I'd rather have all of the mess in the normal home life than not have the animals, you know,” she said.

The runners-up were Mary Phelan and Aiden Fitzpatrick’s Victorian residence in Dublin and Jenny-Anne Corkery’s compact family home in Dublin.

The other homeowners through to the final were Claire and Sean Fox, Tipperary; Lynne Clarke and Nick Drew, Wicklow; Roisin Collins and Matteo Bandiera, Dublin; and Vivian Wong McKendry and Philip McKendry, Kildare.

• See the final and previous episodes of Home of the Year on RTÉ Player rte/ie/player