RTÉ Home of the Year: Inside the 'joyful, playful' first property through to the final
The Kildare home of Adrian and Lorcan, first through to the 2026 final of RTÉ One's 'Home of the Year'. Pictures: RTÉ
Its “incredible connection to the garden” has opened the gate to the 2026 final to a biophilic Kildare residence.
As the eight-week series began on RTÉ One, Adrian and Lorcan’s living space won the hearts of judges Hugh Wallace, Amanda Bone and Siobhán Lam. “This home is one of the reasons I love being a judge on 'Home of the Year'; each room is connected with the outside. it’s joyful, playful and completely unexpected,” says Amanda.
Judges this year have a new tool at their disposal, with each getting a golden key to give to a home that has not won its episode, so it goes through the final.
Amanda presented her key to the third house featured in Tuesday’s episode, an architect-designed home in Dublin.
Series 12 was completed before Hugh Wallace’s death. The celebrated architect had been a judge on the programme since its inception and will be remembered for his warmth and humour, and for consistently capturing the hearts of viewers.
Award-winning architect Amanda Bone of DTA Architects returns for her sixth series as a judge, and award-winning interior consultant Siobhán Lam, founder of April and the Bear, for her second.
In 2005, Lorcan and Adrian built their forever home on family land in Co Kildare.
Inspired by two traditional farm-style buildings, the couple worked together with their architect to create a space that is unique and true to them.
Their travels and passions influence their living space and design style.
The couple are both involved in floristry and horticulture, and as such, the garden is a passion of theirs and very much an extension of the home, with beautiful planting and hidden rooms (such as a tearoom) to make the absolute most of the space.
Both Amanda and Siobhán love what Amanda describes as the “incredible connection to the garden” from the living area.
As they venture outside, they arrive at the homeowners’ “red dot” spot — a teahouse. “Isn’t this just magic — a teahouse in the garden. What a fabulous location to have their favourite spot,” says Hugh.
“This is about green fingers and the joy of having such a wonderful garden and this treat of a room.”
The absence of tech is a hit with Siobhán: “You could come here for a cheeky little gin and tonic and to read a book; it’s the perfect escape,” she says.
But the dark-themed kitchen is not her cup of tea: “I don’t know about the black — if you’re going to do black, let’s do something mad, not shiny gloss.” But Amanda says she’s “getting into the spirit of the homeowners; into their vibe and personality”.
The main bedroom and bathroom offer the trio the chance to gaze out at a canopy of green. “We are in the trees,” says Amanda as she and Hugh hold hands on the bed.
“Each window frames a magical view,” adds Hugh.
Overall, the functionality and layout of the biophilic home work well for Siobhán, even though she is not a fan of the mix of styles and furniture. The judges gave it a score of 26.
Originally built in the 1900s, Denise and Dean’s Wicklow home is shared with their two dogs.
The couple, who bought their residence in 2023, maximise the space. “We don’t have a lot of space, but the space that we have, we wanted to inject colour,” says Denise.
“I like to get stuff that has a story.” The couple framed Denise’s wedding veil, and Denise’s favourite spot is their craft room. “It’s a lovely bright room where I love to be creative and let my imagination run wild,” she says.
The house had previously had minor renovations carried out, however after a year of living in it, the couple decided to give it a complete overhaul, starting with replacing the existing floors as the ground was not even level, to switching the heating system from oil to gas and then to tearing down the ceiling in the kitchen and fitting a skylight to give more light to the downstairs.
Hugh loves the “graphic postcard” effect of the exterior. “You’d expect to find dark monochromatic interiors, but I think we’re going to find colour — florals and patterns,” correctly guesses Amanda.
The couple have embraced their love for colour and fantastic wallpapers to create a standout home full of character.
The judges award it 23 marks.
Áine, an architect, designed this new-build house, which is A1 rated with an exhaust air heat pump, PV solar panels and ground-floor underfloor heating.
The house is brick-built and a contemporary interpretation of the existing 1930s redbrick terraces in its area.
Their home is situated on a side-garden plot, and Áine spent a long time designing the house to fully maximise the site and to develop a home which has the unique quality of having sunlight all day long.
The judges give it a score of 24. Amanda uses her “golden key” to ensure it is the second home through to the final. “This is one of those homes that’s given me sleepless nights,” says Amanda.
“I scored it too low, and this is what’s great about the golden key two homes through to the final.”
- Series 12 of airs on Tuesdays at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
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