Astrid Madsen
A renovated 1920s terraced home in Dublin won RTÉ’s Home of the Year Award 2024.
In this article we cover:
- Who won the award with images
- Who the finalists were with project images
Shane Murray and Marty Campbell, finalists from Episode 6 of RTÉ house programme Home of the Year, bagged the coveted end-of-season award.
The couple purchased their 1920s terraced house in Dublin in 2022 in a state of disrepair. Renovating the home was a big project which involved upgrading the heating system, replacing windows and knocking down a wall.
They 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. Shane and Marty’s style was inspired by their passion for hotels and travel and they love how their home represents their personalities and their lives together.
The tenth series of Home of the Year saw the three judges Hugh Wallace, Amanda Bone and Sara Cosgrove visit 21 homes across the country.
The other six finalists were:
Episode 1 Finalist: Ian Humphreys and Sarah MacCarthy, Cork
Ian and Sarah live in an old school house built in the 1900s with their son, which they purchased in 2019.
When they bought their home, they had a number of internal renovations to complete, such as, removing plaster to expose the original brick work and levelling the floor in the great room. Their aim was to bring out the character of building and restore it back to its former glory. They wanted the original features and the character of the building to do the talking.
They describe their home as creative with a brilliant atmosphere and say it’s a great place for parties, entertaining and playing music.
Sarah and Ian feel like they are caretakers of the home and love when people knock in to share their own memories of the school.
Episode 2 Finalist: Peter Carvill, Tyrone
Peter lives in a Gate Lodge in Co. Tyrone. The house was built in the mid 1700’s and Peter purchased this property in 2022. It is a Grade 2 listed building, and an extension was added approximately 25 years ago by the previous owner.
Peter saw the house as an inspiration and settled on a mix of country chic and cottage core for his interiors which he felt fitted beautifully with the nature that surrounds his home, creating a warm and cosy vibe. It was also important to Peter to honour the history of the home while still putting his own stamp on it.
For Peter, his home is a place of solace, somewhere to unwind after a busy workday. It is also the perfect home to entertain his friends and family whether they are sitting by the fire playing the piano having a good sing- song or a BBQ in the garden, he loves every part of it.
Episode 3 Finalist: Kieran and Olivia McDaid, Derry
Olivia and Kieran live in a historic Georgian Rectory in Co. Derry with their young daughter and Luna, the dog.
The Rectory was built in 1774 and they purchased the property in 2020. The building had been in use by the Church of Ireland since 1774 and Kieran and Olivia were delighted to find it in relatively good condition. They replaced some flooring ceilings on the ground floor and breathed new life into the interior.
Olivia and Kieran were heavily inspired by their travels and filled their family home with an eclectic mix of period pieces and items from abroad. They love the architecture, period features and high ceilings throughout their home and feel that these features lend themselves well to their bold and beautiful sense of style.
Episode 4 Finalist: Craig Dee & Matthew O’Rourke, Waterford
Craig and Matthew purchased their small 1930’s cottage in 2018 when it was in a bad state of repair. They rebuilt the cottage section whilst retaining the vernacular shape of the existing building and added a link corridor and a two-story extension cladded in black charred larch.
Craig and Matthew have a keen interest in Danish design and the retro ‘mad men’ styling of the mid-century era and favoured simplistic and clean lines of contemporary living and pops of colour adding natural greenery throughout the home.
Their family and friends admire the aesthetic of the home and the couple love the space they have created, and how it’s full of warmth and represents them.
Episode 5 Finalist: Rebecca & Eamonn McMackin, Offaly
Rebecca and Eamonn live in a renovated 1950’s bungalow with their two young children in Co Offaly. When they purchased their home, it was in need of a full renovation, but Rebecca and Eamonn could see it had good vibes with lots of potential.
They left two original external sides of the house and gutted the rest. Their main goal was to create a large light filled functional kitchen, dining, living space to the rear of the property, so they extended out the back.
The couple wanted to incorporate ocean blues, greens, and sand tones throughout the home to create a relaxing calming environment which is near and dear to both as Rebecca grew up in oceanside Nova Scotia, Canada and Eamonn spent childhood summers in Donegal.
Episode 7 Finalist: Eugene McCarthy, Dublin
Eugene and his son Alex live in a 1920s terraced house in Dublin. Eugene purchased this 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.
Eugene’s main aim was to create a modern home which is sustainable, so he added solar panels and an electric car charging station in the driveway.
He describes the interior of the home as contemporary and light filled, he sees it as the perfect home for him and his son, that meets all their needs.
Home of the Year is available to stream for free on rte.ie/player.
English