RTE Home of the Year viewers all in agreement 'cosy' home deserved 'big fat 10'

Home of the Year returned to screens on Tuesday evening as judges Hugh Wallace, Amanda Bone and Sara Cosgrove celebrate the creativity and individuality of homeowners around the country.

Episode one of the 10th series featured an old school house in Cork, an eco-minded self-build in Clare and a 1960s house in Dublin, with the three judges visiting each one to deliver their verdict.

While the overall winner won’t be decided for some weeks, viewers flocked to social media to throw their opinion on the stunning home as the trio of judges handed out their tally for the first episode.

The upcoming series will feature re-imagined semi-detached homes, renovation projects, architectural homes, restored period homes and new builds all across the country.

Looking for individuality, functionality and clever design, the three judges will each score the homes out of 10, and the home with the highest combined score in each programme will go through to the final in April, where the winner will be crowned.

The first home of the night belonged to John and Kasha, who live in an eco-minded self-build home in Clare with their daughter.

In 2021, the couple started their journey of building their contemporary house. John and Kasha were conscious of the environment when building the home and wanted a grass roof as a place for wildlife and bees to live.

Their home has a natural cooling breezeway designed for the summer months that brings the outside in, and, after working with the Jon Eliason Studio in Sweden to draft the concept of the living space and kitchen of their house, they decided on a 20-foot-high ceiling in the main room to allow the spectacular scenery to be a part of the space.

John and Kasha love the sense of detail and functionality they’ve achieved throughout the home and how they’ve managed to create something so special that represents their family.

John and Kasha, Clare

Judges adored the “contemporary” home, scoring it high. Sara Cosgrove gave the couple a nine, saying the home had a “wonderful aesthetic and is nestled in its surroundings. The main palette of finishes is consistent throughout.”

Amanda Bone praised the “open plan living area” as “brilliant” and “intimate” despite being spacious and added that she found the “choice of materials used calming, except for the choice of kitchen colour and style” as she gave the home a nine.

Lastly, Hugh Wallace lauded the house, calling it a “clever, considered and tranquil family home” although he continued that for him “there was a lack of task lighting in the living room and bedroom”. Hugh’s score was withheld until the end when all three homes were judged.

The eco-minded self-build home in Clare won praise from judges

The second home of the night was an end-of-road 1960s semi-detached home in Dublin, where Aoife and Tim live with their two young daughters, teenage son and four dogs.

The couple fell in love with the three-bed semi-detached house and knew they could create their dream home. They gutted the whole house and gardens and designed a layout that works best for their family, creating a five-bed and five-bath energy-efficient home.

Though it was a labour of love for the family, they are delighted with what they have been able to achieve and how the home feels bright and airy while still feeling warm and cosy.

Aoife and Tim, Dublin

“Walking into this home you are met with strong graphic elements of colour, beautiful flooring and lots of natural light,” Hugh Wallace said.

“The homeowners have integrated the kitchen dining room seamlessly with the external cupboard terrace,” he added, as he ultimately scored the home a nine.

Sara Cosgrove said: “The exterior palette of this home reflects the tonal and textural interior. The playroom and kid’s bedroom are really lovely rooms full of magical details, however, the layout of the main bedroom feels compromised to me.” She gave the home an eight.

Finally, Amanda Bone added: “The continuous floor finish, use of glazed doors and the amount of natural light on the ground floor make you feel connected and spacious throughout.

However, she also said: “I like the rest of the home, the main bedroom doesn’t make the most of its potential or orientation.”

The couple fell in love with the three-bed semi-detached house

The last home up for the evening was the stunning 1900s Old School House purchased by Ian and Sarah from Cork in 2019, which they live in with their son.

When they bought their home, they had some internal renovations to complete, such as removing plaster to expose the original brickwork and levelling the floor in the great room.

They aimed to bring out the character of the building and restore it 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 memories of the school.

Ian and Sarah with their child

“It’s great to see this early 1900s school remodelled so simply into a unique home,” Hugh Wallace explained.

“The homeowners have added in their quirky design style through their upcycled furniture and stunning artwork.” However, he added there needed to be more “soft textures and large rugs”. He scored the home an eight.

“It’s hard to convert a building designed for another use into a home but the homeowners have created a cosy, intimate and magical home,” Amanda Bone said.

“Everything feels authentic and original, from the building itself to the details and finishes.” She was “delighted” to give the home a “big fat 10”.

Finally, Sara Cosgrove added: “The main living area has a wonderful aspect, retained original features and wow art. It shows how well the school has been adapted into a home.

“I feel the approach to the furniture and fixtures and the main living and kitchen are effortless and full of personality.”

The stunning 1900s Old School House was purchased by Ian and Sarah from Cork in 2019

After all three homes had been looked at, judges met to discuss their takes and reveal the hidden score. Hugh divulged that he had scored the Clare home an eight owing to the “lighting”, which Amanda said was “too low”. This brings John and Kasha’s score to 26.

Next Amanda gave her score for the Dublin semi-detached home. “This home was all about opening up the ground and floor, getting as much light in and making it feel as spacious as possible.”

However, she stressed: “On the first floor, there was a lack of light in the main bedroom”. She gave this home an eight, leaving the pair at 25.

Then Sara revealed her score for Ian and Sarah’s home in Cork. Sara said: “This schoolhouse conversion was done with such attention to detail but also whimsy, it wasn’t precious.

She added: “But that living room was just magical and the artist’s studio, a really special space”. Sara scored the home a nine, topping the night at an overall 27.

Home of the Year series 10 judges (left to right) Amanda Bone, Hugh Wallace and Sara Cosgrove

Viewers flocked to social media to throw praise on the stunning home. One viewer wrote: “No three can really be called a home – not a show house”.

Another viewer added: “House three is a HOME. There’s a warmth and personality to it.” A third wrote: “‘Seriously wow’ is right – what a living room!” While a fourth agreed: “Well we have this week’s winner, number three.”

One more chimed in: “What a location”. As another penned: “No three definitely a home so cosy real.”

However, some disagreed. One wrote: “A hovel wins. Amanda must have got a bang on the head since we saw her last.” While another added: “Has Amanda gone mad ?? A 10 ??”

Every Tuesday at 8.30pm on RTÉ One you can join the judging panel of Hugh, Amanda, and Sara as they explore 21 unique homes across Ireland for eight weeks.

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