Home of the Year on RTE

[LadyEloise]

Anyone watching ?
I loved the first house- an old farmhouse with a new wing. I thought it should have won.
I didn't like the detached house in Meath - it was too dark. But they were willing to push the boundaries, I'll give them that.
The piano in the kitchen in the black house

I watched all of the episodes tonight (I forgot I'd set the TV to series record). All of the houses are starting to blur a bit, but I liked most of them. One or two were a little bland - I like a bit of colour. Amanda is a bit stilted - she looked quite uncomfortable at times. Hugh and Suzie have a more natural way about them. Amanda was very critical about most of the houses whereas Hugh and Suzie were very enthusiastic about lots of the rooms and features, with just the occasional "I was a bit disappointed with x or y". Amanda's reaction to the very colourful house was hilarious - she practically ran out of one of the rooms as if she was about to have a panic attack . I think she needs to be a little more objective and remember that different people have different tastes and styles.

I wonder how many more episodes are left? Fair play to the owners for all the work they put into their homes and letting us have a nose around. Does anyone know any of the owners? That's the joy of living in such a small country - usually someone knows one of the participants.

We have a few friends who have been finalists and one series winner! This was from a few years back. All lovely houses, but my favourite didn't win. It's owned by architects and is a really beautiful house to live in, I love visiting them. Amanda would love it!

The friends that won, have a completely different style, very colourful, relaxed house.

The other finalists house is a stunner, owned by an interior designer who is very, ahem, detail oriented shall we say. Incredible house but doesn't have the warmth of the first house.

IMO, the houses in the last few years have been a bit dull, as if they got all the good ones in the first few series and then ran out.

Suzie McAdam's house is really beautiful, it's been in a few magazines so should come up online.

Did you watch last night's episode? The houses were huge! I love open plan in theory, but it wouldn't be very practical for me with my two cats. I'd have no way to keep them out of the kitchen while I'm cooking - they'd keep jumping up on the counters.

Anyway, to my absolute amazement, I found myself agreeing with Amanda at least twice. She was right about the Galway house - lovely to have a view of trees from the bedroom but most of the view consisted of a flat roof. She's still very sneery overall though - did you hear her comments about kitchen islands?

I can't remember much about the first house. I loved the exterior of the school house and he had some lovely pieces inside - the camera kept lingering on a beautiful carved wooden chair. Cute dog, too. I thought it was a huge house for one person. But the owner may well have a partner and/or like to entertain a lot.

The last house was massive and a bit too big and minimalist for my taste - where do these people put their clutter? The sheep were cute. Don't get me wrong - it's a fabulous house, just too minimalist for me personally. A deserving winner though.

Anyone else thinking they should do a Council house episode?

I watched last night's episode Tayto.
All 3 of the houses were lovely.
The minimalist house - how do they do it ?
My house has too much clutter. Aghhh

Yes, DH and I were cracking up about Amanda's virulent anti-kitchen island stance you'd think she was denouncing communists in front of HUAC with the look on her face! Frankly, I can't imagine anyone less likely to dance in her kitchen anyway, or even to cook anything messy in it she gives off the impression of someone who would wander in, frown, adjust the angle of a show pineapple in the fruitbowl and go out again.

It is true, though, that people do put islands in kitchens that are slightly too small for them -- my SIL just did this, and when we are able to go over there again, as far as I can see, we will be edging about trying not to bump into things . And I did agree with A about it being a shame that the bedroom window view in the third house was mostly black flat roof.

But I thought the sage green kitchen in the dormer bungalow that Amanda and Suzy were very 'disappointed' by was nice. No, it wasn't huge, and it was a sort of galley kitchen, in an L-shape, but the owners had presumably thought about what they needed and done it.

I thought the sheep were weird in the third house, though. I mean, if you need battalions of fake sheep to keep your house from looking too austere, haven't you done something a bit weird?

I liked the first and third houses -- the middle one had beautiful bones, but was filled with bad-taste blingy 'show-home' type furniture. How could anyone look at those gorgeous roof beams and think 'What that needs is a Liberace-style chandelier or two!'?

just caught up with this, that third house was my favourite so far. Amanda is annoying but actually usually put her finger on what's wrong with a house . the man - high , just loves throwing his eyes up to heaven when the 'wimmin' speak. I'd go for a drink with the blond one she'd be great with the inside stories.

I watched a live well for less type thing last year, where a woman was spending a fortune on chandeliers, and I want one . My ceilings are too low though. I'd love to visit the bling place. I have bad taste.
I thought the Galway house was a bit stark, and must have a shed full of stuff, it was so empty.
A council house episode would be good, or even normal house on average wage. We have been on some lockdown walks, some houses look amazing from the outside, especially when the lights are on and we can see in!

You can recess the ceiling a bit for a chandelier, my mams bungalow has in her dining area
I am minimalist in my head - but not in reality
I've just been up in the attic to get my easer wreath down and was thinking how much that architect would hate it .

I saw three Easter wreaths on doors earlier, and am certainly tempted! My daughter can't find her yellow gingham rabbit which is part of her Easter decoration.
I'd love a chandelier over my stairs, but it's a killer to reach the light to change a normal bulb.

eggandonion
Where is "the bling place" ?

The bling place is county Down, it was on the episode with the Galway place with a lot of stone and concrete.

I thought Galway place was fab, bling place not so much

Hi tayto

What did you make of last night's houses?

I wasn't mad on the first one. It looked nice from the outside but there was a strange black pillar thing in the hall - I think the purpose was to screen off the kitchen? And I didn't like the black kitchen. The open plan sitting room area was nice. The main bedroom was small and the headboard seemed to be blocking the window. And the white trees in the bathroom looked a bit odd.

The second house was very colourful. Obviously Amanda hated it . I liked the way the hall/stairs was being used to disply art - like an art gallery. Although I didn't like the large picture of insects! The kitchen was a lovely bright room. I liked the chaise longue in the pink room. I could have done without the neon signs - I'm surprised Amanda didn't comment on them.

The third house was my favorite. It was very elegant but but not too stark - there was a nice bit of colour in it. Only offputting thing was the bicycle hanging on the wall! And I loved the blue and white tiles in the footpath.

Next week is the final.

@Happierwithouthim

Hi tayto

Hi Happier

I can’t believe I am saying this but I agree with Amanda on the colourful house.

There's a blog on the 3rd house that talks through the refurb it's called https://instagram.com/stories/victorianrathmines/2543643654835034671?utmsource=iggstoryitemmshare&igshid=jbiy73y7qykj

Lost a few hours to it the other day!

Just caught up with this - loved the third house - I'm surprised they didn't like the extension

It's the final tonight, any predictions?

I can't remember many, I loved the tiny cottage and last weeks winner. I don't think it was a great year really.

@anomletteandaglassofwine

It's the final tonight, any predictions?

I can't remember many, I loved the tiny cottage and last weeks winner. I don't think it was a great year really.

I've not seen all episodes, but the judges have such opposing tastes and the houses are so divided between elaborate architect-designed houses and standard semis where the 'interest' is purely down to the decor that the winner needs to hit some sweet spot where it's 'interior design-y' enough for the interior designer judge, and minimal enough for the minimalist brunette architect judge

Well done anomletteandaglassofwine.
It wouldn't have been my choice.
The judges had very, very different opinions on the style of house they liked. It must have been very difficult to choose a winner.
Of the finalists I thought the house with the sheep was fairly amazing, I wouldn't want to live in it but I could see its merits.
I thought the house in Cork with the piano in the kitchen would win.
Hugh loves the refurbed Victorian city home type. The garden of the one with the vibrant pink door was beautiful. Does anyone know what the tree with the very delicate pink leaves is called ?

Some of the finalists deserved their place in the finals imo, others not so much- I would have made some different choices for the finals.
It's lovely escapist television.

I thought the black Cork house would win, too, because it ticked both 'architectural' and 'interior deign' boxes, on what is, actually a programme with a pretty weird remit in that it's comparing standard 3-bed 70s suburban semis with sumptuous architect-designed country houses.

The judging was quite strange, I thought -- it seemed to come down to which of the judges stood their ground most forcefully (I mean, this happens all the time with literary prizes, but it's not usually televised!), and I'm pretty sure the three of them would all have chosen a different winner of the final 7, and that the one that actually won wouldn't have been any of their first choices...?

I totally agree. I think the winner was a compromise. That sounds mean to the winner and I don't want to be but .....