The unique home is one of 15 to be visited by interior designer and TV personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen for the BBC NI programme.
Just off the Malone Road, The Gallery is home to “an eclectic mix of art” collected by retired dental surgeon Bernard, and Sinead, a holistic therapist and counsellor.
The Gallery secured the third place in the House Of The Year Final (BBC NI / Elyse Kennedy)
“It’s like a self portrait,” Bernard said.
Llewelyn-Bowen was joined by his panel of expert judges — architect Jane Larmour, interior designer James Fairley and co-founder of furniture store Maven, Patricia McGinnis — to choose the third finalist in the show’s latest season.
Llewelyn-Bowen was immediately impressed by the house.
“I can tell you now there ain’t going to be anything ‘meh’ in here.
“It’s about art, it’s about being challenging. It’s about being scintillating. It’s about being very slinky.”
Most of The Gallery is open plan with different functional areas blending into one another.
Downstairs, there’s a music area complete with a grand piano, a spare bedroom with a sink area and utility room.
At the other end of the entrance is another bedroom, which can be closed off with a blind and has its own en suite bathroom.
The Gallery secured the third place in the House Of The Year Final (BBC NI / Elyse Kennedy)
There’s also Sinead’s client treatment room, which can be accessed via a separate entrance.
A black central staircase with bright red banister, and a lift leads to the house’s upper level with a double-height ceiling.
Upstairs offers the main lounge space, a kitchen with a hidden prep area and the principal bedroom suite, complete with walk-in wardrobe, dressing area and an en suite.
The Gallery secured the third place in the House Of The Year Final (BBC NI / Elyse Kennedy)
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen said you can expect “unusual, different and diverse” houses on the news series of House of the Year
The home features several pieces of art both Bernard and Sinead admired. Llewelyn-Bowen praised the pair’s ability to make the house so personal.
“I mean one thing that really strikes me about this place is that I don’t think anyone else could live here.
“I mean obviously, at the heart of this place is the collection, is the art.”
Bernard said the artwork was a priority when designing the home.
“In some of the rooms I put the window in the outside door to save wall space for the art.”
The Gallery secured the third place in the House Of The Year Final (BBC NI / Elyse Kennedy)
A painting by Neil Shawcross is the centrepiece of the home.
“We became great friends and he gave me this painting. The wall wasn’t long enough, so we scrolled the painting at one end,” Bernard said.
Sinead praised the location of the house: “You couldn’t be anywhere more serene,” she said.
“One of the things I really wanted was a bath in the bedroom. So Bernard’s tinkling the ivories downstairs and I’m lying in the bath, that was really lovely.”
Bernard said his love for Sinead inspired much of his design.
“This house has been a love story — I created it like the Taj Mahal — it’s Belfast’s own Taj Mahal.
“I had the wonderful opportunity to create something that we live in day and daily, I’ve never got used to it,” he said.