{"id":340090,"date":"2026-03-11T07:09:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T07:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/340090\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T07:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T07:09:13","slug":"look-inside-the-kerry-coastal-house-sailing-into-rtes-home-of-the-year-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/340090\/","title":{"rendered":"Look inside the Kerry coastal house sailing into RT\u00c9’s Home of the Year final"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Kerry coastal house\u2019s sense of calm washes over the three judges the moment they dock.<\/p>\n

So impressed are Hugh Wallace, Siobh\u00e1n Lam and Amanda Bone with Toni and Fion\u00e1n Walsh\u2019s light-filled residence, they ensure it sails through to the 2026 Home of the Year final on a scoreline of 25. \u201cThis home truly has it all. There\u2019s a sense of simplicity, calm and the personality of the people who live here,\u201d says architect Hugh.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Both Hugh and interior designer Siobh\u00e1n award the Glenbeigh home nine marks each. All three judges love the sense of space and balance. \u201cWhat stood out to me was the homeowners\u2019 considered use of materials \u2014 the use of wood, rattan and natural linens creates a warm, cosy, layered environment,\u201d says Siobh\u00e1n.<\/p>\n

\"Toni,Toni, Fion\u00e1n and Noah. <\/p>\n

The choice of materials and palette enhances the \u201coverriding sense of calm\u201d, says architect Amanda.<\/p>\n

After meeting on a superyacht and working and travelling the world together, Toni and Fion\u00e1n\u2019s careers were progressing, says Toni on episode two of the RT\u00c9 One series. \u201cWe were on the yachts working, and I was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and that\u2019s when we made the commitment to leave the sea life and settle into a more relaxed way of country living.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The couple designed the house with health in mind, they add. \u201cI think it\u2019s such a gift,\u201d adds Toni. \u201cThe home is a good fusion of my South African roots and the Irish lifestyle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The couple poured hours of work into creating a home that acts as a hub for their family and loved ones, including their parents, to whom \u201cthe door is always open\u201d, adds Toni.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Toni\u2019s dad, together with her husband, worked on much of the house also.<\/p>\n

The build is an open-plan, free-flowing home, featuring a warm and contemporary aesthetic with design details inspired by their life on the open sea. \u201cSo you can come in and park the car in the car park and keep your hair dry \u2014 it\u2019s very functional for the Irish weather,\u201d says Fion\u00e1n. \u201cWe\u2019ve taken what we\u2019ve liked from around the world and made it Irish-proof.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The couple say their house is everything they love and feel extremely blessed to wake up in it every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They have recently started a homestead where they get eggs from their chickens and honey from their bees, and love that they have created such a wonderful and sustaining place for their son Noah to grow up.<\/p>\n

The family\u2019s red-dot \u201cfavourite\u201d spot in their open-plan living area offers views outside and of the home.<\/p>\n

The visual connection between outside and in is what all the judges notice once inside. \u201cI think the homeowners have intentionally kept the palette very restrained, and it\u2019s because the homeowners have put the focus on the landscape,\u201d says Siobh\u00e1n.<\/p>\n

Hugh admires the large, square window which frames the landscape outside \u201clike a painting\u201d.<\/p>\n

The kitchen also offers spectacular views. \u201cThis room is so special, and it just feels right \u2014 the location of the dining table, the sitting area, and the kitchen \u2014 from everywhere in this room, you get those views,\u201d says Hugh. Amanda adds: I actually think I said the word \u2018wow\u2019, that\u2019s how much an impact it had on me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But the finish of the tiles and the countertops are not to her taste. Hugh disagrees with what he praises as \u201ca little bit of bling\u201d: \u201cI think what\u2019s more important is [to ask], would I like to live here? So yes. I\u2019d move in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

All three enjoy the outdoor space, complete with a barbecue. \u201cI\u2019m usually against cut grass, but for me it works here,\u201d says Hugh. \u201cIt\u2019s just spectacular.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Upstairs, Hugh compares a bedroom to \u201cwalking into a luxury hotel\u201d, while Siobh\u00e1n is a fan of the layers, textures and colours. \u201cIt\u2019s very safari,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n Score: 25\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Esther and Robyn, Dublin\u00a0<\/p>\n

Esther and Robyn first bought their home in Dublin in 2019. The property had been empty for some time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"RobynRobyn and Esther.<\/p>\n

The couple, who share their home with their young son and their dogs Ruby and Florence, set out their renovation in two stages.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The first step was bringing the home back to its bones, removing old interior walls, plasterwork, windows and doors, and ultimately bringing it up to an A2 BER Rating, while the second phase saw the implementation of a two-story steel-clad extension.<\/p>\n

The design of the home is a beautiful blend of the traditional and contemporary, feeling comfortable but also opulent in places.<\/p>\n

They were diligent with their decisions regarding the material and design elements in their home. They wanted to ensure the home is timeless in that they will still love it in 30 years\u2019 time, and love the home they have been able to create for them and their son.<\/p>\n

\n Score: 23\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

Kate and Ross, Cork\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kate and Ross live together with their three daughters in a detached new build in Co Cork.<\/p>\n

They bought it from the plans, says Kate, who adds: \u201cWe put our own stamp on it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"KateKate and Ross.<\/p>\n

Kate is really drawn to the natural materials, neutral colours and natural light that modern and Scandi interior styling invokes. She chose a palette of white and organic hues which complements natural materials, including wood. Light woods and white walls also create an airy atmosphere and maximise the sense of light.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hugh is taken with the use of the porch as a reading nook, and Siobh\u00e1n admires the slatted wall detail, which is also continued outside in slatted timber fencing.<\/p>\n

There is also a \u201csuper boot room\u201d off the hallway, notes interior designer Siobh\u00e1n, with continuity in colour tones.<\/p>\n

The scale of the kitchen is a hit with Hugh, as is a hidden coffee station.<\/p>\n

The homeowners\u2019 use of colour to define the area is \u201creally smart\u201d, according to Siobh\u00e1n, but Amanda says she “can’t ignore” the orange shade chosen for the end wall in the living area, describing it as \u201cjarring”.<\/p>\n

The media wall earns praise from Hugh: \u201cYou don\u2019t really see the telly; it just sort of disappears into it.\u201d He’s also impressed with the “yummy big couch”. The house is \u201cvery much a family home, about family,\u201d according to Amanda.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Siobh\u00e1n loves the colours and textures. \u201cIt seems very tranquil in here, and then you have those incredible views,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n Score: 23\n <\/p>\n

Series 12 of Home of the Year airs on Tuesdays at 7pm on RT\u00c9 One and RT\u00c9 Player
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Kerry coastal house\u2019s sense of calm washes over the three judges the moment they dock. So impressed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":340091,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[32816,32817,307,304,305,306,308,93,96709,61,60,152236,152237,103050,103049,155784,36284],"class_list":{"0":"post-340090","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-home-improvements","9":"tag-home-interiors","10":"tag-arts","11":"tag-arts-and-design","12":"tag-artsanddesign","13":"tag-artsdesign","14":"tag-design","15":"tag-entertainment","16":"tag-home-of-the-year","17":"tag-ie","18":"tag-ireland","19":"tag-person-hugh-wallace","20":"tag-person-siobhan-lam","21":"tag-place-cork","22":"tag-place-dublin","23":"tag-place-glenbeigh","24":"tag-place-kerry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340090\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}