Home of the Year: NI finalists pipped to the post in RTE show

Marty Campbell and Shane Murray were crowned winners for their renovated terrace home in Dublin.

Peter Carvill’s The Gate Lodge in Co Tyrone and Kieran and Olivia McDaid’s The Old Rectory in Co Londonderry both made it all the way to the grand final but fell just short.

Mr Campbell and Mr Murray bought their 1920s house in a state of disrepair in 2022, taking on a major project to renovate and make it their own,

Inspired by their love of travel, they gave the property a hotel-style aesthetic while making it fit to their personalities. It was enough to take the Home of the Year crown.

“For me, the show is all about personality, compared to other home shows where a lot of it is about big spaces, architects and design,” Mr Murray said.

“We were very much about our personality, so we are very happy.

“We started the process not knowing how far we would get. We had no expectations about it. We were ecstatic when we found out. It’s all a bit surreal.”

Mr Campbell said renovating an older home meant he and his partner had a blank canvas on which to put their stamp.

“It’s got loads of character and history, but we wanted to bring it back to its bones and take it from there,” he added.

“We went through room for room and were designing the rooms [with] us in mind.

“For example, [with] the dining room, I was adamant we had to have a bar in there. When we’re having friends over, I want to make cocktails.

“Shane was adamant we had to have two ovens, even though there wasn’t space, because he loves cooking and baking.

“We love travelling and hotels, so when we stay in hotels, we get loads of ideas and inspiration. It makes staying in hotels less of a novelty.”

An item belonging to the previous owner was also given a space in the house.

A signed picture of Roy Orbison fell out from behind one of the old wardrobes and now hangs in the bathroom.

“It nods to the previous owner, and that’s the joy of renovating an old home like this — it’s got previous owners and their stories here as well,” Mr Campbell said.

They won’t mind now they’ve been named overall winners, but one point of criticism from judge Hugh Wallace was how high their TV was mounted on the wall.

“We knew what we were signing up for. [We knew] the judges would have their own opinions, personal tastes and preference,” Mr Campbell said.

“The feedback was fair and we took the points on board, particularly what we call ‘TVgate’.

“We landed on that decision based on our own personal preference and how the room would work for us.”

Mr and Mrs McDaid, meanwhile, restored almost every room in their 250-year-old property in Co Derry, and didn’t hold back when designing the home to their own style, with unique wallpaper and paint colours.

Mr Carvill’s The Gate Lodge was built in the mid-1700s. After buying the Grade 2-listed property in 2022, he wanted to embrace the home’s history while putting his own stamp on it with a chic interior and colour scheme inspired by nature.

He told a previous episode of the show: “The renovation was done about 20 years ago and the previous owners added an extension to the back in the mid-90s.

“It was originally just four red brick walls — it was in ruins. It’s just so beautiful. I just wake up every day so blessed and happy to be here.”