Home of the Year architect Hugh Wallace has revealed a disgruntled homeowner from the show accosted him while out having dinner one night.
The popular presenter is back with a new series of the hit RTE show, alongside architect Amanda Bone and interior designer Sara Cosgrove, which airs next Tuesday.
But Hugh revealed that while many people are fans of the show, he previously had an encounter with one homeowner a year after he judged the person’s home on telly.
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Keeping the person anonymous, he told us: “Yeah. I’ve been given out to. I went to a restaurant and that homeowner was there.. it was a year later… and he gave out to me.”
This year the judges have returned to judge 21 new homes across Ireland and will include re-imagined semi-detached homes, renovation projects, architectural homes, restored period homes and new builds.
The series will feature homes in Cork, Mayo, Kilkenny, Dublin, Down, Wicklow, Meath, Antrim, Galway, Armagh, Derry and Kildare.
The ninth series of Home of the Year, which airs every Tuesday from February 14 on RTE One, will champion creativity and showcase clever design and individuality.
Hugh said many homeowners are using upcycling skills to personalise their home.
He said: “They’re exceptional. They’re fantastic and they’re amazing and they are so different; I love it. I love the quirkiness of it all.
“They’re going mad. I have to say an awful lot, some of the homes here, you can tell the person made the dining room table. That is what makes the home special because their personality is in there.
“I think some of the more interesting homes, there is a different attitude to conserving and living with the blemishes and I think that is very important.
“Homes in my opinion have to function. Does it matter if there’s dents in the wall? No. Not if they are part of the original fabric. I think that is the correct approach to some of our old buildings.”
Opening up about any rivalry between him and Amanda on the show, he said: “We have a great time. I love it. I’ve seen the first show in drafts during the week and it is hysterical. There’s one of two moments between Amanda and myself.
“I totally respect Amanda for her opinion and her views. She is a 100 percent perfectionist. She has an amazing eye for detail, design and beauty. Whereas, I just like that little bit of flamboyancy and colour.
“I also think people are entitled to do whatever interior design or architectural design they want personally because it is all about personal taste.
“If we all lived in the same box, we would all be very bored.”
But he said a conversation needs to be had over the quality of our architecture – and said the 23 per cent VAT on building materials needs to be scrapped immediately.
“I think there is a whole conversation that needs to be had in relation to the quality of our architecture.
“Sara and Amanda would agree that we are now in the 21st century and we should be building buildings of our time.,
“My main bug bearer because I think the bungalow is amazing because at the end of the day it can landscaped and disappear in the landscape but what really bugs me are badly proportioned two storey monstrosities which somebody is running saying ‘I’ve just built my Georgian house’ but in fact it’s badly proportioned and looks pig ugly.
“It’s like a pimple on the landscape.”
He said many have been forced to design their own homes without the help of an architect due to spiralling costs.
“The choice is a kitchen or an architect.
“The problem with architectural fees is that the fees do look proportionately high but unfortunately all the architects are using is their time but the real insult to injury is to pay 23 per cent VAT - so that’s a killer. The Government needs to get rid of that. There should be no VAT and on building materials on residential homes. All the VAT should come off for residential owner occupiers.
“The Government – their little eyes would water if you suggested that,” he added.
Home of the Year airs on Tuesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One starting from February 14.
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