THERE WAS TOUGH competition, but an eco-friendly, split-level house in County Cork has scooped the prize of RTÉ’s Home of the Year.
The lucky winners are retired couple, Ita Molloy and Andrew Harvey who originally had a holiday cottage on the site since 1993.
They decided to rebuild on it and have been living in their beautiful home since 2014.
“We’re really pleased that we can share it and that people can see that it’s possible to have a beautiful house that is ecologically friendly also,” said Andrew.
It’s difficult to argue with the result when you see just where the house is situated, with the sprawling countryside landscape surrounding the house.
Over the past seven weeks, expert judges Declan O’Donnell, Hugh Wallace and Helen James have been nosing about in 21 homes up and down the country, debating who has done it best.
The judges described the winning house as one that really “stayed with them”.
“It’s a beacon for clever and creative design, said Declan, while Wallace described it as “an incredible piece of art”.
The architect of the winning home, Donn Ponnighaus said:
There are a lot of special things when you walk around the house that make you smile. When you put the effort in over several years, working really hard to get it right, it’s just amazing to get the validation that we did today and to be crowned Home of the Year.
The runners up were also impressive. Who could forget the 60s/70s house, owned by musician Ger Eaton, his wife Susann, and their children. True dedication to a theme right here:
If you want to get your hands on one of these homes, now is your chance, as one of the seven finalists is up for grabs. It’ll cost you though.
The two-storey Sandymount home of professional interior designer Carla Benedetti and photographer Jason Kavanagh is now on offer through Lisney for €1.7 million.
Ah, but to dream…
You can view more of the winning house here. Last night’s finale is available on the RTÉ Player.
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