Hugh Wallace meets people transforming derelict properties into modern home, beginning with an Australian cabinet maker restoring a Co Mayo house with 110 rooms.
Homeowner Murray Rees has ambitious plans, as architect Hugh Wallace oversees restoration of an elegant old townhouse in North Inner City Dublin.
A couple transform a derelict 19th-century schoolhouse in Cavan into a new home by building a timber-clad extension, but find that it was made for functionality not comfort.
A Donegal woman wants to renovate the derelict historic cottage on the Inishowen Peninsula once owned by her great, great, grandmother, but is faced with a collapsed roof and wall.
Architect Hugh Wallace meets a couple who have bought an old farmhouse and agricultural outbuildings in Rathrum, Co Wicklow, which need extensive restoration work.
Hugh Wallace meets a couple restoring Belvelly Tower House in Cobh, Co Cork, a building that has not been lived in for 400 years. The first challenge is damp-proofing the structure.
Fiona Kelly has serious ambition having purchased a dilapidated Georgian terraced house in the heart of Phibsborough in north Dublin dating back to 1826. Once an impressive townhouse for a well-to-do tradesman, Fiona’s house has been witness to the passing fortunes and misfortunes of Dublin over the centuries, and was occupied as a tenement home right up to the 1960s. With slanted door frames, crooked floors and a tumbling roof, Fiona and her building contractor friend Philip, have taken on a building on the brink of collapse. Her timeframe for the project starts out as an ambitious 6 months, but with problem after problem, the timeline expands to deal with the challenges the building presents. Rainsoaked and rotten in parts, the building presents one of the biggest challenges we have ever seen on the Great House Revival.
This week’s episode follows the transformation and restoration of three 1790s agricultural barns into a family home. With three children all under the age of 5, Belinda and Lorcan Carpenter have decided to convert three farmyard barns into their dream family home. Set in the picturesque hills of the Wicklow Carlow border on the grounds of Belinda’s childhood home Munny House, the barns need extensive renovation and conversion work in order to transform the dilapidated donkey house into a bespoke family home. Their plan is to convert the three barns into an open plan living room / kitchen, three family bedrooms, bathroom and a small office, with an additional outdoor living space.
This week sees the restoration of a historic building in the heart of Westport Co.Mayo, dating back to 1770. Empty for years, the building was damp, water-damaged, and largely unloved. Purchasing Grove House for €117,500 the home is a whopping 10,500 sq. ft. with a further 3,500sq ft. in the basement, so this restoration is no small task. Changing times have meant changing purposes for the building, from private home it became a bank, then a boarding school, and most recently it was flats. Having created an apartment on the top floor, living on site means that Karen can project manage the restoration, but with very little heat in the huge home, a dwindling budget and surprising complications along the way, this becomes an incredibly challenging restoration. Their ambitious aim is to complete two floors of this house, and to create a ballroom and bar to use as a civic space.
This week’s episode follows the restoration of a former Church of Ireland rectory from 1800. Ronan and Charles are the proud owners of Kilglass House in Longford, an 18th century former rectory in dire need of rescuing. From the bustling streets of central London to the quiet rolling hills of Longford, the culture-shock is the least of their concerns – Kilglass House requires urgent attention to save it from the encroaching damp, falling ceilings and crumbling rendering. With an almost spent budget, Charles works 3 weeks a month in London and Ronan works 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off, in order to fund the rest of the restoration through their wages. Ronan takes an extreme DIY approach to this restoration project. When complete, Kilglass House will feature four bedrooms, two living rooms, a library, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom over four floors.
This week sees the restoration of a historic doctor’s house and dispensary dating back to the early 1800s. With a coach house and numerous outbuildings, Frances plans to have the project finished in time for her imminent retirement. Being a listed building means that strict guidelines and traditional methods will have to be followed and used to bring this property to comfortable living standards, whilst retaining its original quirks and features. With a roof to repair, 23 windows to restore, walls to knock, rotting timbers and decaying bricks to contend with, a collapsing staircase and dangerous working conditions for the building team, their restoration is no simple task. Frances and Tom plan to turn their hand to whatever work they can do onsite to help with their budget, which is €240-250k. This means that they will be able to keep a keen eye on the budget while engaging with very part of the restoration process.
Hugh follows the restoration of a palatial 1850s Westmeath regency style mansion. Its size makes restoration a challenge, even before differences of opinion among the new owners.
Architect Hugh Wallace meets a younger generation of people transforming derelict properties into modern homes, beginning with a Victorian villa in Co Cork.
Architect Hugh Wallace meets Tiktok star Maryrose Simpson, who transformed her grandmother's three-bedroom corner house in Stradbally, Co Laois, into a modern home and office base.
Architect Hugh Wallace meets gym manager Kelly and barber Paddy in Dunleer, Co Louth, where they were converting a derelict mill built in the 1830s.
Hugh Wallace meets Paul McPhillips and Judith Caffrey in Drum, Co Monaghan, where they are renovating Anderson's pub shop on the quiet main street of the village.
Architect Hugh Wallace meets Lindsay and Kevin Deely, who have bought a patch of land in Craughwell, Co Galway, and are restoring a bungalow and converting a barn.
Architect Hugh Wallace meets Liz and Gordon Jones, who have travelled from Connecticut to create their retirement home in Sigginstown Castle in Co Wexford.
Mental Health Nurse Mary-Claire and Carpenter Sully fell in love with The Parson’s House, a four bedroom Georgian cut stone building, the second they saw it. Located at the central crossroads of Churchtown in north Co Cork, the village is conveniently halfway between their two homeplaces. More importantly it is neutral ground for their different local GAA teams. With a budget of €130,000, Mary-Claire and Sully will have to put in a lot of hard graft themselves to bring this home back to its former glory. Over the course of a year and a half and via the adoption of a furry addition to the family, the pair create a stunning modern home whilst still paying homage to the building’s rich past.
Architect duo Rob Curley and Alfonso Bonilla bought their historic brick terraced house in the vibrant Dublin suburb of Drumcondra. With the name Olympus in gold above the door, the couple take on the titan task of restoring the listed main building and adding on a unique modern extension to reflect their brave architectural tastes. With a precise budget of €319,000, will the end result in the perfect blend of old and new? Combining a home workspace and cosy living area is tricky: can they achieve their dream of bringing contemporary design into crumbling suburban walls?
Paul Roche's family home growing up had sadly fallen into disrepair after his mother’s death. So when Mayfield House in Enniscorthy town went up for auction, Paul and his school teacher wife Helena put in a bid on a whim and won. With this statement Victorian Big House back in the family, Paul set off on the mammoth task of restoring it himself. With dry rot, a leaking roof and rotten beams standing in his way, Paul powers through and along the way finds a unique secret room that has been hidden in the house for decades. With just €150,000 this 450 square metre house is a David and Goliath tale of man versus house. Can Paul save his old childhood home, his beloved mother’s pride and joy, from rot and ruin?
When designers Robin Grundy and Eoin Murphy's search for their forever home brought them to a Victorian Schoolhouse in Wexford, they knew it was the one. After returning from Robin’s native Toronto with their two children, the couple went sale agreed on their dream restoration project. Nothing is ever straightforward, and it took them a stressful 2 years to officially secure the keys to the schoolhouse, a small but sturdy building, and they now hope to turn it into a modern three bedroom home. With a modest budget of €100,000, the pair have to do much of the grunt work themselves to achieve their vision. After many delays, can Robin and Eoin transform a plain, functional space which was never designed for residential use into the minimalist industrial chic family home of their dreams?
Hugh Wallace is back to chart the highs and lows of home restorations in Ireland. In episode 1 Hugh is at the restoration of a former Post Office, in Butlerstown, Co. Cork
Restaurateur Aoibheann MacNamara is embarking on an ambitious but sensitive restoration of an old Land Commission cottage in the middle of the protected environment of the Burren.
Lough Key, Co. Roscommon: A derelict cowshed on a grand estate finds new life as a contemporary family home.
In episode 3, Hugh Wallace meets artist Cora Murphy who has taken on the challenge of restoring a city townhouse and shop front, on Douglas Street, Cork.
Hugh Wallace is in Rockhouse, Co. Cork where school teacher Grace Cotter and her landscape gardener husband John are restoring what they think is a modest Georgian farmhouse.
