The Great House Revival

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?

Mayfield House in Enniscorthy, Paul Roche's family home growing up, had sadly fallen into disrepair after his mother’s death. Paul and his school teacher wife Helena bought it at auction, and Paul set off on the mammoth task of restoring it himself.

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?