Architect and designer Hugh Wallace chats to Rachel Spillane about the new season of Home of the Year, his own renovation challenge and who will really be calling the shots

RTÉ Home of the Year’s Hugh Wallace has famously strong opinions on interior design but he admits there’s one person to whom he nearly always gives in. And that’s his husband, Martin Corbett. The pair have recently purchased a new property in Dublin, just off Clanbrassil Street. The house is fire damaged, so designing, renovating and refurbishing will be no easy feat, which begs the question: Is Hugh excited or terrified?

“A mixture of both,” he says jokingly.

“Martin and I have different tastes so that will be an enjoyable experience as we negotiate our way through the renovation. It’ll be a bit of fun. Martin is quite quiet compared to me but he’s also obstinate and tends to get his way in the end because it’s just easier.”

Thankfully, Hugh has agreed to share this renovation journey on his Instagram, so we may witness some sparks flying between the longtime couple.

Style or comfort is the million euro question these days when doing up a house but Hugh insists you shouldn’t have to choose: “It should be a mixture of both, absolutely. That’s what it’s about. Just because you have fabulous style doesn’t mean it’s uncomfortable.”

Aside from working on the doer-upper, Hugh is juggling the hectic filming schedules, and running his own architect firm. Hugh Wallace is founding partner of Douglas Wallace Consultants. He clearly has a passion for creative design, especially those that create social cohesion and enhance our enjoyment of the landscape whether in the city or countryside. Aside from Home of the Year, he also presented RTE’s Great House Revival, his other passion, the restoration of our architectural heritage from the humble farm buildings to the great houses of Ireland.

As a nation obsessed with other peoples homes, Home of the Year, now in its eighth season, has proved to be a runaway success.

“Well, I think it’s amazing that it's season eight. It’s extraordinary to think there are so many creative and imaginative homes in Ireland,” says Hugh. “They just keep coming.” We have more than 21 houses to look forward to this season, with new judge Sara Cosgrove joining Hugh and Amanda Bone on the judging panel.

“It’s interesting,” he says. “When a new judge comes in, the dynamic changes. The focus of what you talk about also changes because they’ll have different interests. And so, that changes the conversation.”

LIGHTING MISTAKES

Despite the strong battle of wills that is a hallmark of the show, Hugh speaks highly of his new co-judge. “Sara is definitely her own woman and very much has her own opinions.”

Hugh says that the new addition to the team won’t affect the beloved bickering we enjoy so much on the show. “There’ll be lots of interaction between all three of us. And disagreements!” Hugh says, with a laugh.

So what is Hugh looking for when he walks into a house? Or more importantly, what isn’t he looking for? “Downlights,” Hugh answers, without hesitation. “Some of the houses we’ve gone into, in their kitchens, they’ve had downlights. And you just sort of think, ‘my goodness, what’s going on?’”

He has strong opinions on the subject of interior lighting. “I don’t think people use ambient lighting sufficiently. Lamps that are at eye-line, when we sit down, create an amazing mood and give a much warmer light. We all look so much better in that light compared to harsh downlight light.”

One great thing about Home of the Year is seeing houses that are full of personality and have a sort-of ‘outside the box’ vibe. What advice would Hugh Wallace give homeowners who wish to put their stamp on a house?

“It’s very easy to buy wallpaper and paint.” Hugh begins. “If you put it up and it doesn’t work, you just take it back down again or change the paint colour. I think what people need to do is experiment. Push the boundaries of your own comfort.”

With the pandemic, lockdowns and travel restrictions, homeowners became encouraged to spend more time and money making changes in their homes.

But can we expect people to still invest in their homes now that we’ve returned to a bit of normality? Hugh seems to think so.

“I think people have been looking at their homes and want to make them much more user-friendly and comfortable.”

Now that working from home has become the new norm for a lot of people, it’s the right time to create a proper working environment. “People understand that they have to seek out little office spaces. Not that they would be working there full-time, but they might be working at home two or three days a week.” Hugh says. “Creating space that is the office, not the dining room table, not the bedroom. That’s the challenge.”

PERSONALITY

The pandemic also brought along a rise of Instagram home renovation accounts during the lockdown and countless Pinterest boards circulating, full of design aesthetics and home-improvement ideas. All very much with similar homestyles. This begs the question: are homes becoming more generic or more original? “Both,” answers Hugh. “It’s quite interesting. In Home of the Year, when you see people have done little vignettes on their walls which might be an assembly of bits and pieces, you can immediately tell which of those elements have been inspired by Pinterest and whether they been have slavishly reproduced or its the homeowners own interpretation.” I’m told there’s a crucial difference. “One is creative, full of personality and the story of the homeowner. The other, in my opinion, is a missed opportunity.” Hugh explains.

And so, with another busy and exciting year under his belt, what comes next for Hugh Wallace?

“Well, I’m finishing off The Great House Revival for the third series. That will go out in April so that’s very exciting. Extraordinary homeowners and extraordinary restorations of our architectural heritage.” He says. “And then of course, hopefully, there will be Home of the Year series nine. There’s lots going on but it’s great fun.”

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