In Relove My Space, designer Paul Kinsella and presenter Fionnuala Jones will use clever design and second-hand finds to transform unloved rooms into dream spaces. We caught up with Fionnuala to find out more about the sustainable show.
"It was surreal and very intense but it was great, I have to say," Fionnuala tells me over the phone, delighted to finally be able to speak about the RTÉ project.
As a regular contributor to The Six O'Clock Show on Virgin Media and as host of her hit podcast, Flop Culture, Jones has plenty of presenting experience but says this project was a rewarding challenge to take on.
"It's probably the biggest thing I've ever done in output, plus most of the things I have done previously have been live so this brings in another element of consideration in terms of doing takes and all that jazz.
"It was so satisfying especially getting to see the finished product and being there for the whole journey of the makeovers."
The show will follow four contestants as they transform their rooms, with projects including a zen attic space, a dream home office, a glamorous box room, and a blissful bedroom.
"I suppose, my role in it was to be the kind of support system while Paul was doing all of the actual work," she laughs.
"No, in fairness, he did rope myself and each applicant into doing a DIY job on every episode. Really simple stuff for upcycling, just with something you might have in your home like a vase or whatever. For one of the contestants, we made our own wall art and it was so simple, but his vision is incredible."
"I had the best part of bringing contestants into the room to see the room when it was done," she adds. "I loved that, it was probably my favourite part, the immediate reaction was so satisfying."
Speaking on the role of Paul Kinsella in the show, Fionnuala was full of praise for the eco-friendly designer: "Everything is really accessible, everything is really simple, but he's pulling off these insane transformations."
Reflecting on lessons learned during her time with Kinsella, the presenter says that sometimes the most simple transformation is the most effective.
"You can just paint anything," she insists, "and if you paint it and hate the colour, just paint over it! You can't leave a piece of furniture around Paul; he'll have it sanded, primed, and painted before your eyes. He's given me so many ideas."
"Some of the pieces that he's managed to upcycle are beautiful - people would pay a fortune - and half the time it was stuff that they had in the shed and had forgotten about."
"I think that was the whole appeal of this," she continues. "It's not about going out and spending a load of money or going out and buying a load of furniture. The essence of the show is looking at what you already have and how we can spruce it up, fit the space, and turn the space into something you want.
"It's thrifty, it's second hand, and it's very my vibe."
As a popular content creator, with over 52k followers on Instagram alone, Jones has used her platform to shine a spotlight on all things sustainable. From recycling beauty bits to shopping secondhand, the podcaster has a grá for all things thrifty.
"I've always had an interest in second-hand and vintage fashion," she explains. "I love the story behind it and I love the idea of extending the life cycle of a piece, but I think it was in 2019 that the environmental factors started pulling at me.
"I set myself a challenge to not shop fast fashion that year and I just kept it up. The great thing about this show is that I'm all about making small changes and trying to bring that ethos into every aspect of my life, where I can, gradually.
"It's so satisfying to be able to get that piece, whether it's clothes or a new coffee table, and know that no one else has it, or that you're simply extending the life cycle of something that would end up in the landfill.
"I'm definitely not perfect and I've never claimed to be," she insists. "I still have so much work to do, everyone does, but if we focus on what we can do as opposed to what we're not doing, the changes start to snowball."
Watch Relove My Space on the RTÉ Player this Friday.
