Limerick-based couple Amy and Eoin Martin have been awarded the coveted Home of the Year 2025 trophy thanks to their 1970s home.
In tonight's final, judges Hugh Wallace, Amanda Bone and Siobhan Lam recapped the seven stunning finalists of the eleventh series of the hit show before announcing the Martin family's incredible Brady Bunch-inspired house as this year’s winner.
Watch the final back on RTÉ Player now.
Speaking on the 2025 win, judge Hugh Wallace said: "I love the 70s and this home was like Brady Bunch; amazing colours and connection with a stunning garden. Brilliant winner."
Newly appointed judge Siobhan Lam echoed Hugh's comments, saying: "This home radiates joy and it's a perfect representation of the homeowners, you could see their love and dedication to this home everywhere. From the warm, vibrant colour palette to the delicious retro details throughout – this home ticked all the boxes."
The 1970s-built structure is known as an 'upside-down house' as the main living and kitchen are on the first floor, which allows the family to make the most of their spectacular garden and the natural light.
As well as decorating each room to suit their tastes, the couple managed to gut and renovate the house, bringing it from a D3 BER rating to an A3.
"It still had a lot of its original features," Eoin says, thinking back to when they first bought their forever home following years of renting and a 14-year stint living abroad in Australia.
"They [the previous owners] had maintained the house but they hadn't really changed the structure of it that much so it really felt like stepping back into our childhoods. It kind of became a bit of an inspiration after that."
"And I'm just drawn to the colours that I'm drawn to," adds Amy. "We would have agonized over wall colours and furniture - we always do the big stuff together and then he lets me go a bit wild with certain things."
Amy, a former nurse turned interior designer, has been a long-time fan of the show and decided to bite the bullet to send in her application following a run-in with Hugh Wallace at the Ideal Home Show.
"I grabbed him and managed to talk to him for a few minutes," she smiles. "He gave me a bit of a boost to say, if you're interested in applying, just apply! You never know what could happen'. We got back on the train and I said 'we're doing it'.
Seeing the architect wander through her family's home, taking in all the details she had worked so hard to curate, was a dream come true.
"It was absolutely bizarre, it made me love him even more," she laughs. "For them to admire specific things or to comment on them was fantastic."
Reflecting on their winning style, Amy and Eoin said that each room of the house is filled with personality, whether it be posters from their holidays framed as artwork or Amy's handiwork with reupholstered cushions.
"It's almost like I've waited my whole life to have a house to do from top to bottom and think about every single little bit," says Amy. "I would have planned... I mean, I have scrapbooks and all sorts of things with physical bits from magazines and Pinterest boards."
Retro colour palettes filled with oranges, yellows and teals are favoured by the couple, who insist that having colour is "a lot more fun" than sticking to neutrals.
With two teenagers, three cats and a dog, the two admit that the house doesn't always look quite so camera-ready but that clever storage hacks and DIY decor have been their saving grace in day-to-day life.
Additionally, she says that each family member was given a role in decorating the home so that it felt special to all of them.
"We gave the boys a lot of their own input into their own rooms," says Eoin, who explains that the teenagers have had their own preferences over the years.
Painting their walls black, Amy helped merge these bedrooms with the rest of the house with simple embellishments, spray painting old frames and creating a gallery wall for the boys' various posters, pictures and knick-knacks.
The simple DIY hack helped to elevate the rooms, keeping the decor personal but put together.
"The amount of Lego in this house is insane," she adds, "but just trying to keep it to their rooms and having good storage - I'm obsessed with storage - and good shelving."
Shelving has also helped with the family's collection of pets, helping to keep litter boxes, leads, and pet food in check.
Amy, a Cork native, says the experience of being on the show has brought her neighbours together, with plenty of community pride running through the cul-de-sac as fans interior fans drive by for a peek at the winning house.
"We're part of a neighbourhood WhatsApp group and the residents - some who have been here since the 70s - are saying 'for a Cork woman to be talking so nicely about Limerick, we're delighted and so proud and thanks so much'. It's fantastic. Very nice well-wishers everywhere."
See more of the winning home in Home of the Year Unseen on RTÉ Player.
