01-06-2025
Home of the Year' judge Hugh Wallace still four-years behind on his own dream home renovation
Celebrity architect Hugh Wallace, who loves nothing more than poking around complete strangers home, is somewhat lacking when it comes to putting his home affairs in order as the property show presenter is a full four years behind renovating schedule on his new abode.
Home of the Year head judge Hugh, bought a doer-upper in the heartland of Dublin City Centre some years back, and despite having a wealth of experience and a top notch construction team on speed dial, Hugh is surprisingly tardy when it comes to completing his own grand design.
'We are a teeny tiny bit over time, Hugh told 'Well four years over time to be precise. It's terrible, there's really no excuse for that,' said Hugh.
'It's being plastered at the moment, so we are planning on moving in at the end of August.'
And once Hugh steps foot inside his dream home he has no grand designs on stepping foot outside his new front door.
'So once we're in I'm going to lock the door and never come out,' he joked.
But Hugh may some excuse for being so behind on renovating his inner city pad, as he has just signed off on a mammoth project that will radically regenerate Waterford City.
'Waterford has all the essence of a fabulous town. You have the bridges, the Opera House and all of the magnificent infrastructure. But there is only one bridge into the town so the project was to interlink the city and make everything far more accessible.
'It's all very well having envisioned the finished project but there are so many drawings and redrawing to get to that point. On the Waterford project it was as well, well in excess of 100 designs.' Pic: Seán Dwyer
'We have to examine the minutiae of documents and then we work closely with other consultants and with Harcourt Developments,' Hugh told
'But I am enormously proud of the plans and can't wait to bring it to life.'
The multi-million Waterford project is set to get underway next year.
'Work will begin in the first quarter next year. That's when the bridge is going in and there will be a new pedestrian bridge across the river. Then there will be the new bus station; that will be an integrated bus station, then there's the train station and cycleway.
'There's only that one bridge now, and soon all of a sudden, you'll have the pedestrian bridge coming right into the centre of town. And that's just fabulous,' said Hugh.
As one of Ireland's most feted architects, Hugh has notched up a plethora of gongs for his etchings and sketches's But he told if he had his way, he would like to fashion himself as the Miranda Priestly of the Devil Wears Prada fame- of the architectural sphere. New Home of the Year judge Siobhan Lam (left) with Hugh Wallace and Amanda Bone. Pic: RTÉ
'My day job in Wallace Architects is very different to being on the telly. I like to take all the credit in the office,' said a modest Wallace.
'I wave my arms around, and I thoroughly enjoy it, and I like to give inspiration to clients,' he said.
'I love the waving your arms around and being creative. You know, putting out ideas and clients thinking about and saying, 'No, that doesn't work for me' , Or, 'yes that's fabulous',' he laughed. 'The creative genius who kind of likes delegates.' Home of the Year judge Hugh Wallace. Pic: RTÉ
And the flamboyant Great House Revival presenter will be back on screens in the new year with another instalment of Home of the Year and another outing of The Great House Revival.
