Mayo ‘dream home’ to be shown on RTÉ’s ‘Home of the Year’

A Mayo ‘dream home’ is set to feature on Tuesday night’s episode of RTÉ’s ‘Home of the Year’.

Lorraine and Mike Kelly had spent years looking for a site to build on and eventually found it in the Mayo countryside. 

In 2020, they started building their dream home in East Mayo from the ground up. 

Speaking exclusively to The Mayo News, Mr Kelly said the process of building their home was ‘a long and arduous process at times’. 

“We applied for planning right at the beginning of the pandemic but managed to break ground in June 2020. Thanks to our engineer, Michael Rowley, we were able to get moving and get everything done, but it was a long process due to Covid,” he added.

The couple came across the site whilst on a drive one day and spotted a for sale sign. 

“The views were spectacular, we fell in love with it immediately and didn't hesitate in getting an offer in to buy it. 

“We had been about two years looking at various properties and sites around the general Castlebar and Swinford areas before finding our site,” explained Mr Kelly.

Upon deciding on a design aesthetic, the couple were on the same page as they both loved modern homes that are simple yet timeless. 

“Much of the work in designing the house was done by my wife, Lorraine, and our engineer,” told Mr Kelly. 

He continued: “Lorraine is very design oriented, so there was full trust from me in how the house turned out, and I deferred to her on most things. As you'll see on the show she has done us all proud with the design, both interior and exterior of our home”.

Each design element is said by the couple to be purposeful and deliberate, making it perfect for their family of four.

Lorraine and Michael have remained true to their tastes and needs as a family, with Lorraine even creating magical children’s bedrooms by hand painting designs across the walls, which both their boys love.

While details of their appearance on the show will be kept under wraps until it airs next week, Mr Kelly called it an ‘amazing experience’. 

“Overall it took two days, we gave the production team a tour of the house and did our interviews, and generally had a laugh with them as they made things very relaxed for us,” he said. 

Mr Kelly said he and his wife will be ‘watching eagerly alongside everyone else on Tuesday night’ to see how they scored.

‘Home of the Year’ airs Tuesday’s at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.