0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's time once more
0:00:04 > 0:00:07to find Northern Ireland's House of the Year.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10We've got a wonderfully wide variety of houses,
0:00:10 > 0:00:15each with something special, something unique to offer.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19But...who's going to be making those all-important decisions?
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Time to meet the judges.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Returning once again is head judge,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27award winning residential architect, Des Ewing.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32International interior designer, Suzanne Garuda.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39And Manhattan-based interior and product designer, Michael Tavano.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42I'm looking forward to see in these 12 houses,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46how people live here, what their styles are, their tastes.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49There's so much to experience here
0:00:49 > 0:00:51that I am looking forward to learning from.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52What it comes down to in the end,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55is whether the home owner is happy with that style,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57whether that style has been executed well,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00and whether the end product looks beautiful.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03The top house should really have
0:01:03 > 0:01:06a well-thought-out integrated foundation,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10overlaid with imagination and a lot of personal input.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13So there we are, three super-stylish judges,
0:01:13 > 0:01:1912 absolutely stunning properties, but only one winner.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21So, let the games begin.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And so it's full steam ahead, ding-ding,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57on our voyage to discover this year's House of the Year.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01So far on our journey, we've met properties that have been exotic,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03eclectic and diverse
0:02:03 > 0:02:07and today's selection promises to both divert and to delight.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So, here's what's coming up.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Could this year's winner
0:02:12 > 0:02:14be this exceedingly stylish contemporary barn
0:02:14 > 0:02:18with lavishly landscaped gardens near Saintfield?
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Or, will it be this enchanting seaside cottage retreat
0:02:21 > 0:02:24in Port Brabant on the north Antrim coast?
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Or will it be property number one, a new-build family home
0:02:27 > 0:02:30deep in the heart of the Clogher Valley in County Tyrone.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35When I say new build, I mean newly-built, barely a few weeks old.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38In fact, the owners brought forward their moving-in date,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41just so that they could be here for us today.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44It's a stunning contemporary architectural statement
0:02:44 > 0:02:46that makes the most of a very difficult site,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51designed to rhyme with this beautiful surrounding countryside.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57This is the new-build home of Gillian and Dylan Morris,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00who've relocated after many years in London,
0:03:00 > 0:03:01to raise their children here.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05They took four years to locate the site and a further six
0:03:05 > 0:03:06to plan the build,
0:03:06 > 0:03:11painstakingly researching everything from architects to roof slates.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Everything is so well thought out, from the suspended bridge walkway
0:03:14 > 0:03:18in the glass atrium, to the rather unusual window sizes.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21The finishes are high quality throughout
0:03:21 > 0:03:23and there's a good use of colour.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25A rear courtyard boasts a striking fireplace feature
0:03:25 > 0:03:30and there's even a snazzy sunken trampoline for the children.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35There's a lovely feeling of family about this house,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37but it's a modern statement.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41It is very much about...the things that we own are our taste,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43so the house is then driven by that.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I fell out with one of the architects that we met
0:03:46 > 0:03:48because he insisted that I have to have an Aga.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49For goodness sake.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Because of the country setting, I had to have a kitchen with an Aga.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54I said, "But that's not house I want."
0:03:54 > 0:03:57There's so much thought gone in.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Things like the integration of the child gates.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Are you detailed people, do you think?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- BOTH: Yes. - We've been very fortunate.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I've been on site pretty much throughout the whole process
0:04:07 > 0:04:11That allows you to go back and see something different every day.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- I agree.- And to change your mind on something to say,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19"What about?" Where we've been lucky, we've had a number of good people
0:04:19 > 0:04:21who have come forward with solutions.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24That allowed us to use our eyes for detail,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27together with other people's knowledge of what's available.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32Do you think that people should be personal when it comes to building their own homes?
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Absolutely.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36It really allows you to personalise your house
0:04:36 > 0:04:41to make sure you are integrating what you want into the house and that it works for you.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46And you will really reap the rewards from putting time into that.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Brilliant. It works for Gillian and Dylan,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51but does it work for Des, the chairman of our judging panel?
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Let's join him and see what he thinks of the architecture.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04An interesting thing about this house is the fact they've colonised a lot of the outside.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08It's as if there's a real celebration of family living
0:05:08 > 0:05:10as much outside as there is inside.
0:05:10 > 0:05:16It's great, because this is a bit of a problem. It's a sloping site and there had to be a retaining wall.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20It's made into a great feature. South is here. Sun comes round, sun trap,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24wind trap here. It's an outside living room. This is what everyone wants to have.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26It's very good.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28What about the house?
0:05:28 > 0:05:33I get a sense of the house that it almost feels like a holiday home.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38I quite like that. If you're going to live in the country, why not make it feel like you're on holiday?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41It's a rural-style house.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43There are parapet gables.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48To me, the texture of the render is a little bit harsh when you brush up against it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52What about the use of glass? We've got this big glass statement with this wall,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56which I think works well, but I like the fact that the glass is quite underplayed
0:05:56 > 0:06:01in most of the rest of the house, these little slots. It feels more traditional.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04The slot windows are very nice and work particularly well in the bathroom,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07my favourite room in the house - the corner window.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Externally, I don't like the appearance of them as much as I do internally.
0:06:11 > 0:06:17Des's favourite room is the bathroom. Let's see if Suzanne has her favourites in the kitchen.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Of course, in the good old days, you had a range or an oven there
0:06:25 > 0:06:27and you kept your back to the kitchen
0:06:27 > 0:06:31These days, it's like everyone wants to be in a cookery show. Or a chef's table.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34You can have friends admiring the way you throw your pasta in the air.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38It makes a lot of practical sense to have the ovens at high level.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40And to have this work surface
0:06:40 > 0:06:44so that you can see what the family is doing.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48- It's a family home. - You're connected, you're connected.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51One of the reasons this house is so incredibly successful
0:06:51 > 0:06:54is that it's a rural setting, yet it's done in a contemporary way
0:06:54 > 0:06:58with lovely materials, but it's a very modern family home.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Even the double-sided fire,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04which brings you through into the sitting room.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09That has a sense of hearth and home to it. But it's done in a very clean, crisp, modern way.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14Yes. They've looked at what you can do, how you can do the curtains on the eyelets,
0:07:14 > 0:07:19how you can combine the fabrics. Dylan liked one colour, Gillian liked another.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22They've used those colours together.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25So it's a real home they've created themselves.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28They've kind of pushed the boundaries a bit.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31We've got rich colours, modern pieces, traditional pieces.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- You get that in the bedrooms. - It's the personal touches.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35It's the personal input.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39It's finding out what it is you really like yourself
0:07:39 > 0:07:40and using that in your own home.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45Talking of attention to detail, can we appreciate the fact that Gillian and Dylan
0:07:45 > 0:07:49made an effort making sure their curtains go so well with Miss Garuda's frock!
0:07:49 > 0:07:52This is a palace of thought.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Every single last little thing has been thought out
0:07:55 > 0:07:58hasn't hit, Michael, behind your gate like that?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I feel like a rabbit in a pen. Can I come out and play?
0:08:01 > 0:08:02This is great.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07It's not retro-fitted, it's considered as part of the main build and that works well.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11I like that they did that, but... There's a lot of thought in this house,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14but this stairwell's a bit too much thought for me.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16- You can't not love this. - I do love it.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20We've got a big, tall glassy space with a bridge from one side to the other.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's beautiful. You feel warm and welcome.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26You get the feeling of the freshness of the house.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28It leads you into these two different wings.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31This wing being the more formal for them.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I do love what they did with the window treatments.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Again, they could have gone up a little higher for me.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40This is supposed to be formal dining. I wouldn't have done a desk here.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44I might have captain chairs that could be brought to the heads of the table.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48She did a lovely job with the throw pillows on the sofa.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52It does make it feel warm, and a very cosy feel to it.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55It's definitely an incredibly strong contender.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59It's a family home with heart, but, also, a real strong sense of contemporary style.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02House number one, let's move on to house number two.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15I love this series, because it's about properties that have soul,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17that have character, that have stories to tell.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20It's not just about fitted kitchens, or designer curtains.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24And this house is an absolute gem.
0:09:24 > 0:09:30Rather than having mod cons, this one has old cons, because it's got its own church in the garden.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38The Braddan, as it's named, is the home of Conn Auld, a retired schoolteacher
0:09:38 > 0:09:43who began the project in 1962, converting farm buildings in Port Braddan.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It's a unique creation with a nautical theme
0:09:46 > 0:09:50and is literally jam-packed with historical curiosities,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54from 17th century cannons, to a Titanic-era deckchair.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Even the bedrooms are styled as cabins,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58complete with porthole sidelights.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Much of the property was created using salvage material
0:10:02 > 0:10:06and every inch of the house reflects Conn's life and extensive travels.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11The private church was created by Conn in tribute to St Gobban,
0:10:11 > 0:10:16who reputedly attempted to build many churches in the area in the mid-seventh century.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21This is, I think, for so many people,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24their idea of a slice of heaven.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26That view, the sound of the sea
0:10:26 > 0:10:32and then the ability to be able to create, almost like Robinson Crusoe,
0:10:32 > 0:10:38to build something that's entirely you and your personality.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43- One of the points about this place is that it's mainly DIY.- Really?!
0:10:43 > 0:10:44THEY LAUGH
0:10:44 > 0:10:48It's quite glamorous DIY. Let's face it.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53I wanted it to be as much nautical as possible.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58The front bit was agricultural building when I came.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- 1962.- Hm.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06And, er, I have had the time of my life building it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10This is a work in progress. Are you still tinkering?
0:11:10 > 0:11:13You have to down at the sea.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15And then there's the church.
0:11:15 > 0:11:21This, when I came, was used as a little house for newly born calves.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26- Ah. That's very sweet.- Yes.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30It looked like a stable and a lot of the boys were up one Christmas
0:11:30 > 0:11:35and they said, "It looks a bit like a stable, it's Christmas, make it into a church."
0:11:35 > 0:11:39And we heard the story of Gobban and his churches and whatnot.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44It is just a wedding venue. It's a bit Las Vegas.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46It's like where Elvis got married.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50- HE LAUGHS - It's the Las Vegas of Northern Ireland.- Yeah. OK.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53I can honestly say this is one of the most interesting,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57one of the most story-laden houses we've ever had on House Of The Year.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59So I'm going to catch up with Suzanne,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03who's in that wonderful front room with those gorgeous windows.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14You know, it does feel like a kind of nautical-themed nest
0:12:14 > 0:12:20lived in by a very civilised, very cultivated, very gentlemanly magpie
0:12:20 > 0:12:25because it's a collection. It's loads of disparate things all brought together
0:12:25 > 0:12:29because they have a sense of heart they have a bit of soul. It's a very chatty environment.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33It's like a museum. It's like a personal-memorabilia museum
0:12:33 > 0:12:38and everything in this room is a little bit of history.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43This panelling was reclaimed from an old building in Belfast.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46It's just been kind of hotch-potched together.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50It's wonderful, because it's things like doors and bits of sash.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Not only have you got all the layers of the history,
0:12:53 > 0:12:58the war memorabilia, all the things that have come from boats and his life's travels.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03What's so exciting about a space like this is nobody else could recreate this.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09- This is completely unique. It's completely personal.- It's something you could never buy off the shelf.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14I wonder whether Michael has ever seen anything like this in New York.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23I don't know one single interior design term to describe all of this.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24I suppose "eclectic" is close.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28What about you, Michael? What would you call this if you saw this in New York?
0:13:28 > 0:13:30In the city, we'd call someone bonkers.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31LAURENCE LAUGHS
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Have you ever seen anything like this before?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37You know, not to this extent.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40But it is all stuff he's collected over the years.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Everything has a story. The paintings are all done by Conn.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46They tell children's stories.
0:13:46 > 0:13:52There's a sort of childlike enthusiasm for beachcombing,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56and for story telling and for Celtic mythology
0:13:56 > 0:14:00and, indeed, for Christianity, which imbues everything.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01It does.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06This place really does show you all the history that's around here.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08There's so much of it.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14- On the mantelpiece here are shells that he's collected. - This feels very, very Georgian.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Doing it on this very clubby shelf, covered in leather and studded along the front.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22It has that feeling you're not sure whether you're in a bar,
0:14:22 > 0:14:28or you're in a church with the 18th-century window, or you're on a ship.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Actually, I think ship wins.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33That, to me, that window is the bridge of a ship.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38It's as if we're full steam ahead, sailing out to sea.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- Ahoy, captain.- Indeed.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45Talking of captains, let's catch up with the captain of our panel, Des, who's down on the beach.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50What does he think of this extraordinary architectural accumulation?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56This is absolutely extraordinary, isn't it?
0:14:56 > 0:15:00It's not so much a house, more a homestead, because it's so many buildings.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Yeah. You know the way some people look like their dogs?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06LAWRENCE LAUGHS This house looks like Conn.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- It's incredible. - I see where you're going.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12It's just a collection of parts, it's all about the story.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16And here he has created something that is going to be here forever
0:15:16 > 0:15:20and is going to become part of the folklore of this part of the world.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23I think the singularly most impressive thing
0:15:23 > 0:15:26is this facade here. That's something he's built himself
0:15:26 > 0:15:29and it is so exquisitely picturesque.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32That's everyone's vision of the perfect seaside property.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35It's absolutely perfect.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38He does everything himself, he made these windows himself.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Well, as if that wasn't enough of an achievement,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43he made a church himself.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45You know, talk about improving on Saint Gobban.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46Yeah, this is incredible.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And the thing about this church is it's just so welcoming.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52It's for every religion and it's the scale of it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53It's not a big cathedral,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56it's something that people really want to go into.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01But the thing about this church is, it's already in heaven.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- Hey, we've finally found your soft centre.- I'm in the zone, yeah.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09Are you in the zone? I think we've all been very much seduced
0:16:09 > 0:16:12by the house, by Conn, by the whole lifestyle of this.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14I think it's going to be very, very difficult to follow
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Conn Crusoe's wonderful seaside cottage,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20but follow it we must cos they're on to house number three.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Listen. I'm very aware of how lucky I am.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34I get to hang out inside Northern Ireland's best
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and most beautiful houses, and this one is astonishing.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41The standard's been very high this series,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44but this house is glossy-magazine perfect.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49It's created with an uptown, upbeat, urban lifestyle in mind
0:16:49 > 0:16:54but designed to make the most of its beautiful rural setting.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04This contemporary barn near Saintfield
0:17:04 > 0:17:06is home to Drew and Pamela Wylie.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09It's an exquisitely stylish pad built into a steep gradient
0:17:09 > 0:17:15creating landscaped gardens on two levels linked by a man-made stream.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Internally, there are three levels connected by a spiral staircase...
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and an elevator.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23The sleeping quarters are top and bottom,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26with main living space in between.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31The interior matches the industrial exterior but is softened
0:17:31 > 0:17:36by panoramic views and the ingenious use of furnishings and artworks.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It's gadget heaven, with automated curtains
0:17:38 > 0:17:42and state-of-art sound and lighting and, to top it all,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45there's even a proper playground for the grandkids.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53What inspired you to create a home that's so discreet in the landscape?
0:17:53 > 0:17:57I didn't have a dream home that I wanted to put on a specific site.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01I had a site and then I had to decide what home fitted to it.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03We're not trying to make a statement to the outside world.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Where we want this to make its statement
0:18:05 > 0:18:09is the friends and family that come into this home and enjoy it with us,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12that they will feel comfortable in it,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15that the whole environment's right for family living.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18You're not frightened of doing your own thing in an interior like this.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21We've used things we've brought from other homes,
0:18:21 > 0:18:25we've bought some new pieces for here, it's just a blend and a mix
0:18:25 > 0:18:28of the things we've gathered up over 35 years together.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32There is the astonishing light installation on the staircase.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35That looks a million dollars.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- But it wasn't, was it? - It most certainly wasn't, no.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43My wife found those white globes, strung nine of them together
0:18:43 > 0:18:45with clear cable and hung them in that manner that gave
0:18:45 > 0:18:49the spiralling downwards of light and it seems to work perfectly well.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- We spent our money from the outside in.- Yeah.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Rather than from the inside out.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57You can see in the landscaping and what we've done outdoors,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01it really makes an impact. And that, to me, is as important
0:19:01 > 0:19:04as the kitchen or the bathroom or the living room.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Why have you got a play park in your garden?
0:19:08 > 0:19:12That was the place where, every evening, the diggers were parked,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and our landscape gardener had awful trouble
0:19:15 > 0:19:17trying to decide what to do with that space,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and when we told him that our son and daughter-in-law
0:19:20 > 0:19:22were expecting twin boys,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25he came almost the following day and said,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28"I know exactly what I'm going to do with this space.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Brilliant. Well, it is an extraordinary structure
0:19:31 > 0:19:32with some incredible innovations.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Let's go and catch up with Des outside,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37who's really enjoying the architecture.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44There's definitely a real sense of trying to integrate the house
0:19:44 > 0:19:46into the rest of the landscape. The funny thing is,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50I can see a very traditional barn over there and there's not
0:19:50 > 0:19:53a big deal of difference between a barn and the house.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- The barn is the house. - Do you think the barn is the house?
0:19:56 > 0:19:59The barn is the house, maybe it's another house. I think that's clever.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I do, too.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03When you're building in the countryside
0:20:03 > 0:20:05you want to integrate, so what form should you use
0:20:05 > 0:20:08other than the agricultural form of the barn?
0:20:08 > 0:20:11So it's a soft, sort of, low-key element.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14For hundreds of years, houses were built to dominate landscape,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18but this is discreet to the point of camouflage.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22There are too many buildings that just stand out in the countryside.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24To design something that's subtle and understated
0:20:24 > 0:20:27is always much more difficult, so the agricultural form
0:20:27 > 0:20:31is very clever, but it's also the way you approach it, that you see it
0:20:31 > 0:20:33from half a mile away and just catch the top and you're not sure
0:20:33 > 0:20:36if it's a house or whether it's the barn.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40- Then, the way you come round the corner and it unveils itself.- Yeah.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42So, it works very well in this, it's good.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45All the understatement on the outside, definitely,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49but inside is very, very clever, I think.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51You're coming in on the mid-level
0:20:51 > 0:20:53so you're only going up a level and down one level,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55so it doesn't feel like a steep house.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I like the way the top floor feels like a penthouse
0:20:58 > 0:21:00which has got a view of the Mournes.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03This side we've Scrabo Tower, every direction you have a view.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06So it's really maximising its enjoyment of the landscape
0:21:06 > 0:21:09but actually being very understated within that landscape itself.
0:21:09 > 0:21:10It is indeed.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Right, so fabulously discreet on the outside,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15let's go have some fun inside with Michael
0:21:15 > 0:21:16who's on the entry level.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24I honestly think this is the first time I've ever seen
0:21:24 > 0:21:28an ultra-modern kitchen with a black Aga in it and I think I love it.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31I love it. This house is a tour-de-force of quality, design,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34the quality of living that they're looking for.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36This kitchen could be in Soho with this great big island
0:21:36 > 0:21:38that you wouldn't think would work,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40but it does cos it's the only counter space.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Flowing into this wonderful space for the dining room
0:21:44 > 0:21:46with this dining table, it's 20 years old,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49it's been in their lives for years and that's what this house is about.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53But look at the colour as well, cos this feels terribly confident
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and it feels very new and it feels very now.
0:21:55 > 0:21:56And great design.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00The doors, the pocket doors that just hide away to separate rooms.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04- The drapers are hidden up inside the soffits...- Curtains.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Oh, it's curtains for me.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09There's also such an extraordinary eye for detail
0:22:09 > 0:22:11in terms of the technology.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13The fact that the wood-burning stove spins,
0:22:13 > 0:22:14you know, so it can be angled.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17It's part of the room but not the focal point.
0:22:17 > 0:22:18Look at the ceiling.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20You've got these amazing audio grilles
0:22:20 > 0:22:23that are the same size as the lights. Very, very clever.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28Surround sound without seeing it. And the whole home automation,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32that's a part of life that really can change how you live in a home.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34If we're going to watch a movie, push a button
0:22:34 > 0:22:38and the window treatments close, lights come down, music goes on.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40It all sounds very James Bond villain-y to me, you know.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42The house is very much like that.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Suddenly you get a large map of the world made of steel and a warhead.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I like that kind on decorating. But as Michael says,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50it's a tour-de-force of seamless living down here
0:22:50 > 0:22:53but just you wait until we go upstairs to meet Suzanne
0:22:53 > 0:22:56because there are a lot of innovations up there
0:22:56 > 0:22:57and a few surprises.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02It's so innovative, I think,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05to make use of the fact that the site slopes,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08so why not have a secondary terrace up here just for the master bedroom?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11I think it's fabulous to have a bedroom terrace,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13especially with that outside.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16It's fun, it's architectural and then you come in
0:23:16 > 0:23:20to this little living area with a future-proofed lift.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I mean, how... They've really thought about the design of this so well.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26They've also got a cunning little butler's kitchen
0:23:26 > 0:23:28so, basically, if you wake up in the night
0:23:28 > 0:23:31and you fancy cheese on toast or a pot of tea,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33you don't have to go all the way downstairs.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35So really they're quite self-contained up here
0:23:35 > 0:23:37- which I think is lovely.- Well, look.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41This is a suite, this is a bedroom suite, which is what it's all about.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44That whole idea of suite living is definitely what people want
0:23:44 > 0:23:48from their master bedroom, their dressing area, their en-suite.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52But they've taken it one bit further with the terrace
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and connecting it to the garden. But what an amazing place.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59I mean, it's so stylish, it's so confident.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02There's such attention to detail, such commitment to detail
0:24:02 > 0:24:05which I'm very, very, very impressed with.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09The lighting has been well thought out, the sound system.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14Everything has been considered, but done in a very subtle way.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16This is a real home.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20It's got beautiful artwork, it's got beautiful pieces of furniture,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23beautiful colours, but it's not overdone in any way
0:24:23 > 0:24:27and it's quite, in many ways, inexpensively done in a lot of places.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29See? See, I promised you a treat
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and what a grand finale to today's programme.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Three extraordinary houses, three quite different houses
0:24:36 > 0:24:39but is one of today's houses up to becoming
0:24:39 > 0:24:41this year's House Of The Year?
0:24:58 > 0:25:00So, three extremely unique properties,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03each with their own very different flavour,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05their own story to tell about the owners.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Who knows? One of them might be House Of The Year.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Now, before I unleash the judges,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13let's treat ourselves to a well-deserved recap.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18House number one is Gillian and Dylan's rural new-build,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20a stylish contemporary residence,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24beautifully situated in the Clogher Valley.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28House number two is Conn Auld's seaside cottage retreat
0:25:28 > 0:25:32in Portbraddan, an enchanting home full of historical curiosity
0:25:32 > 0:25:34with it's own church.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38And house number three is Drew and Pamela's contemporary barn
0:25:38 > 0:25:42near Saintfield, an achingly stylish home,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45oozing glossy magazine elegance.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Time to find out which impressed our judges.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Well, another three very interesting properties
0:25:53 > 0:25:55for us to think about in this programme.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Yeah, these are all very different.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01The competition is definitely heating up, it definitely is.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Now, our first house is a rural new-build
0:26:03 > 0:26:06which is Dylan and Gillian and that's in Clogher.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08I was amazed they've only been in there
0:26:08 > 0:26:10for a very short period of time.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14They did an incredible job just pulling it all together
0:26:14 > 0:26:16and it had a really lived-in feeling.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Overall, the colours were brilliant.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Suzanne, what do you think?
0:26:21 > 0:26:25It was great. The couple had done a really contemporary living space
0:26:25 > 0:26:26with fabulous colours.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I loved the way Gillian had taken
0:26:28 > 0:26:31that sort of citrus green from outside and brought it inside.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33The strength was the back.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35We walked out and we have this area that's got a fire in it,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38he's taken the retaining wall and made a feature of it.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40That was so good. That was really beautiful.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44I really got a sense of their personality, their travels,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47the fact that they had put themselves into that house.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50I really got that when I walked through the door.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Yeah, it was so personal. Now, this is something totally different.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57The seaside cottage. That was Conn Auld's house, remember Conn?
0:26:57 > 0:27:01I loved that and I loved him, and talking of personality,
0:27:01 > 0:27:06he is all in every single fibre and member of that building.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Absolutely. What can be learned about this house
0:27:08 > 0:27:10is it's not about what's in style or in fashion.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- It's really about the expression of your home.- Or what's right or wrong.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- Right, cos it's right for him. - Lots of things were wrong.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21He'd just kind of created a wall out of random pieces of wood.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- It looked great.- Yeah, I think the architecture fit there.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It was perfect. I wouldn't want anything else for him.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Now what about this piece of architecture.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32This is a contemporary barn, our next house.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Drew and Pamela in Saintfield.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39I...love this house.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41They didn't follow any pattern.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44They went by what they loved and what they wanted around them
0:27:44 > 0:27:46and they expressed it in their home.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It had great personality, great use of colour
0:27:49 > 0:27:52but all done on a very clever budget.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Well, what I loved about it was the fact that the gardens
0:27:55 > 0:27:59were such great spaces, they'd made use of the levels, in this case,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01and the way the paths meandered through it
0:28:01 > 0:28:03and the way the river meandered through it
0:28:03 > 0:28:05was a contrast to the straight architecture.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09I like that juxtaposition of the formality
0:28:09 > 0:28:12with the countryside with the house.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13They used the site,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17so they connected everything through the water, which flowed through.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20This was great and this show in particular
0:28:20 > 0:28:22has been such a mix of old and new.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26We've just got to wait to see if any of them will be the winner.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27These are up there.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Well, three houses that have certainly given our judges
0:28:31 > 0:28:33plenty to think about ahead of the final,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35but before we get to that stage, join us next time
0:28:35 > 0:28:38when we've got three more enticing homes in our quest
0:28:38 > 0:28:40to find Northern Ireland's house of the year.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk