Architect duo’s bid to restore historic home features on TV show

ARCHITECTs Rob Curley and Alfonso Bonilla bought their historic brick terraced house in the vibrant Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, with the name Olympus in gold above the door.

The couple took on the titan task of restoring the listed main building and adding a unique modern extension to reflect their tastes. Their mission features in The Great House Revival on RTÉ1 tomorrow (Sunday) at 9.30pm.

Combining a home workspace and cosy living area is tricky: can they achieve their dream of bringing contemporary design into crumbling suburban walls, with a €319,000 budget?

There was a great reaction to last week's show which featured Cork couple, mental health nurse Mary-Claire Walters and carpenter Shane ‘Sully’ O’Sullivan, who fell in love with The Parson’s House, a four bedroom Georgian cut stone building in Cork, the second they saw it.

Located at the central crossroads of Churchtown in North Cork, the village is conveniently halfway between their two home places. 

The couple’s attempts to restore and transform the property featured in the first episode of the new series of The Great House Revival.

With a budget of €130,000, Mary-Claire and Sully put in a lot of hard graft.

Over the course of a year and a half the pair create a stunning modern home whilst still paying homage to the building’s rich past.

In the series, back for a fourth run, design legend Hugh Wallace follows homeowners as they try to restore and transform their derelict properties into comfortable homes fit for today – while saving a piece of the country’s architectural heritage.