House Of The Year 2024 Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and the judges share top tips ahead of the new series: 'Don’t be bullied by trends and what’s in and what’s out'

Published: 13 September 2024

House Of The Year is presented by design expert and television personality Laurence Llewelyn Bowen.

This six part series, airing on BBC iPlayer and BBC Northern Ireland, showcases 15 very different homes each with very different stories, competing for one of five places in the grand final where they could be crowned House Of Year.

Laurence presented House Of The Year a decade ago for BBC Northern Ireland. Here he tells us more about what viewers can look forward to from the new series.

Laurence Llewelyn Bowen

What made you want to get involved with the series?

I had such tremendous fondness for the series in its first iteration and have such great memories. The idea of coming back and revisiting the property landscape of Northern Ireland was a very exciting prospect as far as I am concerned.

Your favourite thing about working on the series?

I have always loved the energy the Northern Irish give to their buildings. There is a real sense of 'can do' that I think is enshrined in the architectural traditions of being able to construct buildings and make spaces that not only reflect needs and use, but very much reflect personality.

What I have loved about coming back ten years later, is to find this has not just been amplified, it has become so extraordinarily sophisticated as well. The design language that people are now using has become extremely literate and used very powerfully to make strong evocations of a particular identity and personality.

Tell us what viewers can expect?

One of the big things about this new series is the fact we have been incredibly diverse with the housing stock, and it is not just about that one glass box on a cliff that I think people associate with modern property programmes.

We go from very small to very big, from old to new and minimalist to maximalist and I think this is the one thing viewers are going to enjoy.

How would you describe your own design style?

Very LLB!

Any design tips for viewers thinking about making changes to their homes?

The ultimate truth is you have got to be true to yourself, particularly these days. There was a moment a few years ago where everybody felt overawed by the property market and property values and by estate agents in general.

I think these days we have all come to realise that actually, yes the place you live is your principal investment, but it is the most important emotional investment you'll ever make and it is the background to everything important that happens to you - births, marriages, deaths - it is all about your home.

It should be about your personality and your ability to express who you think you are. There is no corner of your life in which you have that level of control. Your home is personal, its private, and it is your ultimate safe space so you have got to make it reflect you.

Don't be bullied by trends and what's in and what's out. Don't keep up with the Jones!

Have you made any interior designs faux pas… you are willing to reveal?

The thing is when you are an interior designer and you make a faux pas, you just call it something else. It's like when the mayonnaise curdles… just call it something else.

Jane Larmour

House Of The Year judge and architect Jane, runs two studios in Belfast and Dublin alongside partners Patrick and Mark designs private homes as well as working on historic buildings.

Jane also teaches architecture at Queen's University Belfast and from a young age has fond memories of visiting great buildings across Europe with her dad who lectured in architectural history.

What made you want to get involved with the series?

I really enjoyed watching the series the first time round and feel honoured to be the architecture judge this time. As an architect I really love spending time in beautiful buildings and getting inspired.

I thought it would be a really enjoyable experience spending time in beautiful homes across the country that we don't usually get to see inside.

Your favourite thing about working on the series?

Getting to spend time with Patricia, James, Lawrence and the rest of the team!

We had a huge amount of fun - on and off camera - filming the series and it was just lovely spending time in such beautiful surroundings. It was really special meeting the homeowners at the final and hearing the stories of how their homes came to be.

What can viewers expect from the series?

A really vibrant mix of old and new, big and small, minimal and extravagant! One of the many great things about the show is the huge variety of homes that we visited. I think the viewers will find a lot to enjoy and maybe even be inspired by.

How would you describe your own design style?

Designing homes for people, especially where they may spend the rest of their lives, is a real honour but also a serious responsibility. Because of this, I don't really subscribe to having a particular style and I'm more interested in getting things right for each particular homeowner.

Though, common to all the places I'm inspired by is a sense of timelessness and simplicity, which is not as easy to achieve as it looks!

Any design tips for viewers thinking about making changes to their homes?

For the last ten years I have taken part in an initiative which asks Architects across Northern Ireland give up their time in exchange for a small donation to charity.

If you are thinking of making changes to your home or planning a building project, regardless of the scale, a chat with a chartered architect can provide inspiration and guidance and a chance to talk through your ideas.

Have you made any interior designs faux pas… you are willing to share with us?

When I was studying architecture at University I lived with my best friend Niamh and a couple of guys who were in class with us.

Very much inspired by watching Laurence on Changing Rooms, on a whim, Niamh and I used to experiment in painting various parts of the house while the guys were out. They never knew what to expect when they got in!

We once painted a blue line that led all the way from the front door, around the light switches and doors ending up in the kitchen, for no reason that I remember other than we enjoyed painting and we were feeling inspired. I also painted my own room with a series of Damian Hirst style colourful dots - needless to say we didn't get our deposit back.

James Fairley

House Of The Year judge James studied architecture in both Belfast and Glasgow before going into commercial work across the UK, Ireland, Europe and Asia.

Over the years his love for interior design has come to the fore and in 2014 set up an Interior Design Practice with his partner Victor Branco in Belfast.

What made you want to get involved with the series?

I was so excited to join my fellow judges and Lawrence for the series, and when I was approached to take part, saw it as a fantastic opportunity to showcase the sense of style and individuality, that our homes here in Northern Ireland have.

I'm possibly just a little bit biased, but homeowners in Northern Ireland have always been one step ahead of the game in terms of interior design. So for me, it was a real honour to help show off the great talent and keen 'eye for design' we have here.

We've seen some innovative and unique interiors right across the design spectrum in this series and each set of homeowners have taken real pride in their homes. For me that's been such a joy to see!

Your favourite thing about working on the series?

Seeing the joy and love that each of the homeowners have brought to their individual homes, without a doubt!

We each have very different ways of expressing ourselves and I think our homes are a true reflection of who we are as individuals. It might be a bit of an old cliche but I really do believe that you can tell so much about a person from their home.

The thought of a set of strangers walking around my home with clipboards terrifies me, so huge thanks must go to all the homeowners for inviting us in and sharing their interiors journey with us.

It was also great to spend time with my fellow judges and Lawrence! He kept us all on our toes and on the right tracks.

What can viewers expect from the series?

Viewers can expect a delicious array of homes and interior styles and, as judges, we were delighted to see such a variety of homes from right across the design spectrum.

From freshly built first time family homes to period properties steeped in history, I think we have something to suit every taste, and as always, expect the unexpected!

How would you describe your own design style?

As an interior designer I specialise in luxury residential and commercial work. My work is very personalised to my clients individual requirements so each project tends to be different.

Personally though, I love crisp clean silhouettes paired with elegant, timeless design. Texture and layering is so important in my interiors and I'm not afraid of a little colour either!

I'm a great believer in 'do a thing once and do it right'. For me personally I like to keep it restrained and keep it elegant.

Any design tips for viewers thinking about making changes to their homes?

Follow your heart and don't be afraid to be bold, be that in a fabric choice, a paint colour or a room layout. If you're struggling for inspiration find one thing you really love and use that to build your interior around.

A trinket picked up from your travels, a colourway from the fabric of your favourite outfit, a pattern found on a piece of wallpaper… inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. Just keep your eyes and mind open!

Have you made any interior designs faux pas… you are willing to share with us?

Oh crikey, well this one was an important lesson to learn at an early stage!

When I was a student in Glasgow we lived in a ground floor Tenement apartment. Anyone who knows Glasgow knows that it's very much like Belfast, grey skies and not too much sun light at the best of times.

My bedroom was north facing, so I decided to bring a little 'cheer' to the room. A trip out to the nearest paint store and a limited student budget saw me return with gallons of THE cheapest, brightest sunflower yellow paint and a few hours later I had a badly painted, vivid yellow bedroom!

After some weeks of restless study and fretful sleep it took me a while to realise the paint colour was perhaps a little too energetic for a bedroom and a couple of weeks later there was a paint party with some good friends, plenty of cheap beer and a few litres of a slightly softer paint colour. Nothing is ever unfixable!

Patricia McGinnis

House Of The Year judge Patricia owns an interiors store in Belfast with her sister Catherine and consults with clients on high end interiors across the UK and Ireland. Born into a family of builders, an interest in architecture and design began with conversations around the kitchen table.

After a busy London career working in the events and music industry, Patricia returned home to join the family business developing her knowledge of the construction industry and the passion to embark on a new career in interiors.

What made you want to get involved with the series?

Through my work, I know there are so many people in Northern Ireland who have a great eye for design and we have so many incredible homes in this little part of the world.

I knew this series would be an amazing opportunity to shine a light on some of these homes. There is such an incredible appetite to see other folks' homes, and to be inspired by them.

Your favourite thing about working on the series?

Getting to travel around Northern Ireland and to do what I love most, which is seeing inside people's homes! I'm pinching myself that I was lucky enough to get this opportunity.

I loved working alongside Jane, James and Laurence - they could not have been better work colleagues.

What can viewers expect from the series?

Expect to see a real range of homes. From small to large, modern to traditional and everything in between. There is something that will appeal to everyone. Each of the homes reflects the personality of the people who live in them, and for me, this is the most fascinating thing about interiors.

How would you describe your own design style?

I'm inspired by well made, considered designs that will stand the test of time.

The idea of investing in pieces that I will one day be able to give to my son Lalit (hopefully he wants them!), brings me a lot of happiness. The most interesting spaces are the ones that cannot be read in a glance, but rather keep giving you little moments of interest through shape, colour and layers.

I love colour and love to mix new with old. At home I have modern, contemporary pieces sitting happily alongside classic and vintage bits.

Do you have any tips for viewers wanting to make changes to their homes?

Trust your gut. For example, if you love a colour, just go for it. The number of times painters have tried to talk me out of colours only to fall in love with the finished result!

I'd also say, be sure to consider scale, don't waste your time with fiddly little rugs or furniture that will get lost in your space. And lighting - lighting can change everything.

Make sure to layer your lights and have a mixture of practical task lighting alongside softer options to create atmosphere.

Also, if there is a piece that you love but maybe it's out of reach financially, wait if you possibly can and don't compromise on something to 'make do'. Previous generations would have saved for big pieces, and I think there's a real life lesson in that.

Have you made any interior designs faux pas… you are willing to share with us?

I once got a paint colour mixed instead of using the real thing. It should have been a lovely warm 'taupey grey' colour, but it ended up with a weird lavender hue in certain lights. I had to bite the bullet, buy the real thing and repaint.

Thankfully it was in my own house, so no massive harm done!