Amanda Bone recalls the first time she was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. She was only seven years old when a neighbour posed the question to her, but even then, she had designs on one specific career.

‘I said, “I want to be an architect”, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,’ says the Co. Wicklow woman. 

‘When I was out with my parents, I’d get them to drive down specific streets so I could look at the houses. I’d get them to drive past the French ambassador’s house in Ailesbury Road, because I loved that property.

‘When I got a bit older, I’d ask them to drive past these single-storey 1970s/80s-style bungalows in Stepaside, which were American in design, all open-plan with no fencing or boundaries.

‘I loved car designs as well as houses. On the way to Donegal or Kerry for our holidays, I’d pass the time looking out the windows at every style of car that drove past. We had no such thing as screens back then.’

Amanda never deviated from her childhood dream. These days, of course, she’s best known as an award-winning architect and a judge on RTÉ’s Home Of The Year. 

She puts her passion for architecture down to a combination of nurture and nature. Her father, a chartered quantity surveyor, would often bring her to building sites on a Saturday morning, while her mother excelled as a floral artist. 

Creativity was in her DNA but also, it was very much encouraged at home.

Her father, a chartered quantity surveyor, would often bring her to building sites on a Saturday morning, while her mother excelled as a floral artist. Creativity was in her DNA but also, it was very much encouraged at home.

In 2000, the graduate of the UCD School of Architecture set up her own practice in Dundrum, having lived and worked as an architect in Paris, New York and northern Spain. 

Last year, she wound down her company to join her architect husband Niall Rowan at his firm, the College Green-based DTA Architects. The couple live in Bray, a stone’s throw from her parents’ home and the sea.

Amanda joined the Home Of The Year judging panel in 2021, so this series — the 12th — has been her sixth outing on the show. 

She feels part of its fabric now and any nerves she might have felt in her television debut back then have long since disappeared. 

She credits her fellow judges - award-winning interior consultant Siobhan Lam and the inimitable show stalwart Hugh Wallace - for creating a tight-knit, family feeling on set, along with the regular crew.

Hugh’s sudden death in December 2025 came as a massive shock to all who knew and worked with him, but with the support of his family, the decision was taken to proceed with the broadcast of Home Of The Year this spring, along with his second show, The Great House Revival.

As this series goes on, Amanda says she’s finding it increasingly hard to watch. Initially she got comfort from seeing Hugh’s face and hearing his voice, but as it approaches the final episode, she’s not prepared to say goodbye.

‘It was lovely to see Hugh those first few episodes but now, I’m finding it deeply upsetting,’ admits Amanda.

‘My husband said to me that he thinks it’s because the more episodes I watch, the fewer there are to come, so that subconsciously, I’m watching it knowing that this is going to end and there will be no more Hugh as such. So yes, as the series goes on, I’m getting more and more upset.

‘I miss Hugh terribly. We filmed Home Of The Year over September and October, sometimes into November, so we’d see each other more than we’d see our family during that period, because we were on the road.

‘Then it would be Christmas and January, and the PR would kick in, so Hugh was always on the phone to me. 

'He used to love the PR side of things. It’s something I’m getting used to now, but I used to feel so uncomfortable talking about myself and he’d gladly take on any PR that came my way.

‘Then once the show was over, we’d be on the phone talking about it coming back again and then the next minute, we’d be back on set. We were always in touch so yes, I really miss him.’

Amanda says she has so many fond memories of Hugh and was in awe of his constant energy and ‘infectious zest for life’. 

While she sometimes struggled with early mornings, Hugh would always be ready for the day ahead, spreading positivity and joy wherever he went.

She recalls one particular trip to view a house in Cork for this current series, when Hugh was joined by his husband Martin for dinner. 

An exhausted Amanda decided on an early night, but a persistent Hugh refused to take no for an answer to an invite to join them. 

Eventually, Amanda succumbed ‘begrudgingly’ and the group enjoyed an amazing evening of food, cocktails and belly laughs.

‘I’m so grateful I got to spend that time with him for that was to be our last dinner out together,’ she says. ‘It was such a terrific evening and will live long in my memory.’

Each of the three judges brings something different to the table and they often hold opposing views on what makes a great home, which Amanda says is crucial for keeping the show fresh and reflecting life in general. 

For her, it’s a feeling, a gut instinct when she enters a house, but not surprisingly, it also comes down to the design, the orientation, the use of space.

‘I judge each home on its own merit,’ says Amanda. ‘When I arrive at a home, I’m trying to understand what the home is about, what the homeowner’s intent is, what are they trying to achieve and then, have they done it well? 

'As an architect, for me everything ultimately comes down to a good design so if I arrive at a new build, a contemporary home, let’s say, I’m looking to see how progressive it is in terms of contemporary design, how well it sits in its context, its relation to its orientation or view.

‘If we arrive at a period home that has a completely different character and has been refurbished by the homeowner themselves, then I’m looking to see what they’ve done with it, how they’ve made the most of it, the care that they’ve put into it and their understanding of it.’

This series has featured a stunning array of 21 homes from all over Ireland, with 10 making it through to the final.

Houses have ranged from restored period homes to architectural new-builds, showcasing diverse design styles. 

Seven properties were selected across the series, and in a new twist, each of the three judges was allowed to award a golden key.

Amanda chose to give her golden key to fellow architect Aine, who designed a new-build house in Dublin on a side-garden plot. 

Aine spent a long time designing the house to fully maximise the site and to develop a home with the unique quality of having sunlight all day long. The clever use of space and the contemporary design won Amanda over in the end.

‘That was a gut reaction,’ says Amanda. ‘I enjoyed being in that home and as an architect, I can understand the complexities from the design stage, through to planning, to then building a home on a side-garden site in an established residential area. 

'That’s a difficult thing to achieve and also, what she did with the layout internally, I thought that was very well done.’

Around eight years ago, Amanda and Belfast-born Niall took on their own home restoration project, when they relocated from Dublin back to her native Bray. 

The Dublin School of Architecture tutor wanted to be close to her parents and to the sea, to indulge her passion for sea swimming.

Initially, the plan was to spruce up a property already owned by Amanda in Bray, with a new kitchen and bathroom. 

But the house’s convenient location and the beauty of being by the beach means they’ve stayed longer than they originally intended.

‘It’s so beautifully quiet and private here and if I stand up, I can see my parents’ house from this room, which is invaluable as they get older,’ she says.

‘It’s a three-minute walk to the beach and it’s such a lovely contrast to the city centre. In fact, my husband says it’s the happiest place he’s ever lived.

‘The focus this year is planning what we do next. Do we extend this home or move? But we both love it in Bray. There’s a calmness here and a great artistic community. For me, it’s a respite really.’

When she’s not working, Amanda, a keen collector of art, likes to indulge another favourite past-time - travel. She and Niall try to get away as often as they can, and choose their destinations based on architectural places they want to see.

Even at rest, Amanda is still thinking about design.

‘Every year we plan our holidays around buildings,’ she explains. ‘Last year we went to Majorca to see Can Lis, a house designed by Jorn Utzon, who designed the Syndey Opera House. 

'It’s only opened a few months a year on Fridays for 25 minutes for 25 people and you can’t buy tickets in advance, so you just have to turn up. We then spent four or five days travelling around Majorca.

‘We went to London recently to see some social housing projects in reference to work and then visited a couple of art exhibitions. Next, we’re planning to go to Sweden in May, as there are a few buildings there that we’d like to see.

‘Every holiday we say, “What buildings do we next want to see?” and then we take it from there.’