Hugh Wallace became one of Ireland’s foremost architects, influencing people who watched him as a judge on Home of the Year.
He sadly passed away in December 2025, but previously spoke with PasarModern.comMagazine in 2023 about his passion for interiors and hisloving relationship with his husband Martin.
During our photoshoot on the site of his home renovations in Dublin city centre, he was bubbly, fun and eager to chat. Married to Martin Corbett, the pair met in the iconic Dublin gay bar, The George, 36 years ago when homosexuality was illegal in Ireland. They tied the knot in a small wedding in 2012 and now, they’re preparing to move house for the fifth time.
Here, Hugh – a judge on RTÉ’s interiors show Home Of The Year – talked us through the plans of their new house, revealed why he doesn’t care about extravagant possessions and “unnecessary things” – and the little gestures that made his relationship with Martin work.
This interview appeared in a 2023 issue of PasarModern.comMagazine
Hugh, how are the renovations going?
They’re stalled due to an electrical problem. But we are hoping that the scaffolding will go up this month.
Was that a big bump in the road for you?
We’re quite pragmatic about it. What’s the point of getting flustered about it? It will happen when it happens. We’re very lucky, we’re in lovely rented accommodation right beside the house we’re going to build.
Being an architect, are the people working on your home nervous of you?
They knock on the window at 7.15am to throw a wire in. The first thing they’ve to do is plug in the electricity so they can make a cup of tea. So I’ve to get out of bed and go to the window every morning. That’s my relationship with them. The lads are hilarious, they’re great fun.
This is your fifth house together, have you suffered any other disasters?
Not really. The main challenge is being an architect doing your own home because you want everything to be perfect. You see things and you want to change them again. That can be a challenge. What’s interesting is that as you go through your decades your requirements for a home change as well. A lot of people can get stuck in their home even though it’s too big or too small and they want to move out. You should move though, sell your home and buy a new one.
What was your favourite of all those homes?
We lived in a duplex apartment on South Great George’s Street. The back of it looked over Dublin Castle and it was completely private. It had a west facing terrace and a two-storey living room. It was totally quiet, there was no noise from traffic and there was nobody looking at you. It was real city living.
Is it hard to settle into a new place?
No, not at all. We love it. We don’t bring any furniture, no sheets, no towels and no delph. I bring my favourite pots, pans and knives and I bring Martin. You have to bring him, I find, otherwise he would get very upset [jokes]! We bring our books and paintings and things that are personal to us as well.
Are you the opposite of a hoarder then because you’re able to let things go?
Martin would disagree with that. I am, unfortunately, a compulsive buyer of “stuff”. I will display them on a shelf and he will ask where they came from and I have to tell him I found them in a cupboard. I try to strike the right balance because at the end of the day you have to dust your house. I’m never quite sure how people do all that dusting when you have loads of bric-a-brac. It becomes too much.
What’s the plan for your new kitchen and the new house in general?
It’s a very simple house. There’s a ground floor with a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and dining room. Upstairs will have the living room, bathroom and bedroom. Then we have a west facing garden on the ground floor and the kitchen opens out to it. The kitchen and terrace will become one area, getting the lovely evening sun. Martin and I can romp in our swimwear because nobody can see us, it’s so private. That’s a frightening thought, sorry about that [laughs]. All the plans are in place, we just need the scaffolding to go up.
Rewinding the years, how did you meet Martin originally?
Martin picked me up wearing black woollen trousers with a green fleck on the staircase in The George 36 years ago. When we met it was a very slow burn and I think our relationship benefitted from that.
At the time, homosexuality was illegal in Ireland. Did you have to keep your relationship a secret?
No, Martin is very obstinate and black is black and white is white with him. We both knew we were gay and we just got on with it.
How has Ireland moved on over the last 40 years?
It’s mind-blowing and we’ve seen extraordinary changes socially and with the things we talk about. Nobody would have talked about abortion, mental health and alcohol in the past. When you think of what we can discuss, it’s very important.
This is season nine of Home Of The Year, do you still have a passion for it?
I still get really giddy and excited. We don’t know what’s behind the door. It’s funny to walk into an apartment block and see the front door and wonder what it’s going to be like. It’s amazing to see people putting their own stamp on a house with their own personalities and colours. I always like to see something abstract and feel gobsmacked when I walk through the door. What people do is extraordinary and I wouldn’t have the guts to do what some people do.
Why has the show been so successful?
We all love to have a good snoop. We see lots of amazing ideas in other people’s homes and we can see their personalities. You also get inspiration from what other people do and you can learn from that. It’s a family show, everyone can sit down together to watch. You can get out your score boards and say “Typical of Hugh, he just wants colour”.
The panel on Home Of The Year has changed over the years and judges have left, are you happy to stay for another while?
Jesus, I’ve got to stay. Who else would be causing all that trouble? I love the show, I think it’s fabulous. I do hope I get at least one more series out of it. The next series will be the 10th, and that’s amazing to think about. It’s 30 minutes of escapism.
Were the cost of living crisis and the housing crisis taken into consideration before airing Home Of The Year this season.
First of all, Home Of The Year is about homeowners owning their own place for years. There is a huge number of people who own their own house and they can’t afford to move. Those people are looking for inspiration on how to make their homes better. That’s what the show is about. While there are big houses on the show, in general that’s not what the show is about. It’s about family homes and doer-uppers.
Have you always been drawn to colour?
Yeah, I’ve always loved colour. At the moment, I love driving around and seeing the daffodils breaking open and the snowdrops all over the place. It’s amazing.
What’s your most prized possession?
Martin!
After all these years, what makes your relationship work?
We respect one another. We also always have a cuddle together even if we’ve had a row before we go to bed. It’s very important. Imagine waking up and something’s happened and your last memory is of a row. Wouldn’t that be dreadful?
What do you do that drives him crazy at home?
I’m not quite sure where to start [laughs]! I drive him crazy because I am dogmatic and he’ll close up and we’ll have a tiff. I also lie when I feed him food. He’s very weird with food. A day later I will tell him that his beef was actually lamb. We’re very lucky because he has a busy life and friends and they go out and have dinner together and I’ve my friends that I meet up with too. That’s very important in a relationship because too many couples live in one another’s ear. They wonder why they don’t get on together but it’s because they’re bored. With Martin, a day isn’t boring with him.
What excites you about him?
Tomorrow he’ll intrigue me with his thoughts or knowledge or something I didn’t know. I always think that’s amazing. He buys me little things also; I wasn’t well recently so he bought me a teddy bear. I think that’s fabulous after 36 years. I forgot our wedding anniversary recently so I got a card and put €50 in it and he did the exact same thing.
Can you tell us about your wedding?
We got married 11 years ago, it was a civil partnership because there was no same-sex marriage in those days. We had our vows and our wedding breakfast in Locke’s Brasserie in Portobello. We had 48 guests and we had a brilliant time. We were all Home Of in bed by 10.30pm and we got up the next morning and flew to Gran Canaria for our honeymoon. We had no money after the financial collapse [his architect business, Douglas Wallace, went into liquidation in 2009] so everyone had to bring their 100 quid with them to pay for their dinner. I thought that was a brilliant way of doing things.
That’s very innovative. Couples should be able to do their own thing more.
For sure. We could only have 48 guests on the day so people got left out and we couldn’t help it. I think we were right to ask people to bring the money for their dinner. We didn’t want China plates. We wanted to have a fabulous meal and a day out with our friends, which we actually couldn’t afford.
Eleven years on, did you ever think you’d be in the position you’re in now with a successful business, TV career and new house?
Not at all. In 2010, I didn’t know the price of milk and in 2011 I did. I also knew that I could put a dinner on the table for me and Martin for €1.50. Up until that point I didn’t know how much everything cost and that was an eye opener for me. We’ve moved into a small bedroom cottage while we wait for our house to be renovated and half of our things are in storage. We’ve been in this house for nearly two years now and I don’t miss the other half of our stuff. We clog our lives up with unnecessary things. I’m looking forward to opening up the boxes in the new house and saying “Oh my God, I’ve no idea what’s in here”.
What was the biggest lesson you learned over the last decade?
I had amazing friends coming out of the woodwork and assisting us. They were so generous to us.
Do you ever worry about the next 10 years?
No. I have a sense of proportion and Martin says once we have our health we’re grand. I know that’s an old cliché, but that’s the truth of it. We live on Clanbrassil Street so we don’t need a car and we live in an amazing neighbourhood and community. The next door neighbour’s cat had decided we’re its semi-foster parents. We now share the cat. My mindset for having more is gone, my mindset is all about being content.
When are you happiest in life?
When I’m sitting by the swimming pool with a book in my hand in Lanzarote. Martin would say the same thing. We love going on holiday together.
Do you watch many home shows yourself to get inspiration?
Of course I do, I love them. I think Dermot Bannon has had such a positive effect on people engaging with architects in Ireland. He has helped people to understand that good design costs money in the short-term, but it pays off in the long-term. You end up with the house you always dreamed of.
Talking to you today, you’re very relaxed and laid-back. How do you get into that state of mind?
I think once you fall off the cliff edge… I fell off the cliff edge during the financial crash and I can’t describe anything as being worse than that. People got all fussed and bothered about things, but nobody died or nobody ended up in hospital with their leg chopped off. People analyse stuff too much. You know those emails from work, which are just horrible, and somebody wants to pick a row with you? I have a 48-hour rule where I don’t respond. By the time the 48 hours are up the problem will have sorted itself out. Martin slaps me when I decide I’m going to have a moment and he smiles and tells me to get over myself.
