Siobhan Lam joins RTÉ’s Home of the Year judging panel

Siobhan Lam, owner of vibrant independent interiors shop April and Bear, is the new judge of RTÉ’s Home of the Year, which is set to return to our screens on Tuesday, February 18th.

The career move has a certain symmetry for Lam, as her own home was previously featured on the show. She will be filling the space left by interior designer Sara Cosgrove.

She will now join architects Amanda Bone and stalwart Hugh Wallace, who has fronted the show since its inception.

Anyone who has browsed April and the Bear online or in store on Rathmines Road Lower in Dublin will know that Lam has a great eye for colour and pattern; the shop markets a grown-up version of playfulness.

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She cut her decorative teeth designing her own home in Dublin 8 more than a decade ago. At the time she found it difficult to source products for it and discovered a gap in the market that inspired her to set up the business online.

[ 20 skips, three bedsits and one determined coupleOpens in new window ]

The property had been set out in three flats and it took 20 skips to strip it out. At the time, Lam told The Irish Times she learned tips and tricks from YouTube tutorials and shows such as Room to Improve and Grand Designs.

When The Irish Times viewed the property in 2015, it was beautifully curated and fizzing with Lam’s sense of drama and fun.

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Home of the Year has featured many different professionals as judges to date, including architects Deirdre Whelan, Patrick Bradley, Declan O’Donnell and Peter Crowley, interior designer Suzie McAdam and textile designer Helen James.