Rip It Up: The Renovations Podcast

Jenny Sheahan and Kate O'Driscoll
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Home & Garden

Looking for more support in your renovation? Visit our brand new renovation platform at www.thehomepage.ie!  In the Rip it Up podcast, RTE's Home of the Year winner Jenny and finalist Kate step the listener through everything they've learned in buying a wreck of a house and turning it into a dream home. We demystify the entire renovation journey, from finding the right house, all the way through the renovation process, from picking a builder, to choosing wallpaper. No brick will be left unturned. Follow us on Instagram at @thehomepageie, or to see more of our renovation journeys follow Jenny @workerscottage and Kate @victorianrathmines

  1. 8h ago

    Renovation Q&A: Windows, DIY, Builder Quotes & Living on Site

    How come some windows are double the price of others? Is doing your own DIY really worth the savings? How on earth do you choose between two wildly different builders' quotes? And is it possible to live on site during a renovation? Fresh from our very first The HomePage renovation webinar (which we're delighted to report was a success!), we're tackling four of the big questions that come up time and again from homeowners planning a renovation. This week we're getting into the practicalities of spending your renovation budget wisely, knowing when to pay for quality, and when taking matters into your own hands might actually cost you more. Kate shares some hard-earned lessons from doing her own demolition work, including a rather alarming incident involving a wheelie bin full of rubble. We also discuss why the cheapest builder isn't necessarily the cheapest in the long run, what to look for when comparing window quotes, and whether living through a major renovation is ever a good idea. What we cover: Windows: Is alu-clad really worth twice the price of uPVC? What matters when comparing frames, durability, warranties, and costs?DIY: Which renovation jobs are worth doing yourself, and which are better left to the professionals?Builders' quotes: Why can two quotes for the same job be so different? How to compare them properly and avoid expensive surprises.Living on site: Can you realistically stay in your house during a renovation, especially with young children? When might it work, and when should you move out?Plus, the importance of proper preparation, hidden DIY costs, and why renovation dust is somehow capable of getting absolutely everywhere. The HomePage We loved discussing your questions at our first live renovation webinar this week! We plan to run more sessions, so keep an eye out for upcoming dates. Our full renovation course, including practical workbooks, checklists, and a builder's quote comparison tool, is also available for presale. Explore our renovation resources at https://www.thehomepage.ie As always, we'd love to hear your questions and renovation dilemmas. Get in touch with us on Instagram! Jenny & Kate Follow the podcast on Instagram @thehomepageie, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

  2. Oct 29

    Would You Ever Buy a New Build?

    We launched a business!! If you are facing a renovation, check out thehomepage.ie, and don't forget to grab one of the remaining tickets to our Renovation Ready webinar on 4th November at 7:30pm. Now, on with the show... Would we ever buy a new build? We're two women who have spent years renovating old houses, and helping clients do the same, but are we missing a trick? Would life be easier if we just bought something brand new? This week we're weighing up new builds versus older homes, and it turns out there's quite a lot to love about both. Kate shares her experience of buying an unfinished new build in Galway, and we talk about how to give a brand-new house some personality without trying to make it look like an ersatz Victorian mansion. From choosing your own kitchen finishes to avoiding endless spotlights and echoey porcelain floors, there are lots of little changes that can make a big difference. We also get into overheating in modern homes, the appeal of low-maintenance apartment living, and some truly spectacular examples of modern architecture. Plus, one rather extraordinary €2 million house in Limerick that gives us plenty to discuss! And before all that, there's a healthy dose of Halloween enthusiasm, sick children, and Christmas tree disasters. What we cover: New build or doer-upper: what would we actually choose?Buying off-plan, and which decisions to influence before the developer finishes your house.How to add character to a new build without forcing traditional features into a modern home.The importance of flooring, lighting, window treatments, and natural materials.Why some well-insulated new homes can become unbearably hot in summer.Beautiful modern houses that have us dreaming of lottery wins.New builds versus renovating older homes: maintenance, energy efficiency, and sustainability.Links and things we mention: Balsam Hill – the artificial Christmas tree brand Kate has ordered from.HUF HAUS – Jenny's dream modern prefabricated house.O House, Dublin 6 – the incredible modern house designed around a circular internal garden..Róisín Lafferty – inspiring contemporary design and wonderful use of natural materials.Suzie Mc Adam Design – beautiful Irish interiors.We'd love to know what you think. Would you rather buy a brand-new home or an old house with character? And would you renovate again? Follow the podcast on Instagram @thehomepageie, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

  3. Oct 22

    Are Kitchen Islands Overrated?

    We're back to regular programming after an exhilarating and exhausting week launching thehomepage.ie last week! Check it out if you haven't already, and don't forget to grab one of the remaining tickets to our Renovation Ready webinar on 4th November at 7:30pm.  OK, on with the show... It seems like every dream kitchen these days comes with a enormous island, a row of uncomfortable bar stools, and enough worktop space to land a small aircraft. Do we really need all that?! We love a good kitchen, but we're not convinced that every kitchen needs one. We're discussing what makes them so popular, where they earn their keep, and when they can end up getting in the way of a good kitchen design. What we cover: Why everybody seems to want a kitchen island.The importance of getting your barstools right.The real advantages, from storage and prep space to entertaining.The downsides people forget: cost, clutter, awkward seating, and poor layouts.Islands versus peninsulas, kitchen tables, and other alternatives.Practical dimensions, clever storage ideas, and tips for planning your kitchen.What we'd choose for our own homes, and what we'd do differently.And we barely scratched the surface on pendants...Whether you're planning a kitchen renovation or just wondering why yours doesn't work quite as well as it should, this one's for you. Items mentioned: AYTM barstools. HAY barstools. Follow the podcast on Instagram @thehomepageie, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

  4. Oct 15

    We've Been Working on Something… Introducing The HomePage

    We've been keeping something from you… After over two years, more than 80 podcast episodes, and countless conversations about renovations, we've spent the past year working very hard on something very special. We're launching The HomePage! We've taken everything we've learned from renovating our own homes, helping other homeowners, and making Rip It Up, and turned it into a new platform designed to make renovating a home a little less overwhelming. In this special episode, we're telling you the whole story. How we went from two Home of the Year contestants chatting about renovations over glasses of wine to podcast hosts, business partners, and now founders of The HomePage. We talk about what we've learned, the many twists and turns along the way, and why building a business (and a tech platform!) has been quite a bit harder than either of us anticipated. Most importantly, we explain what we've actually built and how we hope it will help you plan, budget, and manage your own renovation with more confidence. What we cover: How Rip It Up began, and why we decided to take things further.The biggest challenges we've seen homeowners face when renovating.How The HomePage evolved from an idea into a renovation education platform.Our new Personalised Renovation Roadmap, with tailored advice, indicative costs, and next steps for your own project.Our upcoming renovation webinar, detailed renovation programme, workbooks, and practical tools.What we've learned from a year of building a business together.Our first live Renovation Webinar is on Wednesday 4 November at 7.30pm! We'll take you through the renovation process from start to finish, the big decisions you need to make, and the common mistakes to avoid. Places are limited, and bookings will be open from Friday 16th October. Explore The HomePage, see a sample Renovation Roadmap, and book your webinar place at https://www.thehomepage.ie We're also officially launching at the Ideal Home Show in the RDS on Friday 16th October, where we'll be joining Jo Linehan on the DFS Interiors Theatre stage at 4.20pm. Come and say hello! And finally, a huge thank you to everyone who has listened, shared the podcast, sent us questions, or helped us with research over the past year. Your support and feedback have genuinely shaped what we've built. We're not going anywhere. Rip It Up continues, and we're very excited about what comes next. Love, Jenny & Kate. Follow the podcast on Instagram @thehomepageie, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

  5. Oct 8

    Don’t Waste Your Money On… Tiles

    Jenny thinks tiles are one of the great joys of interiors and would happily spend the entire renovation budget on them. Kate… would not. This week, we’re asking when expensive tiles are actually worth the money, when you can achieve almost exactly the same effect for far less, and which choices we’d make differently after living with our own renovations. We talk overpriced porcelain, real terrazzo and limestone, Zellige tiles, trends, grout colours, clever layouts, outdoor tiles, mosaics, and the surfaces that are much harder to upgrade later. We cover: Why we wouldn’t pay premium prices for ordinary porcelainHow to make cheap tiles look expensive with layout and groutWhere it is worth investing in tilesWhy floors require more thought than wallsReal stone and terrazzo versus imitation finishesWhether you should avoid “trendy” tilesJennifer’s enduring love affair with Zellige and terrazzoKate’s limestone floors, and the pattern she’s already slightly tiring ofWhy outdoor tiles need particular thought in an Irish climateThe cleaning problem with mosaics and lots of groutThe big takeaway: work out whether tiles are something you genuinely care about. If they are, spend deliberately on materials and areas you’ll live with for years. If they aren’t, simple inexpensive tiles can look fantastic when the layout, colour and grout are well considered. Follow the podcast on Instagram @thehomepageie, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

  6. Oct 1

    Don't Waste Your Money On... Furniture

    You’ve just spent a fortune renovating, your bank account is empty, and now you've a load of empty rooms and a massive shopping list... Couch. Dining table. Chairs. Beds. Side tables. Armchairs. Coffee table. Console. Bar stools… This week on Don’t Waste Your Money On…, we’re talking furniture, and why one of the most expensive mistakes you can make at the end of a renovation is trying to furnish the entire house at once. We talk about why rooms often come together better when you buy slowly, how living in a space changes what you realise you actually need, and why we’d rather invest in one key piece and let everything else build around it over time.  We also get into secondhand furniture, Adverts finds, vintage pieces, IKEA stopgaps, reupholstery, recovering old sofas, clearance finds, and how some of the best pieces in our homes cost almost nothing. What we cover Why there is no deadline to have your home “finished”The danger of panic-buying furniture at the end of a renovationWhy we’d invest in one anchor piece per roomLiving in a room before deciding what it really needsHow furniture layouts can change once you actually use the spaceBuying the bare minimum when you move inAdverts, DoneDeal, Marketplace, salvage yards, and secondhand shopsWhy patience makes you better at spotting good vintage piecesKate’s half-price dream dining table€50 Aldi nesting tables that became one of the most asked-about pieces in Kate’s houseIKEA sofas as temporary or long-term optionsBuying furniture with removable and replaceable coversJenny’s €50 Vision Ireland couchKate’s free BoConcept couchReupholstering and recovering furniture instead of replacing itWhen custom furniture really is worth spending onWhy mixing old, new, inexpensive, vintage, and custom pieces gives a room more character The big takeaway There's no deadline to have your home furnished Buy the things you genuinely need. Invest in the important pieces. Then give yourself time to collect the rest. Once you’ve lived in the house, you’ll know where you actually put your drink, which way you naturally sit, how many dining chairs you really use, what storage is missing, and which empty corner needs filling.  Places and products mentioned: AdvertsDoneDealFacebook MarketplaceVision IrelandIKEA HILLTARP sofaBemz / replacement IKEA sofa coversCA DesignThe Vintage HubGaff InteriorsSecond Story Furnishing Follow the podcast on Instagram @thehomepageie, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

  7. Sep 24

    Don't Waste Your Money On... Light Fittings

    Good lighting can completely transform a home. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend hundreds, or thousands, on every fitting before you move in. In this episode of our Don’t Waste Your Money On… series, we’re talking light fittings, and making one very important distinction: the lighting plan belongs in the bones of your renovation; the decorative fittings don’t. Prioritise the wiring, positions, switching, dimming, wall-light points, pendants, task lighting, and anything that will be difficult to add later. Then, if the budget is running out, put an inexpensive fitting on the wire and upgrade it when the bank balance has recovered.  We share where we saved and splurged in our own homes, some of our favourite sources for lighting, the inexpensive styles we think are hard to get wrong, and why the bulb itself might matter more than you think. What we cover  Why lighting design and light fittings are two different budget decisions Prioritising wiring, switching, dimming, and getting connection points in the right places  Why you shouldn’t remove wall lights or pendants from the electrical plan just because your dream fittings are expensive  Which fittings we prioritised because they would be difficult to change later  Where inexpensive high-street lighting can work perfectly well  Why we both love plaster wall lights  Built-in LED strips and the importance of hiding the strip and diffusing the light  Alabaster, stone, and stone-effect wall lights  Where we shop for lighting  Clearance sections, sales, and buying fittings later in the renovation  Vintage and secondhand lighting  Why size matters with pendant lights in large rooms  Simple fabric shades as an inexpensive interim option  Why you shouldn’t be able to see the naked bulb  The importance of choosing warm bulbs, around 2700K or below The big takeaway Wire for the dream light. You don’t have to buy it yet. If you know you want wall lights, pendants, dimmers, integrated LEDs, or particular lighting positions, put them into the electrical plan now. A decorative fitting can be swapped in minutes. Adding a missing lighting point after the walls are finished is a very different job.  Products and suppliers mentioned:  Astro Lighting  Astro Eclipse plaster wall light  Next Home  Made.com lighting  Zara Home  M&S Home  Lampmasters  Mullan Lighting  Hicken Lighting  Deco Nook  Dusk Lighting  Lamptwist  Finnish Design Shop  Light11  Vaughan Designs  Vintage / secondhand Murano and Tiffany-style glass lighting  Follow the podcast on Instagram @thehomepageie, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

  8. Sep 17

    Don’t Waste Your Money On… Curtains

    Custom curtains and blinds can add thousands at the end of a renovation. But are they something you really need to spend big on straight away? This week on Don’t Waste Your Money On…, we’re talking curtains and window treatments: one of those finishing touches that can make a huge difference to a room, but can also be very easy to upgrade later. We share what we’ve actually done in our own homes, from €5-a-metre fabric and ready-made H&M curtains to IKEA sheers, inexpensive roller blinds, DIY café curtains, and online made-to-measure options. We also talk about the details that can make inexpensive curtains look much better, why getting the measurements and hanging position right matters enormously, and the circumstances where we absolutely think custom window treatments are worth the investment.  What we cover:  Why we’d prioritise spending on the windows themselves before curtains and blinds  Why window treatments are something you can often upgrade later  Kate’s €5-a-metre Fabric Outlet curtains  Where we’ve found good ready-made curtains  Finding extra-long curtains for high ceilings  DIY café curtains for privacy  IKEA sheers and inexpensive roller blinds  Ordering made-to-measure curtains and blinds online  How doing your own measuring and installation can save significantly  The right height, width, and length for hanging curtains  Why curtains that are too short can ruin the look  Layering sheers, roller blinds, and curtains  Curtain poles versus ceiling tracks  Planning recessed tracks during a renovation  Privacy window film as a low-cost alternative  Roman blinds and why accurate measuring is critical  When custom curtains, blinds, or shutters really are worth paying for The big takeaway: Spend on the window first. Good windows, good installation, insulation, and weatherproofing are difficult and expensive to change later. Curtains and blinds aren't. If the renovation budget is disappearing, inexpensive curtains hung beautifully can get you surprisingly far, and the dream custom versions can come later.  Products and suppliers mentioned:  Fabric Outlet, Newbridge and Cork Harry Corry curtain poles  H&M curtains  IKEA HILJA sheers  IKEA STOCKHOLM sheer curtains  IKEA roller blinds  Interior Fashions, Tipperary  Gotain  Nordic Knots  Hang Man, Dublin  Window privacy film Follow the podcast on Instagram @thehomepageie, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

See All (93)

Trailer

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Looking for more support in your renovation? Visit our brand new renovation platform at www.thehomepage.ie!  In the Rip it Up podcast, RTE's Home of the Year winner Jenny and finalist Kate step the listener through everything they've learned in buying a wreck of a house and turning it into a dream home. We demystify the entire renovation journey, from finding the right house, all the way through the renovation process, from picking a builder, to choosing wallpaper. No brick will be left unturned. Follow us on Instagram at @thehomepageie, or to see more of our renovation journeys follow Jenny @workerscottage and Kate @victorianrathmines

Information

  • Creator
    Jenny Sheahan and Kate O'Driscoll
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rip It Up: The Renovations Podcast
  • Show Website
    Rip It Up: The Renovations Podcast

You Might Also Like