Interior designer and television personality Deirdre "Dee" Coleman describes her dream home renovation as "a snapshot in time" – a beautifully transformed 1960s property in Malahide that showcases her design philosophy while remaining deliberately unfinished. The Tralee-born designer, who co-hosts RTÉ's "Home Rescue: The Big Fix," believes her home perfectly embodies her approach to interior design: always evolving, always improving.

"While this is very livable and I love it and it's very much a home, this is not finished, this is a work in progress, a snapshot in time," Coleman explains. Her philosophy reflects a broader truth about design and life itself – that completion isn't always the goal. "It's not a race to the finish, and my plans and aspirations are always beyond my budget. But what is the point of always trying to be finished?"

Coleman has become a familiar face to television viewers as builder Peter Finn's co-host on the popular RTÉ show, with her fourth series as presenter set to air from September 4. Her approach to design emphasizes the importance of getting the structural elements right first. "You need to spend the budget on the stuff you don't see – the heat pump, the ventilation – something we didn't really think about before," she notes. "We've all had to up our game with ventilation. My advice would be to get a specialist in ventilation if you're getting a retrofit."

The designer's home features what she calls her "three vanities" in the open-plan kitchen, living, and sitting room area: a cantilevered window seat, a skylight, and a double-sided fireplace. "All things that I really couldn't afford but I did anyway – and I love them all," she admits. The window seat, positioned beside a camellia tree that blooms around her children's birthdays, holds special significance. "It's like a piece of magic. We nearly lost the window seat in the battle of the budgets! I put it back in, and I'm so glad that I did."

Coleman is a strong advocate for biophilic design, particularly inspired by designer Oliver Heath's approach that centers on both people and the planet. She believes that healthy ecosystems are key to creating healthy spaces. The sound and sight of rain through her skylight particularly delights her. "It is the connection to nature, it's that rhythmic, natural, random, organic sound and view," she explains. "Nothing that mankind can build can replicate that. We have an instinctive need to be in nature, and I have plants everywhere."

Before pursuing interior design, Coleman had a successful career as a management consultant. Her career change came during an epiphany at a boardroom table when she realized her work "didn't give me joy." She recalls, "I never in my entire life got a balance sheet to balance. At the time, I had a flat and I had just knocked down a wall in it with a sledgehammer. My friends would come to me to ask me for home DIY and design advice. And I loved that type of work."

Living in London provided Coleman with access to excellent design education. She enrolled at the KLC School of Design at Chelsea Harbour, initially hoping her husband might discourage the career change. Instead, he supported her decision, saying she'd "be great at that." After graduating, she worked at a high-end Notting Hill studio before establishing her own successful interior architecture practice in London.

Coleman met her Swedish husband, Staffan Bergdahl, in London and had no intention of returning to Ireland. However, the birth of their twin daughters, Nancy and Alva – now 13 and starting secondary school – changed everything. In 2013, the family, including their 16-year-old cat Foxy from South East London, relocated to Ireland, where Coleman also lectured at the Dublin Institute of Design.

The renovation of their 1960s home began in 2022, and Coleman is candid about the challenges of the process. "Looking at the property as it was being renovated wasn't easy. You're walking into a bombsite and still paying a mortgage. I've done it with clients all the time, but this is the first time I'm doing it myself," she explains. The experience has given her valuable insight into the families she works with on "Home Rescue."

At almost 50, Coleman embarked on her television career, describing "Home Rescue: The Big Fix" as "a heartwarming mix of human stories and home makeover." The show is "a whirlwind of decluttering, teamwork and positivity – changing people's lives for the better by redesigning their homes, replacing chaos with order and rediscovering the things that really matter." With just a few days to complete each makeover, every second counts for the team of designers, builders, and specialists.

Working on the show has taught Coleman valuable lessons about design efficiency and impact. "I am in awe of people who can reach out and ask for help. I can admire them and I feel privileged to help," she says. "We've all been through tough times; you have to hang on. I understand how on a knife-edge normality is for many people." She's learned to design for maximum impact within budget constraints while preserving energy for what's truly important to each family.

The show's structure is intense, with demolition on day one and three crucial days of construction and design work. "All the trades have been in and delivered their job, and now the pressure's on me to deliver," Coleman explains. "Every time I finish, I wonder: How did we do that? The build team, the people you don't see, the declutterers – there's an unbelievable spirit of willingness there. They work magic."

Coleman finds deep meaning in her work with struggling families. "It's such a privilege to get such intimate access to people's lives. You'd have to be in dire need to let a film crew and a designer into people's lives. You wouldn't do that unless the need was real," she reflects. She's particularly proud that the show demonstrates "the genuine power of design" with attainable budgets that viewers can relate to and potentially replicate in their own homes, albeit over a longer timeframe.