At parties and festive gatherings, you’ll always find Hugh Wallace plumping for a little kitsch – it’s an essential counterpoint to all the good taste
Architect Hugh Wallace doesn’t conform to clean lines. Yes, he is a fan, but he likes his with a serving of kitsch on the side.
That’s what makes him great on TV, where he’s not afraid to have a bit of fun and even disagree with homeowners as the veteran judge on RTE’s Home of the Year and as the presenter of Great House Revival.
He’s hosting several events at the PTSB Ideal Homes Show, but fans of OTT décor and lovers of Christmas will want to attend EZ Living Interiors x Hugh Wallace Heritage Collection to hear his design tips.
Wallace is no Grinch. His sager side let’s call him Hugh Two, says celebrations for Christmas should not start before December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and when the season traditionally began.
Now there are whispers of Christmas in July, with shops launching whole sections devoted to yuletide as soon as the kids are back to school.
For Hugh, it’s about creating the perfect party room, with comfy furniture, an exuberant table, lots of reds, candles, and Christmas trees - yes, plural.
“I love an overdressed table,” says the man known for his statement spectacles, his face furniture and signature print shirts.
By overdressed, he means candelabras worthy of Liberace, flower arrangements that need to be removed to be able to see the guests, and tricked-out table settings, all atop the new solid oak dining range from the Irish-owned home furnishing chain, which also stocks the club-style tan and cognac-stained leather sofa range that Hugh is pistured sitting on, that will accommodate guests and any strays that may also turn up.
He’s looking forward to celebrating the season back in his new home in Dublin 8, a renovation that has taken almost two years.
What he loves most is trimming the trees.
“Martin and I have had some decorations for 35 years, some from my mum’s and his mum’s. Some remind you of particular Christmases.”
At heart, he’s a traditionalist, but there’s always a twist.
This year, the pair will have their main tree, a real one. They will also have a second-half tree, one that is spliced vertically so it will sit flush with the wall.
It means you can decorate all of it and not have bare branches at the back. It also takes up less space.
As for what crowns his main tree, it is neither a star nor an angel, "We have a cartoon character, the Tasmanian devil from Looney Tunes. It is a papier mâché version, and it’s still in the box we bought it in.”
The much-loved character also appeared in series by Warner Bros. and Merrie Melodies.
If you want to take inspiration from Hugh, Etsy is currently selling a "10-inch 1990s Looney Tunes Taz" for approximately £18.50, excluding taxes, from a UK-based supplier.
The time they spend decorating their trees together is very special. “We have hand-painted pigs that came from New York. Friends too have made decorations for me, including the Roundstone-based silversmith Sile Mag Aoide.”
The reno has been ongoing, so where have the decorations lived during this time?
“They’re hiding in the attic of Martin’s salon, Origin in Ranelagh,”
Catch Hugh Wallace at the EZ Living Interiors x Hugh Wallace Heritage Collection on Friday, October 17th, between 11am and 1pm. He is also appearing at the Electric Ireland Home Energy Upgrades Pavilion. For a full timetable of events, visit ptsb Ideal Home Show
