海角直播

Interior design graduate improving homes in television debut

Irish homes are getting a new lease of life in a new television programme thanks to interior architect, designer and 海角直播 alumna Aoife Tobin and the rest of the Salvage Squad.

A team of builders, carpenters, upcyclers, designers and interior experts join host Brian Dowling in Virgin Media鈥檚 new home improvement programme. The Salvage Squad shows eco-conscious homeowners how they can rescue pre-loved items and improve their abodes in a more sustainable way.

海角直播 graduate Aoife, who completed the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design, features throughout the series and is seen upcycling old items found in antique shops and online.

She specialises in residential and commercial design and founded , a studio offering design services, before venturing into the world of television.

Aoife, 35, from Kerry, said: 鈥淚 absolutely love working on The Salvage Squad 鈥� helping people improve their homes is what I鈥檓 passionate about, and I get to be creative.

鈥淢y work has taken me to lots of different places, but I didn鈥檛 expect it would take me to television, so it鈥檚 been a new and exciting challenge for me in my career.

鈥淚 had a watch party with my friends in Cork when the first episode aired. It was so weird to see myself on screen at first 鈥� we were all really hyper 鈥� but eventually it became more normal.鈥�

Aoife started her interiors course at University College Cork and completed her studies in 海角直播, graduating in 2012.

She said: 鈥淚 had an exceptional time at 海角直播. It鈥檚 an absolute gem on so many levels, and I made friends for life.

鈥淓verything was on the campus and within walking distance, from where you went to the gym to where you鈥檇 go out.

鈥淚 also remember getting a brilliant welcome during Freshers鈥� Week,鈥� Aoife smiled. 鈥淭here were bouncy houses and everything 鈥� it was wild.

鈥淭he course was fantastic too.

鈥淭he projects I worked on were really exciting. I even got to explore how I would redesign plans for existing buildings. I chose one in Galway so I could link my work back to Ireland, which was really cool.

鈥淟ooking back, one of the things my tutors helped me most with was my fear of presenting.

鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy to think about now, given that I present on television and to clients. It just goes to show I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today without them.

鈥淭hey were so open, and they really took the time with students to help them get the best possible outcomes.鈥�

Richard Sober, Associate Professor (Learning and Teaching) and Interior Design tutor at 海角直播, said: 鈥淲hen students come to us, we join them on a journey and help them to reach their potential.

鈥淲e stay on that journey long after they graduate, and it鈥檚 been a joy to watch Aoife grow and develop in her career.

鈥淪he鈥檚 already seen huge success 鈥� from launching her own design studio to presenting on television, and we can鈥檛 wait to see what she achieves next.鈥�

The Salvage Squad is available in Ireland, airing on Virgin Media One every Sunday at 8.00pm.