Gardens are often treated as the final step in a renovation - but they can completely transform how you live, entertain and use your home. In this episode, we break down the big landscaping decisions, from layout and materials to planting, pergolas and outdoor rooms.

What we cover

• How much to budget for landscaping and where the money really goes
• Designing your garden in zones: dining, relaxing, planting, storage and outdoor kitchens
• Optimise for light - don't just plonk your patio outside your back door
• Choosing paving materials: porcelain, natural stone and gravel
• Timber vs composite decking and long-term maintenance
• Planting strategies that create year-round structure without overwhelm
• Common planting mistakes and how to avoid a messy, high-maintenance garden
• Awnings, pergolas and shade options for the Irish climate
• Garden rooms, offices and adding usable outdoor square footage
• Furniture sizing, durable materials and weather-proof storage

Projects & items mentioned

• Jenny’s living wall by Gannon & Associates Landscape Architecture
• Kate’s garden design by Louise Checa Landscape Architecture
• Amelanchier lamarckii as a favourite tree for seasonal structure and softness

The big takeaway: spend on structure, groundwork and layout first - planting and styling come afterwards.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @ripitup_podcast_official, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

A great paint job has far less to do with the paint tin than most people think. In this episode, we focus on preparation, paint quality, finishes, choosing the right colours for your home, and the mistakes that ruin your paint jobs.

What we cover

• Why painting is 80% prep and 20% paint
• Filling, sanding, taping and the ungodly amount of dust
• Fresh plaster - use a mist coat to prevent peeling later
• What you’re really paying for in high-quality paint
• Why to be wary of colour matching
• Choosing the right finish: various matt finishes, eggshell, satin, and gloss
• How light affects your paint colour
• How to test paint in your room
• How to choose the right off-white for your room

Items mentioned

• Festool dust extractor
• Wooster paintbrushes
• Purdy rollers

Our favourite off-white paints

• Slaked Lime - Little Greene
• Schoolhouse White - Farrow & Ball
• Powdered Shell - Colourtrend
• Subtle - Colourtrend
• Trigg - Farrelly & Co
• Greene Street - Prestige by Fleetwood (Roisin Lafferty collection)

Follow the podcast on Instagram @ripitup_podcast_official, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines

Flooring is one of the biggest design decisions in a renovation - but it’s also structural, thermal, and incredibly hard to change later. In this episode, we cover everything from timber, tile and LVT to polished concrete, terrazzo, carpets, subfloors and underfloor heating compatibility.

What we cover

• Engineered timber vs solid timber - and why engineered wood is so popular these days
• Stone, porcelain and the maintenance requirements
• LVT, glue-down vs click, why levelling is everything
• Polished concrete - is it right for Irish homes?
• Terrazzo tiles vs poured terrazzo
• Carpet, acoustics and the role of good underlay
• The real hero: subfloor preparation, moisture control and levelling
• Which flooring types work best with underfloor heating
• Floor build-ups, levels and how to avoid awkward transitions

Key takeaways

• Choose flooring based on use, comfort and maintenance, not just aesthetics
• Every flooring failure usually comes back to poor prep
• Underfloor heating should influence your flooring choices early
• Mixed materials need finished floor levels planned at design stage

This episode is packed with the practical decisions that help flooring feel seamless, durable and right for how you actually live.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @ripitup_podcast_official, or follow us - Jenny is @workerscottage and Kate is @victorianrathmines