Aoife Tobin features in The Salvage Squad – a home makeover show fronted by Brian Dowling
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A Teesside University graduate is giving homes a new lease of life in a new television programme.
Aoife Tobin is part of a team of builders, carpenters, upcyclers, designers and interior experts who join Brian Dowling in Virgin Media’s new home improvement show, The Salvage Squad. The programme shows eco-conscious home owners how they can rescue pre-loved items and improve their homes in a more sustainable way.
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 Style So Simple, a studio offering design services, before venturing into the world of television.
The 35-year-old from Kerry, Ireland said: “I absolutely love working on The Salvage Squad – helping people improve their homes is what I’m passionate about, and I get to be creative. My work has taken me to lots of different places, but I didn’t expect it to take me to television, so it’s been a new and exciting challenge for me in my career.
“I 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 – we were all really hyper – but it eventually became more normal.”
Aoife started her interior design course at University College Cork and completed her studies in Teesside, graduating in 2012. She said that she had an “exceptional time” at Teesside University, which she described as “an absolute gem on so many levels” where she “made friends for life”.
Aoife added: “Everything was on the campus and within walking distance, from where you went to the gym to where you’d go out. I also remember getting a brilliant welcome during Freshers Week.
“There were bouncy houses and everything – it was wild. The course was fantastic too. The 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.
“Looking back, one of the things my tutors helped me most with was my fear of presenting. They were so open and they really took the time with students to help them get the best possible outcomes.”
Richard Sober, associate professor (learning and teaching) and interior design tutor at Teesside University, said: “When students come to us, we join them on a journey and help them to reach their potential. We stay on that journey long after they graduate, and it’s been a joy to watch Aoife grow and develop in her career.
“She’s already seen huge success – from launching her own design studio to presenting on television, and we can’t wait to see what she achieves next.”
The Salvage Squad is available in Ireland, airing on Virgin Media One every Sunday at 8pm.
