I’ll explain why I felt it was self indulgent and clarify my feelings.
I said I felt sad by the end. I had for a fair bit felt angry at his selfishness but came to see the life style worked for him and his family and they seemed very content. So my anger changed to just sadness that the house wasn’t done to be enjoyed by the family as kids grew up.
Although he clearly felt the kids had benefited ‘from the experience of the build’ neither the kids, nor the wife, seemed very engaged, not until they moved in and were doing some decorating, even then it was not significant engagement. The house was the guy’s design and build playtime.
For me the finished house was far too hippie hobbit design. I loved bits, the view, the window, the slate floor, the wood floor. I admired the craftsmanship. I just felt totally overpowered by the live edge/natural split grain wibbly wobbly wood everywhere, and for me it really grated against bits that were geometric …the window looked like a warped parabola and the ‘geodesic vaulted ceiling’ was grossly deformed. I’d have adored beyond measure both of those done in planed timber and symmetrically, but this is just a matter of personal taste.