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I was just looking some of these up and happened upon this one.
Each to their own but it's a no from me. The games room is strangely depressing and the £8k bespoke sofa looks cheap.
They are going to do a “revisited” on that one. Apparently its almost finished and will be going on the market for £10 million!
"This time next year, Rodders..." 🙂
Although I also read he won’t see any of that as due to the financing its pretty much all owned by investors
Ah - maybe not, then.
The concrete block drive interests me, a bit different to your average block paving. Anyone got any opinions on how it would look in front of your average bungalow?
Would it need any special treatment or sealer, or just the occasional jetwash?
I loved this weeks. The site was awful but the building stunning
this weeks building was lovely, and great to see it reasonably sized and not a visitors centre/monolith. Im getting tired of seeing these big ass houses, they did that on George Clark, Ugly Houses show
SPOILER ALERT RE BIGGEST GRAND DESIGNS DISASTER
the lighthouse tower disaster one is astonishing. Just a f))))in disaster. All his neighbours turned on him cos it was such an eyesore. Didn't he build a second home on the plot, for over a million, purely as a means to raise equity to plunge into his main house? Meanwhile his kids grow up and move out and its still not finished.
Was anyone else wondering why they didn't reverse the bus in from the oppposite direction, it looked like a near straight run back.
Was anyone else wondering why they didn’t reverse the bus in from the oppposite direction, it looked like a near straight run back.
I thought that way looked simpler. I reckon they hadn't thought it through. The bus arrived and it didn't look like he was expecting it. As it was already facing that way and holding up traffic they just went for it.
That hux shard one. If I'd spent an eyewatering amount of money on zinc cladding I'd not be happy with how rippled it looks.
This week's I really liked the low profile ev panels and he said £6k is that right?
If they had reversed the bus in, the doors would have adjacent to the wall so it would have been more difficult to get bigger stuff in and out. It would have needed a walkway to get down there too so the bus would be more in the drive and closer to the house.
Also intrigued by the block paved/ concrete block drive. Why? Would it actually save much against a product intended for paving?
Got to be careful bagging out Architectural designers... We don't have reciprocal status with various countries for the professional bodies so plenty of proper architects have to call themselves designers or jump through loads of daft hoops / relive undergraduate horror.
I did kinda like the hux shard visually but absolutely nothing of the clients personality other than ego which feels like a failure.
I suspect the scheduling of those two episodes together was carefully considered to make a bit of a point.
That's a lovely building. Even more lovely garden.
I suspect the scheduling of those two episodes together was carefully considered to make a bit of a point.
Yes, this has been a feature of the later seasons - it was most startling when they juxtaposed the two cancer survivors converting that old barn, with the posh **** the week before going millions over budget on a "oligarch-spec" gilded cellar in a graveyard.
I agree with all of the above re: hux shard. Thought it was terrible - both the building, and the way the build went. There was absolutely no passion/driving force/personality behind it at all. The architectural designer was obviously most to blame for the failed vision - but the it was the client that hired him and approved everything (I suspect with very little input given). I thought the building looked terrible too: as mentioned above, I couldn't live with the wobbly zinc. I think the building failed as both a piece of art, and as a home - despite taking ages and costing a huge amount. I think it was pretty well summed up with the kitchen: given the amount it cost, just not good enough, it looked like it was from Howdens. A lost opportunity to deliver something really exceptional.
I really enjoyed the triangular house: really liked the couple, and admired them including details of their IVF in the episode. Bloke was clearly sponsored by dewalt. Thought the house looked much better than the Hux house in the previous episode (which I think was the point) despite being done for a fraction of the cost, and broadly going for the same style.
The star for me was the garden/firepit/bbq area.
last nights was beautiful. definitely prefer the more modest episodes.
id have been happy with just the Bothy bit!!
I liked last night’s too and agree with the comments about the “smaller scale” builds being better than the £3m Bond Villain lairs. Maybe the series finale will have a monorail.
Not sure that I’d want their neighbours though. As long as they stuck to the permissions and respected the grade status of the house and garden then Giles and Patsy from next door can get stretched.
Also...
I've stood on the Tintagel Bridge and it is a stunning piece of kit.
I'm a bit torn about the last one (walled garden). It seems they didn't care that much about the history. The bothy ended up as a kids bedroom and a spare bedroom. They could've built what they wanted on an empty site and someone more sympathetic could've built a nice little 2 bed cottage in the bothy. The listed building people gave them a lot of leeway so they must be happy with it though. The final building was quite nice and the original arts and crafts design is already a pastiche and not that historically significant. So all in I'm on the fence, or on the wall. A nice build overall and a rotting building has been saved.
Loved the old bit - I'm guessing it wasn't finished as they only seemed to show one room - and the light corridor and the interior of the new bit (the kitchen! OMG). But the whole thing felt a bit meh for me. At least they cared about it unlike Mr and Mrs Pointy museum bin store.
Bit disappointed by the gardener's bothy tbh. They seemed to make very little use of the existing building, especially once the wee lad decided he wanted his bedroom in the new build - I'm assuming something had go (or be relocated into the old building) to free up space, though it wasn't really covered. So, day to day, the old building is a porch, the wee girl's bedroom and a spare room...? I felt the extension was a bit out of scale compared to the old building. I would preferred to have seen it clad in something that would weather a bit to blend with the existing a bit better. Relieved to see that they had managed to sort the garden by the end of the episode though
Those "unusable" old roof slates were being stacked very carefully in the truck...... Fair enough they had to be removed to sort the structure, but just felt like they wanted new for the bothy and the roofer had someone to buy the old ones.
I quite liked it but I thought the external finish on the new box could have been better. I just don't think the black worked in that surrounding. Nice to see an old building being retained though and the programme is always more interesting when they need to work with old and new.
Uncle Kev didn't work his charms on the lady in this episode which was quite surprising, she was lovely.
Would have been nicer with a naturally slivering timber cladding, anthracite window frames and a sedum roof.
Nice couple, shame about the press it has generated in the local rags.
Funnily I said that to mrs100th "those slates are being carefully stacked for something unusable". Felt they could have sectioned the garden and gifted part of it back to the biddies. That'd be a win win.
Didn't have much sympathy for his working from home. Bet he still made a mint. Definitely a job that can be done at home.
Nice couple, shame about the press it has generated in the local rags.
I managed to click on a local press piece looking for pictures of the bothy. Indeed it isn't pleasant.
I also thought I recognised her - and have now worked out I've met her through work a couple of times.
Any links Matt - it would be interesting to read what the NIMBYs have to say.
Didn't like this week's - the new section jarred too much with the surrounding's, the Bothy was nice but would just end up as a glorified shed. It's a shame they/someone didn't renovate and convert just the Bothy and leave the gardens alone.
I also don't think timber/SIPS and a black flat roof are a good long term option for UK weather.
I felt the new build side would have been much improved with a 'living' flat roof of wild flowers and grass. The house would look much more part of the garden this way.
Just seen the first episode of this series. What a complete and utter bellend********- everything I could hate in a person created as a house. Horrible house, horrible design, horrible person.
Still, at least he’s managed to spread the word about how terribly rich he is.
I've just watched episode 2. Much better than 1 and 3. More of an emotional connection between them and the building.
Episode 1 as said was just about showing off. Episode 3 did restore the initial building but the black box was jarring.
Just seen the first episode of this series. What a complete and utter bellend********- everything I could hate in a person created as a house. Horrible house, horrible design, horrible person.
Still, at least he’s managed to spread the word about how terribly rich he is.
Went past his hotel / restaurant development in Exeter High Street the other day. Didn’t look like there was much going on.
Had a look at him on companies house.......just the 41 directorships.
Friend of mine invested £10k in one of the businesses he was involved in, with promises of good returns after 3 years. Ended with sweet fa, with 4 companies linked to that now dormant .
Seems to me he’s one of these that get rich off of others
Seems to me he’s one of these that get rich off of others
Why does this not surprise me? Without knowing the first thing about his background when I made my earlier post, he just seemed to be exactly that sort of bellend********.
Had a look at him on companies house…….just the 41 directorships.
Think he's actually left most of them.
Seems to me he’s one of these that get rich off of others
more a case of get rich joining company daddy founded.
more a case of get rich joining company daddy founded.
It wasn't very clear (or I missed it) on the episode - I saw it was something to do with cars but what exactly?
I liked the latest one (walled garden).
I thought the renovation of the bothy was great - looked lovely inside, but it was only able to be saved because of the new extension - otherwise bringing the bothy back to life just wouldn't have been financially viable.
I think the black cladding was a big mistake, would have looked far better in "natural wood", and agree with the above that it was crying out for a "living" roof (but I guess it's getting covered in solar panels).
Thought the kitchen looked shit though - the ply kitchen last week (triangular house) looked much better.
I think too much was made of them digging up the garden, but I think the end result (still looks great, and now has a raised lawn) shows that that was a bit of a storm in a teacup - certainly amped-up to create drama/tension. As was the whole "is the extension taller than the wall it's supposed to be hiding behind?!" non-drama. No, it's not, we measured it.
Next weeks looks interesting - seemed to say that the bloke/husband died mid-build? What a nightmare.
It wasn’t very clear (or I missed it) on the episode
Kevin referred to him as a "self made man"- easy to do when you've had a leg up from pater.
otherwise bringing the bothy back to life just wouldn’t have been financially viable.
Not at all. It would've made a nice 2 bed cottage.
otherwise bringing the bothy back to life just wouldn’t have been financially viable.
they paid £220k for it IIRC, ~£100k to renovate it - nice house okay probably not financially that viable/great return in purely financial terms but he was an architect so wanted to put his stamp on the world to leave for generations to come. So bolted on a timber prefab shed with a flat roof. ****
Overall I think Grand Designs shows that architects are more ****s than the coined up look.at.me spaffers that commission them.
It wasn’t very clear (or I missed it) on the episode – I saw it was something to do with cars but what exactly?
He was rich from developing commercial properties, cars were just his penis extension / look at me!!!! hobby
the walled garden one, when Kevin had a look at a similar design and it was 'floating' due to a window above the living space that showed the garden behind the wall. That was stunning but obviously at a much higher budget.
I thought the guy being an architect would've meant more architectural flourishes but to my untrained eye just looked like a box alongside a wall
the joiner guy from week 2 had much more creativity. That was a classic grand design as the plot of land looked awful but he made it work - and she got pregnant too.
I think my favourites are the house made of clay, the house that took 10 years on a shoe string budget and the metal bending one.
I'll have to take some pics of our house. It was built by a friend Brian 35-40 years ago in a knackered old mill. Everything is wood and hand made including the windows/furniture/staircases. No architects involved or massive budgets. We finally bought it from him last year after admiring it for years. It is a beautiful place to live.
I also have a theory that buildings and inanimate objects absorb energy and 'feelings' from the people who visit/build/use them. Our house is a lovely place to live because I believe it was built with love who enjoyed the process.
Conversely I visited Gelerts grave with my dog after doing Snowdon one weekend (dog fable who protected Prince Llewellyn's child from harm) in Beddgelert Wales and dispite knowing it's a made up story to drum up visitors to the ailing village I was in tears at the 'graveside' from all the 1000's of visitors who have felt sorrow and no doubt shed a tear for Gelert.
Hence I can imagine the joiners pointy wood house would have a nice energy and be a calmfull place to live.
nice energy
that'll be the the 50,000 volts running through the rail line 2 yards behind them.
calmfull place to live
sandwiched between the railway and main road?
I think the black cladding was a big mistake, would have looked far better in “natural wood”,
Yes, totally agree...we were enjoying the walk through: up the drive, external of bothy, internal of bothy, through wall into long corridor etc then they panned out to this black box and it just looked awful
Kevin referred to him as a “self made man”- easy to do when you’ve had a leg up from pater.
Not really then in other words. Mrs Sandwich's professional interests were twitching away throughout that one too! (She's rarely wrong about that area, if you're unlucky enough to be one of her cases just 'fess up and pay it will be cheaper in the long run!)
Episode 4. Very nice but don't get why an elderly widow needs a huge 4 bedroom house. These boomers - even when they're self building they're refusing to downsize!
It's not for an investment as it's so close to her sisters next door it surely limits resale value