Derek & Christine The House That £100k Built


Derek & Christine

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The cheapest way to a dream home is to build it yourself.

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Right, get a shovel, Sam. Get plenty of shovels.

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But can it be done for less than £100,000?

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If you think outside the box, you can build something extraordinary.

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Architect Piers Taylor will help families facing dilemmas...

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How about making this the kitchen?

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That's radical!

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..while I, Kieran Long, will show them a world of inspiring design...

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-What do you think of this place?

-Amazing.

-It's spectacular.

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..packed with ideas that can work in any home.

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This is the kind of thing we want to do for our grandchildren.

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And they needn't be expensive.

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It's so not three bus windscreens, is it?

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It's been transformed.

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It's a challenge...

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In this case, I think we've just got to start again.

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..that's as tough as it gets.

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It's been one of the worst days of my life.

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But some will turn low-cost self-builds...

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..into fantastic homes.

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It looks great!

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This is amazing!

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This time...

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Oooh, very lovely!

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..Derek and Christine love the modern...

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Oh, yes, extremely lovely!

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Oh, yes.

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..and the quirky.

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I love the door handles.

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But plans for their home don't add up.

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It's an off-the-peg staircase and off-the-peg doors.

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If you can build a house that's anything, why would you do that?

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And a devastating blow threatens the entire house.

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We've worked on this project for a year and is it all to waste?

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HE STRAINS

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In Huddersfield, Derek and Christine are on the move.

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OK...

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Life's just too good and too full of nice things

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to be sitting down in front of the television.

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We travel a lot, we party a lot, we go to music.

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And hopefully, by keeping ourselves occupied,

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we'll keep ourselves young.

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Derek's a big fan of music festivals...

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..and back in the '60s,

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he was a roadie for Liverpool band The Notions,

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which played regularly at The Cavern Club.

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Later, he became an engineer, building power stations.

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While Christine ran her own recruitment business.

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Do you think we might have a cookie and coffee break at some point?

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-Yeah.

-I'm not saying right now.

-I am!

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Now, aged 67 and 71, they're starting a new life in Kent,

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closer to friends and family...

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..and building their new home there from scratch.

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It is the next chapter of our lives.

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It is exciting.

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There'll loads more exciting steps.

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We are children of the '60s.

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Who needs convention?

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HE LAUGHS

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We are just elderly hippies.

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Derek and Christine have bought a plot

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on the Kent-Sussex border for £162,500

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and have just 95K to build their home.

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The front door will...be about here.

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If they can pull it off,

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they'll save getting on for 200 grand

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on the cost of a similar local house.

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A lot of money is at stake with this.

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Our entire life savings are at stake with this.

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£30,000 of life savings

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have already been ploughed into a bespoke frame

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for the house design that Christine devised

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and the couple refined together.

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I cannot afford to get it wrong.

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There is just no possibility of it failing,

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because I haven't got enough time left in my life to recover

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if we...if we fail!

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Without any previous design experience,

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the odds are stacked against Derek and Christine

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creating a fantastic home.

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But their whole future depends on getting it right.

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I've spent my whole career

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searching out the best in modern architecture and design.

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And Piers is one of Britain's most innovative and creative architects.

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I've come to his studio so we can look for ways to help the couple

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achieve the best house possible for the money.

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Our first step is to understand exactly what they're building.

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It's a three-bedroom, two-storey house,

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which will be clad in traditional Kentish clapboard.

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The front elevation is largely determined by planning rules.

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But inside, they've avoided corridors and doors, where possible,

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aiming to save cash and create a light, modern feel.

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Upstairs, a steel and glass balcony

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makes the most of the south-facing views from the living room

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and the master bedroom.

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Downstairs, there's Derek's study, which doubles as a guest bedroom,

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a guest bathroom, the kitchen-diner,

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and another guest bedroom, doubling as Christine's sewing room.

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The plans are clear enough, but will this be a dream home for the couple?

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I think there is a lot of bravery about Derek and Christine.

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They're in their 70s. You know, this is a lot of work to take on.

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So it's a big step. And you've got to admire them for taking it.

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The strange thing about seeing these drawings, for me,

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is that these people are flamboyant,

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but you would not know who this building was for,

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what kind of lifestyle it was designed to contain.

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Developers all over the country are building houses

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with a standard kitchen, a standard bathroom, standard room sizes.

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When you've got the chance to do anything,

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it's so shocking to see a building

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that's so much like that lowest common denominator.

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The windows are placed in such a way

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that they don't even light the rooms.

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And it's quite clear that, in this kitchen,

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even washing-up with a view is impossible.

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You're not allowed to look out the window while you're working.

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And it's even things like ventilation.

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So in a kitchen on a rainy day, a windy day,

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you need to be able to open a window a crack

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to be able to let some air in. Here, you can't do that.

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You open a patio door and it bangs around in the wind.

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You can't vent through a patio door.

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And I think the second thing is,

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there's a kitchen and dining room downstairs.

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The lounge is upstairs.

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So there's no relationship between them.

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The two most important things, as you know, in architecture

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are the organisation of space and the penetration of daylight.

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This house has neither of those things.

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They're constrained by planning,

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in terms of how it looks on the outside,

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but there must be stuff we can do inside.

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I think the biggest challenge

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is that you can't make this better by adding wallpaper, colour, finish.

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It needs to be a fundamental, structural reorganisation

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of space and light here to get it to work.

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Derek and Christine's home needs to be lighter

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and better suited to their sociable lifestyle.

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Piers wants to help them make it that way.

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They have spent a long time working on these plans

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and I think they could be a bit defensive.

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So I need to tread quite carefully.

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But at the same time, I want them to unpick

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all of the decisions they've made and reconsider everything.

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-Hi, Derek. Hi, Christine.

-Hiya.

-How are you doing?

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-Hi, Piers. How are you doing?

-Good. Good to meet you.

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-Hi, how do you do?

-So, look at this.

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This is about a week's work.

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-Yes, it is.

-Yeah, two-and-a-half days.

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-Amazing. From almost nothing there's what looks like a house.

-Yeah, yeah.

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Christine, did you imagine this space?

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I wanted it light and airy, modern.

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-I didn't want any little nooks and crannies...

-Yeah.

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..that collected dust and dirt.

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I want something that had a spacious, open, airy feel.

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The only thing that I do regret,

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that I wish we'd put a window in that wall.

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-It's quite dark, that corner, isn't it?

-It is. That's what I feel.

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For me, you know, you look like unconventional people.

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And at the moment, I see a very conventional house.

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Why is it so ordinary so far,

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when the planners haven't defined what's inside?

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Why hasn't it got sparkly, dangly...?

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You know, why is it...?

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The bandanna!

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The finished article

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might have sparkly, dangly earrings and a bandanna.

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-At the moment, you are seeing the bare bones of it.

-Yeah, yeah.

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I mean, you talk about this house being modern.

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But, you know, you can't sprinkle some modern dust on this

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and suddenly it's a modern house.

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I mean, how do you do something here

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that is a contemporary building,

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without just putting some modern fittings in it?

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-You know, what do you like?

-What do I like, personally?

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-Buildings you like?

-Erm, clean, simple, efficient...

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-Yeah.

-..I think are probably the key words.

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Have you gone to a building that you like?

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You love, I'd say, actually?

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I don't think so, particularly.

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Derek doesn't appear to care about buildings,

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but I suspect, even if he doesn't realise it,

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if he lived in a really nasty building, he certainly would.

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What's curious about Derek and Christine

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is that they're so likeable.

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They're so interesting and quirky

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and, you know, if you took all those adjectives

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and applied it to a building, it sure wouldn't look like this one.

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For me, this is very hard.

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Because, at the moment, there's not really any brief.

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There's just a set of spaces

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that have conventional room names attached to them.

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A kitchen, a study, a living room, a bedroom...

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And not much else.

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Derek and Christine seem to believe it's the decor

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that will add character to their home.

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In reality, it's good use of space and light

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that'll make it a pleasure to live in.

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Piers seizes the chance to challenge them.

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Where's the kind of...

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You know, where's the passion for this building?

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You could build anything. This is your one shot at building anything.

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You're coming at it from a totally different point of view.

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-And we appreciate that.

-What do you love about it?

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We love the geographical position of it.

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We love the way it's capturing the south-facing views.

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We like the disposition of the rooms.

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We can visualise a good lifestyle.

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We know what our friends are like.

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We know how our social life's going to develop

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and we can see that fitting in here.

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All of that ticks all the boxes that we really want to kick.

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Piers has an idea for a fundamental change

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that would transform this ordinary house into something special

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and ideal for socialising.

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Why don't you put the kitchen upstairs with the living room

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and put your bedroom down there?

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DEREK LAUGHS

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You know, coming up to kind of kitchen living,

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which had a stair that arrived in the middle.

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However you finish it, it would always be amazing.

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At the moment, what's curious

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is that the building depends on your taste, your decor,

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to make it amazing.

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Whereas having, irrespective of style,

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a big space with lots of south-facing light,

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with lots of south-facing balcony...

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..it's kind of priceless.

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I do prefer a separate lounge.

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I just think, if you're entertaining,

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I don't like people in the kitchen when you're trying to cook.

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I do like to, say, eat in the kitchen

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and then go into a separate lounge.

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I think, if you were to solve a problem,

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it would be to allow the two rooms to benefit from one another.

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So you put them both upstairs

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and you put a dividing thing

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that allows you to borrow the light from one to the other,

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borrow the view from one to the other,

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borrow the sense of space from one to the other.

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Your valid concern that you're in the kitchen making something,

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-people are having dinner and you don't want them to see them.

-Yeah.

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I mean, there's lots of ways around that, absolutely.

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-I think this idea of moving the kitchen upstairs...

-Mm.

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..does have some mileage in it.

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Piers's suggestion would turn a conventional home

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into one flooded with light and perfect for entertaining.

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His idea is to swap the master bedroom and kitchen-diner,

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bringing the kitchen-diner up to the first floor.

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The central wall upstairs is currently blocking light and views.

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Removing it and replacing it with a more innovative form of screening

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would give privacy, when needed,

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but allow the whole of the upstairs

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to become a spacious and flexible living area

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for the couple and their guests.

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Derek has to deal with the practicalities of changes,

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including checking them with planning and building control.

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Can Piers persuade him?

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This wall, you know, is a block to

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A, that fantastic oast house,

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but B, the kind of distant view beyond.

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And, you know, having a space that's this big from here to there

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would just be amazing, really.

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I mean, how do you feel about undoing stuff?

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If we feel the benefit is there,

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then the hell with the amount of work.

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It's me and, I don't know, 50 quid for a few bits of wood or something.

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But we're open to this idea and we want to experiment with it.

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Experiment is, you know, that's one of my favourite words.

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And, you know, I guess this house could do with a bit of that.

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Piers has had a breakthrough, showing Christine and Derek

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a huge improvement to their house is still possible.

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Now I need to fire them up with a vision of how amazing it could be.

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I've found a home which is spacious, sociable

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and not divided into conventional rooms.

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It's Mission Hall in Sussex, by Adam Richards Architects.

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And I hope this will become the first modern home

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to inspire the couple.

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I wanted to bring you to this house

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to start to think about how you really live

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-in a contemporary interior...

-Yes, yes.

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-..how you live in an elevated interior.

-Indeed.

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This house is an upside-down house

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and we can just think about that living space, how it works,

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that can really add a lot to a building.

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-Right. Lead on.

-Indeed. Yeah.

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Come on in. Come into the cool.

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Oh, it's beautiful.

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This is so nice, this space.

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It's kind of cave-like and I love this shallow vault here.

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It feels a bit like a kind of a very glamorous cellar.

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The bedrooms are downstairs, where it's naturally darker,

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with corridors adding to the snug feel.

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It's a deliberate move to contrast with what lies above.

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That staircase makes you want to touch it

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-and go up there to see what's...

-It does, doesn't it?

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-It feels like its mysterious.

-Well, let's do that.

-Let's go upstairs!

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Like Derek and Christine,

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the owners of Mission Hall love to entertain

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and enjoy the landscape beyond the home.

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The house is tailor-made for both.

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Oooh, very lovely.

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Oh, yes, extremely lovely.

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Oh, yes.

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When you go up to your living space and you have the beautiful view,

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is this how you would like to feel?

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You know, I mean, being up here and amongst the trees

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-with the view across the farmland here.

-There is a similarity.

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The view is across the farmland.

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There are trees with the neighbour's house. So there is a similarity.

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I don't think we have any intentions of photocopying the place,

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because we've got our own furniture and our own stuff.

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All I'm interested in is...

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I'm interested in how you feel right now.

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This whole space here, with these high ceilings,

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the kind of sense of being surrounded by the trees,

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-it does sort of lift you.

-Oh, it does.

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A good view can be framed elegantly

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by using plain curtains and white walls,

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which will also keep things bright inside.

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Contrasting colours and textures stop the white from feeling stark.

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So I think most importantly for you guys

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-is to come and stand out here on this balcony.

-Yes.

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It is quite a shallow balcony here. This is about a metre.

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-You've got just a bit more than a metre.

-Yeah, yeah.

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-When you go towards the light and...

-Yes. Oh, yes, yes!

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-I can tell you love this.

-Yeah, you can't help but smile, can you?

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When you look at the sunshine

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and the view and the flowers, it is beautiful.

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And it's beautiful to imagine having a living space

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that really has this view as part of it.

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-Yes, yes.

-It's just fabulous.

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But, I mean, how do you feel when you're standing up here,

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looking at a beautiful, long view,

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do you start to feel a bit like, "This is what I could win"?

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This is what I could achieve!

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The first floor shows walls aren't needed to create rooms.

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You can use a rug and grouping of sofas to create a sitting room,

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and add striking pendant lights above the table

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to help define a dining area,

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all within one generous open-plan space.

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And if you want the option of privacy, like Christine,

0:17:060:17:09

it can be created with a solution

0:17:090:17:11

that's far more imaginative than acres of plasterboard.

0:17:110:17:15

My eye's just caught on the kitchen, which is hidden away behind here.

0:17:150:17:18

And this effectively is,

0:17:180:17:20

although it's a beautiful piece of furniture in its own right,

0:17:200:17:23

it's effectively a room divider screening the kitchen off.

0:17:230:17:26

-But without the need for doors...

-Without the need for doors.

0:17:260:17:29

Without the need for a wall construction or whatever.

0:17:290:17:31

And it's a very interesting use of space.

0:17:310:17:33

So, Derek, it is really nice, isn't it, to get into this room

0:17:350:17:37

without going through a door

0:17:370:17:38

and just past this very beautiful temple-like piece of joinery?

0:17:380:17:42

-It is.

-The thing I like most about it is how sociable this could be.

0:17:420:17:45

-Oh, indeed.

-You could be cooking

0:17:450:17:46

and somebody could be lounging on the sofa, you can see them.

0:17:460:17:48

But they're not in the space.

0:17:480:17:50

You know, it's connected, but not divided.

0:17:500:17:52

I think that's really strong.

0:17:520:17:53

Open-plan spaces are prone to feeling cavernous,

0:17:550:17:58

but this home shows how you can use furniture to create cosy areas.

0:17:580:18:02

And when you need space for throwing parties, furniture is movable,

0:18:030:18:07

unlike solid walls.

0:18:070:18:08

There's certainly ideas to explore, avenues to explore there.

0:18:100:18:14

I can see something's awakening in your mind.

0:18:140:18:16

Oh, something's very much awake in my mind!

0:18:160:18:18

Having seen how well an open-plan first floor space can work,

0:18:200:18:24

Derek and Christine must now weigh

0:18:240:18:27

whether to make a dramatic change to the layout of their home.

0:18:270:18:30

I think the way they have done it here

0:18:320:18:34

has been in a very clever, innovative and beautiful way.

0:18:340:18:38

Erm, but whether it would be applicable to us, I don't know.

0:18:380:18:41

It's been an absolutely brilliant day here with Derek and Christine

0:18:440:18:47

and I loved how they're just immediately embraced this building.

0:18:470:18:50

And they understood the gesture of the architecture, which was great.

0:18:500:18:54

What's harder with them

0:18:540:18:55

is to get them to see the connection between this and their build.

0:18:550:18:58

They're trying to understand how to make a beautiful,

0:18:580:19:01

open-plan living space at first-floor level with a great view.

0:19:010:19:04

It's just the same problem that is cracked so magnificently here.

0:19:040:19:08

So I hope they go away, think about it a bit further,

0:19:080:19:10

and start to adjust their attitude

0:19:100:19:12

to that thorny problem on their first floor.

0:19:120:19:15

After a few days mulling over upside-down living,

0:19:160:19:20

Christine's realised there are some snags

0:19:200:19:22

with applying the idea to their home.

0:19:220:19:24

I liked the idea of the kitchen upstairs. I was very sold on that.

0:19:260:19:29

But I didn't like the idea of moving the bedroom downstairs.

0:19:290:19:32

Because there are practical benefits of having the kitchen downstairs.

0:19:320:19:35

It means I haven't got to carry the shopping upstairs.

0:19:350:19:38

Derek's also concluded the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.

0:19:390:19:43

We've been to quite a few lectures at building trade exhibitions.

0:19:440:19:49

And the common theme was to keep it simple.

0:19:490:19:51

Diminish corridors, keep it open, keep it straightforward.

0:19:510:19:56

And we adopted that as our design brief.

0:19:560:19:59

And when we looked at Piers' plans for downstairs,

0:19:590:20:02

that seemed to be putting in corridors and doors

0:20:020:20:05

that we'd designed out.

0:20:050:20:07

So we weren't overly impressed with that.

0:20:070:20:10

I like to think,

0:20:110:20:12

and I think Christine's with me on this, as well,

0:20:120:20:15

that the time we spent in the early design stage has paid off

0:20:150:20:19

and we've got something that we are happy with.

0:20:190:20:22

It's really disappointing Derek and Christine have rejected this change.

0:20:240:20:28

Piers and I need to work out what other ways of improving the house

0:20:280:20:31

will appeal to them more.

0:20:310:20:33

But right now, the couple are preoccupied.

0:20:330:20:36

During the build, they and visiting family

0:20:360:20:39

are living in a caravan nearby and Derek's feeling under pressure.

0:20:390:20:42

We don't have anywhere to go other than this caravan.

0:20:440:20:47

But we're not looking forward to a winter in it.

0:20:470:20:50

We might think it'll be extremely cold.

0:20:500:20:53

So there's a great incentive to get ourselves into gear

0:20:530:20:56

and get into habitation.

0:20:560:20:57

Even though it'll probably only be half the house to start with,

0:20:570:21:00

if we've got running water, if we've got electricity,

0:21:000:21:04

if we've got a loo and a bedroom, that's cool, we'll live with that.

0:21:040:21:08

Let's just lift it up a bit and have a look at it.

0:21:110:21:14

Derek and Christine have been partners for 23 years

0:21:140:21:18

and each has two children from an earlier marriage.

0:21:180:21:20

Today, Derek's son Christopher is lending some muscle power.

0:21:210:21:25

Can you get that under there from there?

0:21:250:21:27

Work at the house is progressing well,

0:21:300:21:33

when there's staggering news from the council.

0:21:330:21:35

We've had an e-mail from planning,

0:21:410:21:43

which suggests that we've built the house in the wrong place.

0:21:430:21:47

It really is absolutely devastating.

0:21:550:21:58

There is no word to describe the depths that your feelings go to.

0:21:580:22:05

It's despair. It's, erm...

0:22:050:22:08

It's... We've worked on this project for a year and is it all to waste?

0:22:090:22:14

This dimension between the corner of the house and the pub

0:22:180:22:23

is less than was expected.

0:22:230:22:25

I think we're talking about half a metre to a metre.

0:22:250:22:29

The planning advisers that we've spoken to

0:22:290:22:31

tell us that, strictly speaking, in law,

0:22:310:22:35

a millimetre is enough to create a problem.

0:22:350:22:37

We have been advised to stop work on site.

0:22:390:22:44

Derek thinks lack of detail in the original plans,

0:22:480:22:51

showing the plot's shape and size, may be the root of the problem.

0:22:510:22:54

Christine is clear about her role.

0:22:570:22:59

I try and be as supportive as possible and try and be realistic

0:23:000:23:04

and say, "We will find a way forward.

0:23:040:23:06

"We had all the good times when things were going really well,

0:23:060:23:09

"this is just a bad time."

0:23:090:23:11

Derek is finding it harder to stay positive.

0:23:110:23:14

With the plot and the build together,

0:23:150:23:17

we reckon we're round about £220,000 in

0:23:170:23:21

and we just cannot afford to lose that.

0:23:210:23:25

There is no contingency in the world

0:23:250:23:27

that allows for complete dismantling and rebuild of a house.

0:23:270:23:30

If we can't resolve the problem, maybe we're doomed

0:23:330:23:35

to live in rented accommodation for the rest of our lives,

0:23:350:23:38

I just don't know.

0:23:380:23:39

The couple have submitted a brand-new planning application

0:23:420:23:45

to keep the house where it is but, with autumn approaching,

0:23:450:23:48

Derek is desperate to crack on - without waiting for formal approval.

0:23:480:23:53

Piers heads to the site,

0:23:560:23:58

determined to spell out the dangers of doing so.

0:23:580:24:01

This is the stuff of nightmares for self-builders.

0:24:020:24:05

Derek and Christine have built their house in the wrong place

0:24:050:24:08

and that's a really, really big deal.

0:24:080:24:11

And in planning, there are some things you can be cavalier about,

0:24:110:24:14

but building your house in the wrong place and being told then to stop,

0:24:140:24:19

I mean, that really is a big deal and you really don't mess with that.

0:24:190:24:22

-Hello?

-Oh, hiya. Hi.

0:24:290:24:31

-Hi, Christine.

-Hiya.

0:24:310:24:33

-How are you doing?

-Fine, thank you.

-Good to see again.

0:24:330:24:35

-Hi, Derek.

-Morning, Piers.

-How's things?

-Ah, good. Good, good.

0:24:350:24:39

-Yeah?

-We've been cautioned...

0:24:390:24:41

erm...

0:24:410:24:43

and we've taken the decision

0:24:430:24:45

that we've got to make some minimal progress.

0:24:450:24:48

So you're throwing caution to the wind?

0:24:480:24:49

We have been advised by the planning authority

0:24:490:24:52

that the new planning application we've made

0:24:520:24:55

is to regularise the process.

0:24:550:24:58

OK, yes, yes.

0:24:580:25:00

So, assuming that that passes, then this dispute disappears.

0:25:000:25:04

They've given you, informally,

0:25:040:25:06

-a sense that this is likely to gain approval now?

-Yes.

0:25:060:25:08

Piers is slightly reassured about the risk.

0:25:090:25:12

However, the new planning application was a chance

0:25:120:25:15

to introduce big improvements to the design at no extra cost,

0:25:150:25:19

and the couple haven't taken it.

0:25:190:25:21

Did you not think that you might use that period

0:25:230:25:26

-to rethink certain things?

-Not really.

0:25:260:25:29

Because the essence of our design we've revisited

0:25:290:25:33

and we're totally satisfied with.

0:25:330:25:35

You know, what I find surprising

0:25:350:25:37

is that everything that I come in and can see at a glance

0:25:370:25:41

is as ordinary as it can be.

0:25:410:25:42

I mean, it's an off-the-peg staircase

0:25:420:25:44

with an off-the-peg newel post

0:25:440:25:46

and off-the-peg doors and off-the-peg...

0:25:460:25:48

I mean, why would you do that?

0:25:480:25:50

If you can build a house that's anything, why would you do that?

0:25:500:25:53

-Because we are constrained by finance.

-No, you're not.

0:25:530:25:55

You're doing it as if a house-builder was doing it.

0:25:550:25:57

But you're doing a house for you that's your fantasy,

0:25:570:26:01

that's your dream, that's your life savings,

0:26:010:26:04

that you're going to grow old and adore,

0:26:040:26:06

and yet you're doing something

0:26:060:26:07

that the lowest common denominator house-builder would do.

0:26:070:26:10

-Maybe we adore, that is our dream, a bog-standard staircase.

-Maybe.

0:26:100:26:14

But, I mean, in which case, it's not a very fruitful conversation,

0:26:140:26:17

but one would think that you'd work out how, when you came in,

0:26:170:26:21

to make the most of a set of spaces.

0:26:210:26:23

And here all I can see is a staircase

0:26:230:26:25

that blocks me from actually seeing

0:26:250:26:27

the one bit of daylight in a room that's quite dark.

0:26:270:26:31

It's been clear from the outset, the dark kitchen is a big problem.

0:26:320:26:36

Piers has a final chance to persuade Derek and Christine

0:26:360:26:39

to do something about it.

0:26:390:26:42

I mean, you'd think that washing-up or cooking

0:26:420:26:44

or doing something with a sense of daylight or a view

0:26:440:26:47

would be one of life's fundamental things.

0:26:470:26:49

I mean, really, I know I'm pushing you quite hard

0:26:490:26:52

and I haven't come here to really...

0:26:520:26:54

Well, actually, I have come here to challenge you a bit!

0:26:540:26:56

-That's OK, that's fine.

-But I haven't come to sound off.

0:26:560:26:58

What I've come to do is really just try and understand

0:26:580:27:01

if there are ways, now that you can see the building around you,

0:27:010:27:04

that you could change things to make it better for you.

0:27:040:27:07

Yes.

0:27:070:27:08

What you could do is put a lovely low window here,

0:27:080:27:12

that did allow you to bring light in.

0:27:120:27:14

Right, if we're going to the bother of cutting a hole in that

0:27:140:27:17

and putting a window in, then I want a proper window that,

0:27:170:27:21

being a tall person, I can see out of.

0:27:210:27:23

Fantastic. Whether it stops there or whether it's there is up to you.

0:27:230:27:26

-I mean, that's...

-Right, right, yes.

0:27:260:27:28

-So we are in agreement on the window.

-I think so.

0:27:280:27:30

Good! Well, it's been a productive morning.

0:27:300:27:33

It seems like a breakthrough and Piers isn't done yet.

0:27:370:27:40

The couple rejected the idea of moving the kitchen,

0:27:420:27:45

but he thinks there's still scope

0:27:450:27:46

for a radical improvement of the upstairs,

0:27:460:27:48

if they'll take his advice.

0:27:480:27:50

-So the view does get better as you come up, doesn't it?

-It's beautiful.

0:27:530:27:57

Oh, it's beautiful. It's what we bought the plot for.

0:27:570:28:00

You've decided not to connect these two spaces at all?

0:28:000:28:04

No, because it's not the kitchen.

0:28:040:28:05

But the way that this nice room...

0:28:050:28:09

-Yes?

-..connects with that room, that big opening,

0:28:090:28:13

you'd think you could think about just doing more with.

0:28:130:28:17

I mean, I wonder whether, for example...

0:28:170:28:19

I mean, this wall, it's so...

0:28:190:28:21

I'm going to use the word literal, it's so literal.

0:28:210:28:24

Whatever you do to this now, whatever you put on it,

0:28:240:28:26

-it will still just be a wall.

-No, no, no. No, no, not at all.

0:28:260:28:30

One of the possibilities that we're considering

0:28:300:28:33

is going to an architectural scrapyard

0:28:330:28:34

and getting some leaded glass or something of that sort.

0:28:340:28:37

But I would argue that that makes little difference.

0:28:370:28:39

I mean, why wouldn't you take it out, take the whole thing out,

0:28:390:28:43

and then not have a standard door in?

0:28:430:28:45

Have one beautiful bit,

0:28:450:28:48

you know, a whole beautiful wall from here to here,

0:28:480:28:53

from here to there of this stained-glass etc, etc, etc.

0:28:530:28:58

Because it would be beautiful,

0:28:580:28:59

but it would also allow the light to come through.

0:28:590:29:01

It would allow all of these spaces to feel big, feel generous.

0:29:010:29:05

Yes, certainly I'm liking that idea

0:29:050:29:08

of not having that as a conventional partition wall

0:29:080:29:11

and making it a feature.

0:29:110:29:13

Could you run it right the way down, so it became the balustrade,

0:29:130:29:18

and that was a beautiful triangle of stained glass

0:29:180:29:20

that came up into a wall of stained glass?

0:29:200:29:22

So the whole thing in the middle of the house was this beautiful wall.

0:29:220:29:26

Piers is reiterating his idea

0:29:290:29:31

that Derek and Christine replace the plasterboard wall

0:29:310:29:34

with a subtle partition.

0:29:340:29:35

However, he's now taking it a step further

0:29:370:29:40

by suggesting a combined glass partition and balustrade

0:29:400:29:43

that could be an integrated, striking feature

0:29:430:29:46

at the heart of the house.

0:29:460:29:47

The upstairs room would be improved

0:29:510:29:53

and the balustrade would allow light

0:29:530:29:55

to flood the stairs and kitchen-diner,

0:29:550:29:57

which are currently dark.

0:29:570:29:59

There's technical reservations and difficulties to overcome,

0:30:010:30:04

but I like what we're trying to achieve,

0:30:040:30:07

I like where we're trying to point.

0:30:070:30:09

I thought the idea

0:30:090:30:10

with the potential glass balustrade in and that wall,

0:30:100:30:15

I think could be absolutely stunning.

0:30:150:30:17

Four months after Derek and Christine were advised

0:30:250:30:27

to stop work on their house, there's a crucial development.

0:30:270:30:31

The big news is that we have planning permission.

0:30:350:30:38

This is it, we can go

0:30:380:30:40

and we have gone and we've ordered all sorts of things

0:30:400:30:43

and the building is progressing very quickly.

0:30:430:30:46

Getting the green light

0:30:480:30:50

to continue building the house in the same position is a relief,

0:30:500:30:54

but the 17-week delay has serious consequences.

0:30:540:30:57

We constructed the main body of the house in sort of late spring,

0:30:580:31:02

with a view to doing most of the build during summer,

0:31:020:31:06

with extended evenings and warm weather.

0:31:060:31:09

And we're now forced to do the same thing with a short working day,

0:31:090:31:14

with cold, with frost, with damp and rain.

0:31:140:31:18

The changing weather is also making life in the caravan harder to bear.

0:31:210:31:25

It's the damp. Everywhere is damp.

0:31:260:31:28

I always feel that, when you put your clothes on,

0:31:280:31:31

they feel slightly damp to me.

0:31:310:31:33

Now it's getting a bit colder, I've attempted double glazing.

0:31:330:31:37

I just ripped up an old plastic sheet from the building site

0:31:370:31:41

and I've tried to stick it.

0:31:410:31:44

Weatherproofing is also the most critical job at the house.

0:31:480:31:52

It's suffering in the rain.

0:31:520:31:54

There have been times when we've been lying awake in the caravan

0:31:560:32:00

at three o'clock in the morning listening to the rain, thinking,

0:32:000:32:02

"What's happening at the house?

0:32:020:32:04

"Are our possessions getting soaked through?"

0:32:040:32:07

So far, 65K of the 95K budget has gone,

0:32:090:32:13

including £8,000 worth of windows and doors.

0:32:130:32:16

To economise, Derek's fitting them himself,

0:32:180:32:21

with help from Christine's son Greg.

0:32:210:32:23

It would have helped if it wasn't raining,

0:32:230:32:25

but I guess what we're doing is trying to stop the rain coming in,

0:32:250:32:29

so maybe, as we progress, we can test the theory.

0:32:290:32:33

-Now, are you OK with that?

-Yeah, I'm worried about you, though.

0:32:340:32:37

Don't worry about me.

0:32:370:32:39

It's backbreaking work.

0:32:400:32:42

At the end of a hard day, Derek's goal of a basic house fit to live in

0:32:520:32:57

is one step closer.

0:32:570:32:58

The front door...is now locked.

0:32:590:33:02

There's a good chance, within the next 24, 48 hours,

0:33:050:33:07

we'll be properly watertight and secure

0:33:070:33:10

and that's a long way towards what a house is.

0:33:100:33:14

What is a house?

0:33:140:33:15

A house is somewhere that's watertight and secure.

0:33:150:33:18

So, you know, we're nearly there.

0:33:180:33:20

Derek and Christine's focus

0:33:220:33:24

on getting into their house is understandable,

0:33:240:33:26

but as they've already ruled out an upside-down layout,

0:33:260:33:29

I fear they could plod on with their original plans

0:33:290:33:32

and miss opportunities to make it uniquely theirs.

0:33:320:33:36

They loved Piers' idea of a combined glass partition and balustrade,

0:33:420:33:46

but haven't made any decision on how to incorporate it.

0:33:460:33:49

I'm going to show them something I hope will inspire them to get going.

0:33:520:33:56

You've been thinking about coloured glass, haven't you?

0:33:570:34:00

Yeah, that's an option, certainly. It brings light through

0:34:000:34:03

and we think the colours could add something to it.

0:34:030:34:06

Have you got any specific ideas of what you want that to be, you know?

0:34:060:34:10

Not at the moment, but looking for inspiration.

0:34:100:34:13

This London showroom

0:34:140:34:16

is a collaboration between graphic designer Peter Saville

0:34:160:34:19

and architect David Adjaye.

0:34:190:34:20

So, come in.

0:34:220:34:23

This is what I wanted to show you.

0:34:250:34:27

-This is a showroom for a Danish fabric manufacturer...

-Right.

0:34:350:34:39

..who make very beautiful, like, coloured fabrics.

0:34:390:34:41

So colour is very important to them.

0:34:410:34:43

Christine, what you make of these colours, because it's quite a simple

0:34:450:34:48

selection of colours, in one way, isn't it?

0:34:480:34:50

I think they're beautiful colours. They're like jewel colours.

0:34:500:34:52

Especially with the light in them, glowing.

0:34:520:34:55

I think it works beautifully in this big space.

0:34:550:34:58

I'm not sure about in a smaller space.

0:34:580:35:00

How does that compare with the kinds of ideas you've had so far?

0:35:000:35:04

It's totally different and it's interesting and refreshing.

0:35:040:35:07

And the idea of three or four single panes, one colour each pane,

0:35:070:35:12

there's less work involved, there's less construction involved,

0:35:120:35:16

it could be a simpler, therefore cheaper, way of doing it.

0:35:160:35:18

Derek, I like how you recognise that one great thing about minimalism

0:35:180:35:21

is it can be cheap!

0:35:210:35:22

This project reimagines a staircase

0:35:240:35:26

as something that allows light through a building,

0:35:260:35:29

rather than blocking it.

0:35:290:35:31

The same principle applies to using translucent furniture,

0:35:310:35:34

such as tables and chairs.

0:35:340:35:36

You certainly get the full effect of the colours as you walk down.

0:35:380:35:41

It's lovely here, isn't it,

0:35:410:35:42

when you see the kind of doubles of reflections

0:35:420:35:45

-and your own reflection in the colour?

-Yeah.

0:35:450:35:48

Everything else about it is very, very simple.

0:35:480:35:50

Solid, light wood floor,

0:35:500:35:52

simple steel handrail and a steel trim at the top.

0:35:520:35:54

You know, this glass is not going to be cheap,

0:35:540:35:57

but I think, as you said Derek,

0:35:570:35:58

a similar effect with panels of colour is achievable.

0:35:580:36:02

This is obviously an old building.

0:36:020:36:05

It's an old warehouse that has been converted,

0:36:050:36:07

but this very modern idea does marry very well with the old building,

0:36:070:36:12

and it's a bit like our house.

0:36:120:36:14

From the outside it is, it's not an old building,

0:36:140:36:16

but it's a traditional building,

0:36:160:36:18

and we're trying to do something a bit contemporary inside.

0:36:180:36:21

Having these kinds of ideas

0:36:210:36:23

-might just be the thing that makes your interior really special.

-Yes.

0:36:230:36:26

I think the difficulty now is going back home

0:36:290:36:32

and translating this into reality, discussing the price.

0:36:320:36:35

Both of which are serious impingements on any idea.

0:36:350:36:40

But the idea of filtering different colours into the bedroom is superb

0:36:400:36:45

and it would be very nice

0:36:450:36:46

to be able to translate it into reality, if we can.

0:36:460:36:49

This staircase cost around £170,000.

0:36:500:36:54

Our visit seems to have inspired Derek and Christine,

0:36:540:36:56

but the challenge now is to help them create an affordable version

0:36:560:37:00

for their house.

0:37:000:37:02

That's where Piers' ingenuity with low-cost solutions comes into play.

0:37:070:37:11

And he thinks the answer is in a bus breakers' yard in Barnsley.

0:37:110:37:15

Coming here may be, initially, a bit of a let-down

0:37:200:37:24

but, actually, this is a treasure trove of incredible stuff,

0:37:240:37:28

really good-quality stuff that can be reused,

0:37:280:37:31

repurposed into something truly spectacular.

0:37:310:37:34

Well, as you've seen,

0:37:350:37:37

Kieran gets to take you to these amazing, glamorous places,

0:37:370:37:40

whereas I get to take you to a breakers' yard.

0:37:400:37:42

-This is where buses come to die?

-It is, absolutely.

0:37:420:37:46

In theory, they've reached the end of their life,

0:37:460:37:48

but everything gets repurposed and reused,

0:37:480:37:50

and finding something here that we can make your glass wall out of

0:37:500:37:53

could be amazing.

0:37:530:37:54

-Let's go and have a scavenge.

-Right.

0:37:540:37:56

So, as you can see, this is a bus that's been already stripped

0:38:000:38:04

and this is just sheet aluminium that gets taken off

0:38:040:38:07

and will get recycled

0:38:070:38:09

and, critically, all the glass comes out of it.

0:38:090:38:13

Good-quality, low-cost glass.

0:38:130:38:15

-Yeah.

-Right.

0:38:150:38:16

Jeff Ripley runs the breakers' yard.

0:38:180:38:20

Tell me about this.

0:38:220:38:23

-I mean, this is toughened or laminated?

-That's toughened, that.

0:38:230:38:26

You get your kite mark on these, if you see down here, look.

0:38:260:38:29

-And because it's toughened, we can't cut it.

-No, you can't, no.

0:38:290:38:32

And what would a piece like that cost?

0:38:320:38:35

Roughly it would cost you about £25.

0:38:350:38:37

At that price, a large glass feature

0:38:370:38:40

is infinitely more affordable than buying a bespoke system,

0:38:400:38:44

though it's vital to check it complies with building regulations

0:38:440:38:47

and it will take a bit of work.

0:38:470:38:50

-There is quite a lot that you would need to do to this.

-Yes.

0:38:500:38:52

Otherwise, it will just look like a bus window.

0:38:520:38:54

So I think the colour and the tinting of it

0:38:540:38:57

is something we can play with,

0:38:570:38:58

but also the method of fixing so that it does become a wall,

0:38:580:39:01

not a loose piece of glass.

0:39:010:39:03

Piers wants to help Derek and Christine visualise a glass wall

0:39:080:39:12

by making a quick mock-up.

0:39:120:39:14

So if you imagine this is your wall stud work

0:39:140:39:17

or this is vertical timber, when it's laid up,

0:39:170:39:19

-what we'll actually do is lay the glass on top of this.

-Right.

0:39:190:39:22

So they still look like old bus windscreens at the moment.

0:39:250:39:28

It certainly does and I'm very interested to see

0:39:280:39:30

how you can prettify this into a work of art.

0:39:300:39:34

In these boxes...

0:39:340:39:36

-Right.

-..I've got some stained-glass film.

0:39:360:39:40

And this comes in all sorts of different colours.

0:39:400:39:43

I mean, this is one size but, again,

0:39:430:39:45

you can get it in all sorts of different sizes.

0:39:450:39:47

This starts at about five quid a sheet.

0:39:470:39:50

So you could go from, say, a deep mustard,

0:39:500:39:53

to a sunshine yellow,

0:39:530:39:56

-to a primrose? You could, if you wanted?

-Absolutely.

0:39:560:39:58

Or you could go from something that was relatively opaque,

0:39:580:40:02

down to something that was completely translucent

0:40:020:40:04

-and transparent...

-Right.

-Yeah.

-..which would be interesting.

0:40:040:40:07

What do you reckon, Christine?

0:40:080:40:10

I think it's got potential.

0:40:100:40:11

THEY LAUGH

0:40:110:40:13

Before you have my judgment, let's see the finished item.

0:40:130:40:17

With your imagination, you could run riot with these, couldn't you?

0:40:190:40:23

-Oh, absolutely.

-You could have all sorts of designs.

0:40:230:40:26

Yeah, yeah. One, two, three...

0:40:260:40:27

Keep going, keep going.

0:40:290:40:30

Oh, very nice, yes.

0:40:340:40:36

So let's stand back, see how it looks. It's great.

0:40:390:40:41

-Yeah, get the full effect.

-Yeah.

0:40:410:40:43

Or hide the imperfections.

0:40:430:40:46

-Whatever.

-I think it's great, I love it.

0:40:460:40:48

It's so not three bus windscreens, is it?

0:40:480:40:50

No, it's been transformed.

0:40:500:40:52

And you could do so many things with those colours.

0:40:520:40:55

-We've just had a very basic...

-Absolutely.

0:40:550:40:57

I think, looking from the example the other day,

0:40:570:41:00

I was quite taken with the very light pastel colours

0:41:000:41:03

and I think there's room for experimentation.

0:41:030:41:06

But it doesn't matter, you're demonstrating a principle today,

0:41:060:41:09

which we can take forward.

0:41:090:41:10

Ten months into the build,

0:41:190:41:21

Derek and Christine are struggling to finish their interior.

0:41:210:41:24

The 95K budget is all gone

0:41:270:41:29

and extra spending will eat into savings

0:41:290:41:31

earmarked for enjoying retirement.

0:41:310:41:34

You think some coving?

0:41:340:41:36

Interior finishes can run into tens of thousands of pounds,

0:41:370:41:41

but the couple will have to manage on a shoestring

0:41:410:41:43

and find a way to make them look stylish,

0:41:430:41:46

when combined with all their existing possessions.

0:41:460:41:48

Maybe a plastic finish, I don't know.

0:41:490:41:52

It's a tall order, so I've brought them to a home

0:41:560:41:58

that could have valuable lessons for them.

0:41:580:42:01

What we're going to see today is a house

0:42:010:42:04

that feels a bit like it's been evolved over time,

0:42:040:42:06

lots of very personal possessions, lots of rich materials,

0:42:060:42:08

not your typical minimal-designed, architect-designed interior.

0:42:080:42:12

I'm hoping you're going to pick up

0:42:120:42:13

on some of the warmth and cosiness of that

0:42:130:42:15

and maybe it'll give you some ideas.

0:42:150:42:17

-This sounds like a really homely home.

-Sounds good.

0:42:170:42:19

-That's what I'm hoping you're going to like.

-Let's go and see it, yeah.

0:42:190:42:22

This is the London home of Swedish interior designer Lotta Cole,

0:42:280:42:32

who effortlessly blends old and new, plain and patterned.

0:42:320:42:36

Well, what a beautiful big room.

0:42:390:42:41

-Lovely, isn't it?

-It is. It's lovely.

0:42:410:42:43

The full width of the house up here.

0:42:430:42:44

Oh, look! Oh, look!

0:42:440:42:47

Oh, there's a surprise.

0:42:470:42:48

-Oh, wow.

-Right.

0:42:480:42:50

Really luxurious, generous bathroom, isn't it?

0:42:500:42:52

They must really love their baths.

0:42:520:42:54

I think this room is really calm, really beautiful.

0:42:540:42:57

But I think one of the things that's interesting

0:42:570:42:59

is there's still a lot of different things in here.

0:42:590:43:01

We've got early modern furniture, which is clearly Swedish,

0:43:010:43:03

you know, the designer's Swedish, you see that atmosphere here.

0:43:030:43:06

-We've got almost kind of Moorish, North African style.

-Moroccan.

0:43:060:43:09

You could say this is quite eclectic, but still very calm.

0:43:090:43:12

Yes, but overall, it's the cool colours in here.

0:43:120:43:16

Yes, they're all cool colours.

0:43:160:43:18

Mixing styles can look chaotic,

0:43:200:43:22

but by keeping walls, floors and window-dressing simple,

0:43:220:43:25

interesting items can take centre stage

0:43:250:43:28

without it all feeling overwhelming.

0:43:280:43:30

What about for you, Derek?

0:43:320:43:34

Do you think there's anything here you can learn from or take?

0:43:340:43:36

That diagonal board behind the bed,

0:43:360:43:41

perhaps that's something we could incorporate.

0:43:410:43:43

In a living room, an eclectic mix of possessions against dark walls

0:43:450:43:50

can be used for a cosy effect.

0:43:500:43:52

Oh, wow...!

0:43:520:43:54

That was a good reaction, Christine.

0:43:550:43:57

-Lovely.

-Yeah.

0:43:570:43:58

So I can see the smile on your face.

0:43:580:44:00

Christine, tell me what you think of this space.

0:44:000:44:02

There's so much to take in, that's my first impression.

0:44:020:44:05

It will take a long time to have a look at everything.

0:44:050:44:08

This is the classic trick of grouping a collection,

0:44:090:44:13

while adding splashes of colour against a dark backdrop

0:44:130:44:16

encourages the eye to travel from one item to the next.

0:44:160:44:19

The colours are rather beautiful in here, isn't it?

0:44:200:44:22

-This deep blue and this deep red.

-It is. It is.

0:44:220:44:24

But to me, because it's quite a small room

0:44:240:44:27

and it's quite a dark room,

0:44:270:44:29

I find this colour quite oppressive, to me.

0:44:290:44:32

-This is more your style?

-Yes, yes.

0:44:360:44:38

You were talking in there about darkness and you didn't like that.

0:44:380:44:42

-This is the absolute opposite.

-Absolutely, yes.

0:44:420:44:44

-Flooded with light, white, beautiful colours.

-Yes.

0:44:440:44:48

The kitchen-diner is a great example for Derek and Christine

0:44:510:44:54

of combining treasured old possessions in a modern room.

0:44:540:44:58

Lots of battered old items together can create a junk shop effect,

0:44:590:45:04

but if selected shabby pieces are contrasted with sleek modern lines,

0:45:040:45:08

the results are great.

0:45:080:45:10

So I wanted to just explore a bit around here,

0:45:100:45:13

because there's a lot of detail here which is quite charming, isn't it?

0:45:130:45:16

Oh, it is. It's lovely.

0:45:160:45:17

-First of all, these really quirky door handles.

-Absolutely lovely.

0:45:170:45:20

I love the door handles.

0:45:200:45:21

-And I think some of these things are quite cheap and basic.

-Oh, yeah.

0:45:210:45:25

But they have dressed up to look different and expensive.

0:45:250:45:30

Now, I can't believe that these fronts are expensive.

0:45:300:45:34

And I tell you what else I like about these spoons and forks,

0:45:340:45:36

that they don't match, they're all different, they're all different.

0:45:360:45:40

That's really nice that, because it's kind of controlled chaos.

0:45:400:45:43

-It is. It's thought-about chaos.

-Absolutely.

0:45:430:45:47

Shall we just have a seat,

0:45:470:45:48

because I want to talk about this beautiful table?

0:45:480:45:50

-It is. This lovely bespoke table.

-It's really nice, isn't it?

0:45:500:45:52

You'll just see these faint circular shadows here.

0:45:520:45:55

These were shelves in a cheese-making factory.

0:45:550:45:58

And so the rounds of cheese would have stood here.

0:45:580:46:00

And they sort of contain that history now, these pieces of timber.

0:46:000:46:03

The legs are 40 quid from architectural salvage.

0:46:030:46:06

So, you know, this is a super cheap piece of furniture,

0:46:060:46:08

but it's got loads of character and loads of history.

0:46:080:46:11

It's our style. It's very much us.

0:46:110:46:13

And it's cheap, which is also very much us!

0:46:130:46:16

It's now 14 months

0:46:200:46:22

since the frame of Derek and Christine's house went up

0:46:220:46:25

and the project has taken almost twice as long as expected.

0:46:250:46:28

Derek is exhausted

0:46:310:46:32

and finding it increasingly hard to get things done.

0:46:320:46:35

Despite that,

0:46:370:46:39

he's working on two pieces inspired by the visit to Lotta Cole's house.

0:46:390:46:43

This table is made principally from these iron supports.

0:46:440:46:48

They were bought on the internet

0:46:480:46:50

and we've joined them together with scaffold boards.

0:46:500:46:53

And with that we have a very nice dining table

0:46:530:46:56

that cost us, in total, the princely sum of, oh, about £100, £110,

0:46:560:47:01

something like that.

0:47:010:47:02

Derek's also hard at work creating a bench seat.

0:47:040:47:08

We were very taken with the idea of the seat

0:47:110:47:15

which was done with diagonal panelling, the same as this.

0:47:150:47:18

All it takes is surplus timber from the build

0:47:190:47:22

and around £25 worth of tongue-and-groove panelling.

0:47:220:47:25

Christine's created a seat cushion from foam and a fabric remnant,

0:47:280:47:31

keeping additional costs negligible.

0:47:310:47:34

There we are.

0:47:340:47:35

We'll just run a bit of skirting board around that tomorrow

0:47:350:47:38

and that will just finish it off nicely.

0:47:380:47:40

We've followed Derek and Christine's progress for nearly two years,

0:47:430:47:47

through good times and bad.

0:47:470:47:49

Now Piers and I are back, to find out what the couple have achieved.

0:47:510:47:54

Derek and Christine dreamt

0:47:560:47:58

of moving to the south of England for their retirement

0:47:580:48:01

and the only way to achieve that

0:48:010:48:02

was to plough their life savings into a self-build.

0:48:020:48:05

We've tried our best to steer them away

0:48:050:48:07

from the ordinary and the standard and help them build a home

0:48:070:48:10

that reflects them and the way they want to live

0:48:100:48:12

and makes the most of their £95,000 budget.

0:48:120:48:15

I genuinely don't know what to expect today,

0:48:150:48:17

because it's been such a hard road

0:48:170:48:19

and I really pushed Derek and Christine

0:48:190:48:20

and, at times, I really felt upset

0:48:200:48:22

and quite challenged by this whole process.

0:48:220:48:25

And actually, I should be really detached.

0:48:250:48:27

So it could be a real dog's dinner or it could be great,

0:48:270:48:30

and there's no way of knowing until I go inside.

0:48:300:48:33

-Here we are.

-Hi, Derek. Hi, Christine.

0:48:380:48:41

-Hello again.

-Nice to see you.

0:48:410:48:43

So it's an amazing feeling for me to be standing here

0:48:430:48:45

with this pristine new house. How do you feel to have finished it?

0:48:450:48:48

Well, if it's amazing for you, it's wonderful for us!

0:48:480:48:50

The exterior of the house is in good shape, unlike Derek,

0:48:520:48:56

who's got a bad back.

0:48:560:48:58

We're just immensely proud and glad that we've got

0:48:590:49:02

sort of almost to the end and very proud of what we've achieved.

0:49:020:49:05

I can't wait to see it, Christine. Can we take a look.

0:49:050:49:07

Certainly, come and look. Can't wait to show you.

0:49:070:49:09

Having rejected Piers' idea of an upside-down house,

0:49:100:49:14

the couple were on track for a dark, pokey kitchen.

0:49:140:49:18

So this is it. What a great space.

0:49:190:49:21

But thanks to Piers' nagging,

0:49:250:49:27

they finally added a window that's transformed it.

0:49:270:49:30

I've got to commend you on this window

0:49:330:49:36

because, of course, it looks great

0:49:360:49:38

and the light that comes in is fantastic.

0:49:380:49:40

-Will you admit that window's a good idea?

-It's worked incredibly well.

0:49:400:49:43

Particularly now, as the sun is coming round due south

0:49:430:49:46

and it floods in through those two windows. I think it's beautiful.

0:49:460:49:49

The couple have injected fun and originality to the kitchen

0:49:540:49:58

by buying the cheapest kitchen units they could find,

0:49:580:50:01

then having them sprayed at a car body shop for just £550.

0:50:010:50:05

The high-gloss metallic finish has another big plus...

0:50:080:50:11

I'm so pleased that you've done these cupboards,

0:50:130:50:16

because the point of them is to reflect

0:50:160:50:19

a lovely warm, glowing light back into this kitchen

0:50:190:50:23

and they do that, don't they?

0:50:230:50:25

The window's a real success story.

0:50:270:50:29

Piers' next big suggestion

0:50:310:50:33

was to create a floor-to-ceiling wall of recycled coloured glass.

0:50:330:50:38

We've incorporated glass, as you desired.

0:50:380:50:40

Safety fittings, like a handrail, have yet to be installed,

0:50:410:50:44

and Derek's glass may be plain, not coloured,

0:50:440:50:47

but light from upstairs is flooding into the kitchen-diner.

0:50:470:50:50

However, Piers hoped for more.

0:50:500:50:52

I thought we were talking about this wall.

0:50:550:50:57

You're selling piece for that idea

0:51:000:51:03

was to let more light into the bedroom.

0:51:030:51:05

And we spent some considerable time

0:51:050:51:07

sitting up in bed looking at different angles,

0:51:070:51:10

sitting on the settee looking at different angles,

0:51:100:51:12

and deciding that your idea actually didn't add any extra light.

0:51:120:51:15

If you sit in the bed now and look out,

0:51:150:51:18

you can see out of both windows without using your idea.

0:51:180:51:20

We will have to agree to disagree.

0:51:210:51:23

The ground floor works better than expected,

0:51:260:51:28

thanks to the extra sources of daylight.

0:51:280:51:30

But Piers and I couldn't persuade Derek and Christine

0:51:310:51:34

to take the big step of creating a flexible living space upstairs.

0:51:340:51:38

Piers wants to explore why.

0:51:390:51:41

You know, in a modern house that you can build from scratch,

0:51:420:51:45

you could have big spaces, lots of light

0:51:450:51:47

-and rethink the configuration.

-Yes.

0:51:470:51:49

And however good this house is, it feels quite conventional.

0:51:490:51:52

Smallish rooms, all linked by staircases or doors,

0:51:520:51:55

and small doors out onto a garden.

0:51:550:51:58

Why is it so conventional?

0:51:580:51:59

We had endless discussions between ourselves,

0:51:590:52:02

as to how big the rooms could go to maintain that budget.

0:52:020:52:05

Hang on there. What's interesting about contemporary architecture

0:52:050:52:08

is that you don't need to have rooms

0:52:080:52:10

and the notion of rooms

0:52:100:52:12

is a fairly traditional way of looking at a set of spaces,

0:52:120:52:14

and it's an inherited model of building,

0:52:140:52:16

based around only heating small spaces

0:52:160:52:18

and based around construction techniques.

0:52:180:52:20

But when you can do anything,

0:52:200:52:21

you can have any configuration of spaces in the world,

0:52:210:52:24

you end up with something that has rooms

0:52:240:52:26

and the familiar language of a conventional house.

0:52:260:52:28

I like rooms. You made this point before, but I like rooms.

0:52:280:52:31

I like the fact that Derek can go in that room,

0:52:310:52:34

shut the door and I haven't got to listen to his horrible music.

0:52:340:52:38

The ground floor has remained

0:52:390:52:41

as Derek and Christine originally planned it,

0:52:410:52:43

with the two guest bedrooms doubling as a study for Derek

0:52:430:52:46

and a sewing room for Christine

0:52:460:52:48

and they're pleased with the results.

0:52:480:52:50

Regardless of the architectural anaesthetics,

0:52:500:52:53

this suits our lifestyle.

0:52:530:52:55

Derek and Christine didn't go

0:52:560:52:58

for some of the big ideas we showed them,

0:52:580:53:00

but the furniture designs they took on have worked out beautifully.

0:53:000:53:04

Upstairs, the master bedroom is light and cheerful.

0:53:080:53:11

The living room, with its double aspect and stunning view,

0:53:160:53:19

is exactly what Christine and Derek planned.

0:53:190:53:22

It's always bright, it's always inviting

0:53:250:53:28

and that is beyond price.

0:53:280:53:30

But it doesn't look like the modern interior

0:53:320:53:34

they said they were aiming for.

0:53:340:53:36

I think it's really interesting

0:53:370:53:39

that you've made this room the way you have,

0:53:390:53:41

because you've created a wholly new house, from scratch,

0:53:410:53:44

and this room, basically everything in it

0:53:440:53:46

could have been any time from the last 40 years.

0:53:460:53:48

Like this is the eternal British living room,

0:53:480:53:50

with a floral sofa and magnolia walls

0:53:500:53:53

and Anaglypta ceiling and all of that in a brand-new house.

0:53:530:53:56

And there's something about it, for me,

0:53:560:53:58

the key to which are these photos.

0:53:580:53:59

Because I look at this gallery and think,

0:53:590:54:01

"This is really what you care about."

0:54:010:54:03

You want this to be cosy and nice, you want to have a nice view,

0:54:030:54:05

but these are the things you're creating a stage for,

0:54:050:54:08

which is your social lives, your memories, all of those things.

0:54:080:54:11

And this house is going to work like that.

0:54:110:54:13

It's probably the room that's most familiar

0:54:130:54:15

to people watching this right now.

0:54:150:54:16

It is reproduced constantly.

0:54:160:54:18

That means it's what people want.

0:54:180:54:21

The living room may be different from what Piers and I imagined,

0:54:230:54:26

but the balcony is exactly as planned.

0:54:260:54:30

So this is the real payoff, isn't it?

0:54:300:54:32

I mean, this lovely terrace.

0:54:320:54:34

-Is it working the way you hoped?

-Oh, absolutely.

0:54:340:54:36

This was an absolutely integral, non-negotiable part of the design.

0:54:360:54:41

I am glad that we had this glass.

0:54:410:54:44

It's something modern on an otherwise traditional building.

0:54:440:54:48

And it means you get the view, no matter where you sit in the room.

0:54:480:54:51

Actually, this is a house that has generous spaces,

0:54:510:54:53

there's lots of light,

0:54:530:54:55

it's full of things like this, that are unconventional,

0:54:550:54:58

and this is a really low-cost house,

0:54:580:55:00

and that's really unexpected.

0:55:000:55:03

And you knew what you were talking about all along!

0:55:030:55:05

THEY ALL LAUGH

0:55:050:55:07

Derek, I can see where the money's gone, on your hot tub. Absolutely.

0:55:110:55:15

It's very important to us to be able to relax at the end of the day.

0:55:150:55:19

-Absolutely.

-Hot tub aside, though, I like that you,

0:55:190:55:22

unlike many people who do low-cost houses,

0:55:220:55:23

have thought about how the house meets the garden.

0:55:230:55:27

Derek and Christine have created a useful extension

0:55:270:55:29

to the kitchen-diner with a generous deck that's great for entertaining.

0:55:290:55:33

Fear of overspending was one of the key reasons

0:55:370:55:39

the couple rejected big changes during their build.

0:55:390:55:42

So how have the finances worked out?

0:55:420:55:46

You originally said you had a budget of 95,000 for this build.

0:55:460:55:49

How much have you spent, to date?

0:55:490:55:51

We've done it for 108,000.

0:55:510:55:53

And that 108,000 includes everything.

0:55:530:55:57

But did you have a contingency? How have you handled that?

0:55:570:55:59

We hoped we'd have quite a lot of holidays.

0:55:590:56:01

-Now we'll only have a few holidays!

-Right.

0:56:010:56:04

Was there any big-ticket item that blew the budget

0:56:040:56:07

or was it just a cumulative thing?

0:56:070:56:09

It was an extra couple of thousand on the foundations,

0:56:090:56:11

delays in planning,

0:56:110:56:13

we had scaffolding up around the house

0:56:130:56:15

and we were paying rental on the scaffolding.

0:56:150:56:17

That's an unforeseen cost and it was really out of our control.

0:56:170:56:20

But whatever, within 10% of our start budget,

0:56:200:56:23

I'm quite happy with that.

0:56:230:56:24

Throughout the build,

0:56:240:56:26

Piers hasn't pulled his punches.

0:56:260:56:29

So is Derek feeling bruised?

0:56:290:56:31

It is important to test your comfort zones.

0:56:320:56:35

And actually, just to explore alternative ways of doing things,

0:56:350:56:38

even if you come back to build something that you're familiar with.

0:56:380:56:41

We always wanted challenging, and you've done that.

0:56:410:56:44

And, OK, we haven't accepted all your ideas, but it's been good fun.

0:56:440:56:48

Has it taken a lot out of you, building this?

0:56:480:56:51

Yes.

0:56:510:56:53

Undoubtedly.

0:56:530:56:55

It's difficult, but it's great fun.

0:56:550:56:58

It's a damn good challenge and it's well worth it.

0:56:580:57:01

Remarkably, Derek and Christine have achieved their dream

0:57:030:57:07

of a house in the south of England for a build cost of just £108,000.

0:57:070:57:12

As they finally enjoy the fruits of their labours,

0:57:130:57:16

Piers and I still have a lot to dwell on.

0:57:160:57:18

What's important about this build

0:57:200:57:21

is it challenges people like Piers and I

0:57:210:57:23

to think about what design is really for.

0:57:230:57:26

There's no way that this building is ever going to win any design awards,

0:57:260:57:29

but it's about Derek and Christine creating a lifestyle for themselves.

0:57:290:57:33

And this building is all about enabling that.

0:57:330:57:35

For their retirement, they want to be sociable,

0:57:350:57:37

they want to enjoy themselves

0:57:370:57:38

and this is a building tuned to all of those purposes.

0:57:380:57:41

So I think they've done this with bravery and energy

0:57:410:57:44

and it's a great testament to their own vision.

0:57:440:57:47

Next time...

0:57:580:58:00

Jason and Riikka attempt to build a low-cost home

0:58:000:58:03

with high ambition.

0:58:030:58:05

I thought the house we were building had a lot of glass.

0:58:050:58:07

-But, wow...

-This is all glass, isn't it?

0:58:070:58:10

But is theirs even possible for 100K?

0:58:100:58:13

If I saw these drawings, I would say that this would be about 450 grand.

0:58:130:58:17

But will Jason's obsession with detail...

0:58:170:58:20

Two, three.

0:58:200:58:22

It has to be millimetre perfect.

0:58:220:58:24

..be his downfall?

0:58:240:58:25

I just can't believe this.

0:58:250:58:27

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