Jaimelee and Lee/Suzanne and Antonio The £100k House: Tricks of the Trade

Across the nation, our homes are too small...

I can't find space to put my dishes on.

..too dark...

It doesn't feel very happy and relaxing.

..and don't fit our needs.

The only time we have enough space is when we eat outside.

'I'm Piers Taylor

'and I've hand-picked a team a of experts to transform ordinary people's homes.

'From bold changes...'

So this is really expensive.

You're going to do something that costs a lot less.

'..to stunning interior ideas and finishing touches.'

I love this.

-Ah, straight into it.

-This is beautiful.

Together, we'll expand the micro-budget ideas from The House That 100K Built

to show you what's possible in any home...

Why didn't we think of that?

..and on any budget.

This is really simple.

This is not designer shelving.

'We'll need every trick of the trade,

'whether we're designing furniture...'

All of that is really just five long scaffold boards.

'..to choosing the right paint to go on the walls...'

But if it's dark and outside it's bright, it will reflect the outside.

'..to prove a limit on your funds...'

You know, this stuff's free.

'..does not mean a limit on your dreams.

This is amazing. I mean, really amazing.

This time, I'm faced with an exceptional challenge.

A disastrous extension that's already defeated its owners.

We've just gone stagnant. We're stuck.

'But will they be willing to take a punt on alternative ideas

'that you won't find on the high street?'

-So what do you reckon?

-Looks too plain.

'Meanwhile, change is long overdue for this dilapidated

'and claustrophobic flat.'

It's very challenging to live in house that doesn't fit.

Can it be turned into a spacious and serene family home?

There could be some bad news to be delivered here.

Our first couple this week, Jaimelee and her partner, Lee,

bought their three-bed semi in Sutton Coldfield in 2011,

with plans to turn it into a spacious family home.

The layout didn't work.

We didn't use a lot of rooms, like, we didn't use the back living room.

Everywhere you went there was like a wall in the way.

Lee's a builder by trade, so he did have the skills to rip out walls

and build a large extension on the back, but he didn't have a plan.

We've never had really a vision to do what we are doing.

We're just kind of improvising as we go along.

Sometimes I wish I hadn't started.

But now we've got to the stage where I've, you know, I've gone too far.

Two years since work began, the family are trapped,

living in a building site.

-Just a total struggle, isn't it?

-Mm.

We haven't got a cooker, we've got a microwave and a toaster.

-An outside tap.

-SHE LAUGHS

The kids just wants to run around, enjoy themselves,

but it's difficult on a building site, really.

We've just gone stagnant.

We're stuck.

I'm on my way to meet Jaimelee and Lee and the biggest surprise

for me is that Lee has started major structural work

without any clear idea around what this extension is going to be like.

The very first rule when designing your home is to consider how

you're going to use the space, long before you start changing it.

-Hello.

-Hi, Jaimelee. Nice to meet you.

Ignore this and you could end up with badly planned spaces

that don't suit how you want to live.

-This is it?

-Yeah.

So tell me what you're struggling with here.

We're struggling with the layout.

Wouldn't you work that out before you build an extension, typically?

Um, We've never really known what we wanted to do.

Tell me, what in your mind are you planning to use this for?

Somewhere for the kids to be while we're cooking and...

-And where does your kitchen table go?

-I don't want a table.

Because to me,

you have a table and you end up just putting clothes on it or junk.

I think the modern way today, I would say

a lot of people eat while watching telly or talking, sitting on the sofa.

Jaime, do you feed your kids on their laps in front of the telly?

-No.

-Right.

-I don't want the kitchen...

-So there's already some big difference

of opinion about something pretty small, which is a dining table.

I think the biggest surprise for me

is that they don't really know how they want to live.

It's all chaotic and up for grabs.

There's nothing to start building anything from.

I need to help them with everything here,

from structural moves to exterior cladding and final finishes.

But after years of unfocused spending,

they've not got a lot left to fix the house.

So far, we've spent around the £20,000 mark.

Realistically, I'd say about 10,000 to finish the extension.

But they're able to spend more if it gives them what they want.

If you leave it too long, the kids will have grown up

and we're still living in a shell.

If you want to create a home that suits your family,

you need to agree on some common ground.

So I've got a test to flush out the real priorities.

The pair of you aren't quite singing from the same sheet,

so here's a little bit of paper.

Could you just write down for me here, 1-100, how important is it

that you have a table where you can get six chairs around?

OK.

-What do you think that Jaime has written?

-90% or 100%.

-OK.

-And what do you think...?

-It'll be 38% or something like that.

-That's really not bad.

-That really isn't bad. So, 28, actually.

-Oh.

Even lower. And 100.

-If I was dead against it, my answer to that would be zero.

-Yeah, OK.

-So I haven't necessarily got a problem having an area.

-Sure.

-It's what happens to the other things you need?

-Yes.

I want a beautiful kitchen, nice big space, got somewhere really nice

and cosy to sit, but we've got the great views in the summer

when we open the doors.

That's a lot clearer and easier for me to understand.

You clearly need a kitchen table but sounds like, Lee, you don't

want it to dominate the rest of the house.

And I think you need to be quite bold in order to get this to work,

and if you're not bold,

I think you'll end up living in what feels like a compromise.

Making an open-plan layout work is actually one of the hardest

design challenges to get right.

The first job here is to start making this space fit their needs.

I think the key is to create three distinct areas

for cooking, dining and relaxing.

To make the most of the area at the back of the house,

I think they should square off this porch and utility room.

This would give them a spacious kitchen with an island

and that all-important family table.

To make this more than just a dumping ground,

the table must become the heart of their home,

a special place the family won't want to leave.

And the naturally darker section in the middle of the house

should become an intimate snug, centred around a fireplace.

But to achieve all this,

Lee will need to unpick two years of big structural changes.

Tell me what you think about doing that?

Just flows more. It works.

I can see it working, it's now me trying to...

-Build it.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-No pressure then.

-So you want me to alter...

-Hang on, hang on.

I think that Jaime wants you to alter...

I want you to stop looking at it and thinking, "Oh, the work."

Yeah, OK, honestly, I do look at it and think,

"Well, there's quite a bit there."

-But it's weeks of hell for 40 years of gain.

-Yeah.

'Indecision has plagued this build.

'I only hope I've given them enough focus to realise there's

'an incredible family home within their reach.'

Just four days later, the build gets under way.

Lee starts by constructing a wall to square off the back of the house.

Any significant work that we do to our homes must be approved

and signed off by Building Control.

I need to kind of build up the wall,

and once that's kind of done, I can concentrate on taking

walls down inside to open up into this space.

But as I've only got the weekends to work on it,

just a Sunday, really,

then I'm going as much as I can in the time I've got.

This is all familiar territory for Lee,

but I want to push him on the interior design

and I've got a building in mind that is packed full

of extraordinary ideas.

As your life changes, your needs evolve

and family space becomes really important.

But when you're designing a family space,

often there are conflicting needs and conflicting pressures.

Jaimelee and Lee aren't the only people feeling that pressure.

In north-west London, civil servant Suzanne is desperate for change.

Life in her flat with husband, sales advisor Antonio

and two-year-old daughter Sophia, is tough.

When I moved in here, it was a bachelorette pad.

As our relationship progressed, we started living together.

Sophia...

Then, I suddenly realised that the flat was great for me,

but might not be great when I'm looking to build that family.

It's very challenging to live in a house that doesn't fit.

All the rooms come off one corridor.

So the first problem is that Suzanne can't keep an eye on her daughter.

I would love to be able to be in the kitchen and still see Sophia

if she's playing in the lounge.

It's making the day to day running of the home more cumbersome,

because I've always got to check on Sophia.

Next is the small, dilapidated bathroom.

The bathroom, at the moment, is not working for us.

It's not practical for our way of life.

I believe my wife would like to have a space

where she could actually get a little bit of pampering.

In desperation, they brought a bath months ago.

But Suzanne and Antonio can't agree on a new layout.

So it's abandoned in Sophia's bedroom.

SHE LAUGHS

Look at it! It's not practical.

I mean, I justify it because it's temporary.

But it's awkward.

Beyond awkward.

Helping me transform these homes are my hand-picked team of architects.

Each challenged to create extraordinary spaces

with ordinary budgets.

And taking on the challenge of Suzanne and Antonio's flat

is Gurmeet Sian.

-Hi, I'm Gurmeet.

-How are you doing? Nice to meet you.

-Hello.

-Antonio. My wife, Suzanne.

-Suzanne, lovely to meet you. I'm Gurmeet.

-Thanks for coming.

Great to be here.

Show me around.

-Yes.

-Wow.

So, this is the bathroom that we need to do.

It's a tight space, yes.

I'm quite surprised how small it is.

There's exposed pipework here and you want to sort that out.

Messy exposed pipes and a grid of tiles on the walls and floor

make it feel smaller, as does poor lighting.

Bathrooms are often the smallest room in the house,

and Gurmeet will need to find tricks to make this feel bigger.

What kind of space do you want this to be for you?

I want to feel relaxed, chilled, calm, serene.

Sophia needs a bath and I want this to be a pampering space.

I want this to be...

-It's going to be your special spiritual temple to Suzanne.

-Yeah!

But to make this a relaxing haven,

Gurmeet needs to find enough space for a bath in this tiny room.

The next problem to tackle is the flat layout.

It's strange, because it's actually a really generously sized flat.

And you have a really nice corridor.

But because there's no relationship in terms of views

or line of sight,

it makes the flat look a little bit smaller than what it is.

So the challenge is trying to work out where we can find little areas

where we can get a glimpse of something else.

They have £10,000 in savings to make this flat work for the family.

But how do you make it feel bigger

when you can't extend in any direction?

Gurmeet needs to look at everything, from the furniture...

These settees are dominating this is based.

..to hidden corners.

Oh, my word!

We need to bring this cupboard back into the life of the flat.

As one of London's most exciting young architects,

Gurmeet is well placed to make the most out of small spaces.

But this is an extremely tight budget.

Any home renovation gets expensive quick.

But Suzanne and Antonio may have already wasted money.

Just my own mind, how long this bath is...

I don't think it's going to fit.

Moment of truth.

Ah.

There could be some bad news to be delivered here.

The one thing that really struck me is how the bath is currently here,

and the idea is to get it into this room now.

Now, I know that that bath doesn't fit into that room at the moment.

Right.

Which I know you perhaps don't want to hear.

No. I'm sorry!

Did you measure?

We'll have to dig in a little bit into the wall.

You may have to dig in a little bit more than you think into the wall.

I think that a potential for this bathroom to become the luxury room

that you dream of is to make this storeroom part of this bathroom,

as in make this bathroom bigger.

OK.

This is actually opening new horizons.

That's great news, though.

Yeah, it's sounding good to me.

Knocking through to the cupboard will almost double the size

of the bathroom, allowing the bath to fit underneath the window.

Bringing more light into any space will help it feel bigger,

so Gurmeet suggests replacing the cupboard door with a window,

improving the bathroom AND the dark hallway.

His next idea is a bold one.

We can have some kind of opening between this kitchen

and this wall, so that not only can you see from room to room,

but actually, when you're stood here,

you'll get a glimpse all the way through that kitchen window,

which is quite a powerful vision, actually.

I'm seeing that working, actually.

-Yeah.

-Look at your face! You're excited about that!

The kitchen hatch is an idea that has fallen out of fashion,

but it could transform this flat.

I don't suggest that this becomes a place that

you can actually walk through.

I can picture it, it'd be lovely.

Um...

There's a question in my mind about budget.

It's going to be tricky and a real challenge,

but I do think that it can be done.

Gurmeet's ideas have gone down well

but it's up to the couple to come up with a final plan they agree on.

Having got the relevant permissions to change the flat,

the builders start work on the bathroom.

Gurmeet's recommended gutting it completely and starting again,

with the new enlarged space that includes the covered area.

But whilst at work, Antonio has second thoughts over the layout

and stops the builders a few hours in.

Suzanne arrives home to find a job half done.

Oh, my!

OK. Oh, gosh.

Oh, dear.

It's not a good start.

The builders were all ready to go today.

And then Antonio had his reservations.

SHE SIGHS

He's a man that needs time to think...

..and needs to visualise it, but we can't turn back now.

We've got no bathroom, so we need to just face up and get on with it now.

Tonight will be the night for him to make a decision.

Over the last three weeks Lee has opened up the back

of the house to create space for their new family kitchen diner.

Jamielee and Lee have been lost in a world of

conventional domestic back extensions.

But I need to blow their mind with something that's

way out of the ordinary, that's way beyond what they've already seen,

and encourage them to really be quite radical with their own space.

So I'm taking them to a place full of fresh ideas

for the inside AND the outside of their home.

Nestled into a hillside,

this misshapen studio is as far as you can get

from the typical four walls and a roof and a bog-standard finish.

Myrtle Cottage Garden Studio was built for £150,000.

So immediately you can see it sits very beautifully in this bit of landscape, doesn't it?

-It does, yes.

-But it's a very modern building.

-Yes.

What I like is the earthy kind of colour.

So this is patinated copper, that actually is amazingly beautiful.

If you feel that, it doesn't feel like you think it would.

No, it feels smooth compared to...

-I actually thought it would feel a bit more rough.

-Me too.

-How about you, Jamielee, what do you think?

-I like this.

This is quite a bold statement.

And I need to kind of get past that and kind of look at

different options and what kind of materials we can use.

'The patinated copper is a premium product

'and this exterior cost over £14,000.'

The labour element of this, cos it's quite a specialist thing,

is expensive, but actually

there's no reason that you couldn't find something you can do.

I think the finish is great, and I definitely think it'd be

something we could possibly work with on the house.

So, nothing about this space is conventional.

There's no regular walls.

All the windows are at an angle.

Everything's been thought through. So what do you think?

It's not normal and that's what's nice about it.

-There's just this great quality of space, isn't there?

-Yes.

'I want to unpick the tricks that have been used in this small space.'

So this floor is very beautiful, isn't it?

This is a dark concrete, so this has a pigment in it.

I like the floor.

I had my eyes on that when we walked in.

'Polished concrete flooring like this costs from around

'£100 per square metre

'and it's the dark, reflective finish that works so well.

'You could achieve a similar look for less by using

'concrete-effect ceramic tiles or even floor paint.'

And with the colours and the contrast between the wood,

goes really well as well.

This one material that wraps this back wall is very nice.

This is oak floorboards cut down in half and then roughed up.

Wood on the walls adds texture and evokes a feeling of warmth

far beyond what could be achieved with just paint.

But it's nice with this black reveal

that goes into where the wood burner is.

-Yes, that makes it feel a big space.

-It does.

I like the window seat with the glass above.

-It's beautiful, isn't it?

-Yes.

And it's beautiful the way this oak goes all the way up to that glass.

It just lets so much light in.

'Stonewood Design have carefully planned every inch of this space.

'The best spot for a stove is always at the heart of a room.

'Here a snug seat has been placed alongside.

'A desk then runs the full length of the studio,

'creating a place to sit and work, or simply enjoy the views.'

This is the same material as the wall the other side,

just polished instead of being left rough.

So this has been really expensive.

You're going to do something that costs a lot less,

but actually you could end up, because of your knowledge

and your skill, doing something that was equally polished.

It's definitely given me some thought of, you know, what I can do.

It's just kind of putting it into practice now and experimenting.

So this is a beautiful secret room.

'Adding a few surprises to your home is a great way to add interest

'and fun. The perfect place to do it is often a small bathroom.

'Here they've used polished copper as a total contrast

'to the pale wood outside.

'You could easily achieve a similar look with metallic paint.'

The natural colour is really nice.

And you just get that natural light there, which is just enough.

'I need to find a way to bring some of the tricks seen here

'into Jamielee and Lee's extension.

'Finding low-cost materials will be key,

'but I also need to ensure that the all-important family seating area

'doesn't end up as a dumping ground.'

This is a beautiful place to sit and linger, isn't it?

With that sky above us and the view beyond.

-It is, it's lovely.

-Nice and peaceful.

Has it changed your perspective, coming here,

in terms of what you might do at your place?

100%. It's inspiring.

Even sitting here with the woodwork and using the same material but in

a different way, this has definitely opened my eyes about what we can do.

I think you now need to become experimental with

what you do with the actual space,

but also then the materials you use to define that space.

'It's been amazing seeing them really come alive and get this,

'and really understand why this building is so good.'

I was worried that Lee would be quite defensive about

his own work, but actually he's so open-minded,

and seeing the lessons in this building,

really understood how he needed to move his own game on.

Back in north London, weeks have passed,

and there's still no firm decision

on the final design for the bathroom.

I showed you all these pictures yesterday -

why am I having to show you all these things again?

-Because you change your mind.

-You are so wrong!

-I'm not changing my mind.

-Yes, you do.

Antonio, what has been happening is I've made a decision,

I've talked to you about it.

When the builders have come to install the plan,

you are like, "Oh, I don't like any of this,"

and you delay the job and you've done this on a few occasions.

Mm-hm.

I need you to be working with me and making these decisions with me.

Are you done?

It's a classic mistake.

If you can't agree on a layout, the build will inevitably get delayed.

The sanctuary Suzanne craves feels further away than ever.

I don't want to do the tears,

um...

and I do feel the strain

and it's taking its toll.

Gurmeet and I urgently need to get this build back on track.

I think it is a big worry, Antonio just choosing to stop

this build willy-nilly,

because actually builders really do need somebody to be decisive

and they don't need people changing things partway through.

In a way it's soul destroying to come up with a design

and take inspiration from Suzanne and Antonio

and get them involved, get them emotionally involved,

and there seems to be a stumbling block there.

Suzanne and Antonio are in danger of ending up with a set of bodges

rather than something that is a complete vision.

I think they need to see somewhere that's really clear,

and is a beautiful, consolidated piece of architecture

and maybe that will convince them to really hold their nerve here.

I want Suzanne and Antonio to understand that every

design choice they make about their interior matters.

And today I'm going to show them a flat that's about the same size

as theirs, but feels about twice as big, through clever architecture.

This maisonette in east London makes a big impact,

despite its modest footprint of 72 square metres.

-Oh.

-Oh.

One of the things that I really like here is that this

whole kitchen is designed to feel like a pod,

a bit of joinery that's put into the corner of a big room,

so your sense is not that this room is this big, but your room is

actually as big as the corners of the floor plate, and then this

is just something that sits calmly and beautifully in the corner.

All you can see is windows and feel space,

there's nothing seems to be...

obstructing your ability to stretch out or to look at things.

I can see the light in the kitchen, the light of the door.

I can see the lights behind me.

The way it's organised just seems very spacious.

'The choice of furniture here, all on lightweight legs,

'allows expanses of flooring to run underneath,

'making the room feel bigger.

'Mid-20th-century furniture is often in this style

'and modern interpretations are widely available.

'It's a design trick worth remembering when

'you're furnishing a small room.'

I think the architect who did this, his idea for this was that this

was like an apple, so everything on the outside was one colour

and when you bit into it, everything inside was the same colour.

There's a beautiful clarity and legibility to this.

When these hatches were done originally, either in Victorian times

or in the '60s, they were mean little things

that you passed a plate through.

They weren't so big that you could just fit your whole body through.

Just fantastic, isn't it?

This is very clever.

'Every square inch of every piece of storage

'has also been carefully considered.'

Bathroom.

'The home owners have invested in more expensive materials

'for the worktop and cupboard fronts.'

All the surfaces that you touch are all steel

and then the handles are all steel.

The splashbacks are steel, this hood is steel,

and it really binds everything together.

'This stainless steel worktop cost an eye-watering £530 per square metre,

'but you can find cheaper alternatives on the high street.

'A tip here is to invest in materials that you touch every day.'

I like the fact that it makes you want to touch it.

It's lovely.

This is a kind of bamboo ply and this is expensive stuff.

I mean, this is about £135 for a sheet,

so there are cheaper boards that are veneered boards of veneered ply

or something that you can use that would be half the price of this.

It looks like it cost a lot of money.

But it's the finishing, I mean, that's the bit.

That's where you need to make the investment.

The material is beautiful

but it's the way materials come together that make a big difference.

I think the message really is don't be afraid of things

that have real scale in a small space.

I mean, I think in a way, you need to use bigger things

sometimes in a small space.

If this was a small hatch and the doors were all small and mean

and normal, then actually it would feel much more confined and cramped.

Definitely going to be a plus to have the hatch

and being able to interact with people through the hatch.

What I found exciting with Gurmeet's original plans

was when from the hallway we could get a bit off the kitchen window,

we could see through into the bathroom.

Now being in a space where they've done that really effectively,

that's what's creating the excitement,

saying it can be done and it can be done really well.

'Suzanne and Antonio seem convinced.

'Now Gurmeet needs to find low-cost ways to bring these ideas into their home.'

In Sutton Coldfield, building work is progressing,

and as there's no way Jamielee and the kids can stay in the house,

they've moved in with her parents.

It was just getting a bit difficult with the dust

and not having a kitchen, which is too much,

especially with more walls coming down.

But with the family split apart,

old divisions are creeping back in.

Following their trip to the studio,

Lee is fired up by cladding the exterior in copper,

but Jamielee has her heart set on the table and seating area bathed in light.

Lee's very focused on the cladding on the back at the moment.

I'm a bit concerned about that because, to me,

that's not as important as a seating area.

I'd like to get the cladding done, I would.

I don't really want to compromise on that.

I want copper.

I've had a few discussions about that.

Obviously, I'm all for that but I don't think it's as important

as certain things inside. But...

I'm sure we'll come to an agreement with that.

It's vital this build doesn't get derailed by competing priorities.

I'm back in the Midlands to try

and find a way to ensure they both get what they want.

Their budget is already under pressure and they've spent

£6,500 on building materials and ordering a new kitchen.

-So how is it all going?

-Yes, it's going all right.

-It's layout, and how we're going to finish things.

-Sure.

It's going to make a big difference

-when that wall comes out, isn't it?

-Yes. A massive difference.

Shall we get this lot cleaned out of the way?

-I'll give you a hand, then we can have a look at it.

-Thank you.

'It's great that Lee is motivated to push on with the plan.

'The first thing I want to do is help him make the table

'and seating area work.'

Lee's yet to plasterboard the ceiling, so this is my opportunity

to get more light into this family space that's so important to Jaimelee.

I guess I thought here in particular what we could do is

play with the shape of the ceiling to make it a bit more

folded and faceted. If the ceiling was that shape,

you can see already...

You can see the light on it straightaway, yeah.

It would bounce that around.

The question for us is how do we finish it?

We could just do one surface that folded along the back there.

Changing the shape of the ceiling will direct the light down onto

the table area, making it the focus of the room, which Jaimelee wants.

-Already you can see how much more interesting this space is.

-Yes.

Actually, I think this could feel amazing.

Straightaway it's a goer for me. I like it.

-I think I've always struggled with trying to experiment.

-Yeah.

Now you have kind of pushed me in an experimental way, I can see it.

If it didn't work, I'd say it didn't.

There is nothing like just seeing what it's like,

having a go at trying things out.

'Lee has a new-found passion for his home.

'I want to help get his vision for the exterior too.'

So we need to talk about the outside.

The metal we saw the other day was fantastic, wasn't it?

Yes, it's getting the right kind of grade of copper.

-I would have it unfinished so it's nice and sharp.

-Beautiful.

The only thing is,

-it's got to be at the right kind of price to work with.

-Sure.

Copper's expensive. The idea he saw at the studio cost 14 grand.

I've got to find a way to do it on a fraction of that.

Finding a way to finish

this as effectively as possible will be critical.

In London, Suzanne and Antonio's build is finally moving forward.

After months of waiting, at long last the bath is about to go in.

Isn't it really sad to get excited about seeing a few legs

getting put on a bit of steel.

Suzanne and Antonio are learning the lessons to make this bathroom

feel bigger.

They are adding large white tiles to the walls

and plan to box in all pipes and avoid clutter with built in storage.

But she also wants them to add some well-judged luxury.

Today I am taking Suzanne

and Antonia to a place where I think is a great inspirational point.

They are heading to a specialist materials store in central London.

It's packed with thousands of products not normally

found in mass-market DIY shops.

A treasure trove for designers and architects,

shops like these welcome members of the public too.

-Ah! Straight into it.

-I love this.

'I want them to remember the design lesson about investing

'your money in the things you touch on a daily basis.'

This is beautiful.

Gurmeet wants to spend on a part of the bathroom

they'll touch every day - the floor.

With the grid of cold tiles gone,

he wants them to consider one expanse of rubber flooring.

This is rubber flooring.

It comes in some beautiful colours, some rich colours.

-I like this.

-That's definitely the one.

Flooring like this is £25 per square metre.

You want to give a bit of a wow factor.

From an architectural point of view,

rubber flooring would be seamless, a beautiful rich colour. It

will always stay that colour as well and light will be bouncing off it.

Is there any other more economical solution?

Is it worth to pursue that?

I suppose that you could perhaps explore vinyl flooring

which may be £10 per square metre cheaper.

Not even that much, so over 5 square metres you maybe save £50.

This is where that extra £50 really goes a long way.

-It does make sense.

-Great.

The biggest eye-opener was the way that we could actually get to

a few more exquisite finishes without spending much money.

That's clever.

I don't think they were expecting this type of trip. It's given them

a lot of impetus to push on through.

I think I've got a very clear vision for the bathroom now.

If I could see the flat coming together, that's exciting.

It's all systems go now.

In the London flat, Antonio is ripping out the old kitchen.

Feeling inspired, the couple have chosen to invest in a new kitchen

and have decided it is worth upping their budget from 10 to 15K.

It feels really good to have my hands stuck in at this stage.

It's also a big day for the key move in Gurmeet's plan.

The builders begin to cut out a hatch to link the kitchen

and the lounge.

The hatch will give Suzanne

the connection with her daughter she's been longing for.

I was a wee bit emotional when it opened

because all I was thinking of was Sophia...in the spaces.

Now I can interact with Sophia.

Even if she's in the lounge,

I can be supervising what she's doing. It feels good.

Seeing this, I can think, "Yes, I can see how this is going to work."

It feels nice.

Back in Sutton Coldfield, Jaimelee and Lee

have started to solve the problems of finishing their building site.

They've found some cheap flooring online.

At the moment we've spent 1,300 on it.

They've bought 80 square metres of floorboards

salvaged from an old mill, but it's clinging to its industrial past,

so Jaimelee has roped in dad Pete to help.

Have you noticed how Lee does all the exciting jobs and you and me

get to do the really dirty ones?

Reclaimed materials are a great way to add character to your home,

but they can require time and effort to make good.

We've had a few problems with laying it.

We've got to square off all the edges to get it to butt up.

The timbers aren't all the same size.

Some are a lot of thinner than others,

where they've had more wear in the mill.

The floor is proving more expensive than the couple hoped.

That's like a banana.

Underlay and levelling compound have doubled the bill to

over £2,500.

They've committed to spending more than 10K to get this house done,

but I want to save them as much as I can on the copper for the exterior.

The copper I showed Lee is very expensive,

so usually unthinkable on a low-cost project.

But I have found a metal wholesaler in nearby Walsall

which might make it possible.

-Hey, guys.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

The reason I brought you here is that this is a place

where you can get it as cheaply as possible.

You can get access to wholesalers like this all over the country.

They usually stock a much wider range of metal products

than a building supplier.

It comes in lots of different thicknesses.

Shall we lay that out on this?

'These thin copper sheets cost just over £45 a square metre,

'much cheaper than the high-end stuff.

'Using a tile design could also be a cost-saving trick.'

-Let's lay out these and see how it looks.

-It looks nice.

-There's different light on it if you change it the other way.

-Yeah.

-It's great, isn't it?

-Yeah.

You've got quite a small surface area, so I think you might

need quite small pieces.

There's a stack over here I can grab and we can have a play with these.

'Buying large sheets of copper means more wastage

'when cutting them to size.

'Using small tiles can reduce this and they can be easier to fit.'

This is thicker than you would use.

But actually, it's quite a nice proportion.

-Yeah, you get more detail, don't you?

-You do.

-No, I do like that.

-I actually like it more than the big sheets.

-Yeah.

It looks too plain, in a sense, that does. I think that...

-I think that looks perfect.

-Yes, it does.

What do you reckon? You'll use this?

-I think so. I think I like the, um...

-Smaller pieces?

-Yeah.

Great, I can't wait to see it.

It's been wonderful to see Lee's progress from somebody who did

things in quite a conventional ways through to somebody

that now is totally prepared to think outside of the box.

There's still quite a long way to go.

The danger is that they do things that they already know.

I think everywhere they need to keep pushing the boundaries.

In London, work on the flat intensifies and at last Suzanne

can begin to think about interior details and final finishing.

It is the final push and I am loving seeing it come together.

I've lived in dust and dirt for quite some time,

so it starts becoming more rewarding when you see things take shape.

The glass has been fitted in the new window between bathroom

and hallway, and storage units are being installed in the lounge.

Bespokely-made to utilise every inch of the dividing wall,

it's another design trick that can make a room feel bigger.

Having pushed their budget to 15K, they need to save where they can.

Antonio does the prep work ready for the electrician to rewire the kitchen.

I think my wife deserves a nice place to come home to.

She works very hard. It takes its toll. It is difficult at the moment.

There is still a long way to go

and the couple have yet to add the touches of colour and luxury

that could make the flat the relaxing haven they're desperate for.

Will it come together to become their dream home at last?

Over five months since he first visited, Gurmeet has returned

to find out if Suzanne and Antonio have managed to realise his ideas

to turn the dark and impractical flat into a spacious, light-filled home.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-How are you doing? Nice to see you.

-Nice to see you.

-I'm really well.

-How are you doing? Are you excited?

Yeah. Exhausted more.

-OK... I can't wait to see the results. Shall we have a look?

-Yes.

Previously, the flat was divided by a long corridor,

the space was gloomy and uninviting.

-Wow! What a transformation.

-Yes.

The first thing I noticed, that window. I'm so glad you did it.

-I hope you are as well.

-We are very glad.

The frosted glass panel has replaced the old covered door,

a simple move that has had a dramatic effect.

-The morning is awesome here.

-Really? The sun comes straight through.

Yes, from everywhere. Basically, we don't need to have the lights on.

It makes it worth getting out of bed for.

Keeping a watchful eye on toddler Sophia had been impossible

and family life was played out across separate rooms.

So has Gurmeet's big idea of a hatch to link the spaces changed all that?

Wow! What a transformation. This is incredible. How do you guys feel?

-We are pleased.

-We are very pleased with it. It makes a big difference.

Yes. It feels just bright and spacious, it feels bigger.

We're really pleased.

The light coming through into the kitchen,

living room, but also bleeding on into the lobby as well.

I think such a big move and a bold move as well.

We didn't realise that it would affect us this much.

It's very, very good.

Let me go round. Hi!

You can see each other.

I realised it made a difference when Sophia was playing around here.

She was like, "Mummy, mummy!" to get my attention. So I came over,

stood where you are now and said, "Yes, Sophia," and started talking.

She was surprised. "Oh, yes! We can see each other now."

So there is that feeling of being connected,

regardless of where we are.

I can always have a glimpse of where she is and that feels really nice.

Other design ideas increase the sense of space in the flat.

Bespoke storage hides the clutter of family life

and bulky sofa's gone, lightweight furniture allows views throughout.

Although not part of Gurmeet's original plan,

the couple have completely redone the kitchen.

I'm looking around the kitchen.

I really love the way you've added that dash of colour.

I think the way you've opened up this space,

colour concentrated on a wall allows the space also to be defined.

This is a kitchen.

It's a completely different function to that room.

As well as looking beautiful with the white grout, I think

it looks really sharp.

The old bathroom was cramped, dilapidated, lacked storage

and didn't even fit a bath.

Gurmeet encouraged them to knock through to the cupboard

and use tricks to make it feel bigger.

Has it created the sanctuary Suzanne craved?

-Wow. A lot bigger and different.

-Yes, definitely.

This was supposed to be your luxury space,

where you shut the door and you get away from it all.

-Do you think you have finally got your sanctuary?

-This feels lovely.

What makes me happy is for every little spot, I think

about the little decisions that are made along the way,

and it feels good to see it all come together.

And I like the way, actually, that it's quite a simple,

clean design, and there's so little clutter

because, actually, you have dedicated storage space.

I don't think you anticipated having anything other than

tiles for the floor.

The floor is going to be stood on every single day,

and it is sometimes underrated.

I'm really glad you went for something a little bit

outside of the box.

Well, it was once we went to the inspiration of it,

and I saw the flooring potential there.

Then to go back to the tiles didn't seem like an option.

I knew I wanted something with a bit of colour, so that's nice.

The floor provides the perfect pop of colour in this space.

Suzanne and Antonio chose to invest more of their savings to

completely transform the flat.

Once we started considering what the impact of having that hatch

would mean on the overall space, we realised we had to extend

the budget in order for us to bring the whole of the flat together.

So, all in all, for everything, we brought it in at 15K.

They did Gurmeet's plan for 10K, but I think the additional

spend on a new kitchen and storage units is a good move

because they can now remain in the flat for many more years.

It feels homely, it feels like our place, it

doesn't feel like a transitional home any more, it feels like ours.

I think, fundamentally, we've brought a family closer together, really.

The transformation that has occurred in a few months has just been incredible.

Back in the Midlands, Jamielee

and Lee now need to tackle two of the most critical parts of the entire project,

the copper cladding and the family table and seating area.

Despite money pressures, Jamielee is determined to make that

all-important family table the heart of their home.

For the top, she's chosen a material that is more associated with

the office pinboard than modern furniture - cork.

We seen the cork tabletop months before we started doing

the extension, and we quite liked the idea.

We actually seen it in the shop.

The tabletop cost just £100 from a self-assembly furniture store.

As well as being naturally water repellent, cork is a sustainable

material as it is harvested from the bark of a tree, which grows back.

For the base, she is planning to use old sewing machine table legs,

-which have been languishing in the shed for years.

-Finally using them.

And Lee has sort of left the colouring, doing them, up to me.

I'm going to spray them up, make them look nice,

and then Lee is going to drill them to the table.

No-one else is going to have anything like this at the moment,

we don't think.

So it is definitely something that's new and unique for our house,

which is good.

Lee is at work cladding the exterior back wall with copper.

I'm going to drill the copper plate

and then attach it with copper nails.

I am going to experiment as I go along

and hopefully get what I want. I've kind of got in my head what I want.

But to actually do it is something else.

So, hopefully just kind of get it right the first time.

He's gambling more than £1,000 on the exterior.

I only hope his make-it-up-as you-go-along approach pays off.

I haven't kind of figured out how far I'm going to come across.

The couple have grafted long and hard to try

and finish the extension, and there's still a long way to go.

Will they succeed in turning it into a purposeful, welcoming family home?

That's all right, isn't it?

Four months after my first visit,

I'm back in Sutton Coldfield to see the result.

When I first came here, Jamielee and Lee were completely divided -

they just couldn't agree what this newly extended house should include.

Previously, the extension was an abandoned building site,

and the couple lacked focus.

'My plan gave them defined areas to cook, eat and relax in.

'So have they pulled it off?'

Hi, Lee, how are you doing?

-How are you doing, you all right?

-Good to see you.

-Come on in.

My God, I can't believe it.

-It's like a completely different house.

-Yeah.

-It has opened it up, hasn't it?

-It's amazing, yeah.

-It feels three times the size, and totally different, doesn't it?

-Yes.

I think it is just more light as well.

Is this what you had hoped for?

A lot more than I was expecting, I think.

I mean, what's nice is that it isn't just open-plan.

I mean, you've got very key spaces in here, haven't you?

Before, the centre of the house was dingy and purposeless.

This was the poor relation, the bit in the middle that we

didn't quite know what to do with, and it was dark. It was sort of no-man's-land.

But now it makes total sense, doesn't it?

Yeah, we have essentially doubled the size of the living room.

The log burner is a welcoming focal point, and the exposed

brick of the chimney breast helps define the space and costs nothing.

They look great just left exactly as they are.

-Yeah, you don't even need to touch them.

-We like...

Yeah, the ruggedness of it, I think.

But I think they work really well with

-the crispness of the white paint and the plastering.

-Yes.

The extension ceiling was in danger of being bog-standard.

I saw an opportunity here to use it to get more light in the room,

and encourage Lee to angle it to direct

light down into the kitchen and dining area.

So, has it worked?

Wow, this ceiling looks amazing.

Those two roof lights now look totally intentional and perfect.

I remember I was holding up those batons up there

and wondering whether it would work,

but actually it looks better than I could ever have imagined, actually.

Lee has added his own twist to this ceiling -

some LED lights costing just £25.

In the evening, we've got some more light that shines up it.

It is still making a feature of it in the evening and the dark.

My biggest structural move was to encourage the couple to incorporate

the space occupied by the utility room and position the kitchen here.

Because of course there was this wall here before, wasn't there?

-Yes.

-And this was space that was a very long, thin utility.

-That's right.

But it works so well, doesn't it?

Having learned the lesson from the studio visit,

they've taken every opportunity to get light into the room.

But it's such a nice space - this is beautiful.

It is full of light and you've added in that big roof light up there.

-That's right.

-And it's really, really effective.

I mean, what's great is you've got so much space,

but it doesn't just feel like a big open barn, it feels

like a house with these beautiful, delightful light-filled spaces.

Critically, you've got this beautiful sitting area.

-And a kitchen table.

-Yes, we sit there most evenings.

-Every night now as a family.

-And you eat there?

Yeah, eat there.

The base of the seating area was created using

self-assembly wall units,

and are topped with the same cork as the quirky home-made dining table.

-This cork looks great.

-Yes, it is lovely.

We were looking at different ideas for the kitchen island, and we come

across the tabletops and thought that would be perfect for this area.

I remember when I first came here,

I asked you both how important

it was to have a kitchen table.

Now that you've got it, if I asked you both again,

how important would you say this is?

Now we've got it, you realise how much you need it.

After all the hard work we've put in, you don't want the kids

walking around with food, or at their table,

and it's important to be together.

It's better that you've built in this, rather than having chairs around it.

You've actually made this seating area

part of the architecture of this space.

'The bench seats that fit right up against the walls are a very

'efficient use of space.

'Jaimelee and Lee increased the scope and budget of this project

'since I first met them.'

How much have you spent?

We've just spent under 17,000.

I've never had a problem spending more if it's something I want.

-It had to be the right...

-Yeah, it has to be right.

You know, I can always go cheaper

on getting different materials.

If it's not what we want, we were never going to be happy with it.

That's where we had to kind of do things.

We've got to get it just to what we want and be happy with it.

Here also, you've done work that you probably thought you weren't going to do originally.

-Yeah.

-Oh, yeah.

-You made a new bit of building.

-Yeah, yeah.

You've got a much bigger kitchen

and you've made this built-in seating area.

There's also some work that you have got as well as the things that you thought you were going to do.

There is still one thing I haven't seen and I think that's outside.

I'm wondering whether you've done the copper cladding.

This looks amazing.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-It's fantastic.

I think it just gives you a total different kind of character, really.

This will age, as well, In seven years' time it can be green.

It looks really tactile.

-Can I have a closer look at it?

-Yeah.

'Having fallen in love with the £14,000 cladding on the studio,

'this cost him just 1,400.'

-It's a very soft metal, copper, isn't it?

-Yes.

This looks like you've used quite a thick copper.

This copper is 1.5mm thick.

That now gives it a totally different character,

than just one big sheet of copper.

For you, have you enjoyed the whole process, the questioning

the way you were doing things and trying new ways?

Yeah, definitely. It's pulled me out of my comfort zone

and I'm now kind of wanting to try even more materials.

It's all been plusses on my side, really.

Jaimelee and Lee's home is now one where they can welcome family

and friends, a far cry from the disused building site of old.

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

Jaimelee and Lee, well done.

Initially, Lee had built a very straightforward extension

that just moved the space out without really thinking about

how they could use all of the space in the ground floor of their house.

Like many people, he and Jaimelee thought open plan meant NO plan,

but they've learnt that giving each area a purpose was the key to

making this family house work for them.

Though the house is open plan, each space has its own character

and I think that's really successful.

Next time...

There's a radical idea to create more space...

Your room, as it is, would disappear.

..as we break new ground in an old Post Office.

There's a lot left to do, that's worrying me at the minute.

I help one couple rip it out and redesign.

They make these out of something beautiful and interesting,

but can they pull it off?

Frankly, we've about blown our budget.