0:00:02 > 0:00:04Houses across Britain don't fit our needs...
0:00:04 > 0:00:06We're going to feel like sardines in a can.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08..or our dreams.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10We really want to strip it out and start again.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15'I'm Piers Taylor,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17'and I've hand-picked a team of experts
0:00:17 > 0:00:18'to transform everyday homes.'
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Just to feel special and different.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25'From bold changes...'
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Your room as it is would disappear.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31'..to stunning interior ideas...
0:00:33 > 0:00:34'..and finishing touches.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:36- Great, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39'Together, we'll show you what's possible in any home.'
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- We thought it was beyond our wildest dreams.- Mmm.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43'..and on any budget.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47All of that is really just five scaffold boards.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'We'll use every trick of the trade...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51You want to give a bit of a wow factor.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53'..to prove a limit on your funds...
0:00:53 > 0:00:54This stuff's free.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'..does not mean a limit on your imagination.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58It's amazing.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02'This week...
0:01:02 > 0:01:05'How can a mother and son live apart but together?'
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I hadn't expected it to be that separate.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09'But is it a step they're willing to take?
0:01:09 > 0:01:13The door was open for some change. That door's gradually closing.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15'And how to double your floor space...'
0:01:15 > 0:01:16It looks amazing.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17'..without extending.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:20You could actually take out the ceiling
0:01:20 > 0:01:21and get a sleeping platform.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25'With a baby due, it's a strict deadline and budget.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:27We have to come back and it has to be liveable.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39With its beautiful royal parks, leafy Kingston upon Thames
0:01:39 > 0:01:42has been the perfect location for Skye and Matt
0:01:42 > 0:01:44to raise their four children.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51With property prices here rising by 21% a year,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53it was now or never to buy their first home.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59So they bought the only house they could afford,
0:01:59 > 0:02:00and it's far from perfect.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I suppose it's a compromise.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04We couldn't get everything we wanted.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08We love the area, but the house prices were going up.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14But fitting their family of six, soon to be seven,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17into a three-bedroom terrace will be an enormous struggle.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20You need to have a bit of imagination.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22It's a long way from a family home at the moment.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25We're going to feel like sardines in a can.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Like most British terraces,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32it's the current layout that's the biggest issue.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34With its disjointed porch,
0:02:34 > 0:02:39downstairs bathroom and the dark, narrow corridor of rooms,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42it's totally unsuitable for family living.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43Ooh!
0:02:43 > 0:02:47There was a fear that we'd made too much of a compromise by moving here.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50But there's a further challenge with this project.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Matt and Skye are desperate to complete the work
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and move into the house in just 12 weeks' time,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59ready for their new arrival and the start of the new school year.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I see the clock ticking, but I also know that
0:03:02 > 0:03:05if we start without really knowing what we're trying to achieve,
0:03:05 > 0:03:06we'll just waste time and waste money.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Our hopes are the majority of it will get done
0:03:09 > 0:03:10in three months' time.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12The reality is...
0:03:13 > 0:03:14..we have no clue.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Matt and Skye don't know where to start.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26But how do you transform a tiny terrace
0:03:26 > 0:03:28into a family home for seven?
0:03:28 > 0:03:30It's my biggest challenge yet.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34And with a budget of just £30,000, there's no room for error.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39It's crazy that a family of seven would buy such a tiny house,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42but that's the reality of living in a city.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44It's going to be hard, but I think, for me...
0:03:44 > 0:03:46it feels a really important thing that we do today
0:03:46 > 0:03:48is get this house to work for Skye and Matt.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50It's really charming.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52I mean, you must have fallen in love with it when you first saw it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- We thought of it as potential. - Potential.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Potential to fall in love with it.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01But will I be able to unlock potential in this tiny home?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Just to get my bearings, this is...
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- It's a lean-to. - That's a lean-to.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- So this is the outside wall, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14And there's no building here, it's just a shed.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- And the house proper starts here, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20So what we'd like to do is make the rooms bigger,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23possibly knocking this wall down.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Bring the whole house this way,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27really, into this kind of dead space.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Yes, create a hallway for the front door
0:04:29 > 0:04:31and then increasing the size of this room
0:04:31 > 0:04:33and making this room sort of the central room of the house.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37If you can, a side extension into your lean-to
0:04:37 > 0:04:40could give you valuable additional space.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43But that alone won't solve all the problems in this house.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46But the bathroom strikes me as being
0:04:46 > 0:04:50in a bit of the house that is almost the best bit.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It's got access to the garden,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54it's got quite a lot of space, actually.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56I mean, is that really the right place for the bathroom?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59We looked at the possibility of moving the bathroom,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01but I think we were having trouble finding the right place
0:05:01 > 0:05:04to situate it in the rest of the house
0:05:04 > 0:05:06without losing a bedroom.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Skye and Matt want to give their children the best start they can
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and they've pinned everything on this house.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17But to make it work for their expanding family
0:05:17 > 0:05:18means a complete overhaul.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Every inch of every room needs to be maximised.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25And for just 30K.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Space is a finite thing in this house.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29There's not much of it,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and there's a lot of people that need to come together here.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36I'm looking for a simple mechanism to unlock this house.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40There'll be one move that makes everything else fall into place.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46'Removing the internal walls will open up the ground-floor space
0:05:46 > 0:05:48'and allow for a generous family living area,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50'but it's the current location of the bathroom
0:05:50 > 0:05:52'that holds everything back.'
0:05:52 > 0:05:56If money was no object and you could move the bathroom upstairs,
0:05:56 > 0:05:57would you, do you think?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Yes.- I think yes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Lose the bathroom from downstairs.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07You open all that up and you build your kitchen, you know,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10in there, wrapping around the corner,
0:06:10 > 0:06:15and proportionally, this as a set of living spaces
0:06:15 > 0:06:18that all opened up around a courtyard,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21it would be kind of delightful on so many levels.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Yeah. It's obvious that as soon as you move
0:06:24 > 0:06:26the bathroom out of the way...
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- What's unlocked... - There's so many more options.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32I think that's living, isn't it? It's not just surviving.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Squeezing in a bathroom upstairs
0:06:34 > 0:06:38would also put an end to the family traipsing through three rooms
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and up and down 14 perilously steep stairs
0:06:41 > 0:06:43to use the loo.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46But sacrificing bedroom space creates another problem to solve.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50The obvious place for the bathroom is here.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55Tuck it, sort of sneak it behind the stairs there.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59If we were to make the bathroom as small as possible,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03would we be able to make that area then a single bedroom?
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Yes, I think you probably would, actually,
0:07:05 > 0:07:11because what you could do is make that bedroom
0:07:11 > 0:07:13kind of a storey and a half.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16You could actually take out the ceiling through part of it
0:07:16 > 0:07:21and get a kind of sleeping platform up in that space.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- I think that's quite a cool bedroom, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25That's the one I've had!
0:07:27 > 0:07:30'My plan is unconventional, but it could give them
0:07:30 > 0:07:31'everything they need.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36'Relocating the bathroom to the first floor
0:07:36 > 0:07:38'is vital to opening up the space downstairs.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42'Extending into the lean-to will create
0:07:42 > 0:07:46'a generous central family room that all seven of them can enjoy.'
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Upstairs, and the middle bedroom will be divided
0:07:51 > 0:07:54to make space for the new bathroom.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57And raising the ceiling height here to build a sleeping platform
0:07:57 > 0:08:00above the new bathroom will increase the bedroom floor space.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05That's brilliant, that's amazing.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07SHE LAUGHS AND SNIFFS
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Sorry!
0:08:10 > 0:08:13There are other ways of living, I think,
0:08:13 > 0:08:18which will change the way that we live now.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The kids will have a fantastic space.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25We did worry about whether we'd made the right decision
0:08:25 > 0:08:26about buying this house.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32And I think Piers has just solved most of our problems.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33THEY LAUGH
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Skye and Matt need this project to work for them and their children,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44but there's a lot riding on their £30,000 budget.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57With their deadline looming, work starts almost immediately.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Matt has brought in a few of his friends to come in
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and take down the kitchen and the lean-to.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06He has many talents, but DIY is not one of them.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08You know, changing the plug is about as far as I go normally.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Desperate to make the most of their 30 grand,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Matt and his friends tackle the demolition.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20It feels good to actually have got started, and, you know,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22to have thrown the first sledgehammer at the building.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Before starting your own structural alterations,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28you should always seek relevant approvals,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30including building regs.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32I think the knocking down is the easy bit.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35I think the building up again is going to be the difficult part.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42But as work gets underway,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44they immediately uncover hidden costs.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49We've just had an assessment of about £4,500-£5,000
0:09:49 > 0:09:54on the electrics, which has really affected the overall budget.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56And it's just so frustrating.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00With a family, a build and a tight budget to project-manage,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03the pressure on Skye is mounting.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09And there's now just ten weeks left until their moving-in date.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14We have to come back and it has to be liveable.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Skye and Matt are struggling with the problem
0:10:27 > 0:10:29caused by high house prices in the city.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Elsewhere, Mary is dealing with the fact that Luke, her adult son,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36can't afford to move out.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Looking to downsize and move closer to family in Watford,
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Mary bought this two-bedroom ex-council house for £220,000.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56It was probably the least attractive house in this street.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59It was a really good price to get rid of my mortgage
0:10:59 > 0:11:01and be able do it up from scratch.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08As soon as she got the keys, Mary was excited and set to work.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09It was a hoarder's house...
0:11:11 > 0:11:14It was literally stacked from floor to ceiling with rubbish, basically.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Now we've got to bring it all back to life.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24But what Mary hadn't banked on was sharing her new home
0:11:24 > 0:11:27with her 23-year-old graduate son Luke.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30I've got used to having my own space.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32He's got used to having his own space, being at uni,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36so now we need to go back to making it work for both of us again.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38The worst thing about living with my mum is
0:11:38 > 0:11:42unnecessary questions about things that don't concern her.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44MARY LAUGHS
0:11:44 > 0:11:46So I said he can't have loads of money spent on his room
0:11:46 > 0:11:49unless he actually does learn how to tidy up.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Things like this is why...
0:11:51 > 0:11:54What we need to learn how to live together.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Carving out space to fit their very conflicting lifestyles
0:11:59 > 0:12:00in this small two-bed house,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04with its cramped kitchen and modest living room, won't be easy.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07I'm worried about light.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11I'm worried about the actual layout working properly.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It's quite a big task for just us two to be doing,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and we don't have any experience in doing it.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22Mary has a generous £65,000 from the sale of her previous home,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24but with an entire house to renovate,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26it will get eaten up quickly.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Helping me transform these homes
0:12:36 > 0:12:38is my hand-picked team of architects,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41each challenged to create extraordinary spaces
0:12:41 > 0:12:42with ordinary budgets.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Taking on this challenge is innovative architect Adam Khan.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53In one way, it's really great that a parent
0:12:53 > 0:12:56can live with their adult offspring, and they can get on well.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Sometimes you just need your own space,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01you need your own headspace, you may want to bring someone back
0:13:01 > 0:13:03and you want that little bit more privacy.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05So how do you get that?
0:13:05 > 0:13:10In her hurry to move in, Mary already has workmen onsite.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14She intends to spend just under half of her £65,000 budget
0:13:14 > 0:13:16building a 30-square-metre rear extension.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Adam needs to get straight up to speed with what they've planned.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24The plan at the moment is to take the kitchen wall out.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Sort of an L-shaped kitchen with big dining and lounge areas.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32And at the moment, we've got double doors here, we've got a window here.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Not sure whether we've got it right.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36My worry is that it doesn't have much character
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and it doesn't have a really clear relationship
0:13:39 > 0:13:42to the garden or what's happening inside.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45I'm worried about the middle of the house being a bit dark.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47You might be ending up with just a bit of a box with
0:13:47 > 0:13:48a couple of windows in it.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52A large extension will give them more room,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55but it doesn't solve the real issue here,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57of giving this mother and son enough space
0:13:57 > 0:13:59not to cramp each other's style.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02As most people know, when you are living with your mum,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05it can get a bit on top of you sometimes.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07We just don't want to be on each other's toes.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Known for his unconventional approach to social space,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Adam created an incredible floating village
0:14:16 > 0:14:18on a 400-tonne pontoon
0:14:18 > 0:14:21at Brockholes Wetland Nature Reserve in Lancashire.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26His radical design beautifully combined ancient and modern.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29But can an equally radical solution close the generation gap in Watford?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34So the current plans they've got are...
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Well, they're a disaster.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40At the moment, you're coming in to a little front entrance hallway.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42You've got to go through all the other spaces
0:14:42 > 0:14:44to get to the social space of the kitchen.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47So there's a basic kind of problem of organisation.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51That's the thing to get right here.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Adam needs to convince Mary to make some urgent changes,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59starting with opening up the whole of the ground floor.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06OK, so downstairs, say if you opened this opening up all the way here,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08- you could even have a kind of sliding door.- Yeah.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Cos it's really nice if you're in a house and you can see out
0:15:12 > 0:15:15the back of the house and out the front of the house.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18If you're trying to maximise your ground floor,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20losing internal walls and doorways,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and adding bi-fold doors and larger roof lights
0:15:23 > 0:15:25will make your space feel bigger.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Light from both directions is really, really nice.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31But it's upstairs, where Mary was planning just a revamp,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33where Adam has had a radical rethink.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34OK, so...
0:15:36 > 0:15:39I think number one is to have your own bathroom each.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42The next thing is, and this is a bit more dramatic,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46is you're maybe getting a sense of your own entrances.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49You go in that door there, and you go up the stairs.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Right, OK.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Whereas Luke, when it's time to come to your space,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56there would be another stair.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It's quite unusual to do that in a house this size.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03An extra staircase would take up a little more room,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05but tackles the problem of privacy head-on.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07This is a good plan for Luke.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10No, I hadn't expected it to be that separate, I don't think.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12But you want...
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It's almost like having two bedsits upstairs, I feel.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- But you want separate living.- Mmm.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Adam's design solves all their problems,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22but it's a bold move that requires courage.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Clearly you're in shock,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28so you just need to take a step back
0:16:28 > 0:16:29and think about whether...
0:16:29 > 0:16:33It highlights the divide between Mary and Luke's vision
0:16:33 > 0:16:35for how they want to live.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37And it would be a real shame if they didn't do something
0:16:37 > 0:16:40that kind of matched their lifestyles and matched
0:16:40 > 0:16:42what they, emotionally, want.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Just because of... it was slightly unconventional.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48But with the builders charging ahead,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Mary will need to make decisions fast,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53before it's too late to undo any costly mistakes.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04In Kingston, Skye and Matt have decided to go ahead
0:17:04 > 0:17:06with my plans to move the bathroom upstairs,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08but they've had an agonising four-week wait
0:17:08 > 0:17:10for their builder Roly to start.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17- Right, so this room is going to be split into two.- OK.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20So the bathroom is going to be here.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Matt and I have decided to try and make this bathroom
0:17:24 > 0:17:25as small as possible.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29- OK, so it's still usable as a family bathroom.- Yeah.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31We've got six weeks before baby comes,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34four weeks before we move back in again,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37so if we can get the upstairs finished,
0:17:37 > 0:17:38we can live in the house.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42There's a renewed sense of urgency here
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and the wait has only increased Skye's ambitions.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Since Piers has given us
0:17:47 > 0:17:49the inspiration to do one of the mezzanine floors,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52we've decided to take it on board and do it in all the rooms.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56The aim was to do minimum work for maximum benefit.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00This idea will give them much-needed additional bedroom space,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04but doing more than planned is a classic mistake
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and extra costs will impact on the finishing touches.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14So I want to show Skye how being inventive with limited space
0:18:14 > 0:18:18and using interior design creatively can make all the difference.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21What's essential here is that she understands
0:18:21 > 0:18:25how you can use space in a really inventive way.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33This unconventional home is a treasure trove
0:18:33 > 0:18:36of design ideas you can emulate.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39From the use of colour to create space and light
0:18:39 > 0:18:42to the clever but simple use of inexpensive materials.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Wow.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49I think it looks amazing. And different.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51It's not bog-standard at all.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It's playful, it's fun,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57it's quirky, it's unusual.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59There's a bathroom in here...
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- Which is going to be similar to our design.- Yeah, yeah.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04I mean, it's so unexpected. Wow.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Despite its size, this bathroom feels luxurious,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10and by using dark colours and bold patterns,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13you can create the same sense of drama and opulence.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18This ingenious maisonette proves that done cleverly,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21you can incorporate space-saving ideas
0:19:21 > 0:19:23into the very fabric of your home.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27This is the proper staircase, but in all of this, it's storage.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31- That doesn't look too expensive to make.- No, not at all.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36This is just a set of standard fluorescent tubes
0:19:36 > 0:19:38hung in an inventive way,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and it's like a chandelier, really, isn't it?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44'The owner of the house created this using inexpensive
0:19:44 > 0:19:47'off-the-shelf components.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50'It was then checked and fitted by a qualified electrician.'
0:19:50 > 0:19:53I suspect there's more storage in there again.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- I just think this is so amazing. - It's great, isn't it?
0:19:56 > 0:19:58The walls aren't just walls.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00And this stuff is really
0:20:00 > 0:20:03the cheapest grade of plywood you can get.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08This bookshelf is cute as well, isn't it?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10I think cute is the only word for it.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Just enough space for the books you're reading, you know?
0:20:14 > 0:20:15Or baby bottles.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Baby bottles! Yeah.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22It's functional, and I love the fact
0:20:22 > 0:20:25that it's functional and it looks good.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29I want Skye to embrace the clever way these amazing ideas
0:20:29 > 0:20:32can transform otherwise ordinary spaces.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38You don't need big, elaborate rooms for everything and everyone.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41What you need is a set of spaces that work really well,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and the quirkiest and the most modest space can be beautiful.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58In Watford, the rear extension is almost finished,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01but this move alone has cost Mary nearly 30 grand.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- Hello.- Hello! How are you? Nice to see you.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08But has Mary taken on board Adam's bold design ideas?
0:21:08 > 0:21:09You've made me rethink the glazing,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12so we've now got big bi-folds going in across here,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and with a big skylight, so hopefully,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17we're going to have a lot more light than we originally planned for.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20It's great that Mary's seen the benefit of creating
0:21:20 > 0:21:23more light and space in the extension.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26But she still isn't on board with Adam's solution
0:21:26 > 0:21:27for their shared living space,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and has said no to a second staircase.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34'I guess that's the slight difference in our understanding
0:21:34 > 0:21:38'about how to make those really big, fundamental changes to your house.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44'The scope for being able to change things is...'
0:21:44 > 0:21:46..is reducing.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Mary wants to play it safe
0:21:48 > 0:21:51by retaining the separate rooms downstairs,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55but Adam doesn't want her to backtrack on yet another idea.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Leave the chimney breast in position
0:21:59 > 0:22:02and just open that whole lot through,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and I think that being able to see all the way to the garden
0:22:05 > 0:22:08right from the living room would be a really lovely thing.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And I think the interesting thing is that when you get spaces
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and they're connected to each other nicely,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16but they have their own character,
0:22:16 > 0:22:17the space feels bigger.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Making changes to your home takes a leap of faith,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and I think it's time to convince Mary that a few minor,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32well-thought-out adjustments could make a huge difference.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Mary and Luke aren't going to do the separate bedroom scheme,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37so what are they going to do?
0:22:37 > 0:22:40So, the idea, I think, is to concentrate on
0:22:40 > 0:22:42the ground floor as a big social space.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Instead of being little, pokey rooms, all separate,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49try to get a big sense of connected space, light through,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52but equally, without becoming one vast kind of hall.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53That sounds like a really good idea,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and also a really good model for domestic space generally,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59because in a way, what they haven't done is the radical scheme
0:22:59 > 0:23:01of having two very separate spaces,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and I like the delicate touch of just setting up somewhere
0:23:03 > 0:23:06where they can co-exist quite happily without
0:23:06 > 0:23:08any big, grand architectural move.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17With work underway, Mary can't afford to hesitate.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19So I've brought her to a fantastic home
0:23:19 > 0:23:21that could make her rethink open-plan living.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- Hi, Mary. Hi, Luke. - Hi. How are you?- Hi, Piers.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- How you doing?- Good, good, good. Nice to see you.- Good to see you.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Pleased to see you. Looking forward to today.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35Good! So, what do you think?
0:23:35 > 0:23:36Really, really like the outside.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- I'm looking forward to seeing inside.- Yeah, it looks lovely.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43'This compact new build is a great example of
0:23:43 > 0:23:45'what's becoming known as broken plan.'
0:23:47 > 0:23:48So, come on in.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55It's very modern, but I actually really like it.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'Broken plan is where an open space is loosely divided
0:23:59 > 0:24:02'by partitions, furniture, or lighting.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:04There very distinct zones and areas
0:24:04 > 0:24:07where you could imagine doing something different.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I mean, there's a study there,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11and instead of having a wall and a door,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14there's just a glazed screen that implies a separation between it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18'To create broken plan space,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21'you can use wider, or taller, non-standard doorways
0:24:21 > 0:24:23'to open up views through your home
0:24:23 > 0:24:27'without taking out walls or installing expensive beams.'
0:24:27 > 0:24:29'And repositioning furniture is a simple way
0:24:29 > 0:24:32'you can create zones within a room.'
0:24:32 > 0:24:36It's neither open plan or enclosed. It's sort of halfway between.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39There's this opening here which works really well.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40So it's full height.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43You benefit from seeing the full length of the building.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Yeah, I can picture it something like this,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47where it's quite split but open.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50If you want it to feel separate, you can make it feel separate.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51It is really open.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53These look like very standard base units
0:24:53 > 0:24:56with a beautiful piece of melamine-faced ply on it,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58but then what's nice about this is
0:24:58 > 0:25:02that the floor goes right underneath it, so again,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05it adds to that sense of the space feeling bigger.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10By using simple tricks like lifting furniture off the floor,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13or choosing a single colour for walls and floors,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15you can create a feeling of space.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20It feels like one building, yet there are these separate zones,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22and the zones aren't made with doors and walls,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24they're made by implying a separate area.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Do you think it's something you'd think about doing now?
0:25:27 > 0:25:28I think I would now, yeah.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- Yeah?- It would definitely work for us. Definitely.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32See what that's like.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Roof lights over the stairwell like this
0:25:34 > 0:25:37are a simple way to flood light into your home,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40in what can traditionally be the gloomiest space.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Well, I mean, this is a space
0:25:42 > 0:25:44that doesn't give you any more floor space
0:25:44 > 0:25:46in a house that isn't huge,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and yet for me, it feels essential.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Cos you're a lot more conventional in the way you think about
0:25:51 > 0:25:53how a property should be.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55I suppose my mind-set is that you have separate rooms,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and now I see, actually,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59by opening up, it makes the space look much bigger.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02You can also see that there are other ways to zone areas.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03Oh, definitely. Yeah.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Whether it's a floor level or a different material, I can see that.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12The main thing would be that you can have it open
0:26:12 > 0:26:13but still make it feel separate.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17It sounds cliche and architecture-speak,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21"Separate but..." Yeah. But it can actually be done.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24And I'd say that's the biggest thing,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26because Mum is quite rigid in her views,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and so I reckon it's probably took down some of her boundaries
0:26:28 > 0:26:31in her head in terms of what we can do with the house.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36And I can see now how some of Adam's ideas would work for us,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38cos I can see them visually in here,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and they look... I just really like the style of the house.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44I think what today has done is shown Mary in particular
0:26:44 > 0:26:47how she can move her own thinking on
0:26:47 > 0:26:52from a building that needs to have a set of rooms with doors,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55laid out conventionally, into something that's subtly different,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57yet isn't scary, isn't frightening,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and isn't so out there that she can't imagine living in it.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15With delays ongoing in Kingston,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18one delivery arrives ahead of schedule...
0:27:21 > 0:27:22..baby Ewan.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25It all happened very quickly.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28We were not ready at all, really.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29He was two weeks early.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33We had no supplies, no nappies, no clothes.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35And then obviously, the focus changed
0:27:35 > 0:27:38on to the baby rather than the build.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42With the school holidays now over,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44the family have been forced to return to the house,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and all of them are living in just two rooms
0:27:47 > 0:27:49in the middle of a building site.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54So the pressure is on, and I am stressed.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56As any parent knows,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59having a newborn is a full-time job on its own.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05So far, Skye and Matt have spent half of their 30K budget,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09and the big structural work downstairs hasn't even begun.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It's now critical I help them get this project back on track.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Gosh, there's a real sense of progress in here.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Dropping the ceiling unlocks this whole space, doesn't it?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Yeah, now the beams are up at the height,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29you can really start to see how the bed platform will work.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- It does work, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34However, I can see a fundamental problem
0:28:34 > 0:28:36with the bed platform joists.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Are these, then, structural?
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Do these actually tie that external wall back together or not?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Yeah, so we actually have to change this.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Removing the ceiling means the new platform joists
0:28:47 > 0:28:49need to provide crucial support for the roof,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53so they should run from one exterior wall to the other.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54These ones don't.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57And why have they gone in incorrectly?
0:28:57 > 0:29:00So, it's just a mistake, really, in terms of misunderstanding,
0:29:00 > 0:29:04in terms of what needed to be done with the platform.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Skye and Matt are in constant contact with building control,
0:29:08 > 0:29:10so this will be quickly resolved.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14They also must ensure the children can safely access the beds.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16At the moment, we're really just thinking about
0:29:16 > 0:29:17getting the structure in place.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19There's all these other extra pieces,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22but actually, what will really make the difference, you know,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25how do you actually get into the loft beds?
0:29:25 > 0:29:27You can't put an ordinary bed up there,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30you can't put an ordinary staircase here,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33you can't put conventional storage easily here.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38So really, eking out every inch to get unexpected bits of storage
0:29:38 > 0:29:41and extra space would be great.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Thankfully, this mix-up was caught early,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49but I need to make sure there are no more costly mistakes.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I want to help them visualise their raised platform beds.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08So, Skye and Matt, I really want to show you this.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12And what the designer's done is put in this beautiful, crisp,
0:30:12 > 0:30:16simple mezzanine structure with this lovely staircase going up.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21So this is just black MDF with these lovely handrails.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26I quite like the simplicity of it. I like the contrast.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28I can see that working in ours.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31I think you could maybe use a bit more colour. Or a lot more colour.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35Maybe paint used in a quirky and quite poppy way.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40The principle of how a staircase binds the whole thing together,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43I think, really, is key, and I think the staircase is the key
0:30:43 > 0:30:45to making your bed platform work.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Expert advice is required for any bespoke staircase design.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53There are strict guidelines to follow
0:30:53 > 0:30:56and they must be constructed by professionals.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01it's very nice up here, isn't it, being tucked underneath the rafters?
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Yeah, so even though you're under the rafters,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08it doesn't feel enclosed because there's so much space.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10I think it was really important to see this,
0:31:10 > 0:31:14because it just makes it so much more visible and tangible.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Willow's bed platform will be above the newly relocated bathroom,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20and I want to show Skye and Matt how they could design it.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26The things that we need to solve are, how do you get up there
0:31:26 > 0:31:27and what the handrail is.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32My thinking at the moment is that you make a very simple
0:31:32 > 0:31:37set of boxes that you climb up over.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Within that, you then build sort of shelves
0:31:41 > 0:31:46and compartments to store stuff in. And then your handrail could just be
0:31:46 > 0:31:49turned down, you know, down the side of this.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52'As a bed platform, in specific circumstance,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55'there may be some flexibility on how it's accessed.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59'Every case will be assessed on its own merits by Building Control.'
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Within these storage sort of shelves,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06it could be that you just use normal MDF, and you just paint them, you know,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09paint them quirky colours.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12- What do you reckon? - I think it looks good.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14More importantly, what would Willow think?
0:32:14 > 0:32:17The fact that she'll be able to customise it herself, I think,
0:32:17 > 0:32:21- if we get her involved in decorating it and...- Yeah.
0:32:21 > 0:32:22And choosing the colours.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28It's really been all about getting the structure in place, getting the platform up.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29But now, seeing that, I think
0:32:29 > 0:32:33it's starting to really show what a great room it's going to be.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37We just need to get back to the house and work it out.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39I hope this will drive them forward
0:32:39 > 0:32:41to get the beds finished as soon as possible.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48In Watford, Mary has at last taken the plunge
0:32:48 > 0:32:51and is embracing broken plan living.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54We took on Adam's suggestion and we've taken out the original
0:32:54 > 0:32:58door, and instead, we've cut in a hole,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02so it's now just open through from here into the new extension.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05The larger opening between the front and back connects these two
0:33:05 > 0:33:08parts of the house, giving a view right through to the garden.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12As well as the two roof lights,
0:33:12 > 0:33:17Mary's also invested an extra £5,000 in bi-fold doors.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20They now have a space that will be flooded with light in the daytime,
0:33:20 > 0:33:24but now they have to get the artificial lighting right, too.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30At the moment, I'm a bit stuck on the lighting for the extension,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33because of having roof lights, beams, you're sort of stuck for your
0:33:33 > 0:33:36ceiling spaces where you put your lights.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41People often get their lighting and interior layout wrong,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44so Adam returns to give Mary and Luke some design advice
0:33:44 > 0:33:47so they don't just fit dozens of spotlights.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48It's really important,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52seeing as we haven't adopted the shared ideas for upstairs,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55that we somehow create downstairs in a way that we can be...
0:33:55 > 0:33:58We can have our own space if we want our own space.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01I guess that's where, hopefully, Adam can help us.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Adam immediately sets them to work
0:34:04 > 0:34:06on the furniture layout in the extension.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10- Is that where your worktop...? - Yeah, roughly, yeah, yeah.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Using props like this is a great way to see how each area
0:34:13 > 0:34:16will work within your room.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20It's nice that this space is maybe not under the roof light that
0:34:20 > 0:34:24that space is. That gives an immediate difference.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29- Maybe this is two-seat sofa?- Yeah.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32So, sort of bunching it around that natural light is really good,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35which is offset from the dining table there.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37- So we're zoning it for us. - That's right.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Once you've decided where your furniture should sit, you can
0:34:42 > 0:34:46also try playing around with lighting to define individual areas.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Lighting is absolutely critical.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52I guess we all realise that's important with day lighting,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56trying to get good, different, balance day lighting, light from different
0:34:56 > 0:34:59directions, but it's equally important with artificial light.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01- Come over here.- Yeah.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05So we're kind of breaking it down into high, middle and low.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Using different levels and types of lighting,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13you can create different atmospheres in each zoned area.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17It's a bit of a focal point. It's washing down on to the table.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21It's also really nice, the way it's reflected, and you're seeing a bit of the skylight
0:35:21 > 0:35:24and the things around the room.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Really low light kind of washing up a wall is very nice,
0:35:28 > 0:35:30- very kind of soft.- Yes.- Really nice.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32More or less nice there.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34- Wouldn't want to end up with it in line with that.- No.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36As with the furniture, so with the lighting.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40We want to get them kind of staggered and offset from each other.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43So that's more of a downlight to it, isn't it, that one?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46A pool of light there, really focused down on that area.
0:35:50 > 0:35:51You don't need to spend hundreds
0:35:51 > 0:35:54on labour and fittings for LED spots.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Flexible lights like these range from £10 to £45 each.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03What we've tried to do today is to get the different areas,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05each having a slightly different character,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08but also starting to get some principles of different
0:36:08 > 0:36:10types of lighting, integrating light out into the garden,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14so drawing the eye out, connecting the inside and the outside.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17This extension won't be entirely spotlight-free,
0:36:17 > 0:36:21as Mary will needs some task lighting over the kitchen worktop.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24How many spots do you think you need to cover an area like this?
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Really, you want those spots to be doing a job,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30rather than just a kind of blanket of them across the ceiling,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32which will end up looking like a shop.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35I think maybe what was useful was they started to get that
0:36:35 > 0:36:37idea about the different types of lighting.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Understanding the difference between the low lights,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41middle lights, and layering, getting depth
0:36:41 > 0:36:45and length of view, and I think Luke really, really understood that.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Two months later, Adam is back,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59and after Mary's initial reluctance to follow some of his ideas,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02he's keen to see what they have accomplished.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06What I'd love to see is that the place has kind of different zones,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10which you would naturally just go to and inhabit, you know,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14so you could feel, you could get a bit of privacy. That would be great.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18When Adam first met Mary and Luke,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20they were desperate for some independent space
0:37:20 > 0:37:23within their cramped, dated semi.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27On the ground floor, a tiny living room led into a small, rear kitchen.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35This is looking lovely.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36I know, we're getting there.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Now, the space has been totally opened up.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44It's looking really lovely, really bright.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Lovely to see all the way through.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51With new bi-fold doors on to the garden, skylights above, and
0:37:51 > 0:37:55the interior walls removed, light pours through the entire floor.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01And here's where we've taken on a lot of your suggestions.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04The seamless floor, the nice, big bi-folds.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08They've learnt lessons from the house we took them to.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10They've used the same flooring throughout,
0:38:10 > 0:38:15and ceiling-to-floor openings create a feeling of endless space.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Opening up rooms like this also saves on the cost of doors
0:38:18 > 0:38:20and joinery.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23It's really opened up the room. You can see completely out to the garden.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- Just so much light, such a bright room now.- Yeah.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28I'm really pleased with it.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Be amazing, hopefully, having a few barbecues,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32and just open up the whole space here.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34It's really nice to see the light coming from both directions.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37That's always really nice in a room.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39But additionally here, to get the light coming from the side,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41really, really pleasing to see.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Although Mary didn't want to have two separate entrances
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and stairwells, she has added French doors to the side,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51which allows in even more light.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56If you're planning an extension, roof lights above can help
0:38:56 > 0:39:00you avoid creating a dark middle zone in your home.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04So I guess the next step is to think how you're going to furnish it, how you're going to light it.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07We've tried to take on a little bit of what you said.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11I mean, we've only had the house back for a couple of days, so we've put some basics in.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14So we've put a dining area, we've put a seating area.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18We have gone for the statement light that you suggested over the table.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Probably a bit bigger than you suggested, but we like it!
0:39:21 > 0:39:24That's great. That's lovely.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Using lighting, like these pendant lights over a table, is a simple way
0:39:27 > 0:39:33to define different zones within a space that needn't be expensive.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35The kitchen was once a small, gloomy room
0:39:35 > 0:39:36at the back of the house.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Now it's the central hub.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48What you've done here is create the kitchen really as the heart of the house.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54This kitchen would cost 12 grand on the high street,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57but Mary got it for just six by going to a trade outlet.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02She's used a single, light, paint colour to tie the units in
0:40:02 > 0:40:06with the walls and furnishings, making the space feel unified and bigger.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10No-one's on top of each other, because it's big enough.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13It will definitely change the way we are living as a family.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16It's so open-plan, it's nice and social,
0:40:16 > 0:40:20but yet you've got your own little separate places to be as well.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Once fully furnished,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27they'll create defined zones and pockets of interest,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29and it will evolve into a beautiful space
0:40:29 > 0:40:33that they can enjoy time in together and separately.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37You know, when we talked about creating little spaces, really,
0:40:37 > 0:40:41each of those spaces is a little collection of...
0:40:41 > 0:40:45It's the seating, but it's also the rug, the lighting, any plants.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Those together make a little collection.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49And that's going to be terrific, especially
0:40:49 > 0:40:52when you get kind of plants in here, plants out there,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54tables out there and a table in here.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56You know, that kind of crossover
0:40:56 > 0:40:59and connection between inside and outside is really, really nice.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01I'm really happy now that you persuaded us
0:41:01 > 0:41:03to do all these big openings.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06I wouldn't have been brave enough to do that myself, but now that's one
0:41:06 > 0:41:10of the things, when everyone comes in, they say about being able to see from the front to the back...
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- OK.- And how open it all is and how modern it all looks.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16It's completely changed, I suppose, the style of a 1950s house
0:41:16 > 0:41:18and brought it up-to-date.
0:41:18 > 0:41:19Great.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Mary has truly revived this forgotten home.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30She was determined to remain mortgage-free moving forward,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32so has this build come in on budget?
0:41:32 > 0:41:34OK, so, Mary, how's it going?
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Because I know you had a very tight budget at the outset.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40And you changed things during the build, which is
0:41:40 > 0:41:44- always very dangerous. - I think we're about £68,000.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46The glazing's probably the majority of our overspend,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49but I think that's made the difference to the project.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53- And I'm still mortgage-free, which is the most important thing. - I think you've done really well.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55I mean, it's a difficult challenge you set down,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58about how two adults can live together and have their own space.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Lots of people are going to be faced with that same challenge.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06And OK, we threw out some fairly radical ideas about giving you your
0:42:06 > 0:42:10own front doors, and that may not work here, but I'm just
0:42:10 > 0:42:14really glad that you've been able to take useful things for this space.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17You pushed our boundaries, and we did extend them out,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19but not quite as far as yours!
0:42:19 > 0:42:22THEY LAUGH
0:42:22 > 0:42:24- I'm really pleased with the outcome of it all.- Lovely, Mary.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Absolutely gorgeous.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28I think it's the job of an architect to be challenging,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32to throw out wild suggestions, to really push people, and I'm really,
0:42:32 > 0:42:37really glad that Mary's enthusiastic and really chuffed about the space.
0:42:37 > 0:42:38That's lovely to see.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40- So I've left it white in here. - CHAMPAGNE CORK POPS
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- Oh!- Ooh!
0:42:45 > 0:42:47All over my new furniture.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50So many houses are just really collections of little rooms
0:42:50 > 0:42:52connected by a corridor,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54and that just doesn't really match the way a lot of us live.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57But I think it's nice to know that you can create spaces
0:42:57 > 0:43:01quite easily that would really kind of transform your life
0:43:01 > 0:43:03and the way that you live with your family.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05I think that's really positive.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20In Kingston, the platform beds are finally taking shape.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24But they've spent nearly all of their 30K budget,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26and there's a lot more work left to do.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30You've got the rest of the... The table's going to collapse!
0:43:30 > 0:43:32You two are being very silly.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34With Skye, Matt and their five children
0:43:34 > 0:43:36still surviving in just two rooms...
0:43:40 > 0:43:43- Right, can we stop being silly, please?- Being silly.
0:43:44 > 0:43:49With our allocation of money now in our pot, we've got to still
0:43:49 > 0:43:53pay for electrics, plumbing and the rest of the bills.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57After that, we've only got a few hundred left, so we've had to
0:43:57 > 0:43:59prioritise on part of the build,
0:43:59 > 0:44:03and we won't unfortunately be able to move the bathroom up.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08She's desperate just to finish and get her family settled in.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11So I understand why she's reluctant
0:44:11 > 0:44:14to lose her one working bathroom downstairs.
0:44:17 > 0:44:22The most important thing to get this house to work is the way the spaces
0:44:22 > 0:44:25knit together, and at the moment, the bathroom is downstairs,
0:44:25 > 0:44:28cutting the circulation in half,
0:44:28 > 0:44:31and it means that in the middle of the night, children would have
0:44:31 > 0:44:34to go downstairs, across the living areas, through the kitchen,
0:44:34 > 0:44:38into the bathroom. So getting the bathroom here where it needs to
0:44:38 > 0:44:41is just the biggest priority.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46Relocating the bathroom upstairs is key to this whole project,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48and with the plumbing already re-routed,
0:44:48 > 0:44:51I think this pivotal move can be achieved with limited upheaval.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Making that a living space rather than a bathroom is important,
0:44:54 > 0:44:56- isn't it?- Yes, yes, it is.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59But we're just running out of money,
0:44:59 > 0:45:02so we're looking at what priorities we have.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Just taking the bathroom fittings out and capping them
0:45:04 > 0:45:09is a couple of hours of Roly's time, and then you can move all this other
0:45:09 > 0:45:13junk in there and carry on using this, and have a bathroom upstairs.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16How about I, today, help you take those fittings out,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19put them upstairs, see how it looks?
0:45:19 > 0:45:20OK! If you want, yeah.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24- Shall we do that?- Yeah.- Are you up for it?- Yeah, definitely.- OK.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28It's a cheap and simple solution.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32Recycling the bath will save Skye at least £70,
0:45:32 > 0:45:33and the only cost in moving it upstairs
0:45:33 > 0:45:36is the time taken for Roly to plumb it in.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43And while Roly gets to work,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46I want to find a way to add some much-needed interior finish
0:45:46 > 0:45:48that won't affect their already stretched budget.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53I need to find something for free, so I'm going to go to
0:45:53 > 0:45:57a glazier's and see if I can get some off-cuts from a skip or a bin
0:45:57 > 0:45:59that they can give us for nothing and see
0:45:59 > 0:46:03if we can make something beautiful out of those off-cuts.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08It's always worth asking local fabricators and merchants
0:46:08 > 0:46:11for off-cuts like these that would otherwise be thrown out.
0:46:11 > 0:46:16It can be a cheap, or even free, way to source materials for your home.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19So what I've asked him to do is keep all the off-cuts for a week,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22and then you can go in and get them for nothing.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25So the edges need grinding. So that's the bit you need to pay for.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29And I think it's £7 a metre to get it done, or something.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31So I could take some of this and then go back to them
0:46:31 > 0:46:35and say, "Can you make this safe for me?" and they'll do that?
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Absolutely. I would really like to try and fill
0:46:39 > 0:46:42from floor to ceiling with off-cuts.
0:46:42 > 0:46:47- It will really increase the sense of space.- Is that something that I can do?- Absolutely.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49I mean, these are small, lightweight pieces of glass,
0:46:49 > 0:46:53and all you do is squirt on the back some mirror adhesive
0:46:53 > 0:46:54and then put them on the wall.
0:46:54 > 0:47:00I think it would be really beautiful to paint this wall
0:47:00 > 0:47:02a beautiful colour before you put the mirror on.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06- I like the randomness of the mirrors.- Craziness.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Craziness. Like our family.
0:47:13 > 0:47:14Within just a few hours,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Skye and Matt have a working bathroom
0:47:16 > 0:47:18and a vision for how to complete it.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22Ooh! Wahey!
0:47:24 > 0:47:28I'm pleased to have stopped them throwing away this vital move,
0:47:28 > 0:47:29but there's still a long way to go.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44With the structural work completed, the race is now on
0:47:44 > 0:47:46to get family life back to normal.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50But it's a mammoth task, and they're working in chaos.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54It is a bit of as jigsaw puzzle. In terms of, we have to sort of move everyone into one room while
0:47:54 > 0:47:57we work on another room, then move them all out of that room
0:47:57 > 0:48:00back into the first room so we can work on the second room.
0:48:00 > 0:48:01Yeah, does make it quite complicated,
0:48:01 > 0:48:06and, you know, certainly slows down the work that you're doing.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09The focus turns to the finishing touches.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12- Is that comfortable, or do you want it higher?- Perfect.
0:48:12 > 0:48:13The couple are keen to use colours
0:48:13 > 0:48:17that give each room a sense of individuality.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20Last night was a one o'clock one.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23The kids have been sharing a room for eight months,
0:48:23 > 0:48:25and they can see it coming together,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28so I think their patience is running very thin with each other.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31So Matt and I are quite conscious that
0:48:31 > 0:48:34if we get things in place, then we can move them into their rooms.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36And maybe they won't, er...
0:48:38 > 0:48:41..kill each other in the meantime.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45Got about 80 minutes, I think, once that film's finished,
0:48:45 > 0:48:49and then...back downstairs.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54With the stairwell for the loft bed being constructed,
0:48:54 > 0:48:57the space upstairs will finally be unlocked.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01But with every room in need of work and redecoration,
0:49:01 > 0:49:03the end is still a long way off.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16It's been almost three months since I last caught up with Skye and Matt.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20I can't wait to see if this family are finally able
0:49:20 > 0:49:22to live in their home.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25Like people all over the country,
0:49:25 > 0:49:29they bought the best house they could afford in an expensive area.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32It fell far short of their needs,
0:49:32 > 0:49:36and I had my biggest challenge of helping them turn this house
0:49:36 > 0:49:40into something that was suitable for their family of seven.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46When Skye and Matt bought this house,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48the problems began right from the front door.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52The ground floor was a cramped set of rooms,
0:49:52 > 0:49:55narrowing into the only bathroom at the rear.
0:49:57 > 0:49:58Wow, look at this!
0:50:02 > 0:50:03This is fantastic!
0:50:05 > 0:50:08The house is still very much a work in progress,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10but the spaces are starting to flow.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14By adding a hallway and extending into the old lean-to,
0:50:14 > 0:50:17the entire floor now feels open and spacious
0:50:17 > 0:50:19and fit for this large family.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24- What a difference just one metre makes.- It's got rid of the
0:50:24 > 0:50:28bottleneck that we had here, so this has been fantastic.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Because there's no door here, because this floor runs through,
0:50:31 > 0:50:35and critically, because you've put these roof lights in, the whole
0:50:35 > 0:50:39thing feels like you're coming into a really spacious house. How does
0:50:39 > 0:50:41this make you feel now when you come in?
0:50:41 > 0:50:45It's know, you know, a great space that we can use for bringing up the
0:50:45 > 0:50:48family, really, which it certainly wasn't when we first bought it.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54Skye and Matt used two colours across the ground floor, white for
0:50:54 > 0:50:56the walls and red for the floor.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00This simple trick is one way you can unify your space and help it
0:51:00 > 0:51:03feel bigger than it actually is, for the cost of just a tin of paint.
0:51:03 > 0:51:08I mean, I think what's great is that this is still a small house,
0:51:08 > 0:51:10yet this feels appropriate for a big family.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12I mean, that's what's wonderful.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15And it doesn't feel mean, doesn't feel cramped, doesn't feel pinched.
0:51:15 > 0:51:20But the actual square footage is still relatively modest.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23It's great seeing right the way through these windows into the garden.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28What's it like being together now as a family in here,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30eating at this table?
0:51:30 > 0:51:34Well, the kids love eating here and doing their homework, and I can
0:51:34 > 0:51:38keep an eye on them with the baby, and just sitting as a family,
0:51:38 > 0:51:40and we never really had that space before.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42It makes such a big difference.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47The kitchen was once a confined space,
0:51:47 > 0:51:49shut off at back of the house.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56Now with the interior wall and chimney removed, it spans out,
0:51:56 > 0:51:58becoming the heart of the home.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04There's so much space. I mean, you must be delighted with this.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08I absolutely love this. This is my area, my little treasure.
0:52:08 > 0:52:12This is a standard kitchen that you've dressed up with
0:52:12 > 0:52:14stainless steel handles and a stainless steel top.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17- Yes, yes. - So this was the bottom of the range.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19We didn't want anything too fancy,
0:52:19 > 0:52:23but we wanted to just add a little element of individuality.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Buying basic units but spending a little more on the detailing
0:52:29 > 0:52:32is a great way to make the most of your budget.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35You could also use this idea to update a tired kitchen
0:52:35 > 0:52:39you already have without the expense of replacing the entire suite.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43It's really worked out well, that we've got this big, long space,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46so we can all really be working in the kitchen at the same time.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49It's really made a big difference to the family life for us.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54With plenty of work still to do here,
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Skye and Matt have made the most of their budget,
0:52:56 > 0:52:58painting bare brick and temporarily transforming
0:52:58 > 0:53:02the unfinished look into their decorative theme.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05You've done exactly the right thing, because you've got all the
0:53:05 > 0:53:08spaces right, and you've left them purposely a bit raw
0:53:08 > 0:53:12because you've spent the money just getting the spaces where they need
0:53:12 > 0:53:15to be, and over time, you can do all sorts of things like add the
0:53:15 > 0:53:18bi-folds, and you can sort out the other rooms on the ground
0:53:18 > 0:53:20floor that are still up for grabs.
0:53:20 > 0:53:25But what I really want to see now is how you've packed the kids in upstairs.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27- Can we go and have a look? - Of course.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32The modest three bedrooms just weren't big enough to sleep seven.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36There's more work to do to finish off the ceilings,
0:53:36 > 0:53:39but by following my idea for raised beds,
0:53:39 > 0:53:41they've almost doubled their floor space,
0:53:41 > 0:53:42without knocking out walls.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48- This has really worked, hasn't it? - It's fantastic.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50It's a really good use of space.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53By making what effectively is an elaborate bunk bed.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55Willow loves this space.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58She goes up there... It's almost like her little castle.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01We took a lot of effort in trying to make it special.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03I really like how you've done this storage,
0:54:03 > 0:54:05because it is just part of the staircase.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07Storage can be built into any space,
0:54:07 > 0:54:11and by using materials like MDF, this needn't be expensive.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Did Willow choose these colours?
0:54:14 > 0:54:17Yes, she did choose them with a certain palette.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20- Pink and nearly pink?- Yes, yes!
0:54:20 > 0:54:23It's nice for her, being surrounded by a family of boys,
0:54:23 > 0:54:25to have her girlie room.
0:54:25 > 0:54:26Her domain, completely.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32And rather than cram two bunks in the boys' room,
0:54:32 > 0:54:34they've added a loft bed in here, too,
0:54:34 > 0:54:38transforming it into a fun, vibrant and generous space.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42Not many bedrooms would work for four boys, but actually,
0:54:42 > 0:54:44this is more than just a dormitory, isn't it?
0:54:44 > 0:54:47It feels like a special place.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Through careful talks with building control,
0:54:49 > 0:54:54they've been able to create this small bed platform accessed by a ladder.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58And that extra space up there, with a bit of JJ's own space,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00I think was really important.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03But it was moving the bathroom upstairs that was paramount
0:55:03 > 0:55:06to solving the layout here.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09I'm really pleased, guys, that you've done this bathroom
0:55:09 > 0:55:10and it's finished.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13I can't even think about how we would have worked things out with
0:55:13 > 0:55:14the bathroom downstairs
0:55:14 > 0:55:17and bringing the kids through the kitchen and up the stairs
0:55:17 > 0:55:22to get ready, so this has just been a huge life-changer for us.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26With inspiration taken from the maisonette I showed her,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29Skye has used a strong colour here to create a feeling of luxury.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36And if you have a small bathroom, making a feature wall with mirrors
0:55:36 > 0:55:39is an inexpensive way to add the feeling of space and light.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44And the scale and drama of that colour in that very small room
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- is really successful. - And it just adds a bit of fun.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50Skye and Matt were determined to make this house work
0:55:50 > 0:55:53for their unconventional family.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56What they've achieved is ingenious,
0:55:56 > 0:55:59but has it been possible within budget?
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Originally you told me you had about £30,000 to do all of this work.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05But how much have you spent?
0:56:05 > 0:56:09So, all in all, we spent about £50,000 in total.
0:56:09 > 0:56:15So the basic build of the structure came in for the 30,000.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18But there were a number of things that maybe we didn't factor in.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21We had to rewire the house, that added a few thousand pounds in.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23And then there were other costs, storage costs, and...
0:56:23 > 0:56:27But it's still pretty good value, because I remember telling you originally that you could spend
0:56:27 > 0:56:3225 grand just replacing the windows and possibly doing the heating.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36So for just twice that, you've ended up with a whole house refurb
0:56:36 > 0:56:39and remodel. It's remarkable, really, what you've ended up with.
0:56:39 > 0:56:4450,000, for what we've achieved, for a family space,
0:56:44 > 0:56:48is next to nothing, for what it's given us back.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52And I think sometimes we're so trapped in these four walls
0:56:52 > 0:56:54that we sometimes need to take them down
0:56:54 > 0:56:57and reassess where we live and how we live.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01And it's almost now that we can just take that deep breath
0:57:01 > 0:57:03and enjoy the house as it is.
0:57:05 > 0:57:06CHILDREN LAUGH
0:57:06 > 0:57:10- So, what do you reckon, boys? - Really good.- Do you like it?
0:57:10 > 0:57:11- ALL:- Yeah!
0:57:11 > 0:57:14Skye and Matt have taken a very small house
0:57:14 > 0:57:16and they've done something remarkable.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18Through their own inventiveness,
0:57:18 > 0:57:23they've smuggled in a series of spaces that are truly delightful.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27- And what's the best thing about the whole bedroom?- I get it to myself.
0:57:27 > 0:57:28You get it to yourself.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32They've squeezed in five kids, and they haven't just
0:57:32 > 0:57:36squeezed them in in a way that's compromised and cramped,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39they've squeezed them in in a way that's truly delightful
0:57:39 > 0:57:44and special, and a fantastic model for all of us to show that we don't
0:57:44 > 0:57:48all need endless space, we just need inventive and good quality space.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51There's a loot of mouths around here to feed!
0:57:51 > 0:57:52Welcome to my world!
0:57:52 > 0:57:54HE LAUGHS
0:57:55 > 0:57:56Next time,
0:57:56 > 0:57:59the family home that's cramped and chaotic.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02It's just a bit of a hellhole out there, to be honest with you.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06And an incredible idea that unlocks hidden space.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09Oh, wow. You don't really expect to see that halfway up the stairs.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12How to take your forgotten basement to another level.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15- I think that would be really beautiful in your house.- Yeah.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18But will DIY turn to DI don't?
0:58:18 > 0:58:22I think I'll ring my builder and let him know that my house is falling down.