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 > 0:00:11This is what's known as miserable.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15I'm Piers Taylor and I've hand-picked a team of experts
0:00:15 > 0:00:17to transform everyday homes.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23If you feel that, it doesn't feel like you think it would.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24'From bold changes...'
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Your room, as it is, would disappear.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'..to stunning interior ideas...'
0:00:31 > 0:00:32I think it looks amazing, that.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34'..and finishing touches.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:36It's a bit of a focal point.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38We will use every trick of the trade...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40You want to give a bit of a wow factor.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42..to prove a limit on your funds...
0:00:42 > 0:00:43This stuff is free.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46..does not mean a limit on your imagination.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48This is amazing. I mean really amazing.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53This time...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55the owner of one of Britain's thinnest homes
0:00:55 > 0:00:57is desperate for help.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58You won't get lost in this place.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01But how do you make a lot out of a little?
0:01:01 > 0:01:03- What do you think? - It's amazing.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07A family of four have enormous dreams for their home.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I just love the grandeur.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11But bigger isn't always better.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14- This isn't architecture, this is just getting more space.- Yep.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28With house prices in London now averaging
0:01:28 > 0:01:30over half a million pounds,
0:01:30 > 0:01:3228-year-old Adam thought he had very little chance
0:01:32 > 0:01:35of buying a home in the capital.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38But then, he came across this extremely narrow property
0:01:38 > 0:01:42and bought it for just £105,000,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44but has he bought a dud?
0:01:44 > 0:01:45Welcome.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48There you go. You won't get lost in this place.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51The estate agent didn't even bother showing me around at the time,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53because they said they'd had so many phoney offers
0:01:53 > 0:01:55and had been on the market for such a long time
0:01:55 > 0:01:57they didn't really believe that anyone
0:01:57 > 0:01:58would seriously be interested it.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Once nothing more than an alleyway,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05this unique building is just five feet wide
0:02:05 > 0:02:07at its thinnest point.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11I can touch both sides of the wall.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Which, if you're sitting down, is quite useful,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16cos you can grab things from the side without having to stand up.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20This tiny one-bedroom house is a struggle for Adam
0:02:20 > 0:02:21to live in on his own.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24But social occasions are practically impossible.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26He needs somewhere he can entertain.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30It's OK to cook, but if someone else is here
0:02:30 > 0:02:32it's not really OK any more,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36because you'll be in the way, or they'll be in the way.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38There is quite a lot of bumping into each other
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and I find myself apologising quite a lot.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45The cash Adam has invested in this home
0:02:45 > 0:02:48means more to him than anything.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50He is desperate for the house to work for him long term.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55I'd come into an inheritance,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58having sadly lost my parents,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and I knew they'd wanted me to invest into property
0:03:00 > 0:03:03to keep a roof over my head, I think.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05This house is the legacy
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and this house is my future, as well.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16Helping me transform these homes
0:03:16 > 0:03:19is my hand-picked team of architects.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22My own project comes later,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25but taking on the challenge of Adams ultra-slim home
0:03:25 > 0:03:27is Katy Marks.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- Hi.- Hello.- Hi, come in. - Nice to meet you.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35Wow, it's straight in, isn't it?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42The stairs are quite prominent, aren't they?
0:03:42 > 0:03:44It's almost half the width of the house, actually.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Yeah, and also that you have to
0:03:46 > 0:03:47step to the side
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- into what is your living space to go up there.- I know.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52And that is a small sofa.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Dark carpets and heavy wooden stairs all make the house feel
0:03:55 > 0:03:57even smaller than it is.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Let's have a look through.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00THEY TALK
0:04:00 > 0:04:04While poor lighting makes the ground floor feel like a tunnel.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Yeah, it gets narrower and narrower
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and darker and darker as you go
0:04:08 > 0:04:09- to the end of the house, doesn't it?- It does.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11You can literally...
0:04:11 > 0:04:15- stretch your arms across, can't you? - Yeah, yeah.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I can see there is light at the end of the tunnel down there.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Adam wants to build out into his tiny backyard
0:04:21 > 0:04:23to make a new dining space.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25THEY TALK
0:04:25 > 0:04:26- Wow.- I know.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29It's a bit of a scrapyard at the moment.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Compared to the rest of the house, you get a lot of light in here.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33From the day I moved in,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35I always thought, you know, this is a place
0:04:35 > 0:04:38that's going to become something else.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Katy has re-imagined some of the country's best buildings.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46She was part of the team that won the prestigious
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Stirling Prize for the new Everyman Theatre in Liverpool.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55She's also transformed parts of the Royal Court Theatre in London.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59The bedroom is pretty titchy, isn't it?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02But what can anyone do with a tiny house like this?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I can't even walk round the furniture.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Adam has taken out a £50,000 mortgage
0:05:08 > 0:05:10to alter his home.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13After overhauling just the electrics and plumbing,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15he won't be left with much.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Getting extra space by going out would be incredibly valuable,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21because the house is so small.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Improving this tiny house is a huge challenge.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Katy must find ways to help Adam with every element,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32from where walls go, right down to fixtures, fittings and storage.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35She wants to start by tackling the key architectural moves.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37The first thing,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39make the yard into an extra space.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42You could make quite a dramatic space in there
0:05:42 > 0:05:43that had walls on all sides,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45but just a really big roof light.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Oh, OK.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I can just picture it now, with the amount of light,
0:05:49 > 0:05:50it's going to be incredible.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52But the thing that I'm going to suggest,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54which you might think is a bit crazy...
0:05:54 > 0:05:58is to suggest that we don't have a floor here.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59What we are left with, then,
0:05:59 > 0:06:04is a really big airy, double height space for a living room.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06- Wow.- You know, you can do a lot in here.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08You can have a really high lighting
0:06:08 > 0:06:09- and big pictures on the wall. - Yeah, yeah.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12And then what I've done here is
0:06:12 > 0:06:14to build a dormer just on the back.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18So that it is like a bed mezzanine.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26Katy's plan would be a radical transformation to this tiny home.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Turning the yard into a glass-covered extension would give
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Adam a dining space, where he can entertain.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Moving the living area to the first floor
0:06:37 > 0:06:38and removing the ceiling above,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41would create an extraordinary double height space,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43with an open bed platform built in.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50And key to Katy's design is stripping out the old staircase.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Building spiral stairs in the middle of the property
0:06:53 > 0:06:54would connect it all together.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01I'm slightly concerned about the size of the bedroom,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03because we have lost some floorspace.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Really make sure that you keep it as open as possible.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Because it is so long and narrow,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12getting rid of as many walls and doors as possible
0:07:12 > 0:07:14is going to make the space feel bigger,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16even if it's the same size.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It's a bold plan that could give Adam exactly what he wants,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24but will he be brave enough to go for it?
0:07:26 > 0:07:29When Katy was talking about cutting away flooring,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31I thought, you know...
0:07:31 > 0:07:34that has got to be the opposite of what, you know,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36we should be looking for, to create more space.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39But, looking at it actually down on the paper,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42about how would all look and how it would feel, I...
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Yeah, that was just, like, a total lightbulb moment.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Adam might see the benefits of Katy's plan,
0:07:56 > 0:07:57but builder's quotes come back
0:07:57 > 0:08:01at the top end of his £50,000 budget.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02He's forced to have a rethink.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07I realised that we were so close to being out of budget
0:08:07 > 0:08:10that I've now taken away
0:08:10 > 0:08:13the whole of the rear extension.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Having now taken that away,
0:08:15 > 0:08:16I feel we've got...
0:08:16 > 0:08:19we've got more budget to put into the interior.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23I would have just been keeping my head above water before.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Losing the extension saves Adam almost 14 grand,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30but it may be a compromise too far
0:08:30 > 0:08:33for a home so severely lacking space.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Adam is wrestling with some tough decisions
0:08:41 > 0:08:45to try and make his small space go a long way.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Over in Walsall,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Hardeep, Rupinder and their two children
0:08:48 > 0:08:50and have plenty of space in their suburban semi,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52but it's all in the wrong place.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Four years ago, Hardeep and his wife Rupinder
0:08:59 > 0:09:02chanced upon this 1950s semi in Walsall.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06We took a wrong turn, came down this road...
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- Basically, yeah.- About to turn the car around
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and there were two properties on the road for sale.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Literally stumbled upon.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Having saved hard to buy the house,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18they didn't have the money to renovate.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21This home is riddled with problems.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23The first issue is the tiny kitchen.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25I mean, the kitchen
0:09:25 > 0:09:27has not been touched since we moved into the house.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29I can't find space to put my dishes on
0:09:29 > 0:09:30or cook anything.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36The next problem is the rabbit warren of disconnected rooms.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38The family end up living in separate spaces.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42There's not a communal area, where you can just sit down
0:09:42 > 0:09:43and have a beer and cook food,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46or women can just gas and cook at the same time.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48The space is just not there.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51Whenever we cook,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54the children want to watch TV and eat their food.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56- It's never in the dining room. - It's not.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59In the future,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Hardeep's elderly parents plan to move in,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03so the house will also need to accommodate
0:10:03 > 0:10:05an extended Punjabi family.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08From a cultural point of view,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11having family around and eating together
0:10:11 > 0:10:13is just part of the fun
0:10:13 > 0:10:15and the culture that we live in.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19They think the solution is a two-storey extension
0:10:19 > 0:10:21on the back of the house.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22They've borrowed £40K to build it
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and Hardeep's got grand ambitions for their home.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29When we go around to look at places like Warwick Castle,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I just love the grandeur of everything like this.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Just having the open fire spaces, the traditional metalwork.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38I would love to have something like that says, wow.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Overall, 1950s homes tend to be generously sized,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49compared to modern builds,
0:10:49 > 0:10:50but, rather than boxy rooms,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53nowadays we want open-plan, flexible ones.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00'Hardeep and Rupinder want spaces for their in-laws
0:11:00 > 0:11:02'to come and stay, or come and live with them.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04'They want a bigger kitchen, they want a bigger living room,'
0:11:04 > 0:11:07And I'm wondering already whether they just want too much.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Looking forward to seeing your house.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- So are we. - LAUGHTER
0:11:12 > 0:11:16So, already, I can see the model that is laid out here,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18which is two rooms, front and back,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and a little kitchen there.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Correct.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25It's interesting that, if we were building this house now,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27this space would be the most important space.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- Yep.- This is probably where most of the issues are,
0:11:31 > 0:11:32- for you, as a family.- Yeah.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Having a kitchen that is tiny
0:11:35 > 0:11:37- and separate from the rest of the house.- Yes.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38And also separate from the garden.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41So it seems to have been planned without any sense
0:11:41 > 0:11:44of having any quality - any qualities of space,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47or any quality in terms of light and view
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- and all those sorts of things. - Yeah. Yeah.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50It gets very frustrating,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53because my dishwasher is not in the kitchen.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54Where is your dishwasher?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57My dishwasher is outside, in the lean-to.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Like homes across the country,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03it has a lean-to built on the side.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Rupinder's using it as an overspill kitchen.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09- It's like an oven out here. - It is, it is. It's too hot.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- But this isn't a dishwasher.- Yeah. - This is a fridge/freezer,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15a dryer and a washing machine in a passageway.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Currently, it's just dead space.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19But you have to wonder why anyone would have ever built this.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Not quite sure if it's a conservatory, a greenhouse...
0:12:21 > 0:12:24It's even worse than I thought, when we were in there.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25- Yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:12:25 > 0:12:27And I thought it was bad. Now, I think it is a disaster.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It is a relief, actually, to be outside, isn't it?
0:12:33 > 0:12:34But what's interesting about coming out
0:12:34 > 0:12:37is that this feels so big.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39It feels so spacious and feels so wide,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41whereas the house is set up to be
0:12:41 > 0:12:44these very long, thin areas.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It strikes me that, actually, this is a really good space
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and, if nothing else, all of these spaces should just...
0:12:50 > 0:12:52- you know, open out onto this.- Yeah.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Hardeep and Rupinder should ditch their ambitious
0:12:57 > 0:12:58two-storey extension.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Instead, they should improve their key living spaces,
0:13:02 > 0:13:03and focus them on the garden.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08They need better space, not just more of it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10£40,000 is a lot of money,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12but I'm worried that,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14if they spend it badly,
0:13:14 > 0:13:15this'll be a disaster.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20In my mind, if I was to build up a picture
0:13:20 > 0:13:22of how you could live here,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I would quite like to extend all the way across.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- Yeah.- Build one simple thing, so that your kitchen
0:13:28 > 0:13:30goes from a space that is that size
0:13:30 > 0:13:33to, really, that size.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Then, somewhere in this zone,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38is a table and that being the centrepiece of the room,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41where you live as a family.
0:13:41 > 0:13:42Interesting.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- OK. - LAUGHTER
0:13:44 > 0:13:47All framed by this incredible view
0:13:47 > 0:13:49you've got of the garden and you are not using.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52I feel having a table there in that much space
0:13:52 > 0:13:53feels a bit of an eyesore.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55How is that an eyesore?
0:13:55 > 0:13:57What I mean is, if you're sitting on the chairs,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59or you're lounging in this area here,
0:13:59 > 0:14:00you've got this...
0:14:00 > 0:14:02what I'd say is an obstacle there in the middle,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04whilst you're sitting and watching TV.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07But, in a stroke, you stand to make an amazing space.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Actually, the bones of it is beautiful and uplifting
0:14:10 > 0:14:12and amazing and flexible.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15And I would love to have all glass looking into the garden.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So that wants to be fully glazed,
0:14:17 > 0:14:18- if possible.- I like that.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21'I've got one more idea that would create a room
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'for Hardeep's parents in the future -
0:14:23 > 0:14:26'a simple conversion to their garage.'
0:14:26 > 0:14:28That could be a beautiful little stand-alone project
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and it means your parents can have their own access,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33their own entrance, their own autonomy,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35that's separate from you.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36But I think that can be converted
0:14:36 > 0:14:40for £7,000 to £9,000, sometime in the future.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42- Mm-hm.- But the chunk of 40 grand you spend
0:14:42 > 0:14:44sorting out the bones of the building, so it works for you.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46- Hm.- And you get a much better house.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50'My simple plan is a world away
0:14:50 > 0:14:52'from their ambitious two-storey extension.'
0:14:52 > 0:14:54'I'm a bit speechless, to be honest.'
0:14:54 > 0:14:55SHE LAUGHS
0:14:55 > 0:14:58What we thought, this is going to work for us
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and now what we've got is just something that has been
0:15:00 > 0:15:02totally spun on its head.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Yeah, and I really liked his idea
0:15:04 > 0:15:07about putting glass all over here,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09so that we can just directly look into the garden,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11which I love, which I miss now,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13because there's walls all around me.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Rupinder's on board with my plan,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22but Hardeep's less convinced.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25I want them both to see how just remodelling the ground floor
0:15:25 > 0:15:29to focus on the garden could drastically improve their home.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I've gained exclusive access to a home in South West London
0:15:32 > 0:15:34which I hope will do the trick.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Hardeep and Rupinder do have an amazing opportunity to make
0:15:40 > 0:15:43something incredible with the house.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46But I think, at the moment, they are just so focused on getting more
0:15:46 > 0:15:50space they are forgetting what it means to make a really good space.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54How are you getting on?
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Erm...OK, struggling.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58We made some slight changes to your plans.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01You still want to do a two-storey extension, don't you?
0:16:01 > 0:16:03- It just makes more sense to do it now.- Yep.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05The garage, we are leaving the garage.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06- That can wait.- Yeah.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Hold that thought, because what I want you to do is just enjoy
0:16:09 > 0:16:11this house for what it is.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15And behind what looks like an very ordinary exterior is
0:16:15 > 0:16:18an amazing interior space, so let's go and see it.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29The ground floor of this Victorian terraced house
0:16:29 > 0:16:32has been radically remodelled by architect Paul McAnearey.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37He's created an extraordinary three-sided extension,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39orientated around a courtyard.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42- Wow.- Absolutely beautiful.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44It sort of beats the UPVC that we are thinking about.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46LAUGHTER
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Your house is organised differently,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55because it's wider and not quite as long.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58But, actually, the way this key kitchen space
0:16:58 > 0:17:01relates to the garden could be something you could do.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06All the spaces here have a different job,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09but are linked using simple design tricks -
0:17:09 > 0:17:13the same colour palette, flooring and lighting.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15The lighting works really well in this house,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17because, in a way, you don't see the lights.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19There are no fittings to look at.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23There's light that is incorporated into the fabric of the building.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I mean, there's a slot that goes from there,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29all the way down the ceiling and turns down at the end.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33And that is just a recess with a concealed LED strip.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38And you don't really see the light, except for one place, which is...
0:17:38 > 0:17:42the lights that you do see, that define this as a space
0:17:42 > 0:17:44you want to linger and sit.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46What we looked for was a chandelier here,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49hanging on top of our dining table.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52But it's really interesting for me, as an architect, to hear that
0:17:52 > 0:17:54people do what you always do,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58which is look in a catalogue for stuff you can add to your house.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Whereas here, you can't go shopping for this stuff.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- That is exactly what we are doing. - Yeah.- Looking in a catalogue.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04You need to stop doing that.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06You need to stop and resist going shopping for stuff...
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- I said to Hardeep, we need to calm down.- Let the architecture...
0:18:09 > 0:18:12The investment is in the space and the quality of the space
0:18:12 > 0:18:14and the way that the architecture deals with storage,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17deals with lighting, deals with organisation of all of this stuff.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- Yeah.- And you can't get that in a catalogue or from a shop.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Another thing I really like here
0:18:25 > 0:18:27is that there is such a limited palette of material
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and there aren't just unnecessary chops and changes
0:18:31 > 0:18:32in things like floor surfaces.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35This is one floor surface that is used everywhere.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38And these cupboards are storage that's really incorporated
0:18:38 > 0:18:42into the fabric of the building, rather than being something else.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43And these are just...
0:18:43 > 0:18:45bespoke door fronts,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48over standard, high street carcasses.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52The door fronts that face onto the garden
0:18:52 > 0:18:54were spray painted in French Grey.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Darker shades of grey are then used in the kitchen,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59but the spaces still all tie together.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02There is this amazing
0:19:02 > 0:19:04- hidden space in it.- I love this!
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- Isn't it beautiful? - It's beautiful.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09A little moment of joy here.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11- Look at that. It's priceless, isn't it?- Ah!
0:19:11 > 0:19:13- That's what I want in my house. - You'd think...
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Oh!
0:19:15 > 0:19:17The window seat was constructed from MDF
0:19:17 > 0:19:22combined with leftover oak flooring used as a backrest.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23A useful design trick,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26this material adds warmth and texture.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29But it shows you how
0:19:29 > 0:19:32spaces need to do more than just provide
0:19:32 > 0:19:34basic functions and be well organised.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37They actually do need to have these moments of real delight.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40And it doesn't cost much to make something like this.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43This is a sea in a set of standard carcasses,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- with some bespoke fronts on and some nice cushions.- Yeah.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49And it's about where it is placed. That's where the architecture is.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- Yeah.- How it places you in this garden.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58One thing I really want to encourage Hardeep and Rupinder
0:19:58 > 0:20:00to invest in is glazing.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Big glass openings across the whole rear of their new extension
0:20:04 > 0:20:07will give them this same experience.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09This glazing system is incredible,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12because there is nothing at the head that blocks your eyes.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14So, if you look into that space there,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18there's no glazing bar over the top. You just see open space.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22And, even when the window is shut, you see open space.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26So the challenge for you guys is not just to get a really clunky
0:20:26 > 0:20:29glazing system, like UPVC or something, because then you will
0:20:29 > 0:20:33have a complete separation between the garden and your living space.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39It does worry me, about the cost of something like this.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Maybe it doesn't need to open everywhere, like this does.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47You can get expanses of glazing
0:20:47 > 0:20:49far cheaper than using systems like this.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53A large fixed pane set into a simple frame
0:20:53 > 0:20:56costs far less than high-end sliding doors.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Here, they've also brought light into a potentially dark room
0:21:00 > 0:21:02by installing an oversized skylight.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07What about the idea of using your garage?
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- What happened to that, for your parents?- At the moment,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12that project is going to be...
0:21:12 > 0:21:13- benched.- Why?
0:21:13 > 0:21:15We are going to leave the garage as it is.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17We believe that it is too small.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19And we'd would rather spend the money
0:21:19 > 0:21:21- on the second floor extension.- Yeah.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24- But this space used to be a garage. - Oh, this space used to be a garage?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Ah!
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- This space. - This space used to be a garage.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31What about doing this for your parents,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34other than that first-floor extension?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42That's food for thought. That's food for thought.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43I worry that, if you invest that money
0:21:43 > 0:21:45in the second storey extension,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- it will compromise the way the building looks.- Mm.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50It will compromise the way that your parents live with you.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55What I'm trying to do now is really interrogate your decisions
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and what I need you to do is to go away with a sense
0:21:58 > 0:22:00that you are hanging onto the big vision
0:22:00 > 0:22:02of what you're going to do at your house.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Actually, I really do believe they can achieve this
0:22:08 > 0:22:10quality of space on their budget.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Sure, they may not be able to afford this glazing system,
0:22:12 > 0:22:17but, actually, just a sensible use of storage and floor finish,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19all of those sorts of things are achievable to them,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23if they really interrogate every decision that they make.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Three weeks later and back in Walsall,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36the old lean-to is being ripped out.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41All building work we do to our homes needs to be approved
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and signed off by building control.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So, in consultation with the relevant authorities,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Hardeep and Rupinder have made some big decisions about their build.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Against my advice,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55they are planning on doing everything
0:22:55 > 0:22:57the double height side extension,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59the ground floor extension
0:22:59 > 0:23:01and converting the garage.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03We should, at the end of this project,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06have three double bedrooms upstairs.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Downstairs, a en suite bedroom/flat area
0:23:10 > 0:23:13for my parents to move into,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16plus...a open space
0:23:16 > 0:23:18that incorporates the garden.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23We had the finances ready for downstairs,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27but now we are looking at borrowing
0:23:27 > 0:23:30additional money from my bank,
0:23:30 > 0:23:31which is a worry,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35because I will be the last person on this earth to take a loan out.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38That just worries me. I will get sleepless nights.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41I'm worried they are
0:23:41 > 0:23:43seriously overstretching themselves financially,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46but, also, in trying doing so much,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50they run the risk of impacting on the quality of the final design.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Back in London,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06with an agreed design in place,
0:24:06 > 0:24:07work has begun on Adam's home.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11The builders have ripped out the ceiling
0:24:11 > 0:24:13to create the double height space.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Katy's transformation is a dramatic one,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19but Adam's struggling to see if it will give him what he wants.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Just trying to figure out how far
0:24:23 > 0:24:25the bedroom is going to come out.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Cos it's going to have a lowered ceiling.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31So it's about sort of balancing
0:24:31 > 0:24:33the size of the bedroom with
0:24:33 > 0:24:38how much of the living room is going to have the full height,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40which is tricky, cos I want both.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46The big structural work is underway
0:24:46 > 0:24:48but Adam is still mourning the loss
0:24:48 > 0:24:50of Katy's courtyard extension.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52I would have loved it as well,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54but it just was too difficult
0:24:54 > 0:24:56to fit it within budget.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It's just a complete nightmare.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08We need to analyse the impact of Adam's decision
0:25:08 > 0:25:10and find a way to help him move forward.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15This house is crying out for this fantastic, big,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18generous dining space at the back of it, isn't it?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21And Adam isn't going to do that. So what are we going to do?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23It's really, really disappointing,
0:25:23 > 0:25:28because he is going to have a real challenge to regain a space
0:25:28 > 0:25:31that feels as sociable and that he is as proud
0:25:31 > 0:25:33to welcome his friends in.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36So we are going to have to go back and really think hard
0:25:36 > 0:25:39about how we use materials
0:25:39 > 0:25:42to define different zones within the house.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45We try and find ways in which we can inspire him
0:25:45 > 0:25:50to think about very narrow dining and living spaces.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52It's going to be a challenge.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54THEY TALK
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I'm taking Adam to this former carpenter's workshop
0:25:56 > 0:25:59in East London, where they've found a radical solution
0:25:59 > 0:26:02to the problem of small and narrow spaces.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I guess I want to show you that the best houses
0:26:05 > 0:26:08don't necessarily have conventional spaces.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10And I think your house would really benefit
0:26:10 > 0:26:12from not having conventional spaces.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13Yep.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15I think we should go in and have a look.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24It's amazing.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29At just 45 square metres,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31this house is about half the size
0:26:31 > 0:26:34of an average new build.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Studiomama have managed to fit in two bedroom pods,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40two living areas, a kitchen and a bathroom.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43FOOTSTEPS
0:26:43 > 0:26:44Oh, wow!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I love this. They've got the double height as well.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48Just like my place.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- You can see why I brought you here. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54I really like the way this house is lit,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57because, up there, there is a really generous roof light,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and, if the sun was out, there really would be a shaft of light
0:27:00 > 0:27:04going through that glass panel into the ground floor.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09And then, up here, there is a standard fluorescent strip,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- which runs along the roof line. - Oh, right, yeah.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- That has a really big impact on it. - Huge.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17These are super cheap. These are nine quid each.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24The bedrooms in this house have been built into the living room,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27one dramatically hanging from the ceiling.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I can't believe they've got two beds here.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35LAUGHTER
0:27:35 > 0:27:37This sort of thing won't be possible in every home,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41but it maximises space in this double height room.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I think it is really playful, isn't it?
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- This whole space.- Absolutely.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51'Cladding made from red cedar wood separates the bedroom pods
0:27:51 > 0:27:55'from the living area and adds texture and colour to the space.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58'Certain wall and ceiling finishes may need to be treated
0:27:58 > 0:28:00'to prevent the spread of flame.'
0:28:00 > 0:28:02This wood is wrapped around
0:28:02 > 0:28:05and made into a wardrobe and a seat.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Using a material everywhere, like this,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10means that you will end up with minimal wastage.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12So it is a really good use of material.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15But, also, it does make this small space seem big.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Yeah, I'm going to take some notes on this one.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23'Adam needs to keep searching for design tricks
0:28:23 > 0:28:25'and space-saving techniques,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27'if he is to make the most of his narrow home.'
0:28:28 > 0:28:31I really hope that Adam, going away from here,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35is encouraged that he doesn't need to dumb his house down
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and make it like an ordinary developer house.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41I think he chose it, because it's special
0:28:41 > 0:28:43and I think, if he stays with that, he'll end up with spaces
0:28:43 > 0:28:46that may be unconventional, but they'll be delightful.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57In Walsall, building work is progressing and Hardeep and Rupinder
0:28:57 > 0:29:01have now spent over 20 grand of their 55K budget.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06But there's no sign of the fully glazed extension
0:29:06 > 0:29:07I designed for them.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10I urgently need to find out what's going on.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14So, basically, kitchen sink here...
0:29:14 > 0:29:15- Hi, Hardeep.- Oh, hello, Piers!
0:29:15 > 0:29:17How are you getting on?
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Really well.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21As you can see, it's taking shape.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23- We've had a few challenges along the way.- Sure.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27So there's a few things that we've changed about.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29So that sounds worrying.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31'By building more and more house,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34'Hardeep's had less money to make the key moves.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36'They've gone from a wall of glass
0:29:36 > 0:29:38'to two standard patio doors.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42'The design of the extension is seriously compromised.'
0:29:42 > 0:29:43The way this thing was conceived
0:29:43 > 0:29:46was as a singular thing of beauty
0:29:46 > 0:29:49on the back of your house, that stood apart from it,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51was made out of something completely different.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55- Yeah.- And didn't have the language of the building,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58with a set of patio doors in it and a pitched roof on it.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00- Hm.- It was completely different.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Whereas, for me, you had the opportunity to make something
0:30:02 > 0:30:04truly, exquisitely beautiful.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Kind of once in a lifetime beautiful.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09- This isn't architecture.- Yep. - This is just getting more space.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11I get that.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15- What we've had to do is within our budget to make it stretch.- Yeah.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17It comes down to pure, hard cash.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25As I feared, the pressure of trying to do too much on their budget
0:30:25 > 0:30:28means they are ending up with an ordinary extension,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30rather than a thing of beauty that could have totally
0:30:30 > 0:30:33transformed the way they live.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36'I need to accept that my vision for their ground floor has gone,
0:30:36 > 0:30:40'but I still want to make what they have built special.'
0:30:40 > 0:30:45My task now is to help you still make these spaces feel amazing,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49and how do you think I can help you now?
0:30:49 > 0:30:51We have now got a kitchen on order,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54but we now need something magical for our island.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58We'd like some inspiration on the, sort of, one, continuous flooring
0:30:58 > 0:30:59all the way through.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03What do we go for there that still gives us that wow factor?
0:31:03 > 0:31:05I need some help in these areas.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Great, well, I think what I need to do is come back
0:31:07 > 0:31:10when you have built this big space and we can look at it together
0:31:10 > 0:31:14and walk around the shell and see the spaces again.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Fantastic, yeah. I look forward to it.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Hardeep and Rupinder must do all they can to press on with
0:31:19 > 0:31:23the build and ensure there are no further changes of plan.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37In London, the next stage of structural work
0:31:37 > 0:31:39is underway at Adam's house.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44The roof is off and the builders begin to work on the dormer
0:31:44 > 0:31:47space to create his open-bed platform area.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55Adam has spent almost 40,000 of his £50,000 budget already.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Even the contingency is disappearing quite rapidly,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02so we need to be really careful.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04I am having to, sort of, start putting
0:32:04 > 0:32:09the brakes on things, as I can't really get any more budget together.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Adam has got just £10,000 left to spend on the interior
0:32:14 > 0:32:16and the spiral stairs.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20But he has made another change to Katy's plan.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24She has rushed back to see what this means for the finished building.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28The thing that I am really worried about is that the staircase
0:32:28 > 0:32:30has moved right to the front of the house,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33which is effectively the widest part of the house.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35It is the only part of the house that actually
0:32:35 > 0:32:38feels like a normal room.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42Adam's decision to move the spiral stairs has got far-reaching
0:32:42 > 0:32:45consequences for one room in particular.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52- That open square is where the staircase will be.- Yes.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55And that will be the sliver that's left over.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59You haven't got any room left.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Ah... Um...
0:33:01 > 0:33:04I think the staircase in that location
0:33:04 > 0:33:07is a bit of a problem, on this floor particularly.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12The thought of that being wasted...
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Yeah, it's really horrible. I...
0:33:15 > 0:33:18It is something that is essential to what I want.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Adam only has one chance to make the most of the limited
0:33:23 > 0:33:25space in one of Britain's thinnest homes.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28What I have just been experimenting with,
0:33:28 > 0:33:33is going back to having a more orthogonal, right-angled staircase,
0:33:33 > 0:33:35a dogleg stair.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Right-angled staircases take up less space than spiral stairs,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40as they can be fitted tighter to a wall.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Hopefully, we are left with an area,
0:33:45 > 0:33:49right up against the window, that you can actually use and enjoy.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53All of this is left as a kind of proper room.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55That does make much more sense.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Katy's new stairs could even give Adam the opportunity for storage.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03The success of this whole project rests on getting this right.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07So I think we need to think of some really cost-effective
0:34:07 > 0:34:13ways of incorporating bespoke furniture.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16The design of the furniture will be key to making the most
0:34:16 > 0:34:17of this unusual home.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23But properties this restricted are few and far between.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34So, Katy's found somewhere as thin and narrow as his home,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36only this one floats.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45Wow.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50It feels so spacious.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53At 56 feet long and less than 7 feet wide,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56this barge, designed by Lee Thornley,
0:34:56 > 0:35:01incorporates bespoke and fitted furnishings to save space.
0:35:01 > 0:35:02What's really clever here is...
0:35:02 > 0:35:06that they've created something that's incredibly simple, really.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I mean, it's just shelves but because it fits exactly,
0:35:09 > 0:35:14it's just managed to streamline the whole thing in a very simple way
0:35:14 > 0:35:17and I think that's what you need to try and do in your house.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Yes, everything is designed to fit
0:35:19 > 0:35:21and everything is in its right place.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25But it certainly feels very spacious in here.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Bespoke furniture may sound expensive, but you
0:35:29 > 0:35:34can build it from cheap wood like ply or even reclaimed timber.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36I absolutely love the textured wood.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38It helps bring out some of the other things.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40It's interesting because it's textured.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43But it is also quite subtle and in the background
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- because it's a light shade. - I think you're right that
0:35:45 > 0:35:49finding particular places in your house
0:35:49 > 0:35:51where you would pick up on a texture
0:35:51 > 0:35:55as much as a colour or a material is really important.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Arranging materials horizontally,
0:36:00 > 0:36:02like here, makes a space feel wider,
0:36:02 > 0:36:06while fitting it vertically would make it seem taller -
0:36:06 > 0:36:10a useful design trick you can use to alter how a room feels.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14The shapes of things are kind of echoing other parts,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18like the round plates, the round window, the round lights
0:36:18 > 0:36:22and I think there's quite a lot we can do with working with the shapes.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23Absolutely.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26You've got this very, kind of, truncated triangle.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- Yes.- But you could do all kinds of things with that.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31The shape of the table echoing that
0:36:31 > 0:36:35because you need a long thin table in a long thin room.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Co-ordinating shapes adds a connection between a room
0:36:40 > 0:36:42and the stuff that fills it.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47- Wow.- What do you think?- Yes.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49It's amazing.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53While floor-to-ceiling tiles in a small area, like a bathroom,
0:36:53 > 0:36:55can add drama and character.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58If this was a larger room and you had these tiles everywhere,
0:36:58 > 0:36:59it would be completely dizzying.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Overwhelming.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04But in a small toilet, it's just enough to feel like
0:37:04 > 0:37:06there's a bit of quirkiness in it
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and you actually smile when you open the door
0:37:08 > 0:37:11because it just looks a bit different
0:37:11 > 0:37:13and it has a bit of personality to it.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Another fairly subtle touch you might barely notice
0:37:17 > 0:37:18is this curtain.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20When you draw it across,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23it obviously gives some privacy to this bedroom.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Compared to sliding doors or partition glass,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29curtains are a much cheaper and softer way to separate spaces
0:37:29 > 0:37:31in open-plan homes.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Your bedroom is like a mezzanine loft to the space below,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- so there's no door.- Yeah.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42But you still might want to create a little bit of privacy, especially
0:37:42 > 0:37:45if you had a guest staying on the sofa downstairs or whatever.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47It could also be really interesting to have, like,
0:37:47 > 0:37:51a strip of colour, you know, from both sides of the curtain, actually.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53It could be quite nice visually.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59To stop fixtures, fittings and furniture dominating his home,
0:37:59 > 0:38:03Adam should embrace bespoke elements used on this barge.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Coming here today has really
0:38:06 > 0:38:09refocused Adam's mind to get him now
0:38:09 > 0:38:14fired up for the next stage of the project, which is fun, because
0:38:14 > 0:38:16I think it's so idiosyncratic
0:38:16 > 0:38:20and unusual that we can really make something that reflects his
0:38:20 > 0:38:24personality in a big way, I think, and that could be really special.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Back in Walsall, rather than pushing on with the interior,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45Hardeep and Rupinder have expanded the scale of their work again.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49They decide to remove all the old plaster from the stairs...
0:38:53 > 0:38:55..but it doesn't stop there.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58We're having a sunken living room.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Because I found out when we moved into this house,
0:39:06 > 0:39:11it's all wooden flooring but there is a hole in the ground
0:39:11 > 0:39:13and the idea came into my mind,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15why not knock the wooden flooring off,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17concrete it all,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19fill it all up and then have some kind
0:39:19 > 0:39:24of steps going down and make the living room a sunken living room?
0:39:26 > 0:39:29That area is going to be one level,
0:39:29 > 0:39:30with the new extension,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32and this is going to be sunken.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37So the idea is that we go at least 24 inches down.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Their revised budget was £55,000,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44but at this rate, the build will run on and on
0:39:44 > 0:39:46and risks costing even more than that.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Our builder has given us the price of £64,000 now,
0:39:52 > 0:39:56so we need to find the rest of the money.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03I don't see us finishing but I want to stay positive.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16In London, the new interior of Adam's house
0:40:16 > 0:40:18is starting to come together.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20The bed platform has been built
0:40:20 > 0:40:22and the walls have been plastered.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29His carpenter is now hard at work constructing the new staircase.
0:40:29 > 0:40:30Inspired by the barge trip,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34he's building a bespoke seating area on the first floor.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36And there it is.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38It's quite interesting seeing it at the moment while it's just
0:40:38 > 0:40:41got one back, because it looks like a bed going that way.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45All the new joinery is costing Adam £3,000
0:40:45 > 0:40:49but bespoke upholstery could easily run into hundreds more.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52He needs a cheap way of finishing the new seating area.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54The budget is really strapped.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59So yes, things are pretty tight at the moment but hopefully,
0:40:59 > 0:41:03we can find something that's going to fit into the incredibly
0:41:03 > 0:41:04tight budget I have.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Upholstery fabrics like felt, velour or silk can be expensive,
0:41:11 > 0:41:14but Katy has an idea for a cheaper alternative.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18If you choose the right materials,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20you can achieve something
0:41:20 > 0:41:24that can be just as good as the standard material, if not better.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26OK, so I've brought you here to what is, you know,
0:41:26 > 0:41:28a good standard fabric shop.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31This is called mattress ticking.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35You'll probably recognise it from your granny's mattress.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38People don't really consider it as an upholstery material
0:41:38 > 0:41:40but actually, it's incredibly hard-wearing.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46Ticking is distinctive, striped cotton or linen textile,
0:41:46 > 0:41:50traditionally used to upholster mattresses and pillows.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52When you have lots and lots of narrow stripes,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56over a large area, that can be a bit distracting to the eyes
0:41:56 > 0:41:59but you can imagine in a small house
0:41:59 > 0:42:01or with a small sofa like yours,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04it might really add a lot of character.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Starting at around £20 a metre in this shop,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11some wholesale factories offer ticking
0:42:11 > 0:42:13for as little as six quid a metre.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17You can also use it to make cushions, curtains and blinds.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19I don't think it's likely I'm going to have
0:42:19 > 0:42:22many sort of patterns elsewhere,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25so I think this is a really good opportunity to make those
0:42:25 > 0:42:28bits of furniture stand out and become a feature of the room.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32But upholstery isn't made of fabric alone.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37So this place specialises in domestic scaled upholstery foam.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40And they've got a huge range that we can sit and bounce on.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42HE LAUGHS
0:42:42 > 0:42:46- Look at this one. It's like a big loaf.- Yes, it's amazing.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49This factory cuts and sells over 10 different types of foam
0:42:49 > 0:42:52for commercial and domestic use.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55It comes in all sorts of different weights and densities.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56Memory foam.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59That's got to be the best one.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03- That's pretty firm. - So that's probably a bit too much.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08This medium density refresh foam is ideal for back or seat cushions
0:43:08 > 0:43:12and starts at just over £9 a square metre.
0:43:12 > 0:43:17This is quite firm, actually, but I can feel myself sinking.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Just bear in mind that it is a sofa
0:43:19 > 0:43:23so feeling slouchy and a little bit luxurious is actually
0:43:23 > 0:43:26a good thing and it doesn't need to be too firm.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29The trick to create seat cushions from foam
0:43:29 > 0:43:31is to wrap it in wadding,
0:43:31 > 0:43:35to smooth out creases and stop it losing shape over time.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38You can see when the foam is cut,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42- it has these very sharp squared-off corners.- Yeah.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45So having this wadding over the top just softens the edges
0:43:45 > 0:43:48a little bit and makes it look more natural.
0:43:48 > 0:43:49Using this material
0:43:49 > 0:43:52and the fabric that we looked at where we're thinking
0:43:52 > 0:43:54of a material cost of sort of £5-£6 a square metre,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57and you're looking at getting a good two-seater sofa
0:43:57 > 0:43:59that's made bespoke to you in your choice of fabric
0:43:59 > 0:44:03that is exactly how your bottom likes it...
0:44:03 > 0:44:04LAUGHTER
0:44:04 > 0:44:06..for less than £100.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09- And that's really, really good value.- Amazing, yeah.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Over seven months since my first visit,
0:44:20 > 0:44:24I'm back in Walsall to see what progress there's been.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27Hardeep and Rupinder's project has been a nightmare,
0:44:27 > 0:44:31for me as an architect, but also just in terms of them spiralling off
0:44:31 > 0:44:32and doing all sorts of things
0:44:32 > 0:44:35that I told them categorically not to do.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37I know they're struggling to finish it
0:44:37 > 0:44:39and usually this would be the bit
0:44:39 > 0:44:41where I come and see a finished house.
0:44:41 > 0:44:45Hardeep and Rupinder haven't finished and not only that,
0:44:45 > 0:44:47I know they haven't done the things I really wanted them to do
0:44:47 > 0:44:51'and they have done the things that I told them not to do.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54'I want to see what they have managed to achieve and, importantly,
0:44:54 > 0:44:57'try and help them to finish it.'
0:44:57 > 0:45:00- Hello. How are you doing?- Hello. - Not too bad at all.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02- Great to see you.- Same here.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05So look at this. We're...
0:45:05 > 0:45:07it's really big, isn't it?
0:45:07 > 0:45:10- Really spacious.- Yes.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13And I think what does work is that you come into the house
0:45:13 > 0:45:15and you walk straight into this big space
0:45:15 > 0:45:17and there's a relationship to the garden.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20- And that really works, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23'They increased the scope of the work more than once
0:45:23 > 0:45:26'and this has become a huge project. No wonder it's unfinished.'
0:45:29 > 0:45:33I think it's much more complicated, in some ways, than I had imagined.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37It's gone up, it's gone back and it's gone down and actually,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39it looks like you've had lots of ideas
0:45:39 > 0:45:41that you've kept adding to this.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44And I think that's one of the reasons why the project has really...
0:45:44 > 0:45:47gone onwards.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49It's called creeping enhancement.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51You keep adding more and more things in.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55And actually, there's an incredible discipline just saying "No,
0:45:55 > 0:45:57"I'm just going to do this."
0:46:00 > 0:46:01So a sunken sitting area.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04- That wasn't in the original scheme, was it?- No, it wasn't.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06It was actually my idea.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09I mean, the danger about building things like this in
0:46:09 > 0:46:12is that it makes it slightly less flexible because actually,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15if you decided to have your table down here
0:46:15 > 0:46:20and have your sofas there, you can't do that as easily, can you?
0:46:20 > 0:46:22Importantly, I want to ask you, I mean,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24are you really happy with the spacing?
0:46:24 > 0:46:27- Yes, we are.- Definitely.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31I can actually visualise where my kitchen will be
0:46:31 > 0:46:34and how I'm going to interact with my family
0:46:34 > 0:46:36with this new open-plan idea.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40They've spent 50K so far
0:46:40 > 0:46:43but there's still a long way to go to finish this build.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45What you've done is have lots of ideas
0:46:45 > 0:46:47sort of in isolation from other ideas.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49You have an idea about this, you have an idea about this
0:46:49 > 0:46:53and you have an idea about this, rather than one big idea.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56- Yeah.- I think now it would be really good to have a strategy to
0:46:56 > 0:46:59tie your ideas together so when you walk in, you see a really
0:46:59 > 0:47:03consistent building, not just lots of things in the same house.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09'I won't get to see this project completed any time soon,'
0:47:09 > 0:47:11but I do want to give them a vision
0:47:11 > 0:47:14of how they can finish their house on the few thousand pounds
0:47:14 > 0:47:16they've got left.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19I've brought them to Harlow in Essex.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23Newhall Be is an award-winning scheme of over 80 homes.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26All the properties here are full of low-cost interior tricks
0:47:26 > 0:47:28which the couple could employ.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31Now that you're piecing your own house back together,
0:47:31 > 0:47:33it's a really good time to have a look at one of these.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45This isn't far off what your main living space is like, really,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48in terms of its layout and size and so on, is it?
0:47:48 > 0:47:49It's absolutely beautiful
0:47:49 > 0:47:52and exactly the same layout we are thinking.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55Way back, I remember really trying to convince you to do
0:47:55 > 0:47:59one big bit of glazing all the way along the back but actually,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02this is more like what you guys have done.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04I told you it would work!
0:48:04 > 0:48:06But actually, correct me if I'm wrong
0:48:06 > 0:48:09but yours is a little bit smaller.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13'Alison Brooks Architects designed this whole housing scheme.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15'Key features like these oversized windows
0:48:15 > 0:48:18'have been installed economically in all the houses.'
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Usually, big openings are expensive but here,
0:48:22 > 0:48:25because this side is fixed, it makes it affordable
0:48:25 > 0:48:27because you're not paying for things
0:48:27 > 0:48:30that move more than just a standard door here.
0:48:30 > 0:48:31And also because it's fixed,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34there's a very narrow frame and it's much nicer
0:48:34 > 0:48:36than having chunky frames which are really
0:48:36 > 0:48:38intrusive in your view and I think the overall effect
0:48:38 > 0:48:41is that the outside is just part of this room, rather than having
0:48:41 > 0:48:45a room and a garden with a pair of doors separating it.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47This is just part of the space, isn't it?
0:48:47 > 0:48:50What I do like is that you see the wood here.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52- It blends naturally. - With the timber outside.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56Yeah, with the timber outside so it's just wood and wood.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03The kitchen worktop and splashback are both basic melamine,
0:49:03 > 0:49:06which is a cheap, hard-wearing material.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Using it on both surfaces stops it being fussy.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13And the flooring is made from black porcelain tiles,
0:49:13 > 0:49:15costing less than £20 per square metre.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18So this floor is really key here.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21I mean, this isn't a super-expensive floor.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24This is a fairly generic porcelain tile that is used
0:49:24 > 0:49:26everywhere in the ground floor.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28And actually, it's great, isn't it,
0:49:28 > 0:49:31having this really beautiful dark floor everywhere.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34I quite like the idea of having one floor all the way
0:49:34 > 0:49:36through from your living room on to your hallway.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39This isn't a super-expensive one-off house.
0:49:39 > 0:49:40This is a generic house
0:49:40 > 0:49:43and what's clever about it is that
0:49:43 > 0:49:46everything is pushed and pulled to make it better than normal.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49All these materials that are used in this house,
0:49:49 > 0:49:51it's working really well as well.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55This seems as though it's affordable within our budget.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57Little tricks like don't have
0:49:57 > 0:50:01a door strip, just let it continue and flow through.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Little tricks like that that we've picked up on...
0:50:03 > 0:50:05I think we'll employ.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Hardeep and Rupinder have had a really tough time with their house
0:50:10 > 0:50:13and part of the reason for that is that they've taken on too much.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15They've been too ambitious.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17But coming here today and seeing these beautiful,
0:50:17 > 0:50:19simple, straightforward houses,
0:50:19 > 0:50:21I think that they
0:50:21 > 0:50:24will take some of these lessons and finish their house for good.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34In London, it's the final push to complete the interior
0:50:34 > 0:50:36of Adam's narrow home.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41Determined to keep the space sleek and clutter-free,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44he's invested over £4,000 on a contemporary kitchen.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46Still quite a bit to do.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51It's nice to see the kitchen sort of coming together but...yeah.
0:50:53 > 0:50:54Oh.
0:50:54 > 0:50:55Soft!
0:50:57 > 0:51:00But with new flooring costing £800
0:51:00 > 0:51:03and unforeseen building work to replace floor joists,
0:51:03 > 0:51:04he's blown his budget,
0:51:04 > 0:51:06spending 52 grand.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10As of last night, I've got quite worried about money...
0:51:12 > 0:51:15..which is not a particularly comfortable feeling
0:51:15 > 0:51:18but getting it to those next steps is also going to be
0:51:18 > 0:51:20a sort of another challenge altogether.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24But Adam's not going to give up on his dream
0:51:24 > 0:51:26of a stunning home
0:51:26 > 0:51:29and has some ideas for cheap lighting for the ground floor.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34So I've got these, like, four light points all in a row.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37I was going to have these... I mean, these are so cheap.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41They are like 20p and having spent hardly anything on the fitting,
0:51:41 > 0:51:43I can spend a little bit more on the bulb
0:51:43 > 0:51:47so all in all, that's probably about £3.70 wall light.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50But with all floors needing decorating
0:51:50 > 0:51:51and plenty left to do,
0:51:51 > 0:51:53there's a long way to go
0:51:53 > 0:51:55before this house is complete.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11One week later, Katy and I are back to see
0:52:11 > 0:52:13just how far Adam has come.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17When Katy Marks first met Adam, she faced the enormous challenge
0:52:17 > 0:52:21of creating a sense of space in one of Britain's thinnest homes.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Desperate for a foot on the London property ladder,
0:52:26 > 0:52:30Adam bought a home which was just five feet wide in places.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34It was cramped, awkward and starved of daylight.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37Ordinary items of furniture swamped the house,
0:52:37 > 0:52:40which was also dominated by a heavy-set staircase.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43'So with Katy's help,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46'has Adam overcome this seemingly impossible challenge
0:52:46 > 0:52:49'and created a bright and practical home?'
0:52:49 > 0:52:51- Come on in.- I'd love to. - Come in.
0:52:59 > 0:53:00- Wow.- Wow!
0:53:02 > 0:53:05I can't believe how much you've done!
0:53:05 > 0:53:08I mean, this was a really dark, dingy space
0:53:08 > 0:53:09and it feels light and airy
0:53:09 > 0:53:14and so much bigger than it was before.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Yeah.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23The new layout allows light to pour into the heart of the ground floor.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26A streamlined kitchen sits along one wall
0:53:26 > 0:53:29and the new bespoke stairs no longer dominate.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Before, you were opening the front door
0:53:34 > 0:53:36and literally falling into a sofa.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Adam learnt lessons from the barge
0:53:39 > 0:53:42and put them to good use with his floorboards.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44And the fact that you have laid it across the space rather
0:53:44 > 0:53:47than along the space gives it a little bit of elbow room
0:53:47 > 0:53:50and pushes the walls out and it genuinely feels a little bit bigger.
0:53:50 > 0:53:51It does.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53And this is just super-cheap pine, isn't it?
0:53:53 > 0:53:55Actually, the cheapest material
0:53:55 > 0:53:57did work out genuinely to be the best.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01No space has been added here,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03but the reorganisation and the combination of materials
0:54:03 > 0:54:05makes it feel far bigger.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09A nook for dining has been created
0:54:09 > 0:54:10under the staircase -
0:54:10 > 0:54:13another efficient use of space in a tiny room.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16- Shall we have a seat?- Yes, yes. Come on in.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18So what does it feel like to have a table
0:54:18 > 0:54:21that you can actually have people around for dinner at?
0:54:21 > 0:54:23I can't tell you. It's such a difference.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25I was previously sort of cooking here and passing things,
0:54:25 > 0:54:29- you know, on a rotation. - You can be the host.- Exactly.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31That's the thing. We can be the host with your guests.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33So what are we having for dinner?
0:54:33 > 0:54:34Well...
0:54:37 > 0:54:40'Upstairs, there was only room for a tiny bedroom
0:54:40 > 0:54:42'and a long, narrow corridor.'
0:54:48 > 0:54:52Wow. It's incredible to be able to see to the top of the house.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58And this light flooding down makes such a big difference.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01- It's great, isn't it? - It's also incredibly beautiful.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04I mean, this is a beautiful space, isn't it?
0:55:09 > 0:55:11Using that loft,
0:55:11 > 0:55:15taking down the walls has just completely transformed this space
0:55:15 > 0:55:19- and it feels sociable and you can actually sit down!- Yeah.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Left-over ply from his stairs has been used
0:55:23 > 0:55:27to make a bespoke seating area, tying everything together.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Were you ever unconvinced about Katy's plan to do this?
0:55:33 > 0:55:35There was some scepticism about losing space.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38About losing space in such a small house.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40You know, there are people who think, you know,
0:55:40 > 0:55:43why would you possibly want to reduce the full
0:55:43 > 0:55:46- amount of floor space that you can have?- This is why.
0:55:46 > 0:55:47Exactly.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53There's still work to do to finish the new stairs
0:55:53 > 0:55:56and Adam will also raise the backrest on the bench seat,
0:55:56 > 0:56:01but he does now have a bed platform at the top of the house.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05It's amazing to come up the stairs into what used to be a dark,
0:56:05 > 0:56:09low loft and suddenly you've got an amazing space that feels
0:56:09 > 0:56:11really cosy and intimate.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13You've managed to get this incredible
0:56:13 > 0:56:16- view down into your living space. - Yeah, I love it.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18And it's giving you this really beautiful framed
0:56:18 > 0:56:19view of a tree outside
0:56:19 > 0:56:23that almost perfectly fits the width of the bed.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Positioning a window to frame a view
0:56:25 > 0:56:27connects you with the world beyond.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31That's a real bonus.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33I don't think I could have really planned for that.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36All corridors and clutter have been removed,
0:56:36 > 0:56:40activating every inch of his house.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42Bespoke furniture and storage
0:56:42 > 0:56:46has been incorporated into the way you cleverly access each part.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51The whole home has been utterly transformed
0:56:51 > 0:56:53but I want to know how much it has cost.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59So, Adam, tell me, how much money did you have to start with
0:56:59 > 0:57:01and how much have you spent?
0:57:01 > 0:57:04Well, I started off with £50,000
0:57:04 > 0:57:09but I have probably just crept over that to around 54.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13I don't think I really factored in things like the kitchen
0:57:13 > 0:57:15but the overspend is negligible, basically.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19I love the fact that here is a house that most people wouldn't
0:57:19 > 0:57:21think could be a beautiful,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24light-filled generous spacious house.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27And here it is, the thinnest house in London,
0:57:27 > 0:57:29probably, and it's amazing.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33I can't wait to start living in it.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36I mean, you can see now, as we're talking,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39the sun is just streaming in here in a way that you never
0:57:39 > 0:57:40could have imagined.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42It's really beautiful.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50I'm really amazed and proud
0:57:50 > 0:57:53that it's come off like this... and relieved.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59At the end of the day, he's had the kind of sense of poise
0:57:59 > 0:58:00and not panicked
0:58:00 > 0:58:03and everybody has held it together.
0:58:03 > 0:58:04Great.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07In the era where we're constantly told
0:58:07 > 0:58:11there isn't enough space to build houses in cities,
0:58:11 > 0:58:14this is an amazing lesson for everyone.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17And yet, it's beautiful and uplifting
0:58:17 > 0:58:19and generous and full of light.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21I mean, what could be better?