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Original poster

To be driven crackers by the people on Grand Designs?

250 replies

CruCru · 11/09/2013 22:36

On the episode today, the couple have sort of fallen out with all their neighbours. The project is over budget (by more than £200k) and over deadline. The guy has sold his business to finance the project and no longer has work to support the family. And they all seem to live in the one studio flat.

Argh! I couldn't bear it.

OP posts:
Earthymama · 13/09/2013 07:34

I don't think Ben Law can be described as seeking 'advertising'

Earthymama · 13/09/2013 07:37

Oops posted too soon!

I don't think Ben Law can be described as 'seeking advertising', he lives his life by his principles in such a profound way.

I aspire to one day live a properly permaculture lifestyle and Ben is a hero in the movement.

Permaculture Magazine

catsmother · 13/09/2013 08:44

Funny how the overwhelming favourite build is the woodsman's Hobbit style house - i.e. someone who literally put his heart and soul into creating something quite unique and marvellous, who didn't have much money, who recycled almost everything he used and ended up with something totally in keeping with the surrounding area. In short, someone who wasn't a pretentious entitled nob. Okay - so not everyone else on GD is, but a large number of them are and I'm not so sure if my enjoyment of the show is because I find unusual buildings interesting or because I just want to slap the ghaaaastly people involved mind you it could just be Kevin.

I wonder what would have happened if one of the 17 neighbours had resolutely refused to let them knock down their back wall and use their land ??

TunipTheUnconquerable · 13/09/2013 08:54

I would love to see Horrible Histories do a Grand Designs take-off - don't think they ever did?

melika · 13/09/2013 09:30

They should do a re-cap programme, telling us what happened say 5 years later to the couples and if they still live there. See how many are still together, if they have moved or changed their houses in any way.

bigmouthstrikesagain · 13/09/2013 09:36

They have done Grand designs on HH

TunipTheUnconquerable · 13/09/2013 09:45

Ha! Thank you, Bigmouth.

springydafty · 13/09/2013 10:01

I rather liked the one with the blond bloke with an asian wife - and a 'kind lady' saw the programme and paid for them to finish it. He was trying to sell pod living units to fund it but had no joy. He was practically coming out in boils with the stress of it. Didn't like how he was with his lovely wife, though, which put me off him.

beitou · 13/09/2013 10:28

My favourite GD is the the cooperative where a group of ordinary people build their own homes. Kevin starts of very superior and sneery looking down his nose at the lack of challenging architechture and how ordinary the nasty little egg boxes are. Then he meets the people who actually do the hard work of building the house, not like his usual project managing knobs but people who learn to lay bricks and wire houses then go out and do it. Kevin tries one last sneering put down towards the single mum who has just built a house for her family. She doesn't rise to his arrogance but just explains that it is what she has always dreamed off and Mr high and mighty ends up looking out of touch and arrogant.

freddiefrog · 13/09/2013 10:37

I loved the hobbit house in the woods too. I'd sell my soul to live there. I loved the really tall water tower in London as well

They always seem to end up with big white boxes with lots of glass to me. There was one local-ish to me a few years ago, beautiful setting, sea views to die for. Lots of guff about innovative design and cutting edge materials, but essentially they built a big box.

I like the George Clarke ones better

Crowler · 13/09/2013 11:48

Does anyone remember the one with the very beautiful Asian woman who renovated her house Scandi-style and Kevin seemed to fall madly in love with her?

Farewelltoarms · 13/09/2013 12:34

You must all visit Tracey Emin loving lady's website
www.theviolinfactory.com/
if only to read with your own eyes (and then gouge them out) the line:
'we birthed this amazing house".

Georgian restoration couple (as opposed to Georgian revival couple) were absolutely lovely. They did it all with so much love and care and little money. They didn't even own the place but were renting from the council. It's on Amwell Street for those interested.

Agree with poster above re. Kentish Town baths (or even Cally Pool if they want to slum it). I think it's bloody disgraceful and decadent for anyone in Central London to have a swimming pool.

TimeAgainForWellies · 13/09/2013 13:01

'we birthed this house' ??

[runs off to look]

TimeAgainForWellies · 13/09/2013 13:08

mmm....

am jealous. It looks gorgeous.

kaosak · 13/09/2013 13:12

I remember the beautiful Asian woman, I think I had a bit of a girl crush on her, she was so lovely, intelligent, etc.

I find it fascinating that everybody loves the hobbit house/wooden/straw bales one the most. It is absolutely my style of housing but I was amazed to hear that it was everyone's favourite. I mean it was small, dark (love it - so cosy) you would think most people would love lots of bling, light and space.

Perhaps at heart we all just want to hunker down in the woods and live life at a more basic manageable level

MrsTittleMouse · 13/09/2013 13:16

I'm surprised at everyone who loves George Clark - the last time I saw him was on The Home Show, and since then I can't watch because I want to throw things at the screen.

The couple lived in Barnet, and had a budget of £70,000, which would buy you two two-storey extensions in my neck of the woods. He managed to persuade them that he needed £125,000 instead, and they just managed to scrape together the money, explaining that it was going to really be tight and that they would be sacrificing a lot, but that it was worth it for the dream home that he was going to give them.

Fast forward to the reveal and he had completely screwed up a staircase, which ate massively into the budget (George's own mistake), and decided to keep in the juliet balcony and the ensuite for the teenager, but money ran out, so he didn't give them a bathroom or any wardrobes! His argument was that they should just put them in themselves. With what money George?!? They were on bread and water for years as it was. But at least they got their juliet balcony eh?

Doesn't anyone else remember this?

Crowler · 13/09/2013 13:18

One of my friends was on the home show, I went to the reveal and got a bit drunk & was interviewed by George Clark. Blessedly, it was edited out.

AlphaBetaOoda · 13/09/2013 13:22

spring that was the one in Windermere

CatAmongThePigeons · 13/09/2013 13:30

We birthed this house [vomit]

GoofyIsACow · 13/09/2013 13:50

MrsTittle, yes i do vaguely remember that, wasnt there a problem that meant thy had to resite the boiler which cost a massive chunk too?

MrsTittleMouse · 13/09/2013 14:04

I think so, certainly none of the problems should have been unexpected, it wasn't as though they found an issue under the plaster which had been hidden for a hundred years, like some of the GDs.

I sometimes think of those poor people, in their "dream house", but they have to trudge up and down stairs to do to the loo in the night, and no wardrobes. Worst of all was that George couldn't see the issue at all, he was actually quite angry with them for expecting what he had told them he was going to deliver. Mind you, I was annoyed with him from the very beginning of the programme, when it was quite obvious that he had no idea what a sum like £125,000 or "even" £70,000 meant to a normal family.

Binkybix · 13/09/2013 14:05

I love GD and marvel at where these people get so much money from.

Absolute favourite is the restored RNLI boathouse.

sophiedaal · 13/09/2013 14:29

tunip Even better is

mrsshackleton · 13/09/2013 15:14

I've visited the disco house. It's actually amazing. They're clearly HUGE ravers, because there's also a large dj booth with a little kitchenette. Most bonkers but it's a fabulous house.

Havea0 · 13/09/2013 16:06

Are you sure that you arent the actual owner mrsshackleton? Hmm!

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