The best bits you may have missed from Grand Designs 2018
The best bits you may have missed from Grand Designs 2018
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1/35 Brave or reckless? – episode one, Aylesbury Vale
A couple in Aylesbury Vale were drawn to a miniature folly. They paid £100,000 for it, with no planning permission, in a move some may call brave, others reckless.
Getting approval to start work took a year, but they had to agree not to add to the original, tiny footprint.
Spanish architect Jimmy Fernandez and his wife Mimi had a budget of just £200,000 and insisted it would be ready to move Mimi and his two children (George, 2, and Luke, born during filming) into in just six months.Channel 4
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2/35 Restoring our heritage – episode one, Aylesbury Vale
The miniature castle, in Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire, may look like an old Tudor tower, but it wasn't built for defence. Purely decorative, it was erected 250 years ago to house a gentleman’s fossil collection, and is something of a relic itself, with crumbling stonework and insides gutted by fire.
Kevin sums it up best: "It’s a building that doesn't want to stand up anymore."Channel 4
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3/35 Surprisingly spacious – episode one, Aylesbury Vale
Finally, six months later than planned and £100,000 over budget, after excavating Anglo Saxon skeletons, securing a loan from family, they get there – and it's beautiful.
Channel 4
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4/35 Treehouse delight – episode one, Aylesbury Vale
Jimmy's pride and joy, a spiral staircase made from giant chunks of plywood, leads up the east turret to a roof terrace, giving them the feeling of "being in a treehouse" and playing into the building's sense of magic and romance.
Channel 4
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5/35 Reaping the rewards – episode one, Aylesbury Vale
Kevin concludes by asking: "Was this fossil of a building a folly to take on?"
Maybe, but for the first time in its long history, it now has a meaningful purpose.
Read Jimmy and Mimi's story in fullChannel 4
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6/35 Hollywood inspiration – episode two, Padstow
London leavers Harry and Briony have relocated their young family to Padstow, Cornwall with the aim of building a modernist steel and glass house like the one made famous in cult Eighties teen movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Channel 4
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7/35 Ferris Bueller fanboy – episode two, Padstow
Harry has taken on the role of project manager after developing an "obsession" with James Speyer's Ben Rose House, whichinspired the classic pavilion seen in the hit comedy. Despite never visiting it himself, he seems sure that he can honour it – in just eight months.
Channel 4
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8/35 Readjusting the dream – episode two, Padstow
Crucial measurement mistakes and spiralling spending forces them to veer away from their dream by replacing much of the glazing with orange larch cladding. But 14 months later and £100,000 over budget, their new home is fabulous in its own right. Reaching for the stars paid off.
© Emily Whitfield-Wicks/ UNP 0845 600 7737
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9/35 Ply paradise – episode two, Padstow
The walls of the vast kitchen/diner have been covered in ply to cool, industrial effect and everything is super-sized, from the huge sofa area and 3.5 metre-long island to the ceiling-high custom-built bookcase on wheels that serves as a movable wall.
Channel 4
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10/35 Proud of their efforts – episode two, Padstow
"Speyer was pure glass and perhaps a bit impractical, but it inspired us and this is our version," says Harry proudly.
Read Harry and Bryony's story in fullChannel 4
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11/35 The most admirable of motives – episode three, Richmond
Born and Elinor's young sons Pascal, 5, and Avery, 7, suffer from a smorgasbord of life-threatening allergies, from dust and pollen to the chemicals in certain cleaning products, forcing them to spend a lot of time in hospital.
Channel 4
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12/35 Calling in the specialists – episode three, Richmond
Episode three followed their journey as they built a ‘healthy house’ free from toxins in Richmond, south-west London. They spent time and money sourcing low-toxin materials and installing a mechanical ventilation system to filter the air.
Channel 4
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13/35 Clever design – episode three, Richmond
They used solvent-free paints, formaldehyde-free MDF panels and flooring low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which slowly release chemicals and produce a charming cloud of toxicity that ends up in our lungs.
Channel 4
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14/35 The iceberg effect – episode three, Richmond
Since moving into their stunning contemporary home, the boys have had "only one or two” allergic reactions, as opposed to a minimum of one attack every other week. The University of York lent Born and Elinor a VOC monitor to assess their air quality. It shows that their home is performing over 70 per cent better than the average new build.
Channel 4
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15/35 Enjoying the fruits of their labour – episode three, Richmond
"It's been a rollercoaster ride but we feel really proud," says Elinor, explaining that they only went over budget by £60,000.
"The moments that we get to sit down, reflect on what we've done and enjoy the house, and see the children enjoying the house, are priceless."
Read Born and Elinor's story in fullChannel 4
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16/35 Starting from scratch – episode four, Leominster
Steph and Alex from Leominster, Herefordshire, sold their comfortable bungalow to spent three years living in a leaky, draughty caravan - including during the Beast from the East - while they built a modern black barnhouse on the site of her beloved late grandad’s farm.
Channel 4
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17/35 Nostalgia at the heart – episode four, Leominster
When Alex was made redundant unexpectedly, everything crashed down around them. But they pushed on, with Steph taking on extra hours at work and selling off some of the land to fund the build.
Channel 4
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18/35 Chaos – episode four, Leominster
The end result was worth the ordeal. It's sizeable, contemporary, stylish and a far cry from the caravan.
Channel 4
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19/35 Thoughtful design – episode four, Leominster
Overall, they spent £270,000 — just £20,000 over budget — which they felt was justified after three years climbing up the walls of a glorified tent.
Channel 4
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20/35 Mission complete – episode four, Leominster
"The fact that I'm now continuing my grandad's legacy on his land, with the kids involved too, would make him so proud," says Steph. "I think he’s watching down."
Read Steph and Alex's story in fullChannel 4
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21/35 Identical everything – episode five, Sheffield
Identical twins Nik and Jon were living next door to each other with the same cars and dogs when they decided to build two modern-industrial homes side-by-side for themselves and their families.
Channel 4
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22/35 The countryside contrast – episode five, Sheffield
Overall, they ended up splurging £610,000 which, although extremely impressive for the urban oasis they somehow conjure from a rundown industrial yard, was a whopping £265,000 more than they originally intended to spend. Ouch.
Channel 4
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23/35 Homage to steel – episode five, Sheffield
The living space looks fresh and the extension has been clad entirely in plywood sheets. Jon's girlfriend Ali admits she struggled to accept his heavy usage of raw materials, but quickly fell in love with the result.
Channel 4
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24/35 Warming things up – episode five, Sheffield
Nik’s rooms are more defined and cosier, with everything oriented to make the most of the countryside views outside.
Channel 4
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25/35 Heads together – episode five, Sheffield
"This is an exercise in getting stuff right and proving two minds are better than one,” says Kevin. "I like that very much.”
Read Nik and Jon's story in fullChannel 4
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26/35 'I'd do it again' – episode six, Lewes
Dad of-three Adrian’s long love affair with concrete started as a young BMX biker in Glasgow’s skateparks. This passion developed into an appreciation of Brutalist architecture and the obvious next step was to build a concrete house in Lewes, East Sussex for his wife Megan and their young family.
Channel 4
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27/35 Flawed beauty – episode six, Lewes
Their motto throughout this love-it-or-hate-it, rough and ready build was the rawer and more exposed, the better.
Channel 4
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28/35 Commanding respect – episode six, Lewes
It is concrete inside and out, with no conventional finishes like plaster or paint in sight. Floor-to-ceiling glazing floods the dank interior spaces with light, giving the house its soul.
Channel 4
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29/35 Narratives woven throughout – episode six, Lewes
The interiors are as bold and brave as the facade, yet warming. Plumbing and electrics have been installed through surface mounted tubes, giving the place an edge of industrial chic. Everything is chunky and tells a story, from the upcycled university science cabinets the couple are using as kitchen units to the colourful, well-loved furnishings they have owned for years.
Channel 4
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30/35 Freedom to move – episode six, Lewes
This home is a radical piece of engineering, built beautifully, yet full of the imperfections we all have. It may be made of unfeeling concrete but it is, at heart, a very human home.
Read Adrian and Megan's story in fullChannel 4
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31/35 Revisiting the 'King of Cob' - episode seven, east Devon
Five years ago, Kevin visited another Kevin, master builder Kevin ‘King of Cob’ McCabe, who had determined to build a family home from mud and straw in east Devon. But that wasn’t all: Kevin also wanted it to meet the highest environmental performance standards ever set in the UK.
Channel 4
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32/35 Sprung from the earth - episode seven, east Devon
Following a long battle with the British weather and dwindling funds, the house emerged from the earth looking, as presenter Kevin noted, "like something straight off the cover of a Seventies prog-rock album”.
Channel 4
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33/35 Hidden house - episode seven, east Devon
The roof - undulating to mirror the rolling hills beyond - was insulated and covered with an eco-friendly plastic membrane, soil and seeds to grow a wildflower meadow that would blend in with the surrounding landscape.
Channel 4
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34/35 Handmade touches - episode seven, east Devon
Kevin handmade much of the kitchen, from the cob wine racks to the worktops cut from his own oak tree. Light fittings hang from branches of birch grown on site as part of his carbon-neutral renewable fuel strategy.
Channel 4
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35/35 Huge but affordable to live in - episode seven, east Devon
"Size-wise, it's a manor house, but its running costs are negligible,” says Kevin, proud to have proven that it is possible to "live green” in luxury.
Read Kevin 'King of Cob' McCabe's story in fullChannel 4
From a crumbling Buckinghamshire folly to the show’s first ‘healthy house’ in Richmond, and an eco-friendly Devonshire palace built from mud and straw, the latest series of Grand Designs was a TV marathon to remember.
There were snowstorms and skeletons, skateparks and shocks, including an unexpected redundancy and a tragic death.
Each project was intense and gloriously unique, from the original motive and construction materials to the finished result and the family who lived there.
In case you missed the architectural fun and games, we’ve rounded up our most memorable moments.
INTERNATIONAL AMBITION
Self-building an American modernist house inspired by 80s teen comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off — in Padstow, Cornwall
It’s a double-edged sword, ambition. It can lead you to greatness but can also trip you up.
Harry and Briony from episode two pushed the meaning of ambition to its limits when they left London for Padstow, Cornwall, and set about attempting to recreate the modernist steel-and-glass made famous in cult Eighties teen movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, inspired by James Speyer’s Ben Rose House in Illinois.
Despite never having visited the real deal, Harry is sure he can honour it - in just eight months. Optimistic timing aside, a high-spec replica of the Speyer house would cost around £800,000 to build. This couple’s “Speyer on steroids” was to be a third bigger – and their budget extended to £400,000 tops.
Crucial measurement mistakes and spiralling spending forces them to veer away from their dream by replacing much of the glazing with orange larch cladding, but 14 months later and £100,000 over budget, their new home is fabulous in its own right. Reaching for the stars paid off.
BIGGEST BUDGET BLOW-OUT
Identical twins Nik and Jon build near identical houses in Sheffield
This accolade could arguably be awarded to two projects this series: the cob castle in east Devon, which took nearly eight years to build, and identical twins Jon and Nik’s identical homes in Sheffield.
But we're giving it to the latter, who started with the aim of finishing both modern-industrial houses for a total of £345,000 - “an incredible, unrealistically low sum”, surmised Kevin, whose scepticism was soon justified.
The brothers ended up hiking up their budget by 25 per cent after securing a bank loan, but then Jon asked his girlfriend to move in. He wanted to add another two bedrooms to his dwelling, which added an extra £40,000.
Given the scale of their plans, even a revised joint budget of £435,000 was not enough to finish, so they begged the bank for an extra £140,000.
Overall, the twin brothers ended up splurging £610,000 in total. Although this sum is still extremely impressive for the twin homes they somehow created from a rundown industrial yard, it was a whopping £265,000 more than they originally intended to spend. Ouch.
MOST ADMIRABLE MOTIVE
Britain's first 'healthy' house in Richmond, London
Elinor and Born have two young sons who both suffer from an agonising range of life-threatening allergies, from dust and pollen to chemicals in certain cleaning products, forcing them to spend a lot of time in hospital.
Episode three followed their journey as they built a ‘healthy house’ free from toxins in Richmond, south-west London. They spent time and money sourcing low-toxin materials and installing a mechanical ventilation system to filter the air.
They used solvent-free paints, formaldehyde-free MDF panels and flooring low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which slowly release chemicals and produce a cloud of toxicity that ends up in our lungs.
Finding a suitably 'healthy' sofa proved a struggle as brand new ones release chemicals due to foam and glue. Instead, they opted for a second-hand one which has already released chemicals elsewhere, and have cosied things up with knotted and woven rugs.
Since moving into their new home, the boys have had “only one or two” allergic reactions, as opposed to a minimum of one attack every other week. The University of York lent Born and Elinor a VOC monitor to assess their air quality. It shows that their home is performing over 70 per cent better than the average new build.
HARDIEST COUPLE
The self-build of a modern farmhouse built on old farmland led to a three-year stay in a caravan
Steph and Alex from Leominster, Herefordshire, win this hands down. They sold their comfortable bungalow to spend three years living in a leaky, draughty caravan - including during the Beast from the East - while they built a modern black barnhouse on the site of her beloved late grandad’s farm.
“I can't wait to get out. It's damp and cold in there. The shower either burns or freezes you, the windows don't shut. We had a perfectly good house,” said Alex, leaving his wife racked with guilt, but he stood by her.
When Alex was made redundant unexpectedly, everything crashed down around them. But they pushed on, with Steph taking on extra hours at work and selling off some of the land to fund the build.
The end result was worth the ordeal. It's sizeable, contemporary, stylish and a far cry from the caravan. Overall, they spent £270,000 — just £20,000 over budget — which they felt was justified after three years climbing up the walls of a glorified tent.
“The fact that I'm now continuing my grandad's legacy on his land, with the kids involved too, would make him so proud,” said Steph. “I think he’s watching down.”
BRAVEST DESIGN
The Brutalist architecture fan with designs on a home built entirely from concrete
Dad of-three Adrian’s long love affair with concrete started as a young BMX biker in Glasgow’s skateparks. This passion developed into an appreciation of Brutalist architecture and the obvious next step was to build a concrete house in Lewes, East Sussex for his wife Megan and their young family.
Their motto throughout this love-it-or-hate-it build was the rawer and more exposed, the better. It is concrete inside and out, with no conventional finishes like plaster or paint in sight, yet somehow this rough and ready aesthetic ends up feeling human. Floor-to-ceiling glazing floods the dank interior spaces with light, giving the house its soul.
The interiors are as bold and brave as the facade, yet warming. Plumbing and electrics have been installed through surface mounted tubes, giving the place an edge of industrial chic. Everything is chunky and tells a story, from the upcycled university science cabinets the couple are using as kitchen units to the colourful, well-loved furnishings they have owned for years.
The layout is open-plan, with eight different levels dividing the space by function, and an enclosed courtyard draws in extra light. Underfloor heating runs throughout and there are lovely views of the countryside and contemporary back garden swimming pool from the master suite.
“It looks like a giant chunk of rock thrust out of the ground,” said Kevin, admiring the unpolished authenticity of the concrete. “It’s at the brutal end of brutal.”
BEST RESTORATION
The conversion of a listed mini-castle on Saxon burial ground in Buckinghamshire
Spanish architect Jimmy and his wife Mimi took a huge risk when they bought an abandoned, 200-year-old, Grade II-listed folly in Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire, for £100,000, without the planning permission they would need to renovate it into a family home.
Getting approval to start work took a year, but they had to agree not to add to the original, tiny footprint.
The folly is built on an Anglo Saxon burial ground, meaning Jimmy had to pay an archaeologist to examine any dirt the digger brought up. Just two days in, skull fragments appeared.
Midway through the build, Mimi gave birth to the couple’s second child, Luke, and Jimmy was forced to move the family back to Spain when construction is delayed by a lack of funds.
"Will you be able to forgive the building?" asked Kevin, pertinently, after she understandably declared that at times, she "really hates it”.
Finally, six months later than planned and £100,000 over budget, they get there – and it's beautiful.
Jimmy's pride and joy, a spiral staircase made from giant chunks of plywood, leads up the east turret to a roof terrace, giving them the feeling of “being in a treehouse” and playing into the building’s sense of magic and romance. But whether it’s big enough to house a family of four longterm is dubious…
MOST ECO-FRIENDLY
The cob castle — one of the biggest houses ever featured on Grand Designs — built out of mud
Five years ago, Kevin visited another Kevin, master builder Kevin ‘King of Cob’ McCabe, who had determined to build a family home from mud and straw in east Devon. But that wasn’t all: Kevin also wanted it to meet the highest environmental performance standards ever set in the UK.
“People say Dad wasn't born, but chiselled out of cob,” said son Ben back in 2013. “He’s a cob-building warrior. This will be a utopia of cob awesomeness.”
He wasn’t wrong. Following a long battle with the British weather and dwindling funds, the house emerged from the earth looking, as presenter Kevin noted, “like something straight off the cover of a Seventies prog-rock album”.
Kevin added polystyrene to the thick cob walls to adhere to insulation targets and threaded a smart, heat-saving ventilation system through the building. Large solar heating panels provide all the energy they need for nine months of the year.
He has handmade much of the kitchen, from the cob wine racks to the worktops cut from his own oak tree. Light fittings hang from branches of birch grown on site as part of his carbon-neutral renewable fuel strategy.
The roof was insulated and covered with an eco-friendly plastic membrane, soil and seeds, from which has grown a wildflower meadow that blends in seamlessly with the surrounding rolling hills.
“Size-wise, it's a manor house, but its running costs are negligible,” says Kevin, proud to have proven that it is possible to “live green” in luxury.
WAIT, THERE'S MORE
Grand Designs might be over but you can still catch the remaining three episode of Grand Designs: House of the Year, which sees Kevin return to tour the 20 UK homes longlisted for Riba House of the Year.
So far Red House, a “sunburnt end-of-terrace house” in East Dulwich, and Pheasants, a controversial glass and steel residence in Henley, have made the shortlist.
Five more are yet to be revealed, with the overall winner set to be announced at the end of the final episode on Wednesday 28 November.
Grand Designs: House of the Year airs at 9pm on Wednesdays on Channel 4
