Your Home Made Perfect S04E06
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TVTranscription
00:00 ♪ ♪ ♪
00:03 - Are you sick of your surroundings
00:05 and dream of a more inspiring home?
00:08 ♪ ♪ ♪
00:09 - Oh! Oh, my God!
00:12 We have a pyramid in our house!
00:15 - Oh! It's incredible!
00:17 - It's so different.
00:18 - This is the wow factor, isn't it?
00:20 - Oh!
00:22 - What if you could unlock the potential
00:24 with the click of a finger?
00:26 - Oh!
00:28 - It looks so different.
00:30 - Oh, my God!
00:31 - Oh!
00:33 - What's going on?
00:34 - Do you want to jump in?
00:35 - Let's do it. - Let's go.
00:36 - Six incredible architects
00:38 compete to transform homes.
00:40 - How have we done this?
00:41 This is amazing.
00:42 - Magic.
00:43 - I mean, Lizzie's genius really is true.
00:46 - Ding-ding!
00:47 - It's like you've looked into our souls.
00:49 - Traveling around the UK
00:50 in search of Britain's most inspiring architecture.
00:53 - This is like perfect country house day.
00:57 - Insane.
01:00 - Finding stunning design solutions...
01:02 - It's all a bit Hollywood Hills, I feel.
01:05 - That revolutionize the way we live.
01:08 - And when you put your heart and soul into something,
01:10 and then it actually, actually happens.
01:13 [dramatic music]
01:16 ♪ ♪
01:19 [upbeat music]
01:22 ♪ ♪
01:26 - We are back, and the competition
01:28 is as fierce as ever.
01:30 You can smell it in the air.
01:31 These guys are all chomping at the bit
01:33 to turn problematic pads into dream homes.
01:37 [upbeat music]
01:40 ♪ ♪
01:43 Taking a leap into the virtual unknown today
01:46 are Katrina and Kevin.
01:48 - You listen to it. - No, Katrina, no.
01:49 - Listen to it. - No.
01:51 - Just having it domestic. Minor. It's minor.
01:54 - Did I hear you say you're just having it domestic?
01:56 - Yeah. - [laughs]
01:59 - Katrina, Kevin, and their twins, Finn and Lily,
02:03 have fallen out of love with their forever home
02:06 in Hertfordshire just five years after moving in.
02:09 So you don't agree on much, do you?
02:11 - No. Very little. Very little.
02:14 - I think that's what makes it work, really.
02:16 - Yeah, yeah. - Yeah, yeah.
02:17 - Opposites attract. - Exactly.
02:19 - In terms of the house, we agree
02:21 that something needs to change.
02:22 - Oh, definitely agree on that.
02:24 - Yeah, we definitely agree on that.
02:26 - Okay. So--but you love where it is.
02:28 So you want to stay there? - Yeah.
02:30 - It's our forever home.
02:31 - Okay, so what's the biggest issue for you guys?
02:34 - For me, it's the bedrooms.
02:35 Obviously, we've got twins,
02:36 and nobody wants to sleep in the third bedroom,
02:39 which is the smallest box room of the house.
02:41 So we made the decision, actually,
02:42 we need to invest some money into the house,
02:44 and in order to do that, we needed to make the rooms
02:47 of equal size so that they wouldn't end up
02:49 in counseling in years to come,
02:51 because they ended up in that small third bedroom.
02:54 - I'm with you.
02:56 What about downstairs?
02:57 - You know, we don't really spend much time
02:59 in the sitting room.
03:00 When people come,
03:01 they end up sitting around the kitchen.
03:03 - Which is where you want them.
03:05 - Exactly. - Yeah.
03:06 - But I want it all to work for all of us.
03:08 So I'm enjoying cooking in it,
03:09 but I want everybody else to be relaxed and enjoy it.
03:13 - Yeah.
03:14 - The couple have been married for 11 years,
03:19 and in 2015, bought this 1930s property
03:23 in Hertfordshire to raise their family.
03:26 Owning their own house with a big garden
03:29 felt like a dream come true,
03:31 especially with toddling twins to run after.
03:34 But Finn and Lily are now nine,
03:36 and the house just isn't working for this family of four.
03:41 - I just want to get to a place where...
03:44 we're happy coming home.
03:46 We're not walking into a room
03:47 and in the back of your mind thinking,
03:49 "There's a problem, there's a problem."
03:52 - The front door opens onto a small hall
03:55 leading into the living room.
03:57 Through the living room is a kitchen-diner
04:00 and a conservatory.
04:02 Upstairs, there's the family bathroom,
04:05 two bedrooms, and a box room.
04:09 But for Kevin,
04:12 the first frustration is at the back of the house.
04:15 - Welcome to the dumping ground.
04:18 - When we came first, we used it as a toy room.
04:26 The kids had all the space to play.
04:28 - Arts and crafts. - Arts and crafts, yeah.
04:30 It was amazing.
04:31 - As time's gone on, this conservatory
04:34 has taken on even more functions,
04:36 and it's now also Katrina's office.
04:40 - This is my desk,
04:41 and like most home workers will agree,
04:43 they don't really want to put their heat on
04:45 during the day,
04:46 so we work with our jackets on.
04:50 - And that's not the only issue.
04:53 The conservatory also blocks the daylight
04:56 from the very heart of the home.
04:59 So this is the kitchen with the lights on,
05:03 and this is the kitchen with the lights off.
05:06 - And this is 2 o'clock in the afternoon,
05:09 and it's-- - Dark.
05:10 - This is how dark it is.
05:13 - The problems aren't just downstairs.
05:16 - Okay, so we need to decide
05:17 what's happening tonight.
05:18 - I'm sleeping here. - I'm sleeping here.
05:20 - Upstairs, no one wants to sleep
05:22 in the teeny tiny box room,
05:24 and the negotiations are nightly.
05:26 - What about rock, paper, scissors tonight?
05:29 - Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
05:31 - Yay!
05:33 - What about best of three? Best of three.
05:36 - Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
05:38 - Yes! Yes!
05:40 - Measuring just 2 meters by 2.8 meters,
05:43 the box room is a classic example
05:46 of the third bedroom
05:47 so many houses of this period claim to have.
05:50 - We wanted the twins to have a room each with a desk.
05:53 It's quiet and calm for Lily and for Finn.
05:56 If they're not happy going to bed,
05:58 it causes anxiety in your house.
06:00 - She was in there for like five minutes.
06:02 - It causes myself and Kev to be grumpy with each other
06:05 because there's just issues every day
06:08 trying to navigate the house.
06:10 - Come on, brush your teeth, you two, chop chop.
06:14 - And in the fight for square footage,
06:16 the bathroom has not been a winner.
06:18 - This is how I have to brush Finn's teeth,
06:21 standing up like that.
06:23 It's so disheartening.
06:25 - OK, so this is dark, cramped,
06:29 and the scene of nightly blow-ups.
06:31 Something in this house needs to change, and soon.
06:35 - Now really is the time to rewrite the rules.
06:38 - But agreeing on how to do it
06:41 could be tricky for Katrina and Kevin.
06:44 - I would like it to have lots of space,
06:47 and I would like to have a central island,
06:50 but you don't want that.
06:52 - I just think everyone does an island.
06:56 - But this pair will have to find a compromise
07:02 or the twins will make the decisions for them.
07:05 - Daddy can sleep in the attic.
07:07 We can get him a bed,
07:09 and then Mummy can sleep in there,
07:11 and Lily can sleep in there,
07:12 and I can get the big double bed.
07:14 - With a line-up of six outstanding architects
07:23 all poised to pitch,
07:25 there's a rare pool of talent to pick from.
07:29 And today, the two fighting for the commission
07:32 are ingenious Geordie, Lindsay Elliot,
07:35 and Damien Burrows, known for buildings that deliver drama.
07:40 - Industry trade secret, grass crete.
07:45 You can literally drive over it,
07:48 and it won't damage the grass whatsoever.
07:52 See, your lawn's still intact.
07:55 - It's beautiful.
07:57 - Practice in city developments,
07:59 Damien promises grandeur.
08:01 - The last thing you want to do is create something
08:03 that people just walk straight past.
08:05 - And the drive to win is in Damien's DNA.
08:09 - All architects are inherently competitive.
08:13 Lindsay does beautiful projects,
08:15 and projects that take time and dedication.
08:18 But she's stiff competition.
08:20 - That was me charging Lindsay.
08:26 - Welcome.
08:28 - Because I have a theory about you.
08:31 I feel like you might be the dark horse in this gig.
08:36 - OK, do I run with that?
08:38 - I think you trot with it.
08:40 - You trot with it?
08:41 - You trot with that.
08:42 - OK.
08:43 - Like this.
08:44 I'm going to go over here.
08:45 I think I'm at a dead end.
08:47 - Classic evasion from Lindsay,
08:49 but trust me, she'll ambush with her brilliance.
08:52 - I think architecture's fundamentally about
08:55 meeting a sort of beauty with practicality.
08:58 If I had to pick a word, it's quiet.
09:01 It's not sort of blingy or shouty.
09:04 It's just structurally honest and effective.
09:07 - And quiet doesn't mean she's not determined.
09:10 - I am actually really competitive.
09:12 I would like to say I wasn't, but I think I really am.
09:15 - Budget.
09:19 How much have we got?
09:21 - 85,000.
09:22 - OK.
09:23 Which is a lot of money.
09:24 But we've got to go upstairs, downstairs, bathroom.
09:27 - Yeah.
09:28 85 is the max.
09:29 It's taken us five years to raise that.
09:31 And we don't have the bank.
09:33 We don't have anything like that.
09:35 - We don't have anything to fall back on.
09:37 - This is it, yeah.
09:38 - Lindsay and Damien are in Hertfordshire
09:44 to find out why Katrina and Kevin's home isn't working.
09:47 Each eager to solve the problems and win the commission.
09:52 - The hall, it's quite compact.
09:55 You're blocked as you enter the property.
09:59 It would be nice to have a sense of welcoming.
10:01 We've got a tight wind on there.
10:03 That also is saying to me instantly,
10:05 it's tight, we've had to cram this stair in.
10:07 - As Lindsay explores, Damien's discovering
10:12 that feeling cramped is a theme.
10:14 - It has to work for the twins, really and truly.
10:17 Especially for Lily.
10:18 - It has to work for them?
10:19 - Yeah, no, it has to work for them.
10:20 They need the space.
10:21 - They're not paying the mortgage.
10:23 - We entertain a lot, you know, very much an Irish mother.
10:30 Everything happens in this kitchen.
10:31 Nobody sits in the sitting room.
10:33 And I want to be able to where people can come and sit.
10:35 - My first reaction is, there's no windows.
10:42 Light is always a big issue.
10:44 So in a kitchen, there's a real concern
10:46 that there's no direct connection with the outside.
10:50 - Lindsay is looking for a solution to feeling cramped in.
10:54 And Damien too is on the hunt for some extra space.
10:58 - I am interested to see if there's a little bit more
11:04 that we could tease out.
11:06 - Yeah.
11:07 - You've got masses of ceiling height up here.
11:10 - The dreaded conservatory.
11:16 Cold, very cold, certainly today.
11:19 And then in the summer, probably really hot.
11:22 It's obviously a really much needed space,
11:24 but it's not comfortable.
11:26 - They've got a garage.
11:31 I'd be interested to see if they actually keep a car in here.
11:34 If it is, it's a very precious car.
11:36 It's a car that needs a net curtain.
11:38 So it'd be interesting to see what's in there
11:40 because you've got a good foundation base.
11:43 You could bring it up to the level of the house.
11:45 And the best bit, it's west-facing.
11:48 - And bathing in this rare shaft of Western light is...
11:52 - Ah!
11:54 - A load of old tat.
11:56 As Damien traces the foundations,
11:59 Lindsay digs into what's kept Katrina and Kevin back.
12:04 - What I've noticed walking around is this house
12:07 has been tampered with to its detriment, actually.
12:10 What I'd like to do is strip it right back
12:12 and then do something really contrasting.
12:14 - What we want will, I think, give you a headache.
12:16 Hopefully it will be a pleasant headache.
12:18 - It will give me a headache,
12:20 but I quite like the challenge of...
12:22 So the more things wrong with it, the more you can go, "Ah!"
12:25 - Yeah, you're pushing at a door that's swinging open.
12:28 - For both architects,
12:30 the house needs a rethink from its very foundations up.
12:34 - Because we're working over two levels here,
12:36 it's turned into a three-dimensional puzzle.
12:38 And every time you're gonna move one thing,
12:40 it'll knock something else out.
12:41 That's when it starts to get really complex,
12:43 but that's also when it starts to get really interesting.
12:46 - I love the challenge.
12:48 When things are quite fundamentally not functional,
12:52 I love the challenge of seeing what's possible.
12:56 - Reconfiguring the entire footprint for 85K is a big ask.
13:07 One idea could transform the house for the whole family.
13:11 But it'll take all of Lindsay and Damien's inventiveness
13:14 to land on it.
13:16 - It feels like there's been bits done to this house
13:20 that kind of need undoing before you can make it work, really.
13:25 - Somebody tried historically to kind of
13:28 put their own stamp on the house,
13:29 keep extending and keep adding to the chaos.
13:32 So it is about, go back to the bones of the original house.
13:35 They're often historically designed quite sensibly.
13:38 And then coming forward again.
13:40 I think it's always difficult with these houses
13:42 because you feel, "I can't take it away
13:43 "because someone's already spent the money on it."
13:45 It's almost like you're being a bit wasteful to strip it back.
13:48 But sometimes you really do just have to take it
13:50 right back to the core structure.
13:52 - Have we moved the foundations?
13:54 - I've utilised them.
13:57 I'll leave it at that.
13:59 - Will Lindsay's design be a quiet revolution?
14:08 In the gallery, Damien can't wait to see what she's got.
14:11 - OK, here we go.
14:12 - Are you ready? Waited long enough?
14:14 Should we go in and take a look?
14:16 - Yes, definitely.
14:17 - OK, let's go in.
14:18 - It looks spotless.
14:29 - It is, Jean.
14:30 - Some recognition.
14:34 - Lindsay begins their journey in the kitchen.
14:38 - Looking at it as now we're here, you can see the issues.
14:42 We've got no natural light, no windows to the outside,
14:45 and, oh, I just can't quite sense the garden.
14:48 There's a frustration there.
14:49 - It's just quite a grim place to hang out.
14:52 - For Lindsay, the key to unlocking this house
14:55 lies in understanding how the sun moves around it.
14:58 As the sun rises, a single shaft of morning light
15:02 penetrates the conservatory to reach the dining table.
15:05 - I just want to show you how the light moves through the day
15:08 and the impact it has on this room.
15:10 - OK.
15:14 - So you can see how compromised the light is there.
15:19 - It's very self-explanatory, really, isn't it?
15:21 - By noon, most natural light has disappeared
15:25 and the kitchen is left dark and gloomy.
15:29 - So even though the back of the house is getting loads of light,
15:32 cos the conservatory's on the back, it's blocking it,
15:34 which is really weird.
15:36 Whereas you'd think, in most situations,
15:38 if you've got a conservatory, light's just flooding it.
15:41 But in this particular instance, cos it's quite a small opening,
15:44 it just makes the room darker.
15:46 - There's nothing more depressing than having to come into a room
15:49 and turn the light on at 12 and 1 in the afternoon.
15:52 - On a sunny day, yeah.
15:54 - It's pretty clear this kitchen is cloaked in darkness
15:58 at all hours of the day.
16:00 Can solving this issue be the answer to all their problems?
16:03 - OK, let's show you what I've done.
16:07 - Whoa.
16:09 - Oh, my God, it's all gone out.
16:11 - Oh, my God. - Where's all my furniture gone?
16:14 - Oh, my God!
16:17 - The space is breathtaking. - Phenomenal. Yeah.
16:24 - Oh, wow!
16:28 - I love the colours, this peppermint. - I love it!
16:31 - Oh, my God, it's amazing.
16:34 - Look at the light. - The light, I know.
16:36 - I know. - The stairs.
16:38 - It's completely different, isn't it? - Look at the space.
16:40 - Yeah, it's amazing.
16:42 I mean, it's just completely different to...
16:45 You couldn't... Yeah, it's completely different.
16:48 - It's hard to articulate, isn't it, Katarina?
16:50 - I love this place.
16:54 - I love this place.
16:56 Lindsay has knocked down the conservatory and garage
17:00 to build a single-storey rear extension
17:03 and a double-storey at the side.
17:05 A new kitchen-diner now sits at the heart of the house
17:10 and opens out to a spacious family room
17:13 with a desk for Katarina's work.
17:15 - The area off to the right,
17:18 so it's sort of your multi-purpose family room,
17:20 by building out and pushing it to the east side of the garden,
17:25 it means we can benefit from west light.
17:28 If you can see the high-level slot window,
17:32 that is going to give you east light in the morning.
17:34 - That's a classic sort of architect thing.
17:37 Let the light in at the top, and it washes across the ceiling.
17:40 It's a really beautiful trick.
17:42 And as it comes round, it'll just be beautiful.
17:44 - I love the fact that the sink looks out into the garden.
17:47 I think that's really important.
17:49 I love the fact that people can sit
17:52 and be part of the kitchen.
17:54 I love the fact that we can still see the kids
17:56 in that family room.
17:58 - To create this connected space,
18:02 Lindsay's flipped the entrance into the new extension,
18:05 chucking out that cramped staircase in the process.
18:08 - We've actually looked at taking your stair out
18:10 and moving it to the opposite side of the house,
18:12 which just frees up the plan.
18:14 - Yeah, absolutely.
18:15 - The stairs are where they should be.
18:17 - They're not sort of like dictating the layout of the house.
18:19 - That's a really nice move.
18:23 So by flipping it over to this side,
18:25 you create this wonderful view all the way through.
18:27 I mean, imagine just opening your front door
18:29 and being able to see through to the back of the house
18:31 and all the daylight flooding in.
18:33 That is going to be stunning.
18:35 And then you can make a little feature staircase,
18:37 which makes the space feel epic
18:39 when you've got a staircase that's rising up from the roof.
18:41 - Because you get the height.
18:42 - Yeah, yeah.
18:46 - Moving the staircase and entrance
18:48 to the opposite side of the house
18:50 has allowed Lindsay to break open the downstairs layout
18:53 and let the light pour in.
18:55 - Let's try watching that passage of light now
18:57 in the new space and see the impact it has.
18:59 - Okay.
19:00 - It's beautiful, isn't it?
19:06 Oh, my God, it's so much lighter.
19:11 - Yeah, it shows you.
19:15 - It is much brighter.
19:16 It's diffused light on the back,
19:17 but then as it comes in the evening,
19:19 that family room is just gonna be glowing.
19:21 - It's adding on, but it's inviting the light in.
19:25 - Yeah.
19:26 - Compared to how their house was,
19:28 this is just going to change it beyond belief.
19:31 They're going to completely reorientate the house,
19:34 all their primary use to the back.
19:36 - Yeah. - Total change.
19:38 - With the ground floor now flooded with light,
19:42 Lindsay moves to the family room
19:44 to show them the new entrance to the house.
19:47 - We're looking back towards the new front door.
19:51 When you first arrive at the house,
19:53 it just gives it that sense of space.
19:55 It just gives it a sense of, dare I say, grandeur.
19:58 It sort of, like, gives it a bit more of a presence and arrival.
20:01 - I think it's amazing.
20:04 - I just didn't think it was possible
20:06 to reconfigure the house in the way that you've done this.
20:10 - Yeah.
20:12 - The door there, I mean, is that...
20:14 - Yeah.
20:15 - Is that a toilet?
20:16 - That's a downstairs toilet and a little bit extra.
20:18 So, sort of incorporated a shower room.
20:21 - Like a wet room?
20:23 - Could be a wet room.
20:24 - It's not going to be a wet room.
20:26 I don't like wet rooms.
20:27 - I don't think they work.
20:28 - I believe they do work.
20:29 I mean, especially for a downstairs, it would be a no--
20:31 - The water would flow everywhere.
20:33 - No, you have a sort of, like, an even thing.
20:35 - No, it goes in.
20:36 Your feet are going to be wet, and your toilet will get wet.
20:38 And honestly, I've been involved in wet rooms before.
20:41 - You've been involved in wet rooms?
20:43 Involved in what way, Katrina?
20:46 - It's all me, me, me, isn't it?
20:48 - No, no, no, we can't.
20:50 But then, I just, I don't think they work.
20:52 - Lindsay's layout is breathtaking,
20:59 and light is at the core of the design here, too.
21:02 - As you can see, it's sort of a double height, volume space.
21:06 So that, there's a window upstairs,
21:09 which is bringing light much deeper down into the plan.
21:12 - Just adds to the brightness of downstairs.
21:14 - Yeah, and it's a nice surprise it's less conventional.
21:16 Just sort of having that pop-up sort of thing.
21:19 - Yeah, you weren't expecting that.
21:21 - It's great how you've used what you've used
21:25 without having to have, like, this big sort of glass roof
21:28 with just exposed and all the lights coming on.
21:31 It's a little OTT.
21:32 - Okay, well...
21:34 Oh, no!
21:37 - Oh, there's more!
21:38 - Am I not seeing something?
21:40 - So, if we just look up...
21:42 There we go.
21:47 Your token skylight, very, very sensitively placed.
21:50 - Discreetly.
21:51 - To just maximise the light into the kitchen.
21:54 - Lindsay has cleverly opened up
21:57 the darkest part of the house to the light.
22:00 - You won me over.
22:01 - But it's not over yet, Kevin.
22:05 It's back upstairs.
22:08 Which Lindsay has completely reconfigured
22:11 with her double-storey side extension
22:13 to give the twins each a larger bedroom.
22:16 - It's a lovely room. - Isn't it?
22:19 - Yeah, I like the bench, the work area.
22:21 So you really listen there about the importance
22:23 for the twins to have a space to be able to do their work.
22:27 - It's all been set so that as the children grow,
22:30 it's quite versatile, so the beds can move,
22:33 the desks can move, so it's not limited.
22:35 So this room can grow with the kids.
22:38 If we just take a look,
22:39 this is the potential of how this room could move around.
22:42 - So completely you can change it around
22:47 if that's what they want to do.
22:48 - Yeah. - Now that makes perfect sense.
22:50 - And by using every inch of the newly extended upstairs,
22:55 Lindsay has even freed up more space
22:58 for Katrina and Kevin's bedroom,
23:00 delivering a truly forever home.
23:05 - It feels like I could live here.
23:07 - You do, you can.
23:09 - Fantastic use of space.
23:11 - Well done, Lindsay. - It's beautiful.
23:14 - Well done.
23:15 - Back in the room.
23:17 - Wow. - Is that all right?
23:24 - That was lovely, thank you.
23:27 - Thank you, you're welcome. - It was amazing.
23:28 - You had such a cry-cow.
23:31 - Seriously, like what an unbelievable transformation.
23:35 - Yeah. - Yeah.
23:36 - It's completely different, isn't it?
23:38 - I was using words like breathtaking
23:40 that aren't even in my vocabulary,
23:42 so you can tell how blown away I was.
23:44 - Can you imagine yourselves in there?
23:46 - Most definitely. - Yeah, no, I could.
23:49 - We've travelled across the UK
23:55 to visit some of the most iconic places in the UK.
23:59 Visit some of the most innovative,
24:01 creative and joyful architecture
24:04 that has inspired our own team of architects
24:06 and will inspire you too.
24:09 Harking back to Catriona's Irish roots,
24:25 Lindsay has made the kitchen the beating heart of her design
24:29 and unlocked exciting possibilities
24:31 for this family home.
24:33 - I love the mix of the old and the new.
24:40 - Today she's taken me to a late 17th century house
24:44 in Northampton that has been extended
24:46 for contemporary living.
24:48 And with a stunning kitchen that has been repositioned
24:54 to the centre of the house.
24:56 - Lindsay!
24:57 It's so roomy, isn't it?
25:00 - Just that lovely sort of barn feel is just gorgeous
25:03 and the old and new together.
25:05 - The beams and the exposed brick,
25:08 the jazzy little lights.
25:10 The island of dreams.
25:13 You could literally sleep on this, baby.
25:16 I don't know if it's our obsession with cookery programmes,
25:20 but like kitchens are the thing.
25:24 Catriona was desperate for a big sociable kitchen
25:28 where the family could hang out.
25:30 And that's exactly what Lindsay has given her.
25:33 - I think we live in our kitchens.
25:35 Life is just so much busier
25:37 and I think it's that multitasking.
25:39 You'll be cooking, kids are doing the homework,
25:42 juggle literally spinning plates.
25:44 - And I suppose it's where you entertain,
25:46 it's where you, you know, people pour in.
25:48 - Yeah, and do you know what I like about an island?
25:50 So you're sitting there, but often people just lean.
25:53 I think there's a lot of leaning that goes on.
25:55 Islands can be the social hub of the house,
26:00 with views to other areas bringing that sense of connection.
26:03 - If an island is the thing that I want most in the world,
26:06 do I just, you know, shove it in the middle of the kitchen
26:08 and hope for the best?
26:09 - Well, it's driven by dimensions.
26:11 It's the standard units, 600 mil.
26:14 Conventionally, people go for 900.
26:16 So it means they have 600 on this side,
26:18 which is the storage underneath.
26:20 And then you have 300 on the backside,
26:24 just to that line there.
26:25 And that just gives you enough to get your knees under.
26:27 - And of course you need space all around an island,
26:31 which is why Lindsay opted for a space-saving peninsula
26:34 for Katrina and Kevin.
26:36 - The first time I heard about the triangle of preparation,
26:40 I was wildly excited.
26:42 So this is the relationship between the sink,
26:44 the cooker, and the fridge.
26:47 It feels like this one's a bit off.
26:49 Maybe an isosceles triangle.
26:51 - Yeah.
26:52 - For an easy workspace, triangles are king.
26:56 The opposite of that claustrophobic corner
26:58 that Katrina used to have.
27:00 Lindsay's mantra for creating comfortable spaces
27:04 is to consider volume, arrival, circulation, and light.
27:08 This extension does just that,
27:11 taking full advantage of its stunning position.
27:14 - What I'm really, really excited about is,
27:18 one, this amazing...
27:20 - The view.
27:21 - The view, the floor-to-ceiling glazing.
27:24 - Continuous glazing will create a more spacious feeling
27:27 in smaller areas.
27:29 But don't forget that other key element, volume.
27:32 - If you have a huge space and a low ceiling,
27:35 it feels very oppressive.
27:36 People can go too big, and it can just feel overwhelming.
27:40 The step down is another sort of small trick
27:44 about making the space feel higher.
27:46 - For Katrina and Kevin, Lindsay's installed glazing
27:50 across the rear of the kitchen and the family room,
27:53 connecting the entire ground floor with the garden.
27:56 - So they've extended out quite a bit,
27:59 which often means killing the light.
28:02 They've gone with a gorgeous overhead light.
28:04 You have brought light into Katrina and Kevin's
28:07 in a slightly different way.
28:08 - Yeah, we wanted to get light into the hall,
28:10 which is in the body of the existing building.
28:12 We had to bring it in through the vertical wall.
28:15 - The height of the window dictates the volume of light.
28:19 The higher you go, the more light you'll catch.
28:23 The hallway, it does feel like, you know,
28:31 it's not really a place that you hang about in.
28:34 Most people would focus their money and their attention
28:37 on the rooms that you live in.
28:42 - I think when you come home, it's the first thing,
28:46 it should be joyful, it should feel lovely.
28:48 But also when you're selling houses,
28:51 you've sold that house the first five minutes through the door.
28:55 - Lindsay has even future-proofed the hall
29:01 against the usual clutter
29:02 by giving each member of the family their own storage.
29:07 - When you come home at the end of the day,
29:09 you want somewhere welcoming, inviting, light, practical.
29:13 All the things.
29:15 - Zero scooters.
29:16 - Zero scooters.
29:18 - After Lindsay's impressive pitch,
29:27 it's now Damien's turn to dazzle Katrina and Kevin.
29:31 - Right, you guys, you excited?
29:32 - Yes.
29:33 - You want to go inside?
29:34 - Yes, definitely.
29:35 - Let's start in the wet room.
29:37 - Just kidding, Kev.
29:45 - For his pitch, Damien is starting upstairs.
29:49 - I know that the bedrooms are such a key part
29:55 of the design for you.
29:56 And what I wanted to do was just even them up in size.
29:59 So, do you want to see what we've done in this room?
30:02 - Yeah, no, definitely, yeah.
30:04 - Let's run it.
30:06 - Oh, my God.
30:12 - He's gone up.
30:23 - He's gone up.
30:24 - Good call.
30:25 - Wow.
30:26 - What have you done with the ceiling?
30:28 - I've punched up through the ceiling,
30:32 giving you an extra half story of height here,
30:35 so the room feels more grand.
30:37 Each of the rooms has got a single bed,
30:40 so it's not a kid's size one.
30:42 Loads of storage, they've got a desk space each.
30:44 - Really important, yeah.
30:45 - Yeah.
30:46 - Yeah, and the desk is really, yeah,
30:47 I think the room is beautiful, isn't it?
30:49 They'll love this.
30:51 - Damien has moved the wall
30:53 between the twins' shared bedroom
30:55 and the box room, making them the same size.
30:58 And he's also added a double height side extension,
31:01 which allows for the comfortable family bathroom
31:04 Catriona craved.
31:06 - He's done something quite clever,
31:07 'cause he's not putting another floor,
31:10 he's just using the volume.
31:12 - When you look at this room, it's inspiring, isn't it?
31:14 And that's what architecture brings,
31:16 and that's the wow factor, it inspires people.
31:18 And it's lovely that it's in the children's room,
31:20 so when they look up, there's, yeah,
31:22 it's something different.
31:24 - You walk into the room and...
31:25 - Yeah, you see it, it's a bit of a wow.
31:27 - Gravitate to the space.
31:29 - Well, it feels fun, but it doesn't feel childish.
31:33 - By opening up the ceiling,
31:35 Damien has conjured up an additional 1.5 metres overhead.
31:40 - Everybody loves walking into a church or cathedral,
31:42 'cause they love the height.
31:44 - Yeah, it's the wow.
31:45 - So how do you take a little bit of that
31:47 and bring it into your house?
31:48 You've got such an amazing loft space up there.
31:50 - Yeah.
31:51 - The roof structure's beautiful.
31:52 So I thought, let's just think of a design
31:55 that will bring together all of the house
31:57 with one feature ceiling that runs throughout it.
32:00 - I absolutely love this room.
32:02 Can I sleep in this room?
32:04 - Well, Kevin, Damien has not only given the kids
32:08 a lovely space, he's also created an opulent oasis
32:12 in the new family bathroom.
32:15 - We've given you a bit of a splash of luxury.
32:21 We've got some lovely marble tiles
32:23 running all the way through.
32:25 You've got the freestanding concrete bath,
32:27 which will just be stunning.
32:29 Lay in that bath, looking out,
32:32 and you can just watch the sun go down.
32:35 - It is absolutely spectacular.
32:40 - Having worked his magic upstairs,
32:47 Damien has yet to touch the ground floor.
32:50 So for now, it's back to the old dingy kitchen.
32:54 - Recognise this place?
32:56 - It's a beautiful part of our house.
32:58 - Yeah, back in the kitchen.
32:59 Now, when you've got rooms upstairs
33:00 and ceilings like that, you've got to do something
33:02 down here that matches.
33:03 - Yeah.
33:04 - Let's change it all round,
33:05 and let's knit this house together.
33:07 - Okay, perfect.
33:08 - Are you ready to see it?
33:09 - Yeah.
33:10 - Okay, let's go.
33:19 - Where did this come from?
33:21 - Oh, wow. Beautiful.
33:24 Amazing.
33:26 Wow!
33:28 Oh, my God, it's absolutely beautiful, isn't it?
33:33 - Wow.
33:34 - It is completely different.
33:37 - I'm blown away.
33:39 - Yeah.
33:40 - So all we've done is we've taken off the conservatory.
33:44 - Okay.
33:45 - You've got the opening through there,
33:46 so now we're looking into the new extension.
33:48 - Okay.
33:49 - We've cranked it at an angle
33:51 so it doesn't eat into the garden.
33:53 So we've done a triangular-shaped extension.
33:56 - Damien's removed the conservatory and garage
33:59 and built an extension on a slant
34:01 to reflect the angles of the newly exposed ceiling.
34:04 Now there's a very spacious kitchen-diner
34:07 with a separate utility room and a downstairs toilet.
34:11 - The kitchen.
34:15 - The kitchen's beautiful.
34:16 - The kitchen's got an island.
34:17 - Yeah.
34:18 - The kitchen's got a big island.
34:19 - Yeah.
34:20 - And an unusual-shaped island.
34:21 - Island.
34:22 - As soon as you give something a little crank
34:24 and then you marry that through
34:25 with the shape of the island as well...
34:26 - Right.
34:27 - All of a sudden, the room starts to take on a different shape.
34:29 - Shape, yeah.
34:30 - And then you reflect that shape
34:31 onto the ceiling arrangement as well.
34:32 - Which is just...
34:33 - Then it really starts to pull the whole thing together.
34:35 - And then, yeah.
34:36 - It's a lot of triangles and...
34:39 - Yeah.
34:40 Again, it's about the light
34:41 and doing the best they can with their orientation they've got.
34:44 But you do get awkward corners.
34:47 - Mm.
34:48 - You know, people say architects are kind of a bit boring,
34:50 conventional square.
34:51 But it's because...
34:53 - Furniture.
34:54 - It's how we inhabit spaces, but, you know...
34:57 - But you're not competitive, Lindsay.
34:59 - Not competitive at all.
35:00 (laughing)
35:02 - Damien has one more secret space
35:06 he's managed to carve out down here.
35:09 - Now, I know you spend a lot of time working at home as well.
35:11 - Yeah.
35:12 - And you need a dedicated area
35:14 that doesn't feel like you've just put some stuff out
35:16 on the desk and then you've got to clear it away all the time.
35:18 We want to give all of this floor space
35:20 for you and the family to enjoy.
35:21 - Yeah.
35:22 - So what we've done instead is this.
35:24 - Ah!
35:26 So it's my own office.
35:28 - Very clever.
35:29 - It's your own office.
35:30 - Very clever.
35:32 - Beautiful.
35:33 - Just pull it down.
35:34 - Plenty of space, but yet we can close the door.
35:36 - And when you close those doors together, that's it.
35:38 The day's over.
35:39 - Yeah.
35:41 - Katrina's office is hidden behind sliding doors
35:44 in the centre of the plan,
35:46 where it can benefit from all that new natural light.
35:50 - Kitchen's just through there.
35:51 I know you can see a little glimpse of the ceiling.
35:53 - Yeah.
35:54 - But I think we need to get in there
35:55 so you can really experience what it's like.
35:56 - Okay, brilliant.
35:57 - Moving to the other side of the kitchen,
36:02 Katrina and Kevin can truly appreciate
36:05 the recurring theme in Damien's design.
36:08 - So in here is where you really get to experience
36:11 the ceiling in all of its grandeur.
36:13 - The ceiling is absolutely spectacular.
36:16 Damien's use of stripped-back materials
36:18 unites the exposed timber of the ceiling
36:21 with the rest of his design.
36:23 - The work area here, is this polished concrete?
36:25 - It is.
36:26 - Really?
36:27 - Yes, that will be polished concrete.
36:28 - Oh, he's reeling her in.
36:31 - He's playing.
36:32 - He is.
36:33 But the show's not over quite yet.
36:38 - You'll notice over at the windows,
36:40 it's just a very simple frame,
36:42 no divisions on the glazing,
36:44 and then this huge pane, that's pivoted.
36:47 So let's just see how that action works.
36:49 - Very smart.
36:52 - At the first look, I just thought
36:56 it was just a very large window,
36:58 and half of me was thinking,
37:00 "Why is the window so large?"
37:02 - So you can bring it in.
37:03 - Yeah.
37:04 - It will feel very graceful when you open it.
37:07 - The whole thing is absolutely breathtaking.
37:14 I can't quite comprehend what you can do.
37:17 I could see us in the space very, very quickly,
37:20 very happily.
37:21 - I think he's done a great job.
37:27 - He has done a great job.
37:29 - But don't tell him I said that.
37:31 - I won't.
37:33 - Wow.
37:34 - I feel like I know what you think, Katrina.
37:41 I literally have no idea what's going on
37:43 in this man's head.
37:44 - Not in my head.
37:46 Well, there was an island.
37:48 You know, there was an island.
37:51 I don't like islands.
37:53 - Is it that they feel clichéd to you,
37:55 and you don't like it because everyone else has it?
37:57 - Yeah.
37:58 - That's what it is.
37:59 If anybody else has it, he doesn't get it.
38:01 - It's just I'm conformist, a little punk in me.
38:03 - Okay, it's the little punk in you.
38:04 I like the little punk in you.
38:06 Damien's design has magically created
38:13 the illusion of space
38:15 by using the height in the house
38:17 and opening up the ceiling
38:18 to expose the beautiful wooden rafters.
38:21 To show me how amazing designs can be created
38:25 through scale and materials,
38:27 Damien has brought me to a born-again bungalow
38:30 on the saltwater marshes of Norfolk,
38:33 and it's seriously fabulous.
38:35 Now, look at the shape of this.
38:39 It's quite incredible, isn't it?
38:41 - Yes, it really is.
38:43 - Now, it's existing bungalow on the back.
38:45 - Okay.
38:46 - And then they've extended
38:47 with this really dramatic roofscape.
38:50 - Designed by architects Claudia and Patrick Lynch,
38:54 Marsh View takes the idea of a double-height living space
38:58 to another level.
39:00 - Hey, what do you think of it in here?
39:03 - Oh, my God!
39:05 I was expecting, like, a loft or something else,
39:10 but a little odd-shaped window.
39:12 - I mean, the volume is just incredible, isn't it?
39:15 - The chimney climbs 7 1/2 meters
39:18 and shows just what adding height can do to a room.
39:22 - I can totally see why you do this
39:27 and that you actually have done something similar
39:29 in Cat & Kev's.
39:31 - So, the big thing about Cat & Kev's
39:34 was the kids' bedrooms.
39:35 How do you give them something more?
39:36 Well, you do this,
39:37 because all of that space in the roof
39:39 was just there, begging to be used.
39:41 - Yeah.
39:42 - I think if you've got the roof space already,
39:44 think about exposing it.
39:45 - I'm with you, but it does feel wildly extravagant
39:49 to have space that's not functional.
39:52 - You've got to think about it a different way, I think.
39:54 How do you feel when you walk into a church?
39:56 - I'm a bit silly.
39:57 [laughter]
39:59 Pious.
40:00 - Pious, yeah.
40:01 But you feel elated.
40:03 - We don't give ourselves the gift of volume.
40:06 - We never allow ourselves that luxury,
40:08 which is why it's always so impactful.
40:10 - So, save on the giant velvet couch
40:13 and do the whole wow factor thing.
40:15 - Yes, without a doubt.
40:17 [upbeat music]
40:20 - The materials used in Marsh View are simple but key.
40:25 The exposed brickwork and concrete floors
40:27 complement the plywood lining
40:29 and help create the internal flow of space
40:32 as one zone simply merges into the next.
40:35 - It's the bedroom.
40:38 - Yes, pretty standard bedroom,
40:40 but notice anything slightly unusual?
40:42 - Well, apart from the lovely view,
40:44 this giant sideways mirror.
40:46 - It sits on an angle, it makes the room feel bigger,
40:48 and work in a few other little tricks and surprises,
40:51 so give it a pull.
40:52 [upbeat music]
40:55 - Oh, hello!
40:57 So what, I actually get-- - Yeah, jump in.
40:59 - Oh, wow.
41:00 So it's quite trippy, there's like five different views.
41:03 - This is classic,
41:05 thinking about it from every single angle.
41:07 When the sun goes down, you'll see the sunset in this mirror.
41:12 - This is amazing.
41:14 You may not have the magic of the Norfolk marshes,
41:17 but make the most of any good views you do have.
41:20 In Damien's design for Katrina and Kevin,
41:22 he's installed a window over the bath,
41:25 so they too can lie back and watch the sunset.
41:29 - Now, if you imagine this in a smaller place,
41:31 you could use the same trickery.
41:32 Buy yourself an inexpensive mirror,
41:34 hang it up, imagine it bigger.
41:36 Go all out.
41:37 The impact is fantastic.
41:40 [upbeat music]
41:41 - Another ingenious design trick to make a space feel bigger
41:45 is to bring the outside in.
41:48 See, I like this kind of door
41:50 that just pretty much disappears.
41:54 - If you've got a killer view,
41:56 then put as little in between that view
42:00 and yourself as possible.
42:02 [upbeat music]
42:04 - And it's exactly this principle that Damien's followed
42:08 in Katrina and Kevin's kitchen.
42:10 For summer gatherings and easy access into the garden,
42:14 he chose not bifolds, not sliders,
42:17 but a pivot.
42:18 The whole frame hinges on pins top and bottom.
42:23 Kind of like floats, doesn't it?
42:25 - So you get all of the benefits of a framed picture window,
42:28 and then there's that extra little pop of a surprise
42:31 where you go to move it,
42:32 and you just glide it ever so gently.
42:34 - Yeah.
42:35 - It's probably a little bit more expensive,
42:38 but it's worth it because the drama, yeah,
42:41 people will stop sipping their wine when you open that.
42:44 - Yeah, and it is that kind of
42:46 entrance. - It is.
42:48 - Yeah.
42:49 [upbeat music]
42:52 ♪ ♪
42:58 Both Damien and Lindsay's pictures fix the dark
43:01 and the discomfort of Katrina and Kevin's house.
43:05 But will Damien's daring and distinctive push
43:08 into the roof win them over,
43:10 or will they choose Lindsay's elegant reconfiguration
43:14 that opens the space up to natural light?
43:18 ♪ ♪
43:21 - I liked what Lindsay did around the family room.
43:23 I also liked what Damien did around the kitchen.
43:26 I liked the doors.
43:27 I don't like in Damien's design that the seating area.
43:32 - I like that. - Yeah, you see?
43:34 I knew you'd like that. - [laughs]
43:36 Have you decided? - No.
43:38 - [laughs]
43:41 ♪ ♪
43:44 Eventually, five years after moving in,
43:47 Katrina and Kevin begin the build
43:50 they've wanted for so long.
43:52 But which design did they choose?
43:54 - I think the thing about Lindsay's design
43:56 was it changed the whole traditional house.
44:00 ♪ ♪
44:02 I liked the layout.
44:03 I liked where the family room was.
44:05 She really understood what we wanted to change
44:08 about the house.
44:10 ♪ ♪
44:12 - Damien, he gave us space where we didn't think
44:15 there would possibly be space.
44:18 ♪ ♪
44:20 - And it was amazing to look at,
44:22 and it was angled.
44:24 As we said, we didn't want a box in the back of our house.
44:28 So we agonized over it for a couple days,
44:30 but ultimately, we were driven by our heart,
44:33 so we went with Damien's.
44:35 ♪ ♪
44:38 - Damien's design, with its light-filled open spaces,
44:41 the simplicity of the materials,
44:43 and the way he vertically extended the upstairs
44:46 blew Katrina and Kevin away.
44:49 - We loved Damien's designs
44:51 and the whole grandiose architecture aspects of it.
44:55 - It was something that we were a bit like,
44:57 "We have to do this. We have to build this house,
44:59 no matter what happens."
45:00 I think the deciding factor was it was just so beautiful.
45:04 ♪ ♪ ♪
45:10 - But unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan.
45:14 - Oh, my God, the innocence that we had
45:16 when we thought this project through.
45:18 ♪ ♪ ♪
45:22 When we picked Damien's design,
45:24 we decided to make some changes.
45:25 So we decided that we would extend our budget slightly,
45:28 and we would go back to planning
45:30 and make upstairs as big as possible,
45:33 and that's what we did.
45:34 - Yeah. Instead of taking 1.5 metres from the ceiling,
45:38 we decided to take 1.5 metres and go out.
45:42 - Yeah, but all of those changes cost time, money, resource,
45:46 and also delays due to COVID.
45:50 - And these changes had major implications
45:53 as Katrina and Kev found out the hard way.
45:56 - The build was meant to be three months.
45:59 We're now 11 months into the build,
46:02 four planning applications later,
46:05 and we've learned something very important.
46:08 There's a reason why people put boxes
46:11 on the back of their house, 'cause they work.
46:14 - And things were about to become much worse
46:17 due to COVID, rising cost of materials,
46:20 and shortage of labour.
46:21 - We didn't have a builder, roof was leaking.
46:24 - There was no roof on the house.
46:25 - There was no roof, actually, yeah.
46:27 - There was no roof.
46:28 - Wasn't watertight.
46:29 - Yeah.
46:30 - It has been an absolute nightmare.
46:35 - Their increasing build costs
46:37 also meant cutbacks had to be made.
46:39 - Because prices have gone up so much,
46:41 we actually haven't got the money, really.
46:43 The design now has to be compromised.
46:45 - Currently, as it stands, you can sort of see
46:48 Damien's design,
46:49 but we've had to cut our cloth accordingly.
46:53 - Yeah, so the pivot door is gone, obviously.
46:56 - So every day, you're making another compromise
46:59 on the design and on the finish.
47:02 Because also, what you ultimately have to do
47:04 is get your house watertight first.
47:06 - Yeah.
47:07 - Lots to do.
47:11 - But although this has been an incredibly tricky build,
47:15 there's finally progress.
47:17 - On a lighter note, we do have a team of builders
47:19 who've just started this week.
47:21 And what they've done in a week
47:24 is restored our faith in the house.
47:28 It's not a box on the back of the house,
47:30 it's got a lovely angle on the back of the house.
47:32 - Sort of a hexagon kind of shape.
47:34 - 18 months after they started
47:41 their hugely challenging build,
47:43 we're back in Hertfordshire
47:45 to find out what Katrina and Kevin
47:47 have managed to achieve.
47:50 - Oh, yeah.
47:52 I feel like I'm skipping, running towards them.
47:55 Genuinely thought that we might never get here.
47:59 - Katrina and Kevin's 1930s house needed a major rethink.
48:04 The layout was making family life hard,
48:06 with a cramped space downstairs,
48:08 a windowless kitchen,
48:09 and a bedroom situation upstairs causing nightly arguments.
48:14 - She wants to go in there.
48:15 - OK.
48:16 - She was in there for, like, 10 hours.
48:17 - The three-month build turned into 18 months.
48:20 A lot of stress.
48:22 But they're here.
48:23 What are you hoping to see?
48:24 - There have been a lot of design changes at the start.
48:26 The core thing is they wanted two larger bedrooms.
48:29 And that meant instead of extending out,
48:31 they had to extend up and out.
48:33 And that just threw everything up in the air.
48:35 But there were some key principles in there.
48:37 Angling the kitchen to one side
48:38 to give it some interesting shape and form.
48:41 Dropping light into the center of the plan
48:43 so they get rid of all of that darkness
48:45 that was created by the conservatory.
48:47 And I hope that they've created
48:48 that family area where they can sit down
48:51 and all be together
48:52 because that was the most important thing.
48:54 - Looks good.
49:01 Here we go.
49:03 Ooh.
49:04 Ooh, there's a dog.
49:06 - Professional knocking.
49:07 - Hello. - Hello.
49:08 - How are you?
49:09 - Very well. Long time no see.
49:11 - Longer than you'd have liked, I think.
49:13 - Yes. - Shall we?
49:14 - Yes. - Yes.
49:15 - Please. - Let's go.
49:17 - Come in. - Candles on.
49:19 - Damien's ambitious design for Katrina and Kevin
49:23 sits on the footprint of the old garage and conservatory,
49:26 creating a light-filled social space
49:29 perfect for entertaining.
49:31 So is their dream
49:33 now a reality?
49:35 - Oh, hi!
49:41 I didn't know you were going for the color.
49:44 - Wow.
49:45 - Look at this.
49:46 It's light-filled!
49:48 - Oh, my God.
49:49 Love that you've kept the angle,
49:51 the light that's pouring in.
49:52 And could we have a moment for these colors?
49:55 - Yes.
49:56 - Quite something.
49:57 - Yeah.
49:58 [laughter]
49:59 - It's a really uplifting space.
50:01 - Yeah, but, like, sophisticated.
50:03 - Really? - Yes!
50:05 [laughter]
50:07 - Before, their cramped kitchen
50:11 was blocked by a conservatory that zapped the light.
50:14 Even the poky dining room was left in the dark.
50:18 Now an open-plan kitchen
50:22 is taking center stage in the new extension,
50:25 which has been deliberately angled
50:27 to let in more light,
50:29 giving them a unique space inside and out.
50:33 This is a whopper of an island.
50:37 You love islands, don't you?
50:39 - I love islands.
50:40 [laughter]
50:41 - Now, it's so big, I can actually play ping-pong on it.
50:44 - Probably could, actually.
50:45 I know the builders have only recently left.
50:47 Is there a feeling that there's a bit more ease
50:50 to family life?
50:51 - Well, it's much easier in the morning.
50:53 I can make breakfast.
50:54 The twins can sit here.
50:55 We can have dinner here.
50:56 Friends come.
50:57 They pop up here.
50:58 And you go, "It definitely works."
51:00 The space works for us completely.
51:02 And it is the hub of the house, really, isn't it?
51:04 Because you've got somewhere central
51:05 where people can come and sit,
51:07 and it feels spacious.
51:09 - Damien's design was all about the angles.
51:12 His triangular-shaped ground floor extension
51:15 opened up the ceiling to the rafters,
51:17 repeating the same principle across his entire design.
51:20 The result, a truly unique piece of architecture.
51:24 Katrina and Kevin's decision to build the kids' bedrooms
51:28 out over the extension
51:30 meant they lost their pitched kitchen ceiling.
51:33 But they did keep the essence of Damien's angled vision,
51:36 including the crank on the wall.
51:38 - Yes, it is an extension.
51:40 But you've got that little jaunty kick here,
51:43 which I think is fab.
51:45 - And they had to make some compromises
51:48 on other elements of the design.
51:50 - I know we all wanted to get that pivot door.
51:54 - Don't talk to me about the pivot door.
51:56 I'm not over it.
51:57 - Instead, Katrina and Kevin
51:59 went for oversized, bi-fold doors.
52:02 - Who needs a pivot door when you've got this?
52:06 - And also, like, seamless.
52:08 We love it.
52:09 - And you've got so much space out here,
52:11 and the connection now from the house is just brilliant.
52:14 Now, when we were looking at the original design for the house,
52:17 during the process of going through this,
52:19 she decided to get more room into the kids' rooms.
52:21 So that meant the back of the house came out here further,
52:24 and this room went flat.
52:26 And now that you've gone up another floor,
52:28 instead of going into the loft space,
52:30 by carrying that line up,
52:32 you've actually bonded and gelled all the house together.
52:35 So it actually feels quite sculptural.
52:37 It's like someone's carved into it,
52:39 as opposed to just plonking something on the back of it.
52:42 - Yeah, which is what we didn't want.
52:44 So, yeah, no, we're very happy with that.
52:46 Ultimately, it's given us ample floor space downstairs
52:49 and ample floor space upstairs.
52:51 So for us, it's been designed very, very well,
52:54 and it looks amazing.
52:56 - A stunning building inside and out,
53:04 finished off beautifully with Katrina's eye for detail.
53:07 - It was very clear that I wanted to put the right things in the house,
53:12 so I spent a lot of time researching the finishes
53:16 and finding them within my budget.
53:19 I'm particularly happy with the lights and how they look,
53:22 particularly at night when we sit here and have dinner.
53:24 - It looks stunning.
53:26 - Just very happy with this area in particular.
53:28 - Yeah.
53:31 - The old downstairs was jam-packed and felt cramped.
53:34 Now it couldn't be more different.
53:37 This is minimalist in another way.
53:40 Where's all the stuff?
53:42 - Ten skips. - Stop it.
53:44 - It's quite liberating. - Yeah, we got rid of a lot of stuff.
53:47 - So you've, like, magically Marie Kondo'd your life.
53:51 - Without actually having to read the book.
53:53 - Dream!
53:55 - Apart from their clutter-free dining room,
53:58 Kev has another reason to be happy.
54:01 - Is this what I think it is?
54:03 - I'm not going to say anything like this.
54:05 - Is this a wet room?
54:07 - I'm not going to say a word because I don't approve of them,
54:09 but, you know, I think it works for Kev, yeah.
54:11 - For Kev. - Not for you.
54:13 - You've been involved in them before. They don't work.
54:16 They leak, they're a nightmare, they're horrible.
54:19 And here we are, and I'm kind of into it.
54:22 - Yeah.
54:24 - Upstairs, their old tiny bathroom
54:26 was chaos and night-times stressful.
54:29 Now it's been transformed into an elegant space
54:32 for all the family to enjoy.
54:34 This is lovely, isn't it?
54:36 And a nice bath.
54:38 Oh, this feels a million miles away
54:41 from the old family bathroom.
54:43 - Yes.
54:44 - The kids' bedrooms were the other major sticking point.
54:48 Damien opted for extra volume,
54:50 but Katrina and Kev extended out instead
54:53 to give the twins more floor space.
54:56 - They have a bit of sort of moving around
54:58 of structure and so forth,
55:00 and now they both have similar-sized rooms.
55:02 - And are the kids happy?
55:04 - Yes, they're more than happy now.
55:06 - So big changes throughout,
55:08 but Kev and Katrina made it work,
55:11 and they even found room for a few more surprises.
55:14 A utility, a snuggly den for the kids,
55:18 Katrina's very own office,
55:20 and a gorgeous front room for the whole family.
55:24 In a word, are you happy?
55:26 - Yes.
55:28 I am.
55:29 - It's different.
55:30 - It's different.
55:31 Look, our job is to help the client
55:34 realize a vision for their home, for their house,
55:37 and within that, there's gonna be lots of key elements
55:40 that you want to keep,
55:41 and other things can move around.
55:42 They always will.
55:43 What Katrina and Kevin have done
55:44 is they've honed in on the essential parts,
55:47 and they've protected those,
55:48 which you can see in the orientation of the room,
55:50 the height, the light.
55:52 That makes it a success,
55:54 and just the fact that they've made it through this
55:56 and they've kept hold of those core ideas,
55:59 you know, hats off to them.
56:01 - Their original budget was £85,000,
56:04 but due to design changes and unforeseen delays,
56:07 the total cost was £140,000.
56:11 What I want to know, though, is was it worth it?
56:14 - It was worth it,
56:15 but it became very friendly with the bank manager.
56:17 - OK.
56:18 - Very friendly.
56:19 - Hey, girl.
56:20 - It's me again.
56:21 - It's me again.
56:22 Yeah, so the bank were very helpful.
56:25 - Does it feel like after a marathon?
56:27 I mean, I've never done a marathon myself.
56:30 I imagine there's, like, a sense of gruelling achievement.
56:35 - Feels like we've just gone over the finishing line,
56:38 but we've hit several walls in the process.
56:42 Yeah, and it's been a long process.
56:44 - Does it feel like home now?
56:47 - Yeah.
56:48 - We've finished, we've got everything now,
56:50 everything is working, everything is where it should be,
56:52 so it's time to sort of just enjoy it.
56:55 - Ultimately, it is our home,
56:57 and that's what's the most important thing as a family.
57:00 We got our house, and it is perfect.
57:02 It is our forever home.
57:03 - Yeah.
57:04 - For as long as, you know, for now,
57:06 this is where we're going to be.
57:07 - It's our forever home for now.
57:09 - I mean...
57:10 - And on that note, there's only one thing left,
57:13 and that is putting Katrina's Irish family hub to the test.
57:18 I feel like the old kitchen couldn't swing a cat.
57:21 This new kitchen...
57:23 I think you might be even able to swing it.
57:26 Katrina!
57:27 I'm not going to dance in it.
57:29 - Come on, I'm doing it.
57:32 - Especially for you.
57:34 - I can't dance, Angela.
57:36 - You wanted an island, you wanted a party place.
57:39 - No way.
57:40 - Don't leave me hanging.
57:41 Don't leave me hanging.
57:43 - I was thinking more of an Irish K-lean.
57:46 - I really respect that you went for it.
57:49 - Kev can dance.
57:51 - Now you're a sucking diesel.
57:53 [laughter]
57:55 - Next time, a 300-year-old barn conversion
58:01 with an identity crisis.
58:03 - I'm actually living in the '80s at the moment.
58:05 It's just very strange.
58:07 - It's a big puzzle to solve for architect Julian.
58:10 - There's such a different mix of architectural styles.
58:15 - And Laura.
58:17 - It's a tricky one.
58:18 - Who will come up with the winning design?
58:21 - Oh!
58:23 - I'll hide that.
58:24 - Wow.
58:26 - I'm completely overwhelmed.
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