Grand Designs

[stavros]

Kevin is a bit of a bell end when it comes to old crap. He really believes that it has some magical properties to it. That somehow some old guff that hasn't fallen down yet is superior to anything else.

You could cut about 5 minutes off each episode if you dumped Kevin's pseudo-intellectual monologues.

Not a bad house, and a decent narrative.

 

[hash tag]

"i ate the wet, I ate the wet more than I ate Tottenham's fans".

 

[Looby]

I hate everything about this week’s house. It’s awful.

 

[pbsmooth]

Not great. Wasn't even that good a view!

 

[stavros]

Last night's seems to be a stand alone episode, as they're switching to a different programme next week. It was quite good, although it was a conversation rather than a new build.

 

[Artaxerxes]

East Devon 2018 is quite remarkable, a cob building as big as some stately homes.

 

[pbsmooth]

New series started last night... It was certainly a big fuck off piece of architecture. it seemed to have taken an age to be approved so I can imagine the neighbours hated it. parts of it were stunning - the higher up the building you went and the connection with outside, but the ground floor seemed a bit dingy and an underwhelming kitchen. and the amount of money was ridiculous. another one where the worrying about the budget seemed to be a bit of a joke considering how much they eventually spent. either richer than let on or very good at taking banks for a ride, or a bit of both.

 

[Artaxerxes]

I tuned out after seeing them on the world adventure jollies.

 

[Artaxerxes]

“We’ll be living here in 2020”
“Yeah as long as no other surprises”



Musing how noticeable it is that the sheer amount of cash involved in most of these builds has skyrocketed over the years. There’s still the odd one done for cheap but those are usually done by people with so much time to invest it’s clear they’ve got money or means.

 

[scifisam]

Today's Grand Designs is lovely - an older couple, very wealthy of course, building an adapted bungalow so that the wife, who had a really bad stroke relatively young (I think she was a fair bit younger than her husband is the stepmum to the grown-up son), can live fully. It's basically the dream home for a wheelchair user, and it's also pretty, and they're a sweet, loving family.

The only annoying thing is just how rich they are and how unlikely anyone else is to live in anything even approaching this place. But still, it's good to see people who love each other making a liveable home.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Today's Grand Designs is lovely - an older couple, very wealthy of course, building an adapted bungalow so that the wife, who had a really bad stroke relatively young (I think she was a fair bit younger than her husband is the stepmum to the grown-up son), can live fully. It's basically the dream home for a wheelchair user, and it's also pretty, and they're a sweet, loving family.

The only annoying thing is just how rich they are and how unlikely anyone else is to live in anything even approaching this place. But still, it's good to see people who love each other making a liveable home.

Its why I zoned out last week, it was like a million plus for an older married couple and both sets of parents. The ones with a tight budget and/or doing something sustainable/innovative are more interesting.

 

[scifisam]

Its why I zoned out last week, it was like a million plus for an older married couple and both sets of parents. The ones with a tight budget and/or doing something sustainable/innovative are more interesting.

You might like this one then. The excessive wealth is the only thing that made it less than utterly wholesome.

 

[hash tag]

Today's Grand Designs is lovely - an older couple, very wealthy of course, building an adapted bungalow so that the wife, who had a really bad stroke relatively young (I think she was a fair bit younger than her husband is the stepmum to the grown-up son), can live fully. It's basically the dream home for a wheelchair user, and it's also pretty, and they're a sweet, loving family.

The only annoying thing is just how rich they are and how unlikely anyone else is to live in anything even approaching this place. But still, it's good to see people who love each other making a liveable home.

You might like this one then. The excessive wealth is the only thing that made it less than utterly wholesome.

It could give hints as to how properties for less able people could be built if nothing else ( not that I've had a chance to watch it yet. C4 is blocked on work PC's).

 

[hash tag]

The pavilion itself was marginally better than than place on the Isle of Wight which had no room for books, records, pictures, personality or colour.
Forget the building and the £2.2 million that went into it. wouldn't you want John on your side if anything serious like that woman's stroke happened to you. He was clearly totally focussed and committed to her and her needs, not just for now but the long term.

 

[Artaxerxes]

GD: The Streets had a similar one, very custom designed for disabled living. Own lift as well.

I'll give this one a whirl though.

 

[pbsmooth]

what a lovely guy John seemed to be. so positive despite everything and seemingly unwavering in his loyalty to his wife. and great to see how her mind and body seemed to be helped by the new house. the 'snug' downstairs was a house in itself!

 

[pbsmooth]

Sydenham Hill this week. Impressive design to make use of the space and great location - Rock Hill, I think - but I couldn't help thinking she already had a bigger version next door...

 

[hash tag]

The house she sold wasn't pretty but that new place stood out like a sore thumb. I wonder how much that kitchen cost?
2 people with medical issues in 2 weeks....it's becoming like car SOS.

 

[marty21]

Sydenham Hill this week. Impressive design to make use of the space and great location - Rock Hill, I think - but I couldn't help thinking she already had a bigger version next door...

I liked her new gaff - looking out into a forest whilst having breakfast sounds good to me.

 

[pbsmooth]

definitely but the old place had the same view and a bigger terrace! but hey each to their own. the cynical part of me couldn't help thinking it was all a nice story but ultimately she was just making a wad of cash out of the whole thing.

 

[hash tag]

I liked her new gaff - looking out into a forest whilst having breakfast sounds good to me.

"Forest"

 

[marty21]

"Forest"

It is Dulwich Woods isn't it ? orginally part of the ancient Great North Wood?

 

[hash tag]

It is Dulwich Woods isn't it ? orginally part of the ancient Great North Wood?

Woods at best, but forest! Lovely they are to.

 

[hash tag]

I had to watch the North Devon Lighthouse revisit. Guy bought a house on a cliff edge for £1.4 million, demolished it to build a new home. His wife walked out with the kids, he went bankrupt and the place kept soaking up millions. I had to watch to see if the place ever got finished, to see if his family got back together. In so many was, this has to be the ugliest grand designs, for many reasons ever. It's on catch up if you want to see a happy ending, or not.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I had to watch the North Devon Lighthouse revisit. Guy bought a house on a cliff edge for £1.4 million, demolished it to build a new home. His wife walked out with the kids, he went bankrupt and the place kept soaking up millions. I had to watch to see if the place ever got finished, to see if his family got back together. In so many was, this has to be the ugliest grand designs, for many reasons ever. It's on catch up if you want to see a happy ending, or not.
View attachment 348982

Looks like the lair of a very minor league Bond villain

 

[stavros]

Last night's was the first I'd watched in ages, and I really quite liked it.

 

[ddraig]

Last night's was the first I'd watched in ages, and I really quite liked it.

Yup! Fair play to them, obviously privileged and lucky etc, which they acknowledged iirc

 

[pbsmooth]

were they that "privileged and lucky"? he did a load of the work himself and they started with a falling down barn.

 

[ddraig]

were they that "privileged and lucky"? he did a load of the work himself and they started with a falling down barn.

They clearly had the money and time and family to help, so, yeah

 

[paul mckenna]

They clearly had the money and time and family to help, so, yeah

has money === privileged. Pathetic