Grand Designs

I was surprised to see a water tower converted to a home on the drive to Adelaide from Victoria. It is out in the middle of nowhere and I would love to see what they have done with it. It didn't look wide enough.

Windmills and water towers, yes....that monstrosity of a warehouse unit containing 'juxtaposed boxes' shown last night was horrible. Like putting a few containers inside an airplane hangar. Just because there were some paintings on the walls, didn't make it a home. The front door was a tiny opening in a big garage door. I've never heard such pretentious twaddle - very emperor's new clothes. Kevin must have wandered off down the road giggling to himself

Yet, the projects often seem to be the best aids to conception out. Time and again by the end of the project the woman concerned is expecting a baby/another baby. Grand designs must have a higher success rate an IVF.

Almost every time we watch it, we chant in unison, "no children then..."

And for all kev going on about energy efficiency, those huge windows he enthuses about can't possibly be energy efficient. Nor can things like converted pumping stations because they don't have cavity walls.

Those houses with floor to double height ceiling windows and no way of obscuring them at night. From the outside at night the occupants must look as it they are living in an aquarium, with anybody who wants to able to sit in a field and watch there every movement. So often when Kevin goes back to visit them they admit to spending most of their time in the snug or media room or whatever they choose to call the small living room they always have hidden somewhere.

Personally I find all the huge, and they are always huge, vanity projects, all vast white spaces, matching furniture and huge windows imported from Italy ineffably boring, like their owners. What I like are all the improbable buildings people convert into homes and those new built homes which are driven by an ethical or physical belief or circumstance. Those houses are built for a purpose by their owners, who are themselves usually much more interesting and engaging and usually are built on a small budget that calls for ingenuity and thought.

I'm always amused by some of the "creations" that people intend to be family homes. I look at the vast open spaces and hand made furniture with carefully placed (and fragile) works of art and wonder what sort of children are going to live there. Many of them seem to be in remote countryside and with a normal family would be knee deep in mud every time it rained and all those spotless walls are just waiting to be covered in greasy finger marks One that I did like was ages ago when a couple built a beautiful place in Puglia I think with loads of mosaics. I'd have been there in a heartbeat. (love the fact that, on top of all his other attractions, Kevin speaks such fluent Italian)

Wasn't that amazing! If you could choose a location where the weather was most likely to interfere with the build, it would be the Isle of Skye, and unlike most of the projects in the series, this one seemed to have no delays and no overspend. The design was imaginative and suited the landscape, especially with the living roof.

Last weeks Grand Designs went o the other end of the spectrum with two artists building a home on the Isle of Skye with a budget of £150,000, including land costs.

I think I've seen pictures of the basement in one of the Sunday papers a few months ago..would have liked to see the programme about it. Yet again, my claustophobia would cause problems living in that. I was watching Kill Bill 2 last night, a film I've meant to watch for years [it was rubbish] and had to turn it off for a while when she was buried alive [spoiler alert; she survived!].

So it was you Elegran, good for you

Elegran ...apologies for referring to you as Ella. Honest to goodness, Kevin will not wish to deal with our build. It's far too ordinaire. Mind you, to us, it will be special.

Ella I like your style!! While glass and I were fighting over Kevin you were in there like a ferret down a rabbit hole I can't wait to see whether there is any response. And soop like many others on here you are a revelation. So many adventurous and creative people!

nanaej I agree about this week's grand designs, the finished project was as characterless as its rude, obnoxious owner.

I have not watched the show very many times but saw one this week with the unpleasant woman who excavated and renovated a huge basement in London. I thought it was cold and lacking in any character..even the room with the original fireplace in it felt soulless. An amazing project and she had vision..just not one I shared!! She was very rude to the workmen..always a sign of ignorance to me.

Two down, anyone else prepared to chance their arm and write to Kevin? If enough of us get on to him, he might do it. Contact is at Grand Designs

Dearest glass and nightowl...your rascally ramblings have had me giggling. Dare I tell you that Ella has gone and done it...contacted Grand Designs. I did challenge her...not a wise thing to do...
Kevin won't want to get involved in our project. We won't have the funds to create something adventurous. Basic...springs to mind! Had Kevin been aware of our two Cornish conversions, one a tin-roofed store, and the other a crumbling hay-loft, he may of considered the projects of interest. Both were transformed into lovely cottages.

Faye thank you for your very interesting thread. Doing much of the work oneself is exhausting, but the ultimate sense of achievement is a huge bonus. Mr soop lay all the wood floors and was responsible for much of the carpentry in our present home. I decorated it inside and out. I can hardly believe that eight years ago, I spent all day, every day, poised on top of a tall ladder, dressed in painters' overalls and a flat cap!

No no no!!! I think I did mention that I have a soft spot for prince Charles, soon after I said I was becoming very fond of the queen in this jubilee year. I also said I was becoming quite worried about myself as I had never thought of myself as a royalist! But never never never have I fancied Charles and I would definitely be worried about myself if I started to think of him in that way!! But I'm afraid Kevin does remain my guilty crush . He just seems so kind and gentle, but obviously not a pushover. And I do love his voice. Maybe we need a thread about what type of men do you fancy? If there hasn't already been one. I must admit I would have to say very few these days, better things to do!

Nightowl I like threads that weave in and out of the original post, makes it more interesting. I have to admit I nearly mentioned I thought your taste in men was a bit off because I think I remember it was you who said they had a soft spot for Prince Charles, then I thought better of it. Charles and Kevin...

Faye I agree with you about the fact that many of the projects on Grand Designs seem soulless and it's sad that the owners seem to get rid of everything with any sentimental value. As my mum might have said ' they know the price of everything and the value of nothing'. I also like old properties but your house sounds wonderful and full of soul.

Thank you for bringing us back on track, I think I was in a very silly mood last night, blame it on sheer exhaustion. Will be better today!

I enjoy Grand Designs, even though I don't and will never fancy Kevin. I find it sad that some of the people get rid of any furniture they owned before. Nothing seems to have any sentimental value, everything is new and I guess meant to have the wow factor. The shows I really loved, being passionate about renovations and house designs were Property Ladder and Design Inc.

soop you mentioned a Hof House, they are very similar to a house my ex husband and I built ourselves, with some help from contractors in 1986. It was architecturally designed by a German couple. The children's bedrooms had small mezzanine floors, my eldest two had their beds on theirs and D2 had hers as a play space, they each had small staircases. The architects originally designed it to be built of Western Red Cedar but I insisted that half the walls were solid brick. There was cross flow ventilation and another mezzanine floor above the lounge. If you stood in the dining area you could look up to the mezzanine windows and see the stars. There were some faults, such as the living area windows faced the hot Australian summer sun and it was hard to keep warm in winter with all the windows. It was at the time my dream house and we saved a fortune doing most of the work ourselves. I still prefer to watch shows about renovating old derelict cottages or old buildings, especially when their era is taken into account and the old fixtures and fittings are retained.

Ha ha yes sleep on it night you are so much better than me a putting the right thing in words, i might have a thick head in the morning.

Coward! Will sleep on it - sweet dreams glass

Sorry night I can't see. So can't type [grinn]

Sorry for lowering the tone

Perhaps best to do it with some Dutch courage. My letter might be along the lines......'Kevin, my friend wants me to ask you if, would you, will you, come to soop's in Scotland and ooooh Kevin' ( speechless emoticon)

Go on glass do it now