Grand Designs - 4th March

[Mars]

I wish my house was even half that size. I'd love the space.

More importantly, have you seen a garage?

[FourWheelDrift]

Snake the Sniper said:

Finally one with a garage!!
Looks like a nice building, but not one I would want to live in. Far too much glass for my liking. And why the toss would you waste £40K on a stair case, only to paint the damn thing white?!

Could have bought a cast iron spiral staircase and painted it white for the same effect.

[Skywalker]

outnumbered said:

"Health Centre".

Good call.
It isn't very homely is it?

[FourWheelDrift]

Bad echo outside

[schmalex]

How can you have a farmhouse without an Aga?

Pah

[jules_s]

You pay your money etc on this one...

IMO the detailing was heavily Architect led, and given the budget it does (and indeed should) look very well thought out.

All that cedar with those eaves/verge overhangs though?

[Bungleaio]

I could move straight in but seeing as they already owned the land it was a bit pricey but I suppose it was crafted and built to a high spec so not too bad.

[AJLintern]

An impressive build, but not homely - more like a commercial premesis, albeit a nice one!

[ncs]

Fantastic build & a credit to all who worked on it, I would happily live in a house like that.

[speedychrissie]

It is interesting how much this one has split opinions. I personally thought it was one of the nicest outcomes of the recent episodes. I understand that it isnt very traditional but I thought it was very well thought out and came together very nicely indeed.

And am I the only person here who actually liked the staircase? In my opinion it was marvelous! Maybe I am seeing it more from a woodworkers perspective

[Beyond Rational]

AJLintern said:

An impressive build, but not homely - more like a commercial premesis, albeit a nice one!

In many ways, that is what a modern farm has to be, I think they successfully created an upto date farmhouse.

[Snake the Sniper]

Have any recent Grand Designs been homely? Whilst I appreciate that may be part of what makes it Grand, none of them have appeared to be homes. Even the ones with kids in them look like modern health care/national heritage type places.

[Mobile Chicane]

Oh for a rich man to pay for everything, while I swanned around being 'some sort of artist'.

[jules_s]

speedychrissie said:

It is interesting how much this one has split opinions. I personally thought it was one of the nicest outcomes of the recent episodes. I understand that it isnt very traditional but I thought it was very well thought out and came together very nicely indeed.

And am I the only person here who actually liked the staircase? In my opinion it was marvelous! Maybe I am seeing it more from a woodworkers perspective

Yes indeed,

It was a large budget for what was built, if you can afford the craftsmen/designers to make it happen then it does.

4 months and 40k on that staircase was absolutely beyond belief....for that time/money i would have expected it to be finished not painted

And 13 months to build that?

Jesus.

[coolcatmaz]

Just watching this now on +4

[HRG]

speedychrissie said:

It is interesting how much this one has split opinions. I personally thought it was one of the nicest outcomes of the recent episodes. I understand that it isnt very traditional but I thought it was very well thought out and came together very nicely indeed.

And am I the only person here who actually liked the staircase? In my opinion it was marvelous! Maybe I am seeing it more from a woodworkers perspective

I loved all the different curves

[GreenDog]

Snake the Sniper said:

Have any recent Grand Designs been homely? Whilst I appreciate that may be part of what makes it Grand, none of them have appeared to be homes. Even the ones with kids in them look like modern health care/national heritage type places.

The most homely has been last weeks build. It certainly wasn't large and it had its issues but at least it didn't look like a car showroom.
I just don't get the 'open plan living' obsession, what's wrong with separate living rooms and kitchen ?

[cod man]

I caught a couple of minutes of this. What was Anne Widdecombe doing on the show?

[speedychrissie]

jules_s said:

speedychrissie said:

And am I the only person here who actually liked the staircase? In my opinion it was marvelous! Maybe I am seeing it more from a woodworkers perspective

4 months and 40k on that staircase was absolutely beyond belief....for that time/money i would have expected it to be finished not painted

actually I agree with you there. If I was building that for myself I would have wanted it to be plain ply on the outside. It may not have "matched" with the rest of the minimalist interior, but I think it would have been even more of a statement because of it.

[Fat Richie]

speedychrissie said:

And am I the only person here who actually liked the staircase?

Sounds like it!

speedychrissie said:

In my opinion it was marvelous! Maybe I am seeing it more from a woodworkers perspective

Probably. Personally I hate spiral staircases, but then I'm looking at them from a practical point of view. During the 80s recession after being laid off by Westlands I worked as a casual "Mr Shifter". Ever tried getting any normal furniture up and down them, right pain in the 'arris - makes the job three times as long (which is okay when you're being paid by the hour though ), wouldn't give one house-room otherwise.