The Restoration Man - C4

[KP328]

It could be good if it doesn't break him in the process, so much work for one man.

[Podie]

Has the potential to be stunning. Chipper now, hope it doesn't ruin him.

[FourWheelDrift]

I think doing the windows and making it wind and weather tight was a good idea, it shouldn't make it a rush and he can work inside in bad weather unlike many builds on here or Grand Designs where the windows come last and the builds often have puddles of water inside.

[Laurel Green]

Now there's a bus I wouldn't mind getting on.

[Laurel Green]

Blimey! An indoor bowling ally.

[nicanary]

I really liked the way he kept the carcasses of the admin office to use as kitchen units. Sympathetic and tasteful finish all round (maybe apart from that bath) - top man.

[hidetheelephants]

Nice job, OCD attention to detail and imaginative reuse of materials. There's something about the outside of the annex/corridor thing that jars though; it looks too much like a cheap conservatory, the colour of the timber seems wrong. Not sure how you'd avoid that though.

[FourWheelDrift]

I liked it, even the bath. Brass is such a Victorian thing, to have a brass bath was a very modern Victorian feature.

[Laurel Green]

Yep, think perhaps a dark stain would have been more in keeping, though being a lot of it, would never blend in with the Victorian nature of the building.

That bath is going to take a long time filling me thinks.

[Podie]

hidetheelephants said:

Nice job, OCD attention to detail and imaginative reuse of materials. There's something about the outside of the annex/corridor thing that jars though; it looks too much like a cheap conservatory, the colour of the timber seems wrong. Not sure how you'd avoid that though.

Agreed - but his budget meant no fancy stuff.

I would have used the central corridor as an entrance on one side and had the walkway / conservatory on the other.

Although he sold the engine shed, the small glimpse of it didn't suggest much change. No mention of whether the station master's house was to be sold either.

[227bhp]

It seemed to be very selectively filmed at the end, you got the feeling he'd only just scraped in there at the last second to pronounce it habitable. They mentioned a bathroom and the camera just looked through the gap where the door was ajar, not sure if this was another or the one with the brass bath in it? There were no close up shots of anything, then they had a discussion about him taking his boots off to get in the bath just to pad it out.

I take my hat off to the amount of work he put in, but then I would to a 18yr old who'd spent 3 yrs modifying his Corsa with an RGA bodykit.
I didn't like it one bit, all this period this that and the other was just another way of saying he couldn't afford to do it properly and that is just what it looked like, the building deserved much more than what it got. The only upside is that at least it's been saved and is being looked after.

[Laurel Green]

Yep, the finished bits were not all finished. In one shot there could be seen expanding foam between the door frame and the wall. Not wishing to take anything away from the graft involved but, also had the impression that the film company just wanted to end the long drawn-out build on an high.

[Bluedot]

Personally didn't like the long glass hall/conservatory, I don't like properties that end up as long rectangles (much like the converted stables they looked at briefly).
Hats off to the guy though, a proper grafter and not once did you see the slightest glimmer of regret with taking on what he had started.

[V8covin]

Whether you or me like the design of the walkway is immaterial given it was a grade 2 listed building and his hands were pretty much tied.There wasn't a lot else he could do was there,unless he had bottomless pockets and a very accomodating planning officer.
I think he did a great job

[was8v]

Yeah, nice place but must feel a bit like living in a museum.

I would have painted the woodwork a dark colour, or at least a solid colour not stained.

Was the conservatory "habitable space"? Needed insulated floor and underfloor heating, better insulation and some mega high spec glass really to make it practical.

I wonder if he had to have it all glass for planning reasons, I note some lower sections weren't glass (and weren't insulated on the inside either).

£750k for the whole site (whole terrace, masters house, station and shed) sounded like the bargain of the century to me, surprised it didn't go for auction. Wasn't clear it the terraces were wrecks or lived in as they were shown.

If it were me I would have sold the station and converted the shed......

[Laurel Green]

Heads up.

[FourWheelDrift]

Series cross-over. Restoration Man meets Amazing Spaces.

[Laurel Green]

Indeed! Love the outlook and the hidden garden.

[Jonesy23]

I hate to think how much of the 90's work will have to be ripped out after 20 years of sitting unfinished and exposed. The timber inside is looking a bit green for a start!

[MiniMan64]

Quite a nice little build, not sure who'll live there! Retired single chap?

The planning laŵ is an ass sometimes, how many times do we see listed buildings falling to pieces because a man in an office says no one can touch it