Grand Designs New Zealand Season 9 Episode 7 follows a couple planning a peaceful retirement retreat in Loburn, North Canterbury. Inspired by the bold design of a Stealth Bomber fighter, this rustic lifestyle home blends striking architecture with tranquil rural surroundings.
Can their ambitious vision deliver both comfort and innovation? Discover how creativity, engineering, and determination shape this extraordinary Grand Designs New Zealand build.
#GrandDesignsNewZealand #LoburnLifestyle #UniqueArchitecture #StealthInspired #GrandDesigns
Can their ambitious vision deliver both comfort and innovation? Discover how creativity, engineering, and determination shape this extraordinary Grand Designs New Zealand build.
#GrandDesignsNewZealand #LoburnLifestyle #UniqueArchitecture #StealthInspired #GrandDesigns
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FunTranscript
00:01OK, here we go.
00:06On Grand Designs, I often come across people
00:09who just want to get stuck in.
00:11Do things...
00:14Oh, my mic fell off.
00:17Do things for themselves
00:19without just relying on professional help.
00:22Now, I understand that, especially with tight budgets
00:25and people who might just think
00:27they've got the necessary skills.
00:30But on something as challenging as a house,
00:34some things are just better done with the professionals.
00:41But I'm happy to be proved wrong.
01:08The small community of Lowburn on the Canterbury Plains,
01:1250 kilometres north of Christchurch,
01:14offers the promise of a quiet country lifestyle
01:17for those wanting to drop down a few gears.
01:21Finally we get out and you get on the horse and ride him.
01:24Yeah, it's nice.
01:25Nice day for it too.
01:27Beautiful.
01:29Gary and Fiona Lehmont moved to Lowburn from Auckland in mid-2023,
01:34leaving the fast lane way behind.
01:37Was this a successful move?
01:39Yeah.
01:40Yeah, absolutely.
01:40It's lovely.
01:42Lovely and peaceful, isn't it?
01:44Gary and Fiona have been together for more than 30 years.
01:47Their first meeting was memorable, but could have gone terribly wrong.
01:53I was staying at my brother's house in West Auckland.
01:56On the floor, feet crossed, and Fiona knew my brother's wife.
02:01So she walks in, walks past me on the floor,
02:05walks up to my brother and says,
02:06what is that thing on the floor?
02:08Because I had long hair and a beard,
02:10and he said, it's my brother.
02:11And so I asked her on a date.
02:15Fiona must have somehow seen something,
02:18because she said yes, with one non-negotiable condition.
02:23If you're going to come out with me, you need a haircut.
02:26Before you know it.
02:29Since that auspicious beginning,
02:32the couple have shared adventures near and far.
02:35I got a job bungee jumping,
02:37and then from there we went to America for about a year,
02:40bungee jumping over there.
02:42Came back and shacked up on her parents' property.
02:45In a shed.
02:46In a shed.
02:50Over the years, though,
02:51that adventurous lifestyle
02:53was overtaken by professional responsibilities.
02:57Fiona worked as a hairdresser,
02:58while Gary chose a frontline career serving the community.
03:03It took 24 and a half years in the place
03:06and got out about two years ago.
03:12Gary spent many years in search and rescue,
03:14a difficult, demanding job,
03:16often in life and death situations.
03:20You do it because you want to help people.
03:22When someone's lost, you don't just ignore it,
03:24you go and do your best to find them.
03:27Gary was frequently away from home,
03:29and sometimes overseas for months at a time.
03:32Gary, being apart from Fiona,
03:34weighed heavily on them both.
03:37I think the hill's got a good contour.
03:38It's been a up and down roller coaster, really.
03:43When a job consumes your life,
03:45you've got to make a decision what comes first
03:47and what is more important.
03:49Whee!
03:51The couple decided it was time for a change,
03:54now or never.
03:55They wanted to move south
03:57and eventually found a classic
03:5910-acre,
04:004-hectare lifestyle block
04:02here in Lowburn.
04:03It came with a barn
04:04which they could upgrade to live in
04:06while Gary worked on a long-time dream.
04:09I'm trying to design a house.
04:12I always thought,
04:14I like the idea of a stealth bomber.
04:17I know that you can't live in a plane
04:19that's really thin and skinny like a stealth bomber,
04:21but I'm trying to create this image
04:24of the wings coming back from the main centre cockpit.
04:29I don't know if it's Fiona's idea.
04:33I can imagine it progressing now
04:35into something which you'll like.
04:38Hopefully.
04:42Okay, holy shit.
04:45I had no intention of living in a plane.
04:48I hate planes to be honest.
04:51He's always wanted to build something new
04:53and something that he's designed.
04:55But, you know,
04:56putting something like that into reality,
04:58I mean,
04:59that wasn't part of what we really wanted to do.
05:03Well, it wasn't what I wanted to do.
05:05We're in the later part of our life
05:07and I wanted things to be a little bit easier,
05:10not more complicated.
05:17Now, I'm not sure Peaceful Lowburn
05:20is quite ready for a stealth bomber home,
05:22or whether Gary's design is even buildable,
05:25let alone conducive to matrimonial harmony.
05:28So what am I walking into?
05:30The only thing I can see
05:31is whatever their building is now underway.
05:36Hey, Gary.
05:38Tom.
05:38Nice to meet you, mate.
05:39You too. And Fiona.
05:40Fiona. Hi, Tom.
05:41Hi.
05:42This is a lovely bit of land.
05:45You've started without me.
05:47We couldn't wait.
05:49No, no.
05:49These things can't wait.
05:51There's a few different angles going on here.
05:53It's not a rectangular, simple shed.
05:56No.
05:56You're not an architect, as you?
05:59No.
06:00Usual story, tech drawing at school,
06:02but I can draw a picture and imagination, I suppose.
06:07Initially it was shaped like a stealth bomber
06:09with the front cockpit out and the wings out the side.
06:12Then you realised you were building a house.
06:14Then we realised building a house.
06:15Plus the engineer sort of came along and said,
06:17yeah, that's going to cost a fortune.
06:18Right.
06:19We've had to compromise a little bit,
06:20flatten it out a bit,
06:21but we've still got the initial shape.
06:23And Fiona, were you involved in the decision
06:26to build an aircraft?
06:27Um, I'm very much very simple.
06:31I could live in just a small little two-bedroom house.
06:33But when he drew this and I saw it on paper,
06:36I thought, well, that could be quite neat.
06:41Ultimately, Gary's stealth bomber design
06:43had its wings clipped,
06:44but the house does still retain a layout
06:47composed of a main body and two wings.
06:51Enter wing one through a glass front door
06:53into the entrance hall,
06:55past the guest bedroom and bathroom
06:57and through a sliding barn door into the living space.
07:00Kitchen and dining feature up-cycled wooden joinery
07:03and a quadrant-shaped island unit.
07:06While outside there's a sheltered barbecue area.
07:10Two giant exposed trusses take the ceiling height
07:13to an impressive five metres
07:15in the centre of this single-level home.
07:17An aeroplane propeller will be repurposed as a circulating fan.
07:22And, suspended between the trusses,
07:25rope netting provides an unconventional extra level
07:28for the adventurous.
07:30The walls are clad with Oregon boards of varying width,
07:33topped with a strip of contrasting corrugated
07:36caught-end steel.
07:37The ceiling is also Oregon and features large skylights.
07:41Flooring throughout is polished concrete,
07:44with rugs for colour and comfort.
07:46The entire northern wing is taken up with the master bedroom,
07:50en-suite and walk-in wardrobe.
07:53The exterior weatherboard cladding is milled from slow-growing,
07:57120-year-old cedar.
07:59The angled centre section is largely glass,
08:02a cockpit with expansive views to the Southern Alps.
08:06Sliding doors open to more outdoor living space,
08:09complete with his and her baths.
08:11Overall, the house is full of interest,
08:13but with recycled materials and a rustic theme,
08:18combining everything into a cohesive and balanced whole
08:21will be a challenge.
08:25You're backing yourselves to be able to design a house,
08:27and are you building it yourself?
08:29No, we've got a builder who happens to be our neighbour.
08:32Well, that's handy.
08:34Yeah, very convenient.
08:36Hopefully he won't be late for work.
08:38I will assist, I'll be building the garage.
08:41It's a cost-saving exercise as well,
08:43so he will build the house to lock up stage,
08:46and then we're doing all the interior.
08:49Fiona, where are you in this?
08:50Oh, I'm helping build the garage.
08:54Okay.
08:55Yeah.
08:55So you're a labourer?
08:56Yes.
08:57Oh, there'll be a few arguments, won't there?
08:59I won't say that it'll be perfect, but...
09:01It takes a lot of years of marriage
09:02to create the perfect argument.
09:04Yeah.
09:07How much is this going to cost?
09:10Well, let's start with the land.
09:12How much did you buy this section for?
09:14That was $700,000.
09:16We would hope to put no more than another $800,000 to that,
09:19so around 1.5, 1.6 million tops
09:23to have it finished and landscaped and living in it.
09:26And that's comfortable, that figure, for you?
09:28Yes, it is.
09:29Well, it just means if we go into our reserves...
09:33We might have to go back to work.
09:35We might have to go back to work.
09:36What's the next stage?
09:37How quickly will this house go up?
09:39He's predicting three months fully closed in.
09:42Right, windows...
09:43Everything.
09:44Roof, all the water we've done.
09:45The frames come in two and a half weeks' time.
09:47Yeah.
09:47From the start to the end, six, seven months.
09:49Six, seven months.
09:50Okay.
09:51Two months in,
09:53I'll let you know whether I think that's going to happen.
09:56You're welcome to your opinion, Tom.
10:02There's something about Gary and Fiona, isn't there?
10:04I mean, they seem so strong-minded, determined, capable.
10:09So much so that they've designed a house
10:12without the aid of an architect or a paid designer.
10:13And that intrigues me, frankly.
10:16I mean, they're convinced that they're going to end up
10:19with something brilliant,
10:20but surely they're missing something.
10:22That critical design thinking and questioning
10:25that a paid professional brings to the equation.
10:28This process that they've chosen
10:30will have to prove itself.
10:41Although Gary and Fiona have no children,
10:44their four-legged family has come south too.
10:49Sit.
10:51This is Tessa.
10:53My hitting dog.
10:56American quarter horse Dougie
10:58and pony Vino also relocated from Auckland.
11:03It was quite a journey for them to come down here
11:05and they're loving their home as much as we are.
11:11But with Gary and Fiona turning the existing barn on site
11:14into their temporary home,
11:15the first new build here was, in fact, a stable block,
11:19full of the sort of rustic charm the couple so enjoy.
11:26So it's all done out in Oregon timber
11:29and a nice old copper pot that I found
11:33that we decided to use as a sink
11:35and some old brass taps, et cetera.
11:38And it's just how we want the house to go,
11:41how we want it to eventually look, hopefully.
11:45Of course, this sort of aesthetic is entirely appropriate
11:49in an agricultural building,
11:50but injecting rustic flare into a modern new build house
11:54is a different challenge.
11:56And so I wonder,
11:57will this potentially disparate combination work?
12:05It's a mere month since I first visited Gary and Fiona.
12:09And so much for me being dubious about their tight timeline,
12:12the build is off to a roaring start.
12:16These must be the super long ones that go through the house,
12:19right through across the bedrooms.
12:21This will be assembled by next Friday.
12:23I have no idea what they're for.
12:26Stuff is happening really fast.
12:28It's just awesome.
12:29So it makes you confident
12:32that everything's going to go nice and smooth.
12:34No problems.
12:35Not going to be any problems.
12:37Gary may have had to tone down his original design,
12:40but he plans to keep many bespoke elements,
12:43including that fan,
12:44a little piece of aviation history.
12:47Up here somewhere.
12:50If we get it working, we'll be the propeller.
12:55He's also taking on building the timber feature trusses
12:58that take centre stage in the living area.
13:02This was Fiona's dream to have these in the house.
13:05So this is for Fiona.
13:06She wanted cathedral trusses,
13:08and this timber is beautiful.
13:11Oregon is a firm favourite of Gary and Fiona's.
13:14A native to North America,
13:15it also grows well here in the South Island,
13:18where it's often called Douglas Fir.
13:20Gary has certainly lavished a lot of love and attention
13:23on his trusses,
13:24but the speed of the build
13:26means they're needed on site much earlier than expected.
13:30Tomorrow.
13:31I've managed to do one.
13:33So tonight will be a bit of a push.
13:36If I finish before two or three in the morning,
13:38I'll be happy.
13:40That's where we're at.
13:41The builders are setting a cracking pace,
13:44and Gary simply has to keep up,
13:46even if that means all night on the tools.
13:49But something tells me,
13:51on this build,
13:52this won't be his last.
14:02At Gary and Fiona Leermont's new build at Lowburn,
14:05in North Canterbury,
14:07the steel portal frames are being craned into position.
14:13But the builders are also keeping close tabs on Gary.
14:16He's been up most of the night trying to finish work
14:19on the two giant feature trusses.
14:24They're due to be lifted onto site today,
14:26while the crane's here and bolted onto the portal frames.
14:32The really, really exciting thing about today
14:34is seeing these beams from Gary going in.
14:37He's running behind schedule at this point,
14:39but hopefully he can get his A into G
14:41and get these bolts in.
14:51But while Gary's under the pump with his trusses,
14:54he's still got his eye on the steel portal installation,
14:57and something looks a bit off.
15:02How you doing?
15:04I don't actually think it looks right.
15:07What's that?
15:08I don't actually think it looks right.
15:10It doesn't look right.
15:11Right.
15:14Really.
15:16Gary's understanding is that the framing
15:19should align perfectly with the portals.
15:21And since it doesn't,
15:23they have to quickly decide what to do next.
15:27So what appears to have happened
15:29is that big tall frame, you see up there,
15:32is about 90mm too tall.
15:36Todd's not worried about it too much
15:38because the guys who made the frames
15:40are going to have to come back in either today
15:42or probably next week
15:44and take 90mm off the top of the frames.
15:48Despite the misalignment,
15:50Gary's trusses can still be craned into position today.
15:53So the pressure is still on.
16:10Gary's steely determination wins the day,
16:12and the trusses are all set to go.
16:15But there may be a late cancellation.
16:22It's down to Builder Todd to make the call.
16:25I think we're going to have to hold off on these trusses
16:29because it's got wet outside.
16:32Yeah, the middle school.
16:33Have we got plenty to keep damaging all these
16:35with water stains and things?
16:37So we call it a day today.
16:41Right, I'll start jacking this up.
16:43So it ends up largely a day to forget for Gary,
16:46at least as far as his trusses are concerned.
16:49Now he's going to have to stump up for another day's crane hire.
16:53On the plus side, his build is still way ahead of schedule.
17:01At this stage, most people would be off for a well-deserved nap.
17:06But not this guy.
17:07For Gary, taking a break usually means doing something else.
17:12Always something to do on the car.
17:15Fiona has her animals.
17:17Gary has his cars.
17:20What you see behind us is my 1928 Model A Ford.
17:24So this has been my long-term project for about 23 years now.
17:28So it's been on the road 20.
17:29I've got a 47 Chevy over here to work on.
17:33Ideally, there'd be a 1934 Duesenberg sitting in here as well,
17:36but I can't afford that.
17:41They say that everybody needs a good hobby,
17:44and you might think rebuilding a couple of classic cars is more than enough.
17:48But Gary is also still volunteering with the police,
17:51despite retiring after 24 years of service.
17:56When I was in Search and Rescue, I think it was 2013,
17:59we set up a charitable trust, about four of us.
18:02It's called WanderSearch.
18:04And WanderSearch provides equipment for the police to use
18:10to track people who have gone missing.
18:14When they go missing, we have to try and find them.
18:16So these are the roof aerials for cars.
18:18So, for example, these might be kept at a police station
18:20with a receiver.
18:21The police search and rescue guys will go out first.
18:23I still do a bit of the making,
18:25tidying up and putting all the wires and everything on
18:27and producing them.
18:28So it's my little charitable trust.
18:32Good little project.
18:34And an honourable one too.
18:36Gary's a man of many talents
18:39and committed to putting them to good causes.
18:47It's just a few short weeks since I was first in North Canterbury
18:51visiting Gary and Fiona's property here at Lowburn.
18:54In that time, Gary's built the huge trusses for the living space
18:58and is now onto the garage.
19:00Progress on the house itself is nothing short of miraculous.
19:08Absolutely gobsmacked at the progress here.
19:10I mean, look, a fully framed building.
19:19There's enough complexity here, isn't there?
19:22The angle of the front wall,
19:24integrating these lovely trusses,
19:26all of those things add up to time on site
19:29and yet, well, there hasn't been any.
19:34House building doesn't often go this smoothly,
19:37but they seem to be proving that it can.
19:42How did you do it?
19:44It just grew overnight. It just grew?
19:46Really quick. It grew.
19:47That's how I would explain it.
19:48I think the builders have only been on site for 20 days.
19:53It's a building in total.
19:56They, in theory, should have all the rafters done today
20:00and all the fascia boards done today.
20:02So if I stand here long enough,
20:03this house will, as you say,
20:05will grow before my very eyes.
20:06Yeah, well done.
20:09And despite her initial apprehension of the design,
20:13Fiona's come round.
20:15I wouldn't change a single thing, to be honest.
20:17It's actually, surprisingly, coming in very nice.
20:22So, yeah, very happy.
20:24That means surprisingly.
20:24Well, you just never know, do you?
20:30Fiona's right to be a bit cautious.
20:32The builders have done most of the work so far,
20:35but as soon as the house is closed in, they'll leave,
20:38and the interior fit-out will be solely the couple's responsibility.
20:42A big challenge and lots of work for sure,
20:45but hopefully a bit of fun along the way.
20:49Through here, we have our, like, a third bedroom lounger.
20:54This is going to have a suspended net in here,
20:57which you climb up from the ground,
20:59up over a big strut plate through there.
21:02There's skylights in the ceiling.
21:04When you want a nice place to relax, rear book,
21:06you just show a squab up here, climb up the net, go to sleep in here.
21:09If the guest wants a room, it's the warmest spot in the house.
21:12This is a grown-up's den, isn't it?
21:14That's right.
21:15And it's also got the added advantage of...
21:22Chardonnay.
21:23That's where our wine sits.
21:25One of these things.
21:27Slightly off-the-wall idea here.
21:29How did Gary convince you into nets and ladders and...
21:34Well, let's just...
21:36Is this going to be good?
21:37Let's just wait and see what happens.
21:38Yeah.
21:43I'm really enjoying Gary and Fiona's quirky approach,
21:47but what influence could that have on the bigger picture,
21:50the overall feel of this house?
21:52Success here depends so much on achieving balance and cohesion
21:57and, while offbeat originality can work wonders,
22:00it can also be hit...
22:03and miss.
22:15It's May, a mere three months since Gary and Fiona's build came out of the ground.
22:20Preparations are being made for the windows going in,
22:22the roofing iron is on,
22:24and the insulation, electrics and plumbing won't be far behind either.
22:28The couple is also steadily taking delivery of new features and fittings.
22:34Fireplace has arrived, it's bright orange.
22:37It'll go...
22:39right here.
22:41I can imagine here that you're laying in bed,
22:44you look straight through there,
22:45you'll see the fireplace.
22:46And they'll be flickering away
22:47and magic-type stuff coming through the doorway, you know.
22:53When the house is closed in,
22:55the rest of the build will be up to Gary and Fiona.
23:00That doesn't leave them much time now
23:01to make some important decisions on the interior design.
23:05So, in here somewhere, in our filing system...
23:10It's here somewhere. Kitchen.
23:12Right, there we go.
23:13The kitchen layout...
23:15Pretty simple.
23:16I think we're on the right track with the centre island.
23:18I think with the core 10 wood
23:21and maybe a bit of cedar panelling at the end off the house,
23:23bringing the outside in.
23:25Thinking that I'm going to go for a paprika colour.
23:30There's a lot going on here,
23:31with the colours and materials under consideration
23:34being both rustic and resolutely individual.
23:39These stripes here, that'll be a horizontal Oregon tongue and groove,
23:44rough sawn.
23:45This strip through here will actually be
23:47vertical core 10 corrugated iron.
23:50And if you can imagine the orange fireplace sitting there...
23:54Yeah, it'll be really cool.
23:57As far as the interiors go, Gary and Fiona are on the same page.
24:01And for them, that's all that matters.
24:04Do we care what other people think?
24:07No, because obviously if you're going to sell it,
24:10you want to create something to sell,
24:12but we don't want to sell it.
24:13We just like these features.
24:14We like the wood.
24:16And we're building for us.
24:18I think if you have a visitor...
24:20They don't light the orange fire.
24:22Tell me, bugger off.
24:23Yeah.
24:30OK, that's fine.
24:31But I've got to say cohesive interior design is rarely achieved
24:36by simply throwing in everything you happen to like.
24:39So I'm launching what could be described as an intervention
24:42and taking the couple to Littleton for some friendly advice
24:46and hopefully inspiration.
24:48Come on down, have a closer look.
24:50This is Littleton Landing is what we've termed this.
24:54Pippin Wright Stowe's award-winning family home
24:57is built around a clever modular structure.
24:59Both house and garden contain an eclectic collection
25:02of repurposed elements ingeniously put together.
25:05Now, I love these.
25:07Gorgeous.
25:07Yeah, what are they?
25:09Ah, so they're the pile casings
25:11from the redoing of the wards in Littleton.
25:14They were just piles and piles of these down at the porch
25:16that were left as offcuts.
25:19You've got all these different heights.
25:21And this may appear random, but actually I'm sure Pippin
25:25has considered that this is designed randomness
25:28so that it doesn't feel like a sort of hodgepodge
25:31collection of stuff, right?
25:32Most people would probably consider those pipes junk.
25:36Yeah.
25:36But they actually look fantastic.
25:43This theme continues inside, where the house celebrates
25:46materials and fittings that have been found, scavenged,
25:50or sourced second-hand.
25:52The kitchen, for instance, features equipment salvaged from the earthquake-damaged Christchurch Hospital.
25:59There's sort of the IV drip, you know, for the IV bags that you'll be hanging your saline solution on.
26:07They're designed to hang stuff up, so why not a pot?
26:11These are above the bedhead in the maternity ward in the hospital.
26:16Look at these catches up here, Fiona.
26:18Yeah.
26:19And I bet they feel really kind of mechanical and tactile to use.
26:23Analog.
26:24Yeah.
26:24Yeah.
26:25You know, from an environmental point of view, there's something really lovely that starts to have that kind of circular
26:32thinking go on.
26:33You know, what you guys are doing and kind of using materials in your build has a beautiful quality, which
26:39is about, you know, repurposing things and adaptive reuse and so forth.
26:44But, you know, it's not going to go straight to the dump and have to have that moment where you're
26:48sort of like, you know, what's going on in this world?
26:50We're just buying stuff and dumping it.
26:52But using repurposed elements in a new house is not just about reducing waste.
26:58Although some are basic or industrial, they have age value.
27:01Their durability is already proven.
27:03And they also have character and beauty you simply can't find in fresh, mass-produced offerings.
27:09However, not overdoing it is the lesson here.
27:14The most common thing that I've had working with all of my beautiful clients is that they're wanting to do
27:19a lifetime of ideas and thinking and Pinterest and mood boards in one project.
27:26What I always try to do is sensitively kind of peel away the stuff that's not needed so that you're
27:31not getting too much in one go.
27:33You're not solving all the world's problems in one design.
27:36I really recommend, like, spending a bit of time each week going, all right, what is it that we're trying
27:41to do here?
27:42What are we wanting to get out of it?
27:47Bottom line, less is more.
27:50A message I really hope Gary and Fiona take with them.
27:55That has given us so many ideas to do.
27:59I'm going to write down a lot after this.
28:00Oh, yeah.
28:05What I think we've seen here is not just an aesthetic, not just a set of design principles, but actually
28:12the culmination of a whole career's worth of clever design thinking.
28:17I'm inspired, hopefully Gary and Fiona are as well, and so they can now go away and prioritise so that
28:24their house has some of the cohesion and brilliance that we've seen today.
28:41Midwinter and a brilliant blue sky day on the North Canterbury Plains.
28:45In Gary and Fiona's new house, the roof is on and the windows and skylights are all in.
28:53But the progress also means the builders will be gone soon, leaving the couple on their own to handle the
28:59interior fit out.
29:00A job that's looming uncomfortably large and seemingly more expensive than they planned for.
29:08We have to make sure we try and get the best price for us, because if we spend all our
29:12money on the house and not be able to live afterwards, then it'll be pointless exercise.
29:17The whole point of coming here was to have a new property, a new house, and be able to live
29:22without working.
29:23And that has to be the number one goal, otherwise we've failed.
29:28Clearly then, overspending is not an option. And without expert help for the interior work, the pressure on having to
29:35do it themselves is steadily increasing.
29:38On top of that, living in a converted shed on site is wearing very thin after 14 months, especially for
29:46Fiona.
29:48I'm personally not in a rush. I could take another six months.
29:52But I can see her saying to me without saying a word that she's getting over living in that shed.
30:00So, yeah.
30:05As a welcome distraction, Fiona and Gary decide to take a road trip to reconnect with each other.
30:11And, as Pippin suggested, try to more finely focus their interior design plan.
30:17Look at that. Yeah, that looks really cool.
30:20You can see that outside.
30:21Oh, look, it actually spins.
30:24This is Three Creeks at Berks Pass, in the heart of the Mackenzie country, with a veritable treasure trove of
30:31retro collectibles on offer.
30:34Imagine your cane chair in the lounge hanging on that.
30:40That fuel pump would look good outside the shed.
30:42Yeah.
30:44Although their house went up at warp speed, it slowed right down when Gary and Fiona took over the interior
30:50work.
30:51It's fair to say it's been overwhelming.
30:55We had an idea of what we wanted on the inside, but making it work was a little bit complicated.
31:03We got to the point where we've got to get out of here.
31:05Yeah.
31:06And we just locked the house up and left.
31:09It has been a journey. It's been a different journey.
31:12It's been an exhausting journey, and an interesting journey.
31:19In addition, all the pressures have brought back some unwelcome memories of how life and work used to be.
31:28One of the main reasons for moving down was to get away from a life that consumed us.
31:35And the job I had, obviously, with the search and rescue aspect of it, not only do you do your
31:39own job,
31:41that didn't replace your standard role, but search and rescue is on call.
31:45So you go out to dinner, sit down, have a meal put in front of you, and then the page
31:50goes off,
31:50and the next thing, two or three days later, you're still not home.
31:53And it was concerning me.
32:00And when a job consumes your life, you've got to make a decision what comes first and what is more
32:05important.
32:08It did take a lot of his time away from us.
32:13So, yes, there is a bit of reconnecting because we're living together more.
32:18You know, we're in each other's space a lot more.
32:21It's a nice thing.
32:25Gary's infectious enthusiasm and energy has seen him achieve a lot over the years.
32:31While Fiona's patience and support has undoubtedly been a steadying influence.
32:36I just hope they end up with the house they want and deserve.
32:52It's August, and the 120-year-old Cedar is looking great as exterior cladding.
33:00Although Gary thought the house would be almost finished by now,
33:03the interior work has held them up, and there's still plenty to do inside.
33:08That's not where I find the couple, though.
33:10They're busy in the barn, curating their many treasures for recycling and repurposing.
33:17Hello.
33:17Oh, hi, Tom.
33:18How are you?
33:20You too.
33:22Gary.
33:22Yeah, all good.
33:23Well, I made it through.
33:24This is like an Aladdin's cave, isn't it?
33:26It's pretty busy, isn't it?
33:28Full of junk, Tom.
33:30Well, you say junk.
33:31I think there's some lovely things here.
33:33What's this?
33:35Oh, these are my set of drawers for the vanities that I'm making.
33:39They're off the old sign machines.
33:42Okay.
33:42Look at that.
33:43That's beautiful, isn't it?
33:45We've got a coffee table we're working on.
33:48Yeah.
33:48That's a stonking piece of timber, isn't it?
33:50Look at that lovely cast iron.
33:52Bit of weight to that, isn't there?
33:57While I can see the functionality of pieces like the table and the sewing machine vanity,
34:02I'm struggling somewhat to see the purpose of this giant hand,
34:06unless it's for scratching my head.
34:09You know, I've never seen one of these before.
34:11You couldn't just say no.
34:13She was just standing there going, yes, take me.
34:15What it tells me is that you are people of eclectic tastes.
34:19And so, combining all of these different elements, found elements,
34:24I mean, that's going to be the trick, isn't it?
34:27The interior of the house itself is still pretty much a blank canvas.
34:32But Gary and Fiona are poised to start filling it in, beginning with the walls.
34:38We're going up to about here, with the woodwork, up top of this baton.
34:44So the oregon's up to there?
34:45Yeah.
34:45And above that is all the core 10 steel corrugated right around.
34:51Okay.
34:52There's a bit to do.
34:53What's your time frame?
34:56Well, we've got about 13 days before the plumber and the sparky come up.
35:0113 days?
35:02To actually clad all the walls where the fittings go.
35:07These 13 days, does that feel like a stress?
35:11Oh, crikey.
35:13We've got to do it.
35:14That's all there is to it, really.
35:16I can't get too emotional about it because it's just got to be done.
35:20So, it is what it is.
35:23And we'll get there.
35:24It takes some stamina, by the sound of it.
35:27As long as we come out the other side okay, which I'm sure we will,
35:32it'll be fantastic and we'll be here to enjoy it.
35:34And just look out there, right?
35:36Yeah, exactly.
35:37I mean...
35:38That's all you need to do.
35:39What else do you need?
35:42It'll be worth it in the end, yeah.
35:44Sure.
35:45Yeah.
35:48All I can do is wish this intrepid couple all the very best
35:52and look forward to the finished house.
35:55But before I leave this time, there's one more thing I've been aching to do.
36:01There's a touch of eccentricity here.
36:03But with eccentricity, there's subjectivity, isn't there?
36:08Will Fiona and Gary's fit-out be convincing, cohesive?
36:13We'll just have to wait and see.
36:25Embracing this serene, laid-back landscape and lifestyle here in Lowburn
36:31was exactly why Gary and Fiona decided to move here.
36:35They wanted to relax, slide gracefully into retirement and reconnect.
36:40And so I'm curious to find out whether their stealth, bomber, rustic,
36:46very personal home has come together to serve its ultimate purpose.
37:06Well, now, these are lovely.
37:13Lichen-coloured roof, matching spouting and even the corner flashings.
37:19I like this already.
37:22There they are.
37:23Hi, Tom.
37:24Hi.
37:25Nice to see you.
37:25You too.
37:26Hi, Fiona.
37:27Hi.
37:27G'day, mate.
37:28Gary, g'day.
37:29How are you?
37:29Yeah, I'm all right.
37:30You guys are looking very cool.
37:32Look at this place.
37:32Cool but tied.
37:34Yeah.
37:34But we're getting, we've got there.
37:36So, yeah, very cool.
37:37Well, I was going to say it's all very subtle and beautiful here.
37:39Apart from the pink socks, Gary.
37:42Okay.
37:43Come on in.
37:43Absolutely.
37:44Good, didn't it?
37:49It's great seeing the Oregon here on the ceiling.
37:52I mean, that must have been neck-breaking work.
37:56Yeah, it was.
37:57But it's come out really well.
37:58It has.
37:59It has indeed.
38:00And I do like having a grand opening into a grand space.
38:09This room is amazing.
38:12It's kind of like a kid's playground, isn't it?
38:13With a net and a propeller and a suspended chair.
38:17Yes.
38:18Why can't older people have fun?
38:27I don't know how you get up to the net.
38:29That's what I'm wondering.
38:30Oh, there is going to be, like, an attic ladder.
38:33Built from unobtainium and car parts?
38:35No, no.
38:36Exhaust tubing.
38:37Exhaust parts.
38:38Well, inventive, as is many of the things here.
38:42I mean, this island unit is a one-off, right?
38:46Yeah, well, it's all our leftover materials for the builds.
38:49Yeah.
38:49Yeah, yeah.
38:50And then another piece of non-generic kitchen architecture here.
38:54Look at that.
38:55Yeah.
38:56I didn't really want a standard range hood.
38:58And the one I bought, which was silent,
39:01it just needed a bit of touching up and a bit of grooviness, I suppose.
39:04I think we finished at about three this morning.
39:06Ha!
39:14What impresses me here is although Gary's original stealth bomber concept has inevitably been diluted,
39:21enough of its angular geometry remains to make this house unusual and dynamic.
39:27Playful, too.
39:29Yeah, I am.
39:30I think I'd trust this.
39:32I wouldn't.
39:34Yeah.
39:34And I get to appreciate that view.
39:38I think this is the cockpit, right?
39:40Yes, Lord Tom.
39:41This is the captain's seat.
39:42Yeah, yeah.
39:43But you can let me down now.
39:46And I think I understand this giant hand now.
39:49As the hand is saying, relax.
39:53Hamless.
39:53Yeah, yeah, yeah.
39:54And you do, don't you?
40:00Gary's design sketches may have looked rough on paper, but they've been carefully brought to life.
40:06The couple's material choices are well-judged and complimentary,
40:10and they've cleverly reduced the color palette to support the rustic theme, not overpower it.
40:16There's a restraint and refinement here, and I'm very pleasantly surprised.
40:22So this is all clad in the Oregon.
40:26Ceilings, walls, and then the Singer sewing machine base.
40:31It's fantastic, isn't it?
40:32Full of all of your hard work.
40:34Yeah.
40:34It's happy, it's warm.
40:35Who wouldn't want to have a shower in there?
40:40These are pretty unique for corner cups.
40:44Yeah, we wanted round corners.
40:46Yeah.
40:46The frames came square.
40:48Had to think of a selection.
40:50The mill basically gave us a quarter of a tree.
40:52We cut out the back and shoved them on.
40:55Yeah, yeah, yeah.
41:03I have to say, this is a very sort of Instagrammable, trendy scene.
41:07I can see this on a good glamping campsite.
41:10It's like a classic ski chalet.
41:12You can sit there, have a beer, have a wine.
41:14Yeah.
41:15G&T.
41:16And perfect bath for the view.
41:18So, we've gone from plane to barn to ski chalet now.
41:22Well, it's like a little fun place for us.
41:24So, all the things we like, we try to put in here.
41:27I think it's brilliant.
41:28Thank you, Tom.
41:29Thank you, Tom.
41:29Awesome.
41:30Appreciate that.
41:34I have to say, I sit here with great enjoyment, but slightly mystified.
41:39Did you guys go to art college?
41:40Or, you know, there's a great designer's eye amongst you two.
41:44No art college, just tech drawing at school, art at school.
41:47I like drawing things.
41:49Yeah.
41:50And I can imagine things.
41:51And so, have you got what you want?
41:53Does this feel as good as you thought it would?
41:54Oh, yes.
41:55Oh, yeah.
41:55This is gorgeous.
41:56This is.
41:56I think this is fantastic.
42:02The dream here was more than just about the house.
42:05It was about this new lifestyle.
42:07But it was hard work.
42:08There were times where you probably wanted to ride off into the distance, right?
42:13There was a moment there where Fiona looked at me and says,
42:16we should just hire someone.
42:19I don't actually think that we could have hired someone because it would cost us a fortune.
42:22Mm.
42:23The plan was to have a house, a property, and money in the bank to live on.
42:27Mm.
42:28If we didn't have the money in the bank to live on, then we'd go back to work.
42:31Yeah.
42:31Right.
42:32So, are you going back to work?
42:34No.
42:35So, you're kept within 700,000?
42:37Yeah.
42:38Yeah.
42:38With the house, but there was always a slight contingency, and we have gone over that slightly.
42:43Go on, put a figure on it.
42:441.6?
42:45Yeah.
42:461.6 in total.
42:481.6?
42:48That's not the house.
42:49That's everything.
42:50Stables?
42:51Stables, the property.
42:53Yeah.
42:53All the fencing, everything that we've done here, the house is all in that figure.
42:57Remarkable.
42:58And buying the land?
42:59Yeah.
43:00For this, we think it's pretty good value.
43:04You sit here and you've got that view, and it just feels like you're just flying to the horizon.
43:09It's just gorgeous.
43:10Better than what I imagined.
43:12So, now we're going to settle down a bit, and I'll play with my cows, and she'll play with the
43:16horses.
43:16Well, and that's the whole point.
43:18Yeah.
43:19Looking forward to it.
43:26Do you know what I love about this house?
43:28It surprised me.
43:30The beginnings were a bit unorthodox.
43:32Yes.
43:33A self-designed stealth bomber house.
43:36Frankly, in the wrong hands, that could have made for a disaster.
43:41But actually, what Gary and Fiona have created is a really attractive and persuasive piece of home design.
43:48And how did that happen?
43:49Well, there were clues in Gary's ingenuity, the couple's creativity.
43:54And what's more, they've got style.
43:57And so, they now have that longed-for sanctuary.
44:09And so, they wanted to tell you.
44:12And have to give it to them.
44:20And have to give wings.
44:33And those who prefer others.
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