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George Clarkes Building Home - Season 2 - Episode 01
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00:05Wherever life takes you, whatever adventures you embark on, you never forget where you've
00:10come from. You may leave your place of home, but home never leaves you. And for many, the
00:18pull of being drawn back to our hometowns, cities, and villages is proving too strong
00:23to ignore.
00:25Whether they want to be closer to loved ones or need more space for their growing
00:30families or just yearn for familiar faces and a sense of community, I'm going to follow
00:36people who are taking their biggest gamble yet, uprooting their lives, stretching their
00:46finances, it's going to cost you double, probably going to cost me a hundred to do it all, and
00:52testing their relationships. What's our compromise? We replace the whole thing. No, that's not
00:57a compromise. As they're lucky enough to return home to some of the most beautiful parts of
01:02the country to build wonderful homes of their dreams. I knew from five years old I always
01:08wanted to live in that house. From a Victorian cottage that needs rescuing to an inherited
01:13wreck that may push them to the edge. You know, there aren't any plan Bs. And new builds
01:19faults with complications. There's bits I just can't watch. Going home may prove harder
01:26than you think. If you want your dream home, you've got to work for it. But if you persevere
01:33and rise to the challenges, that is outstanding. Going home might just be the best move you
01:41ever make.
01:51Nestled on the banks of the River Derwent, in a steep-sided valley, the village of Matlock Bath
01:57is a Derbyshire gem. The village boomed as a tourist destination in the 19th century, as societies well-hailed,
02:07including royalty, came to experience the natural thermal waters. In the heart of the East Midlands,
02:15Matlock Bath remains a popular tourist attraction, perfect for exploring the Derbyshire tales.
02:30It's beautiful over there. It is nice. Yeah. Building site manager Lee and photographer Lauren have
02:38recently moved to Matlock Bath, a village she's spent many happy childhood years in.
02:44Yes. Good afternoon, guys. A little step down for a bit. Watch those heads.
02:51After a long struggle to find their own home, they have the chance to move into Lauren's grandparents'
02:57old house. Good morning. Morning. Morning. How are you? Lovely to meet you, Lauren. Hi. How are you? Hi.
03:05Thank you. Beautiful dog. Thank you. This is Alfie. Hello, Alfie. So, why are we here in this specific
03:13spot? So, along this river that we're looking out onto, we have a fate in Matlock Bath. It's like
03:21over 150 years old. It's called the Illuminations, where all these little rowing boats have lights,
03:27and me and my family, we would gather every year around September, October time, and watch the boats.
03:34So, it just became a family tradition. So, were you brought up here? Pretty much. We spent a huge
03:41amount of time here. My nanny was my second mom, and she'd make us tea after school. So, it's very
03:47much
03:48like second home. So, it sounds like your grandparents were a big part of your life. Yeah, a massive part.
03:53So, how did you end up getting the house? Nanny passed away, ripe old age, 94, and my dad said,
04:01I don't want a house. He said, it's just too much for me, and I think you should buy it.
04:06It's a bittersweet
04:07feeling. I've lost Nanny, and yet we've gained a house. And so, how do you feel about moving here,
04:14mate? It's been strange, because we are moving into, um, to a house where we used to come and visit
04:20somebody. But there's an excitement about it as well. I'm going to try and project manage it myself.
04:24I've been a site manager for ten years, use my contacts as much as I can, and do as much
04:29of the
04:29work myself as I can as well. So, you're going to get stuck in? Yeah, definitely, yeah. Can we go
04:33and see the house?
04:33Yeah, absolutely. Come on, let's go. Let's do it. It's going to get a bit wet. Come on.
04:38Matlock Bath is like a secret hideaway, and Lauren and Lee's new house is set into the side of the
04:44steep valley, overlooking the village below. Look at the views you've got from up here. Yeah.
04:51So, you can see Ryber Castle, which is right at the top. You can see the Derwent just down the
04:55bottom there.
04:56You've got the rubber skirt and through there, you've got the high street, and this is your house.
05:00I'll tell you what, it's a kind of picture-perfect cottage up on a hillside, looking down with a view
05:06like that.
05:07It is something out of a storybook. Now, it's really, really, really wet. Can we go inside?
05:11Yeah, let's go. Go on after you.
05:17Come on in. Very happy to get out of the rain. Yeah, come on in.
05:22Oh, it's very cute, isn't it? Well, still a lot of work to do.
05:28This is the kitchen. This is the kitchen. Do you know what?
05:30And I know it's had its day, and I know you're going to change it all.
05:34I don't know, there's something that I really love about it.
05:37Yeah, and it has charm, like... It does. It's got loads of charm.
05:40And it's funny, because that's how Nanny lived. It was always make do amend.
05:45That was their generation. Like, sticking with this since, what, the early 60s?
05:50She's never changed it. And I realise why you want to change it,
05:54because in some ways it's the new chapter for the house, isn't it? Yeah.
05:57It's new beginnings for you. But also, there are things that you're really going to want to keep,
06:02because they're nostalgic, because they're sentimental.
06:05Yeah, well, erm, this little light here... Yeah.
06:08Erm, just the sound of it... The sound of it? Yeah.
06:12That's kind of stuck with you. It transports me as if she's here.
06:16So just the sound of this coming on reminds you of your Nan turning this light on? Yeah.
06:22Erm, that does make me think of it. Oh, look at you.
06:32I think there's going to be stages in the house where I'm not ready.
06:37I'm ready to go and do bits and pieces, but we've had a conversation where
06:41sometimes Lauren will need a minute just to, like you say, reflect on what that actual
06:47kitchen meant to her and her gran and her granddad.
06:51It just demonstrates how powerful home is, and those connections that you have with it,
06:56and the memories that you have. So when you've lost people, you've got to be very careful about
07:01how you start stripping the house. Yeah, 100%.
07:04You've got to be very sensitive about it. 100%.
07:07Behind its charming facade, this old-fashioned property is going to be completely rebuilt as a modern home.
07:17Upstairs, a master bedroom suite with new luxury bathroom will run from the back to the front of the house.
07:25While the ground floor will be totally remodelled, with internal walls coming down and bringing loads of natural light into
07:33the dark rooms.
07:35The tired kitchen and porky entrance will be transformed into a spacious hall, and what is currently the sitting room
07:43will become a dramatic kitchen diner.
07:46Their 1960s side extension, built by Lauren's granddad, will become their lounge, with the front doors converted into patio doors
07:55open to a new courtyard.
08:01What things are you going to keep? Are you going to have a mix of very much kind of old
08:05and new?
08:05Yeah, hopefully. And my nan was very creative. She would sew everything, sew the curtains that you see behind you,
08:13and she made all of those.
08:14And I've learnt that I'm actually more like her than I realised when she was living.
08:19Even your granddad, though, because you're into photography, and it's only until we've started going through the photos,
08:24that your granddad has taken. Is that them?
08:28Yeah, and that's my dad as a baby. Ooh, he looks very stern.
08:32It still looks like that now. Bless him.
08:35Oh, look at them working in the garden together.
08:38And that's the original gate. That's my dad and his two cousins and my dad's aunt poking her head round
08:45the door.
08:46And you'll notice there's a little round doorbell, and it's still there now.
08:52But granddad filled it in, so you can feel the indent.
08:55You've got to recreate that door. Yeah.
08:57Yeah.
08:58It's not just about looking back. It's about you taking all of these things and putting them in the new
09:02house.
09:03Yeah.
09:04Your house. Yeah.
09:05And this house has been absolutely beautiful for the next 200 years.
09:10Lauren and Lee have budgeted £100,000 for the renovation.
09:15It's a good chunk of money, and Lee, a site manager by trade, will try and use all his connections
09:21to get it across the line.
09:24New chapter. Yeah.
09:25New beginnings. Take care. It starts now.
09:26Look after yourself, and I'll see you in a few months later.
09:29Lovely.
09:29Take care, George. Take care.
09:30Good luck with it. Thank you.
09:33You'll have to repair that gate, you know. It's an original feature.
09:41Lauren and Lee have got a very tricky balance to strike here.
09:45On the one hand, they want to create a home for them, fit for modern living.
09:49But at the same time, they want to preserve the past, the character and the beauty of the old house,
09:55and those wonderful family memories.
09:59I don't envy the task ahead of them at all.
10:11In the Derbyshire village of Matlock Bath,
10:14Laurel and Lee are preparing to start the renovation of what used to be her grandparents' house.
10:21That's what we need. Let's go.
10:23Which hasn't been touched since the 1960s.
10:26I'm going to be the first person to put the crowbar in the ceiling.
10:31The ceiling. Just so I can't get the blame for making a mess of the house, really.
10:36Three, two, one.
10:40The lounge ceiling needs to go.
10:42To fit cabling and ducting, that'll be added in converting this into a kitchen.
10:47Nice one.
10:48And there's no going back now.
10:50Oh, my God.
10:52I'm glad that wasn't me.
10:54It's a small dent in the ceiling, but a significant act in the bigger story.
11:00I think Grandad would be tutting a little bit, turning the living room into the kitchen.
11:08Nanny, I think she would be a little bit more like,
11:10oh, do you really want to have all that fuss?
11:12Yeah.
11:19This is hard.
11:21It's just how old it is.
11:24You know, how long it's been there.
11:27I feel like a hooligan.
11:30Probably just need a cup of tea.
11:32A cup of tea, you've only done that.
11:34We need to crack up and get the ceiling down.
11:38With his site manager's sense for schedules, Lee cracks on,
11:43while Lauren takes refuge, packing up boxes in the kitchen.
11:49He's really going to town, isn't he?
11:51Like, to be fair, I'm quite glad he's doing it.
11:58Lee wants to do as much prep work as he can before the builders come in
12:02to take the internal walls down.
12:04Good Lord!
12:06It's dirty work, but the more he can do, the less pressure there'll be on their budgets.
12:12God, it's so dusty. Well done, love.
12:14It's good, doesn't it?
12:16Yeah, it's brilliant.
12:17It didn't take long.
12:18No.
12:19Because we want to do a lot of it ourselves, I think that's going to keep costs down.
12:26We're not paying labour to strip the house out.
12:30Nice one.
12:41Lauren's conscious that their new home is a period property
12:44and part of the fabric of Matlock Bath.
12:46So before the heavy machinery comes in and the big changes begin,
12:51she's keen to find out more about its history.
12:54Hello!
12:56Hi.
12:56Come on in.
12:58Bette is a local historian and she basically looks at the history on houses.
13:05So I just thought it would be really nice to find out a bit more about the house.
13:11So it was during the 19th century that the town was really taking off.
13:15Right.
13:16So at that time, we see an advertisement in the Derby Mercury.
13:22All that newly erected stone-built villa residence,
13:27pleasantly situate and known as Derwent View.
13:35So that, this is us containing two reception rooms.
13:39Oh my God, it's got the description!
13:42Kitchen, larder, five bedrooms, bathroom unfinished.
13:47Wash house, that seems a bit like us, unfinished.
13:50Wow!
13:52And I recognise her name, Mrs. Briddon, because they are on our deeds.
13:58Ah, yes.
13:59So this is in the Derbyshire Times.
14:02Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, to let, furnished a very pleasant villa residence
14:07for the summer months containing two reception rooms.
14:12It ends with, and a very good cow is required!
14:16Oh, yeah!
14:16And that's the bit that I loved of it.
14:18I always want a cow with my villa.
14:20That's wonderful!
14:22So it's basically an advert for tourists for the summer.
14:27For tourists.
14:27It's part of the growing town and people coming to visit.
14:32Visit.
14:32It's part of the house that my grandpa bought from the Briddons in 1952.
14:37Yeah.
14:37Yeah.
14:38So that would have been when they bought the house.
14:41A lot of lives under one roof.
14:44That's nice that we're also knowing that we're adding
14:47to the patchwork of that story.
14:50Creating the next chapter.
14:52Yeah, yeah.
14:55With the prep work done by Lee, with a little bit of help from Lauren,
14:58it's time for the builders to start getting this Victorian house fit for the 21st century.
15:08Day one of the builders.
15:10Yeah, busy and noisy.
15:12And they are prepping to put the steels in, so walls will be coming down.
15:16Because the house is built into the side of a hill,
15:19all of the natural light comes in from the fronts.
15:22So removing internal walls will make the bigger, brighter rooms.
15:27It's changing in front of my eyes, sometimes quicker than I expect.
15:32Mirror.
15:33Full cord and mirror is still there.
15:34It's still there, isn't it?
15:36I don't know if that's subconsciously we've kind of left it.
15:39Waiting, yeah.
15:40We're doing it in stages, and I think that's helped my grieving process of losing Nanny.
15:46Yeah, I think I've definitely learned about me going gung-ho,
15:49ripping everything out and...
15:50We've compromised.
15:51Yes, I get it.
15:52What a great marriage is based on, and compromise.
15:58Now that Laurel and Lee's renovation is gathering pace,
16:02it's time for me to head back to Matlock Bath and see how they're getting on.
16:08Good morning.
16:09Good morning.
16:10How are you?
16:11Good, how are you?
16:11What a gorgeous day.
16:13A little bit different than the first time I was here.
16:15I know, I know.
16:15It's chugging it now, isn't it?
16:17Give a look to see you.
16:17Hello, mate.
16:18Hello, mate.
16:18You all right?
16:18Yeah, good, thank you.
16:19So you've started work?
16:20We have.
16:21Yeah.
16:21Inside.
16:22Which is great.
16:22Yeah.
16:23Shall we go inside and have a look?
16:24Yeah, come on in.
16:24After you.
16:27Oh, what a change.
16:28You're taking the wall out.
16:30Yeah.
16:31Opens it up a touch.
16:32By taking out the partition wall between the porky hallway and the old kitchen,
16:37it's created a huge entrance hall bathed in natural light.
16:41It's a cracking space now.
16:43You've opened it up, though, hasn't it?
16:44Yeah, and that's what we wanted.
16:45When it rained, like last time you were here, trying to get everybody in,
16:49your shoes off, your coats off and everything like that, it was just too cramped,
16:52so this is going to be our hallway.
16:54It feels more spacious.
16:55Yeah, I mean, you want to get as much light from that side to the back part of the plan
17:00as you can,
17:00because you are literally built into the rock, no natural light at all.
17:04And then staircase, this is now very much part of your entrance hallway, isn't it?
17:10And there are more changes at the back of the house.
17:13My word, you're taking everything out.
17:16So utility in there, pantry in here, and you come through and you've got kitchen in there.
17:21Yes.
17:21Dining table here.
17:22Yeah.
17:23That'd be great, actually.
17:24Yeah.
17:24And you've got some quirky things around when you've stripped it out.
17:27Well, we've got some newspaper over there as well.
17:28Look at that, eh?
17:30I just don't think I can bring myself to take it off.
17:33It feels like it's a, I don't know, it's a period feature, that is.
17:36It's going to come off anyway.
17:37Is it?
17:38Just be gentle with it.
17:40What's the date on it?
17:421961.
17:431961, yeah, yeah.
17:451961.
17:46That's crazy.
17:48Look at that, eh?
17:51That's 63 years ago.
17:53That is incredible.
17:57During the renovation, Lauren and Lee have moved into one of the upstairs bedrooms.
18:02So, come in.
18:04I think we can get us all in.
18:09You've got everything in one space.
18:11Yeah, super king bed.
18:14Sleep's important.
18:15Is it?
18:16Fridge.
18:16Yeah.
18:17Storage.
18:18Yeah.
18:18As you know, I like small spaces.
18:20Yeah, exactly.
18:21Exactly.
18:23Yeah.
18:23I mean, it's worth it.
18:24Yeah, it is.
18:25All right, you're going to have to rough it for a while, but so be it.
18:27Yeah.
18:28And you've got, I mean, you've got drawer storage, you've got a bit of technology.
18:31Yeah.
18:31Nice camera.
18:32Oh, that's nice.
18:33Ooh la la.
18:34Yeah.
18:34So that's my granddad's camera.
18:36That's your granddad's camera?
18:37Yes.
18:38I'll tell you what, he knew his kid, because that's a beautiful Japanese camera, that is.
18:42So there was film still in the camera.
18:44Hang on, there was film left in there when he found the camera?
18:47Yeah, yeah.
18:47Because obviously, no one's seen it.
18:50I've got a mate in Nottingham that develops photographs from all bits of film.
18:54We should take it and get it done, because who knows what you're going to find?
18:58Yeah, we'd love to do that.
18:59Yeah.
19:02With the prep done and the couple's makeshift bedsit up and running,
19:07it's time for the heavy machinery to roll in.
19:16These plans for the house are more than just aesthetic.
19:19He's replacing the plumbing, electrics and insulation to bring the house up to modern day standards.
19:26It's major work, and the entire ground floor in the new kitchen has been taken up to install underfloor heating.
19:35Digging out a room's worth of deep concrete floor is producing a mountain of rubble.
19:41And shifting large loads off-site halfway up a steep hillside is problematic, to say the least.
19:48And builder Johnnell has got some bad news.
19:52All right, how's it going?
19:53All right, little issue.
19:56So, this.
19:57Yeah?
19:58The Grab Wagon Company have let us down. They don't want to come to Matlock.
20:02It's just getting a wagon up, though, that's the problem.
20:04Yeah, that's it. It's literally the corner as you come up.
20:07Yeah.
20:07Because that's so narrow.
20:10Everything that's charming about this place, the narrow cobbled roads winding up the steep-sided valley,
20:16are exactly the things that give builders nightmares.
20:20I can ring around and try and find out.
20:23The only thing I can think of is there's a lad that I used to live next door to,
20:29and I'm sure he's got loads of, like, machines that he leases, and maybe I should give him a call.
20:34Give him a ring.
20:35It's not like a tipper truck or something, then we can load it onto the digger.
20:38I think that's the route we need to go down, tipper truck.
20:40We're just going to have to call on friends, aren't we?
20:42Hi, James. Yeah, it's Lauren.
20:44Yeah, you all right?
20:45One of the benefits of knowing the area and the people who live around here is having someone nearby to
20:51call in a crisis.
20:54And Lauren's going to need all her local knowledge to get this build done on time and on budget.
21:00All right, love. Thanks.
21:04There's some good news for Lauren. I've had the role of film that she found in her grandad's camera,
21:10developed by my mate Dan in Nottingham.
21:13I'm really excited because as a professional photographer, Lauren's own love of taking pictures
21:19owes a lot to her grandad being an enthusiast himself.
21:26Hello, hello. Oh, I feel like, I don't know, like, I feel like I'm Santa Claus or something, bearing gifts.
21:32We're in luck. Okay.
21:34There's actually quite a few negatives, weren't there? That were pretty good.
21:37Yeah. So we've randomly picked a few.
21:40This is, I think, somebody's fourth birthday.
21:45Oh, my God!
21:48Yeah, it is. Absolutely.
21:50You've got your cake. Yeah, my mum made that.
21:52Look at your cheeky face.
21:54All right. You're so cute and you're so happy.
21:57Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, I'm four!
22:00Then?
22:03Oh, so this is around Christmas time.
22:06Obviously, that's me and these are some family friends, my mum and my brother.
22:10But your grandad took that shot?
22:12Yeah, so they would have probably been on the walk.
22:14Got no idea who's in this next shot.
22:16Grandpa's there and Nanny's there. It would have been Christmas Day.
22:19And the only sign we've got of you being there is your hat.
22:22But it's also nice because your grandad's not in that many pictures
22:26because he was taking the pictures.
22:28Yeah.
22:28It's like a historic document.
22:32That was fantastic, that.
22:33I just love the power of photographs to capture moments in time
22:38and hold on to wonderful memories.
22:41And what's really important is that Lauren and Lee capture their own memories,
22:46their own stories, and write their own chapter for their new home.
22:50While at the same time, being very sensitive
22:53to their grandad and their grandmother's home as well.
23:11In the gorgeous Derbyshire village of Matlock Bath,
23:14couple Lee and Lauren are restoring the P-Road property
23:18that was home to her grandparents for over half a century.
23:23The process of making the house fit for modern living
23:26has seen walls knocked out both upstairs and down.
23:30Creating a new bedroom, living room and kitchen.
23:34Underfloor heating has gone in and the new ceilings are being installed.
23:39It's been challenging at times.
23:41The hardest part is seeing bits being ripped away.
23:46But I think now that everything is almost out,
23:51it's kind of, at this stage, unrecognisable in my mind.
23:55It's good.
23:56I feel like it's a different house, a new house, it's our start.
24:01Now that Lauren is feeling that this is now her house,
24:04not her grandparents, there's one job in the old kitchen.
24:08She can finally face.
24:10There you go.
24:12It's my whole life in this house.
24:14Nothing's the same again.
24:16This is what I'm worried about once we put things back in.
24:19It's not the object though, is it?
24:21No.
24:22It's the meaning of it.
24:24Objects have meaning, sounds, places, smells.
24:27And I'm still attached to it.
24:29I want us to reuse it still.
24:33Oh, that would have been a nanny request.
24:36Probably.
24:37This is basically like you and me.
24:39She had the design idea.
24:40And he has to make it happen.
24:41And he had to fathom in some way everything to happen.
24:45My mind has definitely shifted.
24:48Instead of mourning something, it's actually just celebrating part of life
24:52and the changes that property goes through.
25:02It's full summer in Matlock Bath, the time of year when visitors flock to the place.
25:09Before I see progress they've made on the house, Lauren wants to show me round the village.
25:15So we're right in the middle of Matlock Bath, which I have to say is fantastic.
25:20It's beautiful a day.
25:21Yeah.
25:21But it's invaded by tourists, isn't it?
25:24I know.
25:24Yeah, I mean, this is their busiest time.
25:25It's summer holidays, so...
25:27You've got aquarium and exhibitions, amusements.
25:30I used to go to school with that guy who owns the fish shop.
25:34Yeah, I used to go to school with Costa.
25:36Nanny would always take us to halls.
25:38Oh, there it is there.
25:39Yeah.
25:39What a wonderful collection of gorgeous buildings.
25:43Yeah, very Victorian seaside.
25:44Very Victorian seaside, even though without the sea, but we're next to the river.
25:48I know.
25:51What a great place to grow up when you were coming to see your Nan.
25:55Yeah, I'd walk from school up down here, bob into the newsagents before I go up to Nanny's.
26:01I mean, it's got a fantastic atmosphere to it, hasn't it?
26:03Yeah, I mean, just holidays.
26:05I think that's what I always thought with my Nan, was you just always felt you were on holiday when
26:09you went to visit her.
26:12Walking up to the house to meet Lee, I can say exactly what they love about this place.
26:17But I'm keen to see if they're still in love with their build, too.
26:22This has all changed, hasn't it?
26:24Just a little.
26:25Yeah, just a little.
26:25I hear there's a debate about the front door.
26:30So this fan light at the top was put in by my Nanny.
26:34Yeah.
26:35Obviously, my grandad probably put it in, but I want to keep it in.
26:39It's part of the character, it's part of the history, and he wants to remove it,
26:42but replace it with exactly the same, but it's obviously just new.
26:46Yeah, so let me just show you this.
26:48Yeah.
26:50I can literally put my finger through the frame, rotten.
26:54What's our compromise?
26:56We replace the whole thing.
26:57No, that's not a compromise, is that?
26:59So we're going to do all this insulation, and then we're going to have a single-glazed glass door top.
27:03Because it's not a new build.
27:04All the heat is just going to come flying out.
27:05It's not a new build.
27:06In some ways, you're both right, and that's not really what you want to hear.
27:10You're saying, let's replace it.
27:12It's still going to look the same, but it's going to be up to the thermal standards.
27:15It's going to be high quality, and it's going to last another couple of hundred years.
27:19And I get that.
27:19And he's right.
27:20I get that.
27:20He's right.
27:21Then there's the emotional side of, my granddad made that.
27:25Yeah.
27:26That's why houses are characterful, is because people have put thought in keeping those things
27:31that have stories that look a little bit wonky or handmade.
27:35They're the bits that make the character.
27:37I get that.
27:38Do you know what?
27:38It really, really captures the difficulties of restoring a building when you've got a massive emotional attachment to it.
27:47The only thing I would say is, yes, you're upgrading everything and the entire thermal performance of the whole house.
27:54Because the door and that fan light is such a big deal,
27:56maybe that is the one place where you just have a little bit of compromise.
28:00I'm just saying that it's such a special door.
28:02No, I get that.
28:03And the fact that your granddad made that himself, I think that's a beautiful thing.
28:08Yeah, it is.
28:08Yeah, it is.
28:11So, how's it looking?
28:13Lauren may be hanging on to her grandparents' front door,
28:16but inside, the couple have swept away the past to create a home fit for the future.
28:23It's amazing to stand in this position, be able to look that way.
28:27Yeah.
28:27See daylight.
28:28Yeah.
28:28And then all the way through.
28:30And that room at the end is just flooded with natural light now.
28:33Yeah.
28:34And this is another massive structural change as well.
28:38What a difference that makes.
28:39Yeah, open that right up.
28:40This was the old living room, now this is going to be a kitchen.
28:43Yeah.
28:44And it ties nicely, because this was the room that our family always gathered in.
28:48And I think kitchens nowadays is the place that you gather in.
28:51So...
28:52Yeah, I feel good that we've changed it.
28:56It is amazing, isn't it?
28:57It's got to be very delicate steps.
28:59And you've had to kind of get it into your head that this was the heart of the home,
29:03even when it wasn't the kitchen.
29:05Yeah.
29:06But now the kitchen is going to be the heart of your home, so you're fine with that.
29:09Yeah, those family gatherings are still going to happen here, you know,
29:13the torch has been handed down.
29:15To make the most of the spectacular views from the front of the house,
29:19Lauren and Lee have removed the window in what will be their living room,
29:24making space for new patio doors onto the garden.
29:28So you've dropped all the sill down.
29:30Yes. Is that right?
29:31Yeah. Same way.
29:32Yeah.
29:32Yep.
29:33What a difference that makes.
29:35Yeah, definitely.
29:36Look how green and lush and beautiful it is.
29:39And then you've got these wonderful period houses off to the left-hand side.
29:43Do you see the river poking through the trees?
29:45Oh, yeah, just there. Oh, I didn't see it there.
29:47Yeah.
29:49Lauren and Lee's new living room is going to be in the single-storey extension
29:53that her grandad added to the original house in the 1960s.
29:59What a room.
30:00Yeah, it'd be nice if it was vaulted, too.
30:03What, the room?
30:03The ceiling, yeah.
30:04Oh, don't.
30:05Because...
30:06Hang on. Talk about chucking me under the box.
30:07It's a great design choice.
30:08Hang on, so you've opened up the ceiling.
30:10Yeah.
30:10Because you've outstrip everything out.
30:12So we're going to insulate it and then re-board it.
30:14With a flat ceiling?
30:15Yeah.
30:16No.
30:17What?
30:17What?
30:18No.
30:18No.
30:19What do you mean, no?
30:21You've got to vault it. Look at that.
30:22I can't vault that.
30:23Why?
30:25Because I've got a programme to hit.
30:27Well, I know.
30:29A deadline.
30:30Look, just forget about deadlines, right?
30:34Flat ceiling. Flat ceiling.
30:37Lovely.
30:37Yeah.
30:38Beautifully respecting the old building.
30:40Yeah.
30:40Come through to the extension, which, as we know, was a later addition.
30:43Yeah.
30:45Open the ceiling up.
30:47Look out, you're going to be sitting in your living room
30:48with that big, high, vaulted pitch roof.
30:51Whereas, if you don't do it, OK, it'll still be lovely,
30:54and it'll still be beautiful.
30:56Yeah.
30:56But you'll kind of sit there and go,
30:58if you had done it, that would have been really good.
31:00Yeah.
31:01Just have a think.
31:01Yeah, OK.
31:02Just have a think, but you should definitely do it.
31:04I'm still here.
31:05I'm running.
31:06I hope I haven't pushed Lee too hard,
31:09because he's done a brilliant job transforming this space so far.
31:13But given that this is going to be their forever home,
31:16I really think it's worth the extra weeks of work it will take.
31:26Lee and Lauren clearly want to make their home as good as possible,
31:30without blowing the budget.
31:32So the couple have been looking far and wide for bargains
31:35to help with their renovation.
31:38And Lee has driven 150 miles to London to collect a second-hand kitchen
31:42he found on an online auction site.
31:46Ready?
31:47Yeah.
31:49Found an absolute bargain.
31:52Bidded on a kitchen.
31:53Didn't think I'd have a hope in hell in getting it.
31:56We found pretty much exactly what we were looking for.
31:59Just down here, Nick.
32:01You know, this is a handmade, bespoke kitchen.
32:04You know, it's got dovetail joints.
32:05It's a high-quality kitchen, which will last another 30, 40 years.
32:09One, two, three.
32:13Probably got more units than we need,
32:15but we're going to utilise that and make it work in the utility
32:19as well as the pantry and the kitchen.
32:21That's why I bought two vans down,
32:23just to make sure we've got more than enough room.
32:27Yeah, that should go.
32:30At least they have the kitchen ticked off the list.
32:33Now it's back to Derbyshire,
32:35where Lee just has the rest of the house to sort out.
32:52In the Derbyshire village of Matlock Bath,
32:55Lauren and Lee are sympathetically restoring her grandparents' old cottage
32:59into a home for modern-day living.
33:03Yeah, we've got walls, miscoat.
33:05Yep.
33:06And Paints have done a great job miscoating, really.
33:09We're almost at the end.
33:11The finish is nigh.
33:12But there's one recent structural change that still needs to be tackled.
33:16The vaulted ceiling in the living room that Lauren,
33:19with a little bit of help from me, talked Lee into.
33:23I can't believe how high it is.
33:24Four metres.
33:26I'll give him that and Lauren.
33:28It's going to look bloody brilliant.
33:30Really good.
33:32She'll take all the credit for it, to be fair.
33:34I know she will.
33:37It's definitely more work and a bit more on the budget.
33:40Your granny would be proud.
33:42So I'll get the laser set up.
33:44Yeah.
33:45And we can bang the laser on exactly where we want to be.
33:49But it will bring a whole new grandeur to the old extension.
33:52Actually, Lauren's grandad built this extension back in...
33:56Er, 1960s?
33:58Yeah, it was something like that, wasn't it?
34:00Yeah.
34:01Lars, where are we going to be?
34:04Perfect.
34:05I feel that this is our proper own stamp on it, I suppose.
34:11Because this is a drastic change from what it was.
34:14I don't know.
34:15It feels like it adds a different personality to the house.
34:19Now it's actually happening.
34:21Yeah, it's exciting.
34:24Lee's first job is to board out the apex and sides of the roof
34:28to allow for insulation and create structure.
34:33With Lee's hard graft to near and completion,
34:36it's now Lauren's chance to shine.
34:39She's in charge of the interior design.
34:43I want to enjoy it because I've longed for an interior project.
34:47I think it's in me.
34:49So, creatively, you know, I'm at my happiest.
34:53So I've chosen things with sentimental value.
34:57Nanny had this little brass handle.
34:59There's two of those on the doors that go into the living room.
35:03I mean, I love brass anyway,
35:04but I thought that would be quite fitting for in here.
35:08And then this is a little piece of fabric that my nanny used.
35:13She's re-upholstered a chair upstairs and I really liked it.
35:17So I'm hoping that maybe I can bring that into the design somewhere.
35:22Lauren's design vision is for a modern take
35:25on a classic Georgian country home,
35:27with a palette of whites and blues.
35:31That's Delftware.
35:33We dug this up in the front garden.
35:36So that's where I've taken the inspiration.
35:39This is where I've been hoarding for the last six months.
35:41So I'm hoping that it looks good.
35:44But who knows?
35:46Throughout the build, Lee has turned his hand to any job he can to save money.
35:53One of his final tasks is making the second-hand kitchen they bought fit their space.
36:00Look at that!
36:02Oh, that's a relief.
36:09A few months later, the top-to-bottom refurbishment of Lauren's grandmother's old cottage is finally finished.
36:18But has Lauren managed to create a new home that honours her family's past?
36:27Restoring a house is never easy.
36:30But when that house is absolutely packed with deep and powerful memories,
36:35even down to a light switch having meaning, it becomes even more difficult.
36:40Striking the balance between preserving the past and building a home for the future
36:45is really, really tough.
36:47Now, it's been two years since Lee and Lauren began their journey,
36:52and I'm back to see if they've made it.
36:55Good morning!
36:57Morning.
36:57Look at the gate!
36:59It's all been repaired.
37:00Yeah.
37:01And it's not just the gate that's been fixed.
37:04The front of the house, christened Grace Cottage, has been sympathetically restored,
37:11with the window and door surrounds stripped back to their original brickwork.
37:16They've even created a beautiful courtyard garden.
37:21Fantastic!
37:22All the better for seniors.
37:24Oh, I get a hug!
37:25I know!
37:25Get in there, mate!
37:26It's been a long time.
37:28I have to say, it looks amazing!
37:32You've kept the door, you've kept the fan light, not overly restored.
37:35Yeah, we haven't even touched it.
37:36How do you feel about that, mate?
37:37Listen, I'm rolling with it.
37:40You were like, it needs to be thermally sealed, it needs to be double glazed.
37:44Well, I am very pleased you kept the original doll and the fan light.
37:49We've got a doorbell.
37:50Is it a pull?
37:50Yes.
37:54It works!
37:55We've tried to replicate as close as we could to the photo that we had of Lauren's family.
38:03Can we go in?
38:04Come on, let's go.
38:05Come on in.
38:05I can't tell you how excited I am.
38:07No, honestly.
38:09Where there was a cramped entrance and small old-fashioned kitchen, there's now a generous
38:16welcoming hallway.
38:18What a change.
38:19You can actually get in now and take your shoes off.
38:22Yeah, I mean, you've got a proper entrance hall, haven't you?
38:23Which also doubles up as a nice study space.
38:28Underfloor heating and up-to-date insulation combined with vintage decor to create a charming,
38:35modern country cottage full of family pieces.
38:39That was your grandad's camera.
38:41Yeah.
38:42Yeah.
38:42And there's one more of her grandparents' things that Lauren has kept.
38:46Granny's light cord.
38:48Erm, that does make me think of it.
38:50Oh, look at you.
38:53We've popped it in here.
38:55Let me have a look.
38:56Come on.
38:58There you go.
38:59It's just unbelievable how powerful a family home is when you're connected to a poor cord.
39:06I know.
39:07And you couldn't get rid of it.
39:08I couldn't get rid of it, no.
39:09I mean, that's me.
39:10And it's the ugliest thing ever.
39:12It's not about aesthetics.
39:14No, it's not.
39:14It's not about design.
39:15It's about memories.
39:16Yeah, and we've tried to fill that around the house, haven't we?
39:20Yes, we have.
39:20So, all this looks beautiful.
39:22Yeah.
39:23Where should we go next?
39:23Upstairs.
39:24Come on, let's do it.
39:26On the first floor, there used to be a series of porky rooms and a very dated bathroom,
39:33which have all been reimagined as a large, sophisticated master bedroom suite.
39:39That is very elegant indeed.
39:43How cosy and snug and gorgeous is that?
39:48Any pieces of furniture that are from the family?
39:51Yes, so this was in the living room.
39:53So, was that your grand's?
39:54Yes.
39:55The mirror was hers.
39:56And did she use that mirror all the time?
39:58Yeah, she used to sit at it.
39:59Yeah.
39:59And then you've knocked through here.
40:01Yeah.
40:01You've got wardrobe area either side.
40:03Can I slide this open?
40:04Yeah.
40:07Oh, now that is very special.
40:11That is posh.
40:13Look how beautiful that space is.
40:16And that view is, it's so beautiful that.
40:19This is my favourite.
40:21Lou with a view.
40:22And I can even see a castle.
40:26While the master bedroom is worthy of any five-star retreats,
40:30the heart of this house is back downstairs.
40:35Where Lauren's created a gorgeous open-plan country kitchen in the old family living room.
40:45Look at this kitchen dining room.
40:50That's stunning.
40:52My God, marble worktops proper.
40:55Yeah, yeah.
40:55Proper marble worktops.
40:57Yeah.
40:58That's actually a recycled kitchen.
41:00We've got it online.
41:00We've got quoted 45 grand for our kitchen and the pantry.
41:05Yeah.
41:06And we got the marble, the kitchen units that you see, 3,800.
41:10That is ridiculous.
41:12That's one of my biggest achievements of this house.
41:16The big picture design moves are absolutely fantastic.
41:20But to then get to the level of detail that you've got.
41:22We've enjoyed that bit.
41:24Yeah.
41:24We have enjoyed that bit.
41:25That is what we love the most.
41:26It's bloody brilliant.
41:28And I'm going to get told off by my mum for swearing on telly.
41:31But it's bloody brilliant.
41:33And then you've got the window seat.
41:34Can I squeeze in?
41:35Yeah.
41:37Now, there are literally no words needed.
41:41I can see why that was her favourite spot.
41:44Was it your nana's favourite spot?
41:46Yeah.
41:46Yeah, she loved it there.
41:48Because this was the living room, I wanted it to feel not like a kitchen.
41:53This was nanny's chair.
41:55She's covered it in this fabric.
41:57I mean, that's cleaned up.
41:58Yeah, it's beautiful.
41:59Yeah.
42:00And I feel like this is her room.
42:02But obviously, next door is my grandad's room.
42:06When we take you through next door, we'll see.
42:07You see a flat ceiling.
42:11It better not be.
42:13I'll have words.
42:14If that ceiling's flat in there, I'm going to kick off.
42:18Lee planned to keep the original flat ceiling of Lauren's grandad's extension.
42:23No.
42:24What?
42:24What's it?
42:25No.
42:26What do you mean, no?
42:27You've got a vault, look at that.
42:29But we wouldn't let him.
42:31Was it the right decision?
42:35What do you think?
42:38That's incredible, that.
42:40You must have cursed me a thousand times, I bet, after I left.
42:43Both you and Lauren.
42:45I mean, yeah.
42:46The amount of times I've been up and down on a scaffold.
42:50No, genuinely, it is outstanding.
42:54I'm smug.
42:56No, no, in fairness to you, mate, I know it was a staggering amount of work.
43:00But this is a home for life.
43:02Yes.
43:02And again, old pieces of furniture.
43:05Yeah, old pieces of furniture.
43:07Nannies and granddads.
43:08Yeah.
43:08What have we got on here?
43:09What photographs?
43:10So, we've got my great-great-grandparents.
43:13This one?
43:14That's Nanny and grandad.
43:17What would your grandad think?
43:19Oh, he'd love it in here.
43:20He'd love that there's a drink or two ready for him.
43:24Yeah, they're all his bottles.
43:25At the end of today, we need to raise a glass.
43:28Because what you've done is nothing short of spectacular.
43:34Once again, no detail has been overlooked.
43:38By replacing the original window with new French doors,
43:41it gives the room a whole new purpose.
43:47How lovely is that?
43:49To step out from what was the old window to beautiful doors.
43:53Yeah.
43:54Onto this fantastic deck.
43:55Look at that.
43:56And the view, again, in all of its glory.
43:59It's been a labour of love, hasn't it?
44:00Yeah, definitely.
44:01And how does it feel now that you're all finished?
44:03Your relief.
44:04It's a massive, like, a weight off our shoulders.
44:07Massive.
44:08And we can enjoy it now.
44:09But how much have you spent?
44:1180.
44:11You've done all of that for 80,000 quid?
44:13I think that's still a lot.
44:15I love that you're disappointed that you've spent that much on it.
44:18I am, yeah.
44:18So, if you paid a contractor to do this level of work, how much do you reckon?
44:22You'd be looking at close to 150, I'd say.
44:27Yeah.
44:27And you've done it for 80.
44:28I don't think you both realise how good it is.
44:31No.
44:31It's outstanding.
44:32Because when you think about what your Nan and Grandad did and the fact that you were brave
44:36enough to take it on, and without piling too much emotion on you, what would Nanny and your
44:42Grandad think?
44:44They would love it.
44:45Yeah, they'd be super proud.
44:48Nanny would just, gosh, isn't it lovely?
44:50You've done so well.
44:52You've done so well.
44:53Grandpa would be quiet and say, are we having a drink yet?
44:57Sit down.
44:58On that note.
44:59Yeah.
45:00Yeah.
45:00Let's raise a glass to your Nanny and your Grandad.
45:04Yeah.
45:05I'm going to raise a glass to you two for being outstanding.
45:09And to the house.
45:10Grace Cottage.
45:11Grace Cottage.
45:12Cheers.
45:13Yes.
45:19Now, it's difficult to describe the depth of emotion, love, and memory that you feel
45:26when you're walking through the spaces of Lauren and Lee's home.
45:30Every single room has a beautiful connection, not only to Lauren's grandparents, but to her
45:37childhood too.
45:39That shows how powerful home can be.
45:42And for them to have reinvented it in the most timeless and elegant way is nothing short
45:48of remarkable.
45:49I absolutely love this house.
45:53And I know that Lauren's Grandad and Nanny will love it too.
46:07Next time on the beautiful Welsh course line of Anglesey,
46:10Tina and Steve battle the weather.
46:13It's absolutely biblical.
46:16To build a home of storm.
46:18It feels natural, as if it has been here for centuries.
46:22Steel.
46:23So exciting.
46:24And glass.
46:26I'm just hoping that the wind doesn't catch them and they don't hit anything.
46:29And the result is stunning.
46:32What a brilliant piece of architecture that is.
46:36That's at the same time next week, but if you don't want to wait, all episodes are available
46:41before anywhere else on Channel 4 Plus right now.
46:44Well, John Renovation Richardson, proving he's more than just a comfy cardigan, galvanizing a
46:50community in our Yorkshire pub rescue.
46:52That's streaming now.
46:54Next tonight, brand new insight and evidence as Michael Jackson, the trial continues.
46:58The trial continues.
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