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George Clarke's Kitchen vs Garden Season 2 Episode 5
Transcript
00:00The way we use our homes is evolving, responding to our changing tastes, trends
00:06and technology. In the last two decades we've embraced open plan living like
00:13never before. That is very special. More recently incorporating zone dining and
00:21living spaces, live work spaces and of course kitchen diners. What were once
00:28separate rooms have become a blended combination of eating, working and
00:33socializing. But this means many of our homes often built in the last century
00:40just don't function the way we want them to. I feel like you're in a different
00:44house. Are you in? Yeah we're in. So in this series I'll be working with homeowners up
00:51and down the country. I'm just walking past guys. Designing schemes to help them
00:57remodel the spaces they do most of their living in. For this house. To help them
01:04function and floor better. The house is just a Victoria sponge at the moment and
01:09you've got to make it into a red velvet. There's my brief right there. As we turn
01:15completely dysfunctional spaces into beautiful ones. I just think it's a
01:21place where you open the door and people walk in and you're proud it's your house
01:51you know.
01:54Once, twice, but three times. They're beginning to feel that the houses aren't
02:01the problem. So they've asked for my opinion.
02:09Good morning. So nice to see you. How are you? Yeah good thank you. Good morning.
02:13How's things? Yeah not bad. How are you? Good, good. Gorgeous house. Thank you. I really
02:16really love you. I love the brickwork. Can I come in? Yes. After you. Charlene and Matt
02:22bought this 19th century house in Bedfordshire for 555,000 pounds just over a year ago. It's
02:30their third move in just five years. I think every house has never been quite right and then
02:40we've always struggled to kind of make a decision on the kitchen and so it's always led to kind
02:47of okay right we either try and solve the kitchen or we move and we've moved. Getting the downstairs
02:55layout to function beautifully is key to modern dear living. For me this process often starts
03:01with the design of the kitchen and dining zones. I'm interested in what makes this house the one
03:08Matt and Charlene are determined to stick with. There's something different about this house to
03:14our other houses which we both agree on. The hug it gives you and the coziness. I think this is
03:21the
03:21right house and the right house to spend money on. So if we can get it right we can see
03:26this being
03:26the long-term house. Their situation is highly relatable with two small children, a dog and full
03:34time jobs. Life is a logistical challenge. At the moment this house is actively hindering their efforts
03:41to be efficient. How bad is this? Oh crikey, you've got everything. Yeah, what's going on in here?
03:50Everything. Charlene and Matt have made many attempts at a plan to address the function and flow
03:56of their home. They really do need a fresh design perspective, in this case mine. Talk me through why
04:04this doesn't work for you. The hob we can pretty much only get one large pan. So that's all you
04:11can
04:11fit on it otherwise it starts. It's technically like camping really. Yeah. I think that what they did
04:16they put it in so that they could sell the house because it didn't have anything. So you've literally
04:22got the auger. Yeah, which we don't know how to use. We've never used it. Hang on a second, hang
04:30on,
04:30you've never ever used it? Yeah, so that is probably one of our biggest issues. And then you've literally
04:38got your utility room fully exposed in the kitchen. In some ways that feels like a completely different
04:43room over there but it's still within your kitchen space. Yeah. But it's just not great,
04:48you feel like you're living in the utility room. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It would be a far better use of
04:54the space to close this section off from the rest of the kitchen and keep the noisy washing machine
05:00away from the main area. And you think your dishwasher there is just bonkers. I mean you'll
05:07literally come all the way over here from the sink, get underneath the clothes that you've got on the
05:12hanging rail, load that up. But actually unloading must be even worse because you've got to pick
05:17everything out, walk all the way back through here and then get the storage cupboards.
05:22The layout of this kitchen is completely arbitrary. The sink on the island is a magnet for chaos.
05:31Because it is our only sink downstairs, it does everything. So it's cleaning, it's the dog's bowls,
05:39or if we're doing arts and crafts it's paint pots. And you're trying to juggle it all at the same
05:44time
05:45and try and keep everything clean. Yeah, don't like it.
05:49Matt and Charlene's downstairs hails from another era. The lounge and office at the front of the house
05:56are fine. But at the back, the kitchen and dining area just don't work. The utilities are exposed,
06:04the sink, dishwasher, oven, island unit and table are all badly placed.
06:14You've got a weird little hatch there. Yeah. Can I just wander around and have a look? Yeah. I mean,
06:21I mean, through your living room, through your hallway, and then you've got a hatch there.
06:31What is that about?
06:34At the side of the house, the downstairs loo and cloakroom are at an odd angle to everything else.
06:40They're only connected to the kitchen by this bizarre hatch. So someone's on the loo here,
06:46there's no loo rule, and you can just reach out, get some loo rule, and then pop back into the
06:53toilet.
06:53Yeah. And then go all the way back through the house.
06:57The hatch was part of a 20th century extension, which may have been used to serve food from the
07:02kitchen to what was once the dining room. Now, it defies logic.
07:08At this size, you've got, I would say, the kind of busy dining activities area. You've got fridge
07:14there in the corner, TV, storage on the windowsill, and the dining table seems like a really important
07:21spot for you. It is the space where we will all spend time together and doing arts and crafts or
07:26doing the homework. It is the most important space in the house. And then dogs living here,
07:31and you've got to navigate all of that to then get through the doors and out of the garden. Yeah.
07:35The plot here is split level, which is limiting what could be amazing views.
07:42The roof for us is a real bugbearer, because when you walk in, it just brings your eye lie down
07:49to
07:49just the ground level. Yeah, I mean, my eye level at the minute is the top of that window frame.
07:56Yeah.
07:56Where really your eye level wants to be, like, there. Do you see what I mean?
08:00So all of that needs to lift up. You've got a period house. Different people have lived in it
08:05over the years that's just been tweaked and adapted, but not really solved. Yeah.
08:11A lot of people want an open plan kitchen, dining, living. You've got open plan utility room,
08:17open plan boot room, dog room, drying room, all in one single space. It's probably the only house that I'm
08:24going to have to redesign when I need to start putting some walls up and separate some zones out
08:29to be elsewhere. And if the interior is dysfunctional, outside is an actual waste of space.
08:37So you've got goalposts, you've got trampolines, very little grass at all. Yeah.
08:43Just the mud pit. Yeah. Big kind of patio terraced area, enormous shed, and then this
08:50amazing kind of S-shaped retaining wall of, they look like railway sleepers. Yeah.
08:57Yeah. The raised area is not really big enough to kind of play football or to really play on
09:03at all other than for the dog. It's unsafe as well if the boys, especially the four-year-old,
09:08is up there. If one of them falls off, onto concrete. Yeah.
09:11Charlene and Matt are beyond frustrated by the garden, and I can see why.
09:16It does genuinely make me sad. I know, it makes me sad. It really, really does,
09:21because it's so disconnected from the house. Let's go up your steps and get on that upper level.
09:29That's beautiful, I think. Yeah. It's one of the things that made us fall in love
09:33with the house was that, so it's important for us to see that. It's amazing, actually. Just us
09:39standing here, my feet are probably about 30 or 40 centimetres higher than your dining table.
09:47Mm. Yeah. My eye line here is at the same line where your floor level is upstairs.
09:53That's how big a drop you're navigating between the end of the garden and where the house is.
09:58Yeah. The house doesn't work, the garden doesn't work, and neither of them work together.
10:03No. Yeah. The challenging bit, more than anything, is directly connecting your kitchen with your
10:10garden. Yeah. That's the hardest bit, because it's the darkest bit, it's the narrowest bit,
10:15and it's got the biggest level change. Mm. It's got three massive things against it.
10:20Honestly, this is not an easy one. They've asked me to come up with a creative design
10:26to stop them from moving again. If you weren't here, I think we would end up doing the same thing,
10:33getting lots of different designs, never agreeing on anything, and then moving house. We need the
10:39kitchen to be right, and the garden. We need them both to work, and if they don't, I do feel
10:44like we
10:44would get itchy feet again. Well, let's try and get this right so you don't have to move house again.
10:50Please. And what's your total budget all in? So all in, with contingency, we're looking around 80.
10:5780,000 pounds. Yeah. Decent budget. Yeah. But with a house with a lot of problems and a big garden,
11:03and a gardener's got even more problems in the kitchen, I think, and that's saying something.
11:10For this home to work for Matt and Charlene's growing family in the long term,
11:15one. The split levels in the garden need to be resolved. The outside space should be maximised,
11:24and the downstairs needs to be completely reconfigured.
11:38It's time for me to get creative and put pen to paper. Matt and Charlene have got what I think
11:45is a wonderful period house, but it doesn't work for them at all. It's messy at the back,
11:52it's confusing, it's cluttered with lots of stuff. The spaces just don't flow. And the minute you've got
11:58all of that earth, all of the ground at one level, then it drops down into the kitchen.
12:04I think we need to create new garden space that directly links to that ground floor.
12:09If I can get this right, this could be their home for life.
12:14The challenge is to prevent Matt and Charlene from moving house for a fourth time in less than five years.
12:28Matt and Charlene moved to this picturesque village in Bedfordshire with their two sons,
12:33George and Albie, just over a year ago.
12:37Oh, George, do you see the pigeons up on the roof?
12:40It was their third move in less than five years. So far, they've never managed to create a kitchen
12:46into a space that worked for them. Come on then, what snacks would you like?
12:52I think this is the right house and the right house to spend money on.
12:55So, if we can get it right, we can see this being the long-term house.
13:01In an attempt to make this house function, they've asked me to design a more practical scheme,
13:06which connects house with garden.
13:09If you weren't here, I think we would end up doing the same thing,
13:13getting lots of different designs, never agreeing on anything, and then moving house.
13:19Like many homes, Charlene and Matt has an open-plan kitchen diner.
13:24But this one is proof that without zoning, the open-plan dream just won't work.
13:30For inspiration, I've come to Hertfordshire to see a home where it does.
13:35Very simple and elegant pocket door. And you walk in to a single open-plan space.
13:44And this is a space that is absolutely lived in. There's the kids' toys, there's kids' play areas,
13:51there's stuff for the dog, but it isn't cluttered and it isn't chaotic.
13:55And talk about being super practical. You've got wine rack, two ovens, loads of storage,
14:04dishwasher, two sinks, and then a fantastic island unit.
14:11Whatever the size of your space, the principles are the same.
14:16Over four metres long, it's about 1.3 metres deep, and then the most minimal hob.
14:21It's in the perfect spot, because you can look all the way down the dining and living space,
14:26and out to the garden. And you have got a big extractor fan blocking your view,
14:31because it's all integrated in the hob. Unlike Charlene and Matt's unused agar
14:38and awkward arrangements, this kitchen layout simply makes life easier.
14:44And other functional things like the coffee maker are neatly hidden away.
14:50Beautifully done.
14:54And through this door, straight off the kitchen, a big utility room.
15:00You've got an area where the kids come in through the back door, kids can sit there,
15:04take their boots and trainers and everything off, storage underneath, hang up their coats,
15:09high level storage. And then on this side, a big butler sink. The kids come in with muddy football
15:17boots, you can just blast them in that sink. And to finish it all off, my favourite bit.
15:23A dog shower. A joyful thing to have after wet winter walks.
15:35I'm heading back to Bedfordshire, armed with my bespoke new plan that I hope Matt
15:41and Charlene will love. Are you excited? Very excited. Nervous? A little bit.
15:48Well, you need this space to work unbelievably hard for you. Mm-hmm. Ready? Yeah. Mm-hmm.
15:55We need to rebuild the extension because we want to lift up the head height. Come in through your
16:00front door. Mm-hmm. Come through that same door into the kitchen. Your kitchen configuration is in a
16:05similar position to now, but it goes all the way down to the end of the extension. Nice. And then
16:11we
16:11build a dining area here. So in the extension, we would actually make that solid. So you get kind of
16:18bunker, built-in seating across the back of there, dining table roughly where I'm sitting now. Mm-hmm.
16:24Doors opening out to the patio and a decent long island unit. So you've got so much more worktop space.
16:31I love it. Then your dreaded utility room. It's still in that area, but I've created a separate
16:36space for it. So you'll have a pocket door that'll slide across and then you'll have a sink in there
16:40as well. I think it works really well there because you still get access to the kitchen if you need
16:46to
16:46do it, but you've got the option of closing the whole thing off. By moving the island and shifting the
16:52oven, sink and dining space, carving off the utilities and separating the cloakroom and downstairs loo,
17:01and raising the roof and glazing to open things up to the outdoor space, Matt, Charlene and their
17:07growing family get a home which finally works for them. Oh, love it. I think that's so clever.
17:14Yes, definitely. I've brought a 3D graphic to help them visualise my design.
17:25What? Wow. Straight through that space, dining off to the left, little breakfast bar, your kitchen.
17:33Yeah. Looking back, fridge in the corner, this is the door you'll come through.
17:37Mm-hmm. And then I like the idea of the bunkhouse. I love it. It's really snug.
17:41Yeah, yeah, it does. Happy? Yeah. Yeah. Love it.
17:45Yeah, it's really wicked. Matt and Charlene want to spend some of their budget on levelling their
17:51outside space to make the most of the garden and surrounding views.
17:59To build a better connection between the spaces, there is potential to carve out a large seating
18:05area next to the new kitchen diner. That's amazing. I love the patio area. I think that
18:12feels such a lovely little zone. The boys actually will love that. And there's a small football pitch,
18:20sectioned off from the rest of the garden. I love it. It's great. The boys are going to absolutely
18:28love having their own football space. It's really exciting. I am now like, how could we move ever?
18:36Like, in terms of, like, for the boys, I can see them here as teenagers and be like,
18:41yeah, like, we can live in this space as they get bigger. I think she's happy.
18:45Oh, it's blown my mind. Like, I love it so much.
18:53With planning permission granted, Charlene and Matt can press go on the work.
18:59To save money, they've decided to live at home during the renovation.
19:05We're now living in a half kitchen for the foreseeable future.
19:08Yeah, we've had to do that in order to knock the extension down.
19:12Like everyone at the beginning of a build, they're filled with optimism. And they've come up with an
19:17innovative solution for their lack of a hob. We've made do with turning our, um, hob onto a little
19:25movable, which is probably a better place to have it.
19:33Meanwhile, outside, the build is underway.
19:39The first thing to hit the deck is the old extension.
19:44Oh, my gosh.
19:46Always a satisfying moment.
19:49No going back now.
19:56Basically, we've just got to clear the site, get ready for, uh, digging foundations and, uh,
20:03getting this, we've got a lot of structural work to do.
20:08A huge amount of earth needs to come out to reduce the garden level to the same as the house.
20:14And make room for the new patio.
20:18Charlene and Matt are hoping this part of the work will take two weeks.
20:22But as ever, the British weather is slowing things down.
20:27Head builder Steve and digger driver Eddie are ploughing on.
20:30Do the rain will not stop us? No.
20:34We'll just crack on.
20:36The only time you've got to stop, I suppose, is when it's thunder and lightning.
20:39Eddie's all right inside the digger. He's probably got his heaters on.
20:46Despite the poor conditions, the perimeter wall and the bushes and shrubs blocking the view come out.
20:53That view, I've always wanted that.
20:56Matt might be pleased with the view, but this is just the start of major external works.
21:03If this terrible weather continues, their building schedule and budget could take a big hit.
21:18In Bedfordshire, Charlene and Matt think they've finally found their home for life.
21:24Well, let's try and get this right so you don't have to move house again.
21:28Please.
21:30They've moved three times in less than five years.
21:33But now they've taken my design advice and have decided to renovate.
21:39You've literally got the Arga.
21:40The Arga.
21:41Yeah. Which we don't know how to use.
21:45We've never used.
21:48They've also never taken on a huge project like this before.
21:57Keen to get everything just right, Charlene and Matt have been contemplating the garden design.
22:04They want to add an extra seating space outside and have decided to increase their budget.
22:13But they're struggling for ideas of what to do, so I'm back to help them refine the plan.
22:19One idea I was thinking of was we know we want to walk straight out from kitchen dining
22:24to an area that's going to be paved.
22:27Yeah.
22:28Should we create another terrace that's more dining?
22:31Yeah, definitely.
22:32It would be nice to have living, dining, a bit of those kind of spaces,
22:37I think would be really important for us in the garden.
22:39The obvious thing to me is just to do something around here.
22:42And then if we've got steps or some sort of level change
22:46between the living room and the outdoor dining room, it defines the zones better.
22:51Mm.
22:51By having a raised dining terrace, Charlene and Matt will have their own adult zone.
22:58They'll now be able to see the countryside as well as the rest of their garden.
23:03Yeah, if we're sitting here, we can take in the views here,
23:05but also watch the boys play and all be part of the same space.
23:10I love it because it feels very, very architectural.
23:13Mm.
23:13I love the idea of having outdoor rooms that are like additional extensions onto your house.
23:19Perfect.
23:20Brilliant, lovely.
23:22With the new addition to the outside scheme agreed, the team can crack on.
23:29We're now five weeks in and the builders have shifted more than 200 tonnes of earth.
23:35A combination of hideous weather and extra work to the garden means it's taken three weeks longer
23:41than planned to get the groundworks in shape.
23:45We get all the materials in this afternoon.
23:48So tomorrow we can start building and getting these retaining walls up.
23:52It's been a lot of groundwork involved, you know.
23:55There's a lot of cost involved in this area. You don't see any of it.
23:57I think naively in my head, I thought, oh, we're just digging a little bit of earth out
24:02to create a nice, cute little patio.
24:04I think we underestimated the level of work that was needed.
24:07I would definitely say the garden kind of spiralled a little bit.
24:14Creating a level space and laying the foundations for the new outdoor rooms is a lot more work,
24:22but it's worth every single penny.
24:26The blocks are being delivered to build the important retaining walls.
24:31But this build is due to last at least another 20 weeks.
24:36And inevitably, living with all the work going on around them,
24:40is starting to grind Charlene and Matt down.
24:43A lot of disruption, a lot of mess and dust.
24:47And there's definitely moments of trying to live in a building site and thinking,
24:51we really should have just moved up.
24:54They need to learn to love camping indoors and cooking in their living room.
25:03The walls surrounding the patio are up and work on the new extension
25:07that's been built on the footprint of the old one is underway.
25:14It's blew up, as you can see.
25:17We're raising the roof more than a metre to create a better connection with the new outdoor space.
25:23Yeah, it's all good.
25:24And then all the carpenters have just started putting the roof joists on.
25:28And then what we're going to do is start inside the next few days.
25:35It's now 11 weeks into the build.
25:38With the roof and glazing of the new extension fitted, work can finally begin on the interior.
25:44What are we doing with this?
25:47I was thinking we were just going to paint it.
25:49We are in the thick of it now.
25:51We're like mid-build, trying to juggle life with a build.
25:56It's a lot.
25:57I feel like I'm like, ugh.
25:59Trying to keep up with school uniform washing, near on impossible.
26:03But then they're also rolling around in dust and mud.
26:05So it's just, yeah, life is chaotic, I'd say, at the minute.
26:10They're going for a modern farmhouse style indoors.
26:14And despite the chaos, Charlene is determined to achieve the right look.
26:19And not make decisions she might later regret.
26:24We had to make decisions on plumbing today, where we were going to put radiators,
26:29where we were putting electrical socket.
26:31So, yeah, there's a lot of decisions to make.
26:34A lot of big decisions as well that cost a lot of money and are going to impact our life
26:38for years to come.
26:41Charlene has a keen eye for detail and is in her element at this stage.
26:47I wake up in the morning and go, oh, and then I get home from work and I'm like,
26:52oh, we've got this and we've got that now.
26:54And the boys get excited.
26:56They're like, is this ready now, Mummy?
26:57So, yeah, it is exciting.
27:00Oh, yeah, they do go nicely together.
27:02Love it.
27:04There you go. Decision made.
27:05Decision made.
27:08She's chosen a modern farmhouse aesthetic with top-end finishes.
27:15A key feature in this kitchen is a bespoke kitchen island, stretching the length of the space.
27:23Large islands not only offer a huge amount of storage and extra work surface,
27:27their design and finish can define the style of the hall room.
27:32For Charlene and Matt, they're going for classic oak doors and quartz work tops.
27:39Choosing the kitchen is one thing, but fitting it is another.
27:44We're having to change the walls a little bit because they're very out.
27:47That wall's out, that wall's out.
27:49So, it's not very straight, so we're having to pack it out so the kitchen's straight and flush.
27:55They've also opted for a full-spec utility space.
28:01This room, this is probably the room I'm most excited about because before everything was going
28:07on in the kitchens, this is probably the room that's going to change our life the most.
28:12But the number of decisions required and a big renovation is starting to take its toll.
28:18This is the first house we have done for ourselves, so making so many decisions has been exhausting.
28:27I have put a lot of pressure on myself because I want something that's perfect.
28:33As far away as completion seems now, they will get there.
28:37And I want to give Charlene and Matt something they desperately need, a tidy entrance hall.
28:44So, I've commissioned furniture maker Nick Vostermans to come up with something special,
28:49which fits with their farmhouse style.
28:52Nick, very, very nice to meet you, sir. How are you?
28:55I'm good, thanks. This is beautiful.
28:58Nick's invited me to his workshop to lend a hand.
29:01So, what are you thinking?
29:02A simple bench.
29:04Okay.
29:04Somewhere to put your boots on, and then we can do a little pegboard wall where you can hang leads,
29:09you can hang a coat.
29:10Nick is descended from generations of woodworkers.
29:14His surname even translates as Forest Man.
29:19Keen on traditional methods, he's been hand crafting bespoke pieces for the past 18 years.
29:25We're going to use what we call a staked technique, which is a peg in a hole, mortise and tenon.
29:31We're starting with a leg for the bench, working carefully with the natural strength of the wood.
29:38We'll split it out from a fresh log, so we're going to follow the fibres,
29:42so we line them up the traditional way. That's the strongest way.
29:45So no nails, no pins, no glue.
29:49Don't need the glue.
29:50Now for the crucial part, splitting the timber.
29:54It's important to choose the right log.
29:56We could use a bit of oak like that. You can see we've got straight grain.
30:01Yep. Nick also uses old-school tools in the form of a fror and mallet.
30:08Oh my word, look at that.
30:10Good.
30:11I was going to say you've nailed it, but you don't use nails, do you?
30:15Do you want to split that in half? Give it a big hard hit.
30:21How was that?
30:22That's it. Great. Straight as an arrow.
30:26The excess bark is stripped away.
30:32Ready to start shaving and shaving the wood, using another traditional tool, a draw knife.
30:43That's shaping quite nicely, isn't it?
30:45Yeah, it's coming along.
30:46And the most important thing is that you're working along the line of the grain.
30:49That's it. That's why we're using that tool to peel, not a saw cutting.
30:53When you're cutting, you're not regarding the grain.
30:55When you're using a tool like this, you're finding the fibres, sticking with them.
30:59Skills like this take years to master.
31:04That's amazing.
31:05Nick's letting me loose on a slightly simpler job, the final smoothing.
31:11God, it's tricky finding that angle, isn't it?
31:14With a smaller, safer tool called a travisher.
31:21The thing about these processes is if you get into it, before you know it, there's nothing left.
31:27It's so enjoyable. You just keep going and you've made a toothpick next.
31:32I think that's a hint that perhaps I've done enough.
31:37We've finished the job with a special tenon cutter.
31:41It's taking the top there.
31:43Which is clearly just a big pencil sharpener.
31:48Time to see if the leg will fit snugly in the joints.
31:53Before leaving Nick to fashion the seat for the bench.
31:56Thought I would like a treat, that.
31:59Not a nail or screw to be seen.
32:03Nick, the whole process is craftsmanship at its absolute best.
32:07Thank you for that.
32:09Good luck with the rest of the making. Take care.
32:11See you later.
32:11Time to leave the true artisan work to the master craftsman.
32:16I can't wait to see the finished bench in Charlene and Matt's new hallway.
32:24Meanwhile, back in Bedfordshire.
32:29The new raised dining terrace is now well underway.
32:35It'll just be nice cushioned chairs and then they can chill and look out in the fields.
32:40The plan is to render the walls and paint them white to achieve a Mediterranean outdoor style.
32:48For the patio, they've chosen a limestone effect porcelain.
32:52The grand plan for their new home is coming together, with Charlene clearly in the driving seats.
33:02Charlene is absolutely brilliant.
33:05Like, she's got all these ideas.
33:07She knows exactly what she wants.
33:08And if she's got somebody to help her achieve that, that's where she really thrives.
33:13And if it doesn't look exactly like it is in her head, she won't let that go.
33:17So, this is how I want it.
33:18And that's how it's got to be.
33:20It's something that I admire.
33:22Like, I really like that.
33:25And that's, again, that's why I married her.
33:27With everyone pushing hard on site to finish this ambitious build,
33:33will Charlene and Matt finally get the home they've always dreamt of?
33:43In Bedfordshire, Charlene and Matt have taken on my design to transform their dysfunctional ground floor.
33:50Having moved multiple times in recent years, they're now desperate to stay put.
33:56But renovations are never easy.
33:59The times with yourself at about midnight when you have, what's this, what decision we've made?
34:06And you have like a mini-moutdown.
34:07Have my midnight meltdown.
34:09Midnight meltdown.
34:09Matt and Charlene have been under enormous pressure to turn their tired and outdated house into their perfect home.
34:21But inspired by my design and supported every step of the way by a determined on-site team,
34:28after nearly a year of disruption and thousands of difficult decisions, I'm back to see the finished product.
34:38Ten months ago, Matt and Charlene were struggling to make their house work for their busy, growing family.
34:44Now, the stakes were very high.
34:47This is the third time that they'd moved because they couldn't get the layout of previous houses to work for
34:53them.
34:54So, my challenge was to create a series of spaces that they would not only love, but that would make
35:00them stay put.
35:01And I think we've done it.
35:06Before this renovation, Charlene and Matt's kitchen was completely dysfunctional.
35:14It crammed far too much in, laundry was in full view and nothing was easy to access.
35:22The layout was a shambles with the sink and dishwasher in the most awkward positions.
35:30And when it came to garden views, the existing extension sat bang in front of a mound of earth.
35:41Now, the space has been completely transformed into something spectacular.
35:49Fantastic!
35:51Come on!
35:55This stunning modern farmhouse kitchen diner will be where they'll live, work and play for decades.
36:03What an unbelievable transformation that is.
36:07Beautiful, elegant, light, bright and functional.
36:15There's now a magnificent three metre long island.
36:20The old unused agar has been replaced with a modern induction hob with built-in extractor.
36:27Charlene and Matt can now cook, looking out across this serene space.
36:34There's even a breakfast bar perched at the end, perfect for their boys.
36:40And storage, storage, storage.
36:43The entire thing is one big block of storage space.
36:48The materials and finishes in this kitchen are second to none.
36:55With brass fixtures and quartz worktops and splashbacks.
37:00It just screams quality.
37:03There are elegant standout details everywhere.
37:07It feels like a kind of classic English style kitchen, but with some amazing touches.
37:13There's a huge double fridge and bespoke cupboard to hide the coffee machine from view.
37:20It's gorgeous, that.
37:22At night it can also double up as a cocktail bar if you want.
37:25Much better.
37:27Before, the awkward dining space was squeezed into an old cramped extension.
37:33Now it's nestled neatly to one side and has a beautiful view back across the kitchen.
37:41Way more efficient. Much better use of the space.
37:44Much more sociable.
37:47To make the new open plan kitchen diner work, we've carved off some of the original room.
37:54Through a sliding door, it's now a separate utility.
37:58With plenty of space for a washing machine and dryer.
38:01An extra sink to deal with dirty football boots and soggy dogs.
38:07Full house storage all the way through here, even coat storage.
38:12Hanging rails, shoes, boots, and all accessible from this door.
38:19Obviously, Charlene and Matt wanted a beautiful kitchen, but that kitchen only works as well as it does
38:25because of this utility space.
38:28All the stuff can just be kept completely out of the way.
38:32At the end of the utility, there's easy access to the downstairs loo.
38:38And there's more quartz, brushed brass, and attention to detail in this space too.
38:43The new kitchen, dining area and utility room now work seamlessly together.
38:52It just flows like an absolute dream.
38:59What a house.
39:00What a layout.
39:02Before, this property had zero connection to the outside space.
39:07And the view from the old sloped extension was far from beautiful.
39:14Now, the ceiling and glazing have been raised to bring in the fields beyond.
39:20And we've created a breathtaking outdoor space.
39:23It's an outstanding piece of design.
39:27I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with it because that's life-changing for Charlene, Matt, and the boys.
39:35Charlene and Matt have put a huge amount of work into getting in their home just right for their family.
39:41They've not only moved multiple times to find this spot, they've also done endless research.
39:49And together, we've created a scheme that should last them well into the future.
39:55Your new kitchen diner.
39:58Yes.
39:59It's not too bad, is it?
40:01Not too bad.
40:03Happy?
40:04Yeah.
40:05You must be thrilled.
40:07I love it so much.
40:08I'm like, is this ours?
40:10Is this our kitchen?
40:11I'm standing here looking at the island like...
40:13It's definitely yours.
40:15It's 100% yours.
40:16I'm trying to touch it like it's ours.
40:18I have to say the quality of the kitchen is outstanding.
40:22Everything's been meticulously thought about.
40:26Yeah, every detail to the point that, yeah, lots of sleepless nights.
40:31We called them midnight meltdowns.
40:34Yeah.
40:35Midnight meltdowns.
40:36Yeah, yeah.
40:37Were they regular?
40:38A regular, yes.
40:39They were regular, yeah.
40:41Yeah.
40:42The lack of sleep was worth it.
40:45A decent scheme, forward planning and early decision-making have clearly paid off.
40:52I think one of the strange things is how it's the same footprint, if not even smaller,
40:56because that wall's come in, for it to feel much bigger.
41:00Yeah.
41:00It feels a different space.
41:02It feels completely different.
41:03Well, that's because it's a more efficient space.
41:04Yeah.
41:05So, if you had to pick a favourite part of the interior, what would it be?
41:09Oh, the island.
41:10I feel like this is the heart of our home now.
41:14Like, we all gravitate towards here.
41:16We all can be here without being on top of each other.
41:19What's yours, mate?
41:19Mine is the dishwasher.
41:24After everything that we've done in this house, yours is the dishwasher.
41:29Well, because you don't have to walk from all the way over there to, like, put in it.
41:33It's literally just a boom, boom, draw everywhere.
41:38We don't have to walk.
41:39It's so efficient, like you said.
41:41It's so efficient.
41:41It probably would be my second boat.
41:44You should have seen us the first night.
41:46We were, like, excited to put the dishwasher on.
41:48We were like, yeah, we'll just empty it.
41:52For this family, good design really is life-changing.
41:58And I've got a small handcrafted housewarming gift
42:02that takes pride of place in the redesigned entrance hall.
42:07I've had a little bench made for you, a little hanging rail.
42:10Lovely guy called Nick.
42:12I helped him out a little bit.
42:13I just thought kids could be sitting there in the morning,
42:15put their trainers on, head off to school, get the coat off the hook.
42:20It's lovely.
42:21The boys will love it sitting on there in the morning.
42:23Welcome home.
42:24Thank you so much.
42:25Love it.
42:26Shall we have a look at the garden?
42:28Yes.
42:28Come on, let's go.
42:32Before this renovation, Charlene and Matt's outdoor spaces
42:36were far from ideal.
42:40The raised area was worn and a huge level change
42:44made the garden feel disconnected from the countryside beyond.
42:50But Charlene and Matt were committed to maximising the space
42:54to get the most out of it for both them and their boys.
43:01It's now completely unrecognisable.
43:05It's become a stunning Mediterranean-inspired haven.
43:10Fully accessible from the kitchen and with matching flooring inside and out.
43:17It steps up to a landscaped raised patio which can function as either a formal dining area
43:23or somewhere for a cold drink on a warm night.
43:28Look at your garden.
43:30Yeah. Amazing.
43:31I know.
43:32It's like being on holiday.
43:33You've got a sunken courtyard which feels really Mediterranean and really intimate
43:39and really beautiful.
43:40Yeah.
43:40The floor that we chose is the same, so it flows from in to out.
43:45We wanted it to feel like an extension of the kitchen.
43:48It could actually be a living space.
43:51The stylish raised terrace not only expands the useful space outdoors,
43:57it offers a view of the countryside and a dedicated area carved off for the boys.
44:03It's fantastic that.
44:05Mmm.
44:06It feels really architectural.
44:07We wanted zones that felt like spaces for us and they were separate to where the kids play.
44:14But actually they've become garden rooms.
44:17Yeah.
44:17They're not just like patios and courtyards.
44:19They are fundamentally part of your house.
44:23And it doesn't end there.
44:25There's also a yoga space for Charlene.
44:28An outdoor shower to wash muddy boots and the dog.
44:33And to help contain any mess, there's now access to the house straight into the utility room.
44:39It's literally like turning up to a different building.
44:42Yeah.
44:42It really is.
44:43That's how radical this change has been.
44:45Mmm.
44:45And that's life-changing stuff.
44:47Definitely.
44:50And the final cost?
44:52I'm a bit too scared to ask the question.
44:55Original budget, £80,000.
44:58You must have gone way over.
45:00Yeah.
45:00We've never done a project like this.
45:02We had no idea.
45:03So it did just evolve with kind of as the project went along.
45:07And also you look at this garden.
45:09I mean, it is substantially different.
45:12So you went from £80,000 to...
45:16It probably would be around that kind of figure.
45:22Let's just say you blew the budget.
45:24We blew the budget.
45:24We blew the budget.
45:25Are you happy?
45:25Yes.
45:26Yeah, man.
45:27So happy.
45:28And the boys?
45:29They love it.
45:30Yeah.
45:30Do they?
45:30They love it so much.
45:32And they love having the turf.
45:34Well done.
45:35Cool.
45:36Time to celebrate...
45:38Hey!
45:39Oh!
45:40...this beautiful build.
45:43Woo!
45:43You did it!
45:45We did it!
45:46Yeah!
45:47But one important question remains.
45:50Are you going to move again?
45:51No.
45:52No.
45:52No, no.
45:53I will definitely toss that home, sweet home.
46:02Next time in the West Midlands...
46:04I like that wall because I want to knock it out.
46:08Martin and Shirley commit to converting his bachelor pad.
46:12It's too narrow that way, it's too narrow that way.
46:15Into their forever home.
46:17This brings the two of you together in a beautiful space.
46:20Ready to face whatever that entails.
46:23Cut the roof thick with dust.
46:25It's really difficult.
46:44I like it.
46:47We'll keep the roof thick with it.
46:47I'll see you next time.
46:48Bye.
46:48Bye.
46:48Bye.
46:55Bye.
46:55Bye.
46:56Bye.
46:56Bye.
46:56Bye.
46:57Bye.
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