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Presenter Oliver Heath travels the length and breadth of Britain to meet people who are fulfilling their dream of building their own home.
Terry and Kim are building an ultra-modern architect designed house; Russell and Delia use sustainable building methods to convert an old signal box into an eco-friendly marvel; and Clive and Clare’s ruined priory has a little bit too much body between its floorboards.
Oliver finds out what inspired these couples to build their dream homes; for some it’s the work of legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, for others it’s the steel and glass contortions of Frank Gehry, while some have the clean lines of Art Deco to guide them.
Plus, to help each couple hone their vision, Oliver surprises them by producing air tickets to the place that has inspired them most. So our developers fly off to see some of the most spectacular houses in the world and meet their owners and architects.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: Piltdown
Jon Ashe has taken seven months off from his job to manage the restoration of a medieval barn. He and his fiancée Jane are also doing up an oast house - they plan to sell one and live in the other. Oliver Heath follows this nerve-wracking scheme from start to finish. And at the end of it all it’s not clear whether Jon and Jane will be able to live in their dream home.
Episode 2: Barsham
Oliver Heath follows the renowned architect Anthony Hudson and his wife Jenny as they restore a run-down Georgian house for themselves, and add a modern extension. Jenny is acting as project manager, using local builders with traditional skills to revive this sleeping beauty and give it a 21st century twist.
Episode 3: Kensington
Annie Harding has asked designer Monique Nash to rip out the interior of her new house and given it a contemporary feel. The brief is to create a new life for Annie after the death of her husband, and to have fun along the way. Oliver Heath joins the project as a Polish workforce comes on site and then takes Annie and Monique to some of the swankiest shops in Paris in search of furniture.
Episode 4: Moses
Rob Johnson has taken on a derelict barn and employed a team of carpenters to help him turn it into a dream home. Because he’s always loved wood, he’s determined to do some of the work himself – fitting it around his day job as a long-haul airline pilot. As Oliver Heath discovers, the planners are insisting that the barn’s original bricks are re-used so Rob has asked his father to clean and repair three thousand of them!
Episode 5: Retreat
Five years ago Kevin and Anne Castle bought a caravan on the beach. Now they’re upgrading – to a home that will be built in a factory in and delivered on the back of a lorry. Better still, it will take just one day to put together. Oliver Heath follows the Castles in their bid to opt out of the rat race every summer but to be surrounded by the comforts of home.
