Following some of Britain's most ambitious self-builders as they attempt to construct their dream homes, long-running British TV show Grand Designs has been a source of property inspiration since 1999. Now in its 23rd series, the programme has showcased countless amazing properties, so we've taken a look back through the archives to find the grandest Grand Designs of all time. From a geometric spiral house in Devon to a clifftop mansion that took 11 years to build, these homes are sure to delight and inspire. Click or scroll on for more...
Series 22 of Grand Designs aired in 2021, and one project really stood out. The Chichester 'floating' house isn't just beautiful, it's a feat of engineering. The house was created by architectural designer Dan Rowland and his interior designer wife, Nina, co-founders of Studio Fuse. Their design practice integrates three main disciplines – architecture, interiors and environment – so the couple quickly saw the potential in the West Sussex plot, which boasted a 1930s building next to a stagnant pond.
The house was demolished to make way for a contemporary waterside home that appears to float above the water. Keen to embrace biophilic design, Dan and Nina made a conscious effort to ensure well-being was a key part of their new home, while also protecting the surrounding Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Having travelled extensively together, the couple wanted to create a home that reminded them of the coastal architecture of California.
They first had to remove 500 tonnes of sludge from the bottom of the existing pond, before excavating it to create the swimming pond. They wanted to be able to dive into the water from a deck just outside the kitchen. A shallower pond close by acts as a natural drain for the surrounding swamp land. Next, they constructed the house from structural insulated panels (SIPs) and clad it in Siberian larch and flint. Highly energy efficient, it’s powered by a ground-source heat pump and photovoltaic panels.
Despite having limited building experience, Dan undertook most of the work himself in order to save money – their budget was only £650,000 ($823k), after all. However, the self-build project wasn’t without its challenges. Dan’s father sadly passed away in 2019, and not long after that the Coronavirus pandemic hit. There were further delays due to material shortages and an extended period of torrential rain, but eventually, the project was completed.
Formed from two parts connected by a corridor of glass, the house features gorgeous living spaces with high ceilings, concrete floors and warm timber accents. With a simple colour and material palette, the home is finished with sheepskin rugs and rattan furniture. When he saw the finished property, long-time Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud said: "When water and architecture are introduced, they dance. It's a thing to behold." You can even stay in the floating home, because it's currently available on Airbnb.
When Kevin McCloud revisited this house in 2016, two years after it first appeared on the show, he described it as “a cabinet of curiosities". And as soon as you see inside you'll understand why. Bold, stylish and filled with surprising architectural details, Kew House is undeniably one of the finest projects to have ever featured on the iconic property series.
Located in a leafy and sought-after neighbourhood of south-west London, the modern metal home was designed in 2014 by renowned architect Stuart Piercy, for Tim and Jo Lucas. The couple weren't initially planning to self-build, but after they sold their north London home in 2009, they found a plot of seven derelict garages that offered plenty of promise. It cost them £400,000 ($506k) and housed the remnants of a characterful Victorian stable block.
The couple had plenty of conversations with their architect about what they wanted, requesting a house where their children could run around and where they could enjoy summer dinners in the garden. They also wanted cosy nooks and spacious social areas for entertaining. Oh, and they even requested a space where Tim could build boats. The old stable wall was also tied in to the design, adding to the home's imposing façade.
The completed 3,960-square-foot home is formed from two prefabricated wings clad in rust-coloured weathering steel, to reflect the hues of nearby Kew Gardens. Spread across three floors, there's a large kitchen and dining area, a snug, two courtyard gardens, four bedrooms, four bathrooms and plenty of nooks for reading. Kevin commented: "The rooms in this house ping off in different directions yet the space feels generous, inventive, open and light, and well-connected to other spaces."
But that isn't all. There's also an impressive basement that stretches the entire length of the property. Accessed either by a set of steps or a bespoke slide, the space acts as a kids' play area and a boat workshop. So impressive is the home that it later featured on the spin-off show, Grand Designs: House of the Year, after being shortlisted for the coveted RIBA House of the Year award in 2015. In 2016, the property was sold for £3.8 million ($4.8m).
Over in the cathedral city of St Albans, about 20 miles away from London, lies Abbey Orchard House. The unusual, H-shaped abode appeared on Grand Designs back in 2017 and remains one of the most memorable projects from the long-running show. It was constructed on the site of a former medieval orchard (hence the name) by owners Chris and Kayo Meadows, and the self-build took them a decade to complete.
Enclosed by two acres of land, the 5,175-square-foot home was designed by the couple’s esteemed architect friend, Rogan Gale-Brown. “I’d always promised him when I found a site worthy of his talents I’d give him a free hand to create the perfect home for my family,” Chris told Herefordshire Life in 2018.
Upon seeing the completed home, host Kevin McCloud described the property as “part Japanese, part medieval cloister, part Roman villa,” but there are clear references to the work of iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright, too. For starters, outside there’s a stone bridge that sits above flowing water and leads into a 90-foot central atrium that connects each of the home’s two wings.
Plus, there are copious mid-century modern details, including plenty of exposed brick, wood and glass. Inside there are five bedrooms and five bathrooms, as well as an angular living room with a dramatic brick fireplace and a sleek kitchen with concrete countertops. There’s also a high-tech home theatre and plenty of eco extras, including efficient heating and hot water systems and solar panels, which help to keep the home’s running costs to a minimum.
With all clean lines and natural materials, the unusual property was perfectly designed for Chris and Kayo. “Organically inspired, this is geometric craftsmanship that hits you between the eyes. Futuristic and historical, it’s hugely successful," Kevin said of the house in 2017. In late 2022, Abbey Orchard House hit the real estate market for a little over £5.9 million ($7.5m) and it’s still for sale via Savills right now – if you’ve got the budget for it.
Fans of Grand Designs won't have forgotten the harrowing story behind this modern waterside home. Dubbed the "saddest house ever", Chesil Cliff House was the passion project of owner, Edward Short, who first appeared on the show back in 2019. During the property's 11-year construction, Edward separated from his wife (they later divorced) and accumulated £7 million ($8.9m) worth of debt. Even worse, due to the sad events surrounding the build, Edward told Kevin that he wouldn't ever be able to live in the property.
The ultra-modern home is nestled on a clifftop plot with panoramic views over Croyde and Saunton Sands in Devon, England. Work began in 2011 and was meant to take 18 months, but when Kevin McCloud visited in 2019 it was still a shell. In fact, he described it as looking like "a wreckage on a sea shore". In 2022, for series 23, Kevin returned and was pleased to see the house was finally finished. Well, almost...
The four-storey residence, which was inspired by a lighthouse, boasts four expansive living spaces with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, five bedrooms and a sauna. This CGI image shows how the kitchen could look, since this part of the house was never actually finished. The beautiful beach house was partially delayed due to the complexity of the design. Thanks to its location on a cliff edge, the home needed to be anchored securely to the bedrock.
Through meticulous, smart engineering, the property won't suffer from coastal erosion and the finest quality materials were used throughout to ensure longevity. Edward also explained in the most recent episode that material shortages and the Coronavirus pandemic caused further setbacks. "I'll always be proud to have finished this", Edward told Kevin. However, due to his spiralling debts, Edward has been forced to sell up.
The house was initially listed with Knight Frank for £10 million ($12.6m) and even garnered interest from pop star Harry Styles, according to Devon Live. Despite the buzz around the property, no buyer could be found. In June 2023, Edward decided to sell the property as two separate structures. The main residence is listed for £7.5 million ($9.5m), while the adjacent beach development, 'The Eye', is being offered for £2.5 million ($3.2m). Let's hope there's a happy ending to this harrowing story.
Take one look at this incredible home and it won't be hard to believe that it cost owners, Leigh Osborne and Graham Voce, a cool £2 million ($2.5m) to complete – £1.4 million ($1.8m) more than they'd planned for. The building was originally a Victorian water tower that supplied Lambeth Workhouse, where iconic silent film star, Charlie Chaplin, lived as a child. Striking and unique in equal measure, the project is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious ever showcased on Grand Designs.
The project aired in 2012, on the show's 100th episode, which followed Leigh and Graham as they attempted to restore and transform the Grade II-listed, nine-storey structure, which was originally built back in 1867. Located in Kennington, London, the building had been left abandoned for decades, until the couple spotted its potential and rescued it from near dereliction in 2010.
The couple restored the tower's Venetian Gothic-inspired brickwork, adding modern glass elements that not only add to the home's visual impact, but allow for unrivalled views of London's famous skyline. Inside, there's 4,400 square feet of space spread across eight floors. You'll find a living room, dining room, kitchen, five bedrooms, a fully-fitted gym, a lift and the largest set of sliding doors in Europe (according to Foxtons) which lead out to an expansive terrace.
The project was completed in just nine months and the couple topped their home with the tower's original 38,000-gallon cast-iron water tank, which is now a reception room with a soaring ceiling and, of course, 360-degree views. When he first visited the amazing conversion project, Kevin McCloud described the building as "a monster, a beast, a crumbling giant". However, following its transformation, it's anything but.
Despite the home's history and beauty, it ended up being one of most unsellable homes of all time. Leigh and Graham placed the pad on the market shortly after it was finished in 2012. They originally listed it for just shy of £4.8 million ($6.1m), but the property didn't sell until nine years and three real estate agents later, for £2.8 million ($3.5m). To this day, it remains one of Grand Designs' most popular projects, and we can certainly see why.
Architectural designer Lincoln Miles and his artist wife, Lisa Traxler, took on a very ambitious project when they decided to convert a tired bungalow into a functional and beautiful family home. Located in Binstead on the Isle of Wight, the property featured on series seven, way back in 2010, and since then has won numerous awards. It was even chosen as one of Kevin McCloud’s top ten Grand Designs projects of all time, following the 100th episode. So how did the brilliant bungalow transformation come to be?
The original 1970s dwelling was extremely uninspiring, with a mock-stone façade and a dated interior. However, it sat on an idyllic woodland lot that the couple fell in love with. So they decided to retain the bungalow's shell, rework the structure and extend it on the ground floor. At first, Kevin wasn't too sure about the couple’s plans, until they detailed all the elements they were planning to incorporate, including an impressive three-storey tower.
To help the home blend in with its surroundings the house was clad in burnt larch, while warm birch and reclaimed maple can be found inside. “There were some experiments,” Lincoln said of the home. “The burnt larch cladding and the horizontal stacking of the sills had never been done before.” The timber was complemented by corrugated fibre cement and an amazing enamel panel that Lisa transformed into a bespoke piece of art.
Inside, the house has a kitchen, dining zone and living room, as well as a generous self-contained artist’s studio for Lisa and a separate office for Lincoln. The layout is flexible, too, so it can adapt with the couple. The tower is home to a dressing room, a bathroom with a sunken tub, a luxurious master bedroom and two exterior terraces.
This house is a celebration of materials, with glass playing a big role in the overall finish. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors open the main section of the house up to the garden, while a bespoke roof window draws plenty of sunshine inside. An air source heat pump also warms the property, adding to its green credentials. When discussing the project, Kevin said: "I think of this building as a sort of weird storybook filled with experimental ideas, and the autobiographies of Lisa and Lincoln."
Another project that saw plenty of ups and downs was Dome House. Architect Robert Gaukroger began the build in 2010, after buying a patch of land from his next-door neighbour, Jane Moore. Located in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, the property featured on series 10 of Grand Designs. Robert spent more than £1 million ($1.3m) building the state-of-the-art eco home, but his dream self-build soon turned into a money pit.
Viewers watched as Robert and his partner were forced to sell off their possessions in order to keep the project going. They even fell three months behind on their mortgage. Show host Kevin McCloud said at the time that he thought the house would never be finished, until a mystery benefactor, who was later identified as retired businesswoman Yvonne Malley, offered the couple a loan after watching their harrowing journey on TV. However, she soon became one in a long line of people the couple owned large sums of money.
To make matters worse, the couple were forced to move into a mobile home when their neighbour took them to court for encroaching on land she still owned. The building was finally abandoned and left in a state of disrepair until Yvonne was forced to buy the place in order to try and claim back some of the money she had lost. She finished the project and undertook a thorough renovation of the interior, creating a luxurious and modern guest house that's now operated by Phil and Joyce McGuire.
Described as a "futuristic masterpiece of design", Dome House comes complete with three luxurious suites, a private apartment and the one-of-a-kind Dome Room – an open-plan living area that all guests can use. It features a log-burning stove, a bar and large windows that frame the hills of the Lake District. It even has an indoor swimming pool and a sauna.
As for design, the modern eco home has soaring barrel ceilings, exposed beams, panelled timber walls, hand-chiselled stone accents and colourful glass panels. One of the suites has an in-room tub too, perfect for taking a long soak after a day of exploring. It was named Most Romantic Getaway of 2021 at the Luxury BnB Magazine awards, and numerous celebrities have reportedly stayed there. We're pleased to see that this Grand Designs home got a happy ending.
In February 2016, Spanish architect Jamie Fernandez and his wife, Mimi, purchased Dinton Castle for the sum of £100,000 ($127k). The historic Grade II-listed folly lies in Buckinghamshire and was built by Sir John Vanhatten in 1769. The building was a ruin when the couple purchased it, having been abandoned for 200 years. In fact, Kevin McCloud described it as “a building that doesn’t want to stand up any more”.
The conversion project was featured on the 2018 series of Grand Designs and followed Jamie and Mimi during the painstaking, 12-month transformation. For the job, Jamie employed the latest technology, using a 3D laser scanner to assess the building and to design the home's statement staircase, which was cut using a computer and assembled in a workshop before being installed inside the building.
Over the course of a year, the historic castle was transformed into a magnificent family home, with octagonal rooms and plenty of unique architectural details throughout. These include exposed oak beams, rustic brick walls and arched windows. Across the home’s three floors there’s a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. There's also an amazing roof terrace with 360-degree views over the surrounding landscape.
Positioned on an acre of land, classed as an Area of Attractive Landscape (AAL), the couple bought the house without knowing whether they'd be able to secure planning consent. Despite being quite a risk, luckily everything went fairly smoothly. They were ordered to conduct an archaeological survey before work commenced, but Jamie and Mimi secured planning permission relatively quickly, with the only caveat being that they work around a protected tree.
The couple spent £300,000 ($380k) and the house was finished to the highest standards, as is evidenced by these gorgeous images. However, a year later they decided to say goodbye. They listed the historic structure in 2019 for £850,000 ($1.1m) but it failed to sell. It was relisted in February 2020 for £675,000 ($854k), before being mysteriously taken off the market. It now appears to be on Airbnb, offering guests a unique stay in the Buckinghamshire countryside.
This contemporary metal home lies on an idyllic riverside plot just outside of Lewes, East Sussex. The striking property featured on Grand Designs in 2015 and despite its scale, challenging plot and high-end finish, the build was plain sailing for homeowners Stephen Yeomans and Anita Findlay.
The self-built house was designed by architect Sandy Rendel, who orientated it to ensure every living space captures unobstructed views. The house sits on a 36-foot-wide cast-concrete plinth that was once part of a wharf and features an impressive asymmetrical pitched roof that was crafted to reflect the contours of the cliff face behind the house. During the nine-month construction phase, the couple married and had a baby, all while keeping the project running on time and on budget.
The couple chose a simple material palette. The façade is clad in corten steel that weathers beautifully over time and reflects the red clay bricks of the local architecture. The interior, meanwhile, is defined by walls of glass and plenty of wood. There's a huge open-plan living area with a lounge at one end, a kitchen at the other and a dining space in the middle. A simple timber staircase leads upstairs, to where five bedrooms and three bathrooms can be found.
Stephen and Anita put the success of the project down to working with the right people, carefully planning every element of the process and selecting high-quality materials, such as the oak panelling that covers the interior walls and the grey terrazzo tiled floors. The corten steel alone cost the couple £60,000 ($76k), but it is certainly the home's defining feature. When he saw the place, Kevin McCloud described it as "The Rusty Metal House", an affectionate nickname that has stuck.
Since its completion in 2015, the house has won some of the most prestigious awards in the architecture industry, including the 2017 RIBA National Award and the Sunday Times British Home Award for Best One-Off Home in the UK in 2016. Despite all the work they put into the place, Stephen and Anita decided to sell the home in 2017, just two years after it was featured on the show. It was listed with The Modern House for £1.7 million ($2.2m) and quickly sold. With that view, it isn't hard to see why...
We love the idea of people taking an old, crumbling building and turning it into something amazing. And that's exactly what Adam Purchase and his partner Nicola Brennan did when they rescued this former silver mine engine house in 2010. Situated on the edge of the Tamar Valley, on the border between Devon and Cornwall, the renovation was showcased on Grand Designs in 2011, but more than a decade later it still isn't fully finished.
Adam and Nicola had been living in Cornwall for a couple of years when they started searching for a new home. However, they ended up buying a plot of land for £200,000 ($253k), which came complete with two Grade II-listed engine houses that were part of a 19th-century mine complex. Their plan was to transform one of the properties into a house and the other into a holiday home that would bring in some income.
There are numerous old engine houses across Cornwall, but many are protected structures so converting them can prove a tricky challenge. Needless to say, Adam and Nicola came face to face with plenty of restrictions during the project. To make matters worse, the couple had a year to complete the renovation and only had £100,000 ($127k) for the job. The pair soon ran out of money and their project overran, but with help from family and friends, they carried on with the work.
When Kevin revisited the property after several months, the façade had been finished, but not a lot else. He commented: “The exterior is a testament to Adam’s skill and dedication... Adam and Nicola are a long way from moving in. It may not be finished but it is tantalisingly close.” The couple hoped to have the ambitious conversion completed by 2012, but when the house landed on the market in 2021, it was clear there was still some work to be done.
Not far from being finished, the interior of the four-storey home, which is known as Wheal Langford House, is still a little rough around the edges. There’s a living room, a kitchen, four bedrooms and four bathrooms, all decked out with stone walls, vaulted ceilings and rustic beams. Though the holiday home next door was never finished, planning permission is in place for it to be transformed. Recently on the market, the stunning home sold for around £750,000 ($949k).
Oat Errish Farm is affectionately nicknamed Fossil House, thanks to its curving exterior form that was inspired by an ammonite fossil found on the building plot. The residence lies on an eight-acre site in Axminster, Devon, and benefits from lovely views of the Blackdown Hills, not to mention a truly unique design aesthetic. The one-of-a-kind property was created for Stephen and Elizabeth Tetlow and their journey was showcased on Grand Designs back in 2017.
For the project, the couple hired award-winning architectural practice, Sadler Brown, asking for a home with a close connection to its surroundings. As nature lovers, Stephen and Elizabeth also wanted a home that would have minimal impact on the environment, so incorporating green features was an important part of the design. "A key part of our plan was for the house to be a welcoming place with enough bedrooms for our children and grandchildren to come to stay together," Elizabeth told Grand Designs magazine.
From above, the home's unusual shape can be seen in its full glory. Mimicking nature's 'golden ratio' spiral pattern, the property wraps around the garden, creating eye-catching interior spaces with rotund walls and ceilings. Stephen and Elizabeth hoped the work could be completed within 12 months and to a budget of £600,000 ($757k), however, despite taking on a lot of the work themselves, the couple ended up going £200,000 ($252k) over budget and were delayed by a year.
The hold-up was partly down to the fact that the Tetlows opted to cover the roof with textured wooden panels, made from 4,600 separate slats, formed from redwood cedar, Siberian and English larch. The couple painstakingly installed each panel themselves – a task that took them nine months! The completed 4,470-square-foot home features an upside-down layout, with bright living spaces on the first floor and the bedrooms located at ground level, in order to maximise communal area views.
The rooms are defined by curving edges, timber accents and endless glass, while horticulturist Elizabeth used clay to create imprints of plants to decorate the interior walls. Highly energy-efficient, the home also boasts custom curving photovoltaic panels, as well as an MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) system. When Kevin McCloud visited, he said: "What this building is doing to me is kind of giving me a gentle shoulder rub, you know? I'm kind of being lulled by it almost. It's absolutely great." It went up for sale in June 2023 for £2 million ($2.5m) but is currently under offer – watch this space.
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