If you’ve run out of things to watch in quarantine, and looking for new ways to get inspiration and ideas for your home renovation, here are a few of my favourite shows:
Your Home Made Perfect
Full disclaimer: I love this show!
The show has one of my favourite uses of technology in design – the architects present their ideas in virtual reality (not just 3D – with the video goggles and everything).
Reason to watch: Your Home Made Perfect will help open your mind to possibilities beyond the b0g-standard extension, and give you practical tips about using light and space in your home to the best result. While getting an architect to use Virtual Reality would likely come at a high cost, you can get a feel for the way to imagine and think about your space through watching a few example designs on the show.
Bonus: As the project manager for all of the Your Home Made Perfect renovations, Sian is great to follow on Instagram for renovation tips and following along as she does up her own property. She even wrote an article about it recently: Eight Steps To A (Your Home Made) Perfect Renovation.
Another Bonus: Laura Jane Clark, one of the two architects on the show, was recently interviewed by Kate Watson-Smyth and Sophie Robinson on their podcast (another great resource generally): An Interview With TV Architect Laura Jane Clark
Your Home Made Perfect is wrapping up its second season, and you can view old episodes on BBC iPlayer.
George Clark’s Old House New Home
The premise of this show is focused on old, historic houses, but the lessons are valuable for any property and the creative yet pragmatic way that George helps the homeowners on the show solve the problems of layout and design in their current set up.
Reason to watch: My favourite part is when George gets a red marker and shows how he would recommend moving or changing walls, stairs, and windows to create a better space. It’s the complete opposite to YHMP – it’s probably the lowest tech approach versus the newest and best tech – but it’s really effective at showing how to visualise and map out spaces in 2D.
Bonus: You may discover a family owned supplier or restoration company in your area that you didn’t know about through the segments where George visits a glassblower or tile maker to find just the right finish for a project.
George Clarke’s Old House New Home is currently in its 6th season on Channel 4, and you can watch all previous seasons on All 4.
There are many more, of course:
Love it or List It – a classic HGTV show that uses the format of competing presenters. Phil finds the perfect new property for the homeowner and Kirstie finds a way to renovate the existing one to suit the homeowners needs. Watch for creative ways to solve your home’s problems on a budget.
Grand Designs – The longest running, and one of the best ‘house porn’ tv shows out there, but most of the projects are full home builds or barn conversions rather than modest renovations/extensions. Watch for bold new ideas that you might incorporate on a smaller scale or if you’re planning a large project. Or just to dream about how you’d spend that lottery money!
Have a favourite I’ve left off here? I’d love to hear what other home renovation shows you love!
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