It was a luxury to design for a house with this level of heritage and space. What, then, could go wrong? MORE : Grand Designs returns with disaster as most surreal project yet is rocked by Covid, MORE : Grand Designs Kevin McCloud embraces telling people to back off to keep Covid compliant, Billie Shepherd and Sam Faiers call out b****y Phillip Schofield over This Morning behaviour. He was looking for another pair of eyes to help ensure the house became a home. Ive never built a pool in a cemetery before, says one builder. I don't think she was particularly impressed, to be quite honest. Appearing on Channel 4's Grand Designs, dad-of-one Justin revealed his plans to transform the derelict land. 'I know!' We tour the nanny flat off the utility room, complete with its mini kitchen and narrow bed, upstairs to the master bedroom where Justin has left a pair of socks balled up on the floor ('oops') and into the ensuite with its mirrored bath. 'I was brought up in Scotland where everyone's houses have so much character,' he booms onscreen, which suggests a refreshing lack of familiarity with the kind of Scottish council estate where I was brought up, but no umbrage taken because Justin is such a delightful person and about as snobbish as a burst haggis. The properties featured in the series vary wildly from homes underground to converted water towers, with the only common factor being that they're all rather unusual or extravagant in some way. You can download it on Android here and Apple here. I worked hard to meld the two parts of the house together, adding colourful fabrics and traditional upholstery to the new rooms, making them feel warm and lived-in. Justin describes the result as being unique but not ostentatious. Cant wait for the new series of @granddesigns @Kevin_McCloud. He said: "One just has to be aware that when you're digging in an ancient site. I think it would be fair to say that he had grave misgivings about the whole thing. And replacing the 1960s block with an extension for Justins ground-floor living spaces. What do you think youre doing? From graveyard cottage to 4.2million VERY Grand Design: TV property show's most costly project ever turned a cemetery wreck into a majestic home with a waterfall and underground pool By. What do you think of the transformation? Demolishing the blocks and turning them into an extension, the project has even more issues as the property is surrounded by a grave site. As well as the initial purchase, Maxwell Stuart has estimated that the work will cost an additional 1.6m. As we were already halfway there, I decided we should go ahead because space is money, especially in London. 'But that's not all she can do,' says Justin, explaining that during the first lockdown they were holed up on his 2,500 acre Scottish estate, feeding themselves from a freezer full of game. Something went wrong, please try again later. 'Jan, you won't be expected to wrestle with grizzly bears every morning,' he says, and I worry that we are digressing too far, but there is no stopping him now. He said: Its a big thing actually, because weve been filming since June and weve developed a protocol for all the various places, whether were filming in a building or outside, quite diligently. He wanted warmth and colour. Appearing on Channel 4's Grand. If he worried that he may find himself staring down a catastrophic financial black hole in 2016, well, wait and see what happens when the pandemic rolls around. With many in debt, loosing their jobs and homes, struggling to feed their kids; GD show some numpty millionaire spending nearly 4 mill on a cemetery lodge. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. . Ahead of the latest series of his long-running property programme, Kevin has spoken out about needing to be more assertive around other people, even if that means being rude. He is full of surprises and has lived a life that has included three tours of duty in Northern Ireland, one in Iraq and running a salmon fly-tying business in Thailand. The house is one of only three here, built on land released in the 60s when the cemetery's finances were precarious. Even seasoned presenter Kevin McCloud seems shocked by the huge scale of this megabasement project yet its hard not to will it to succeed, As soon as Kevin McCloud sets the scene a graveyard in south-west London you know the latest instalment of Grand Designs (Channel 4) is going to be a classic. Do you have a story to share? I was brought up in Scotland where houses have so much character, and I liked the idea of recreating that in London, Justin explains. Winter Love Island 2023 final date confirmed and its just around the corner, Clarksons Farm star in shock as fans raise tens of thousands for TB-hit farm, Incredible five-bedroom home The Curve, as featured on Grand Designs, on sale for 3.45million, Boy, 16, designs Covid Invaders arcade game to encourage vaccinations, Do not sell or share my personal information. Grand Designs 2021: inside the new homes on the C4 series, You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. 'Mad, beautiful and very funny,' was one popular viewer's verdict of the show, while another declared it the 'best Grand Designs ever'. It was good for me to have something to focus on.'. Does he remember her? The already-stretched budget was in jeopardy when the contractors began to dig beneath a section of the lodge ready for the pool installation. Ex-army captain Justin has a dream of transforming a home which is surrounded by graves, and loves the south west London cemetery lodge. 'It was so romantic,' says Hideko, who shows me the stunning inky sapphire which Justin had commissioned from an ex-girlfriend who happens to be a jeweller. 2023 Grand Designs Magazine | Site by Media 10 Ltd, Simon proposed renovating the lodge, deemed a Building of Merit, to give two bedrooms and a study. Instead, the projects where people have been doing it themselves, stockpiling materials, being really resourceful and changing halfway through when they realise they dont have enough plaster or the right cladding, theyre the projects that have come to fruition because people are being really clever.. With many in debt, [losing] their jobs and homes, struggling to feed their kids; GD show some numpty millionaire spending nearly 4 mill on a cemetery lodge. and adjacent 1960's toilet block ('just hideous!') 2023 GRV Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The modern extension contrasts with the lodge. A dad both baffled and stunned Grand Designs viewers in the "craziest episode ever" after he spent four years and 4.5 million transforming a cemetery into his dream home. James' mother was Mehitabel Wing, born March, 20, 1738, in Duchess County, N.Y. Glens Falls, N.Y., was once named Wing Falls after her . Justin called on interior designer Gretchen Trusted. Winter Love Island 2023 final date confirmed and its just around the corner, Clarksons Farm star in shock as fans raise tens of thousands for TB-hit farm, BBC officially drops long-awaited Race Across the World series 3 trailer, Grand Designs returns with disaster as most surreal project yet is rocked by Covid, Grand Designs Kevin McCloud embraces telling people to back off to keep Covid compliant, Do not sell or share my personal information. 2023 Grand Designs Magazine | Site by Media 10 Ltd, Image: Justins bedroom is tucked under the exposed roof timbers on the upper floor of the lodge. These include a kitchen/dining area, snug, living room, and a basement with a subterranean swimming pool. Follow Gretchen on Instagram at @shake.the.sky. I saw the potential to create something really wonderful as the building had such great character.. It also gave the basement an extra bedroom, a media room, a larger wine cellar and a sauna. But soon after he started the project in October 2016, he ran into difficulties, with one of the most challenging being getting planning permission to build an entrance to the graveyard from his garden. A series of gardens around an innovative property in Fulham Cemetery - the house is soon to be featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs. A post shared by Grand Designs (@granddesignstv), WATCH GRAND DESIGNS ON CHANNEL 4 ON WEDNESDAYS AT 9 PM, ANDGET FREAKY WITH US ONINSTAGRAM ANDFACEBOOK, Kevin and Justin in SW London. The Londoner . This is perhaps the most important of the interior design secrets. He wants to restore the lodge and demolish the toilet blocks. I tell people off. And replacing the 1960s block with an extension for Justins ground-floor living spaces. Theyre not smaller in terms of vision at all because weve got some really exciting stuff but theyre not the really big almost commercially run things that we sometimes feature.. On the show, Justin said that he began the project after he and his 'wonderful ex-wife separated'. Meanwhile, Grand Designs Kevin McCloud recently joked hes got quite good at being rude to people approaching him in the street. Schools in London face disruption as teachers stage strikes, Former Met acting commissioner described rape as regretful sex, Detectives hunting for Constance Martens baby find remains of infant, London Ambulance Service told to improve its ethnic diversity, Shocking moment moped narrowly misses 70mph train at level crossing, FTSE 100 Live: ITV, Taylor Wimpey and Flutter post results, What is the Willow Project? cemeteries found in Jamestown, New York will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list.. Justin then plans to replace the adjoining blocks with a huge luxury extension on its ground floor, with a basement swimming pool and moat. Where are these parties where you meet handsome, eligible, ex-army officer aristocratic millionaires? Theres a need to bring a house together with an overarching view. Image: Jefferson Smith, I was lucky in that I came on board at the very beginning. But we struck a good balance of creating flow between rooms and making sure they are warm and cosy. ", Another wrote: "Can't tell you how jealous I am of the man whos converting a graveyard gatehouse into a gothic mansion WITH A MOAT on @Channel4 #GrandDesigns right now. 'We don't like to promote ourselves. But in typical Grand Designs fashion, costs and problems escalated. He explained: "I thought, now my life is in turmoil and chaos, I now have the opportunity to do something off the beaten track. Photo: Jefferson Smith, The lodge dates from around 1860 and stands beside a 1960s single-storey building. One hell of a house but with one hell of a price tag as well. Justins home features in the first episode of Grand Designs 2021 series, but the question is whether they ever managed to finish building it Former army captain Justin hopes to restore a neo-Gothic cemetery keepers lodge, and turn it into his dream home in south west London. Grand Designs returns this week with Kevin following a huge new project by army captain Justin, who has forked out 1.8million on his new home. Watch Grand Designs - January 2021 Series. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Photo: Jefferson Smith. 'I did think about proposing to her actually on Grand Designs,' he says. The house is an abandoned neo-Gothic cemetery . Oddly enough, when we are saying goodbye at the front door, local celebrities Clare Balding and Alice Arnold are strolling into the cemetery and beam in his direction while someone else shouts 'Hello Justin!'. How have you adapted your home during the pandemic? Enter your password to log in. He is seen buying the wardens lodge and a nearby ruined 1960s council toilet block which adjoins onto the building, which costs him 1.8 million. 'I now own a house in London that is steeped in history and surrounded by 13 acres of green space,' he says and you've got to give him credit for that, despite the thunderously busy main road on its western border. I am used to living in old buildings because my family home in Scotland dates back 1,000 years, says Justin. The TV presenter, 61, is in the vulnerable category amid the pandemic, so as a result needs to be extra careful when around other people and keep a distance at all times. On the show, Justin said that he began the project after he and his "wonderful ex-wife separated.". But, I have watched enough, The already-stretched budget was in jeopardy when the contractors began to dig beneath a section of the lodge ready for the pool installation. Genres Special Interest Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages You can now, I can be completely anonymous in a hat and a mask.. By McCloud explains that old money types are often asset-rich but cash-poor, and as the lodge project stretches on, and on, there is a real question of whether it will be completed at all, particularly when the owner keeps embellishing his plans. Perfectly polished and fully furnished interiors are not always a given during the final reveal of a Grand Designs episode. Program development. I just imagined the show would slip onto daytime TV with no fuss, but the opposite has happened. Maxwell Stuart is thoroughly can-do about the whole thing, even when logic suggests he shouldnt be, and its hard not to wish him the best with it. This suggests he is more hard-nosed property developer than the wide-eyed dreamer who insists a home isn't really a home unless it has a moat. Justin Maxwell-Stuart, 47, from London, bought an abandoned lodge and the adjoining ex-council toilet block in Fulham cemetery for 1.8 million in 2016, the Mirror reports. The project took four years and cost a whopping 4.5 million - a sum that Justin admits he wouldn't have paid had he have known at the start. Memory Gardens Cemetery and Memorial Park 983 Watervliet-Shaker Road, Albany, NY 12205 USA, Phone: 518-869-9506, Fax: 518-869-0818 (@i_WuV_hUgZ) January 6, 2021, I rarely post on here now as whatever I think theres always people with opposing and genuine views but #GrandDesigns wtf is a single parent spending millions on a ridiculously huge house. That was mad, beautiful and very, very funny. But it appeared to. Ex-army officer Justin Maxwell Stuart was at a crossroads in his life when he spotted a run down cemetery lodge for sale. He 'rattled up the funds' via a mortgage and a loan from his mother Kirsty, a scion of the wealthy Salvesen shipping family. He hails from an aristocratic Scottish family who can trace their lineage directly back to Mary Queen of Scots yes, he is one of those Stuarts and he grew up in a 1,000-year-old grand house ('so I'm used to living in old buildings') and estate in Peeblesshire. While a number of viewers were put off by the creepy location, Justin has become fond of it as he says it has a special place in his heart. 'Have I made a terrible mistake?' The original scheme didnt make the most of the possibilities, says Simon. he would ask himself in the dead of night. When the for-sale sign appeared in late 2014, he had to find out more. How have you adapted your home during the pandemic? Appearing on Channel 4's Grand Designs, dad-of-one Justin revealed his plans to transform the derelict land. Local papers often carry complaints about the practice from residents, but here, Maxwell Stuarts neighbours are relatively undemanding, since they are buried six feet under. Grand Designs returns Wednesday at 9pm on Channel 4. The ground floor living room is so fabulous. Open the ground-floor terrace doors, and you can reach out and touch. 754K views, 5.9K likes, 1.3K loves, 867 comments, 1K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Channel 4: The usual ambitious project, in an unusual place They asked why we were only excavating beneath part of the building when digging under the whole thing would add a huge amount of extra room, Justin explains. ", But one said: "Not a great starter episode in Covid times. Its the question that makes Grand Designs so watchable, the promise of hubris among the rubble, of ambitions made of steel and glass, weakened by human folly. But I thought it might be rather too awful.'. Within 5 kilometers of your location. 'After my fifth attempt to shove some peanuts down her throat, she said: "Thank you very much, dear boy. They would take regular walks through the cemetery with their dog, a gorgeous mutt called Thunder. The aim was to knock down the toilet block and replace it with a ground floor extension, a moat and a basement with a swimming pool. After the programme was broadcast last week, he has been overwhelmed by the reaction. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. London Bridge overcrowding: Give TfL control of Southeastern trains, Motorist fined 650 after council paints disabled bay around his car. Justin Maxwell-Stuart, 47, from London, bought an abandoned lodge and the adjoining ex-council toilet block in Fulham cemetery for 1.8 million in 2016, the Mirror reports. 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