Grand Designs fans took to Facebook, X and other social media to blast a renovation, which left a house that Kevin McCloud described as “Darth Vader’s boathouse”
Grand Designs viewers branded last night’s property “the worst in the show’s history”.
Architect Howard and interior designer Sarah joined host Kevin McCloud to renovate a metallic floating home on a tidal estuary near Worthing, West Sussex. Howard and Sarah said the £385,000 project, which was very ambitious and took three years, was “their most radical yet.”
But viewers of the Channel 4 programme, which returned for its 26th series on Wednesday night, were underwhelmed. One posted on social media: “Well just watched new grand designs that is the biggest pile s**t in the shows history.” Another fan said: “Most of the time houses on Grand Designs look decent once finished… this isn’t one of those times.” More chimed in, adding: “The shape of the house on Grand Designs looks very familiar,” accompanied by a photo of an old fashion tap faucet, and: “Grand designs. WTF is that.”
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The property was designed to look like a boat, and the structure sat on an experimental, prefabricated, polystyrene slab to deal with high tides alternating with hours sitting in the mud.
Unveiling the finished structure, McCloud, 65, described the structure as “Darth Vader’s boathouse.” The presenter, known for his enthusiastic descriptions, even likened a large roof window to “something out of a Star Wars episode.”
Sarah and Howard carried out the project themselves, even purchasing a crane to help with the construction. Sarah herself crafted a multipurpose kitchen island which also turns into as a ping-pong table and a foldout desk.
But it and other innovative interiors did little to excite viewers on Wednesday night, Express.co.uk reports. The publication said viewers were unhappy with the overall ambiance of the houseboat, describing it as uninviting. The highly anticipated rear deck overlooking the estuary was criticised as sparse and underwhelming.
Upstairs, the design featured a soaring, open-plan living space complete with an outer deck that offered views of the estuary, while the lower deck was planned to house accommodations for the family and their teenage children, a home office, and a cinema room.
Speaking ahead of the season premiere, McCloud, who also narrated 2020 TV series Celebrity Snoop Dogs, also offered an insight into what viewers can expect from other episodes in the new series: “It is short, we are making something that is not too lengthy, we are making it snappy.
“We have two new revisits which are really meaningful. One of the revisits is with a blended family, a couple who were both bereaved and brought their children together into a house. The house is designed by the husband and honestly, it is sort of one of my favourite projects.”