Kevin McCloud’s Man Made Home, C4 TV Review

Wow! well talk about things going around coming around… Three years ago, inspired by Kevin McCloud’s Grand Designs I set out to build the nearest thing to a Grand Design that I could – hence this blog. The one grand designs shed was a response to the high concept, high budget wonders to be found gracing Channel four’s flagship property strand every week. My idea was to build as unique a design as possible for a budget of £1000 myself, as an unskilled keen amateur, begging, borrowing and recycling whatever possible as I went (see the original “inspiration” post)…

…So, I’ve just finished watching last night’s (second episode) of “Kevin McCloud’s man made house”. Where Kevin McCloud is hand building on two acres of land bought for the express purpose, something sortof similar… Obviously this is Kevin McCloud – so he has a slightly bigger budget presumably, he has the aforementioned two acres for starters, rather than his back yard… He also has access to some great TV “friends” who are helping him with the whole process, but I don’t begrudge any of this, it makes for great TV, plus our Kevin seems to have dropped the puffa jacket in favour of something a bit more rustic and down to earth. I love the guiding philosophy at play in the programme – the sense of the journey being as important as the destination… Fabricating your own building gives a great sense of control and order, but it’s being a shed allows for additional, all-important sense of play, fun and exploration to creep in – You’re not building a house for your family, so you can afford to experiment, and that’s where the show gets most interesting.

It’s great to see the sense of fulfilment that I got from putting the One Grand Designs shed together being shared and shown on national TV by the very man whose show inspired me in the first place – there’s a pleasing sense of closure to the whole thing. I’d love for Kevin to see my little shed, I’d love it if he “got” the comforting sense of shared adventure that I feel watching the show, but to be fair, it’s just nice to know that I’m not the only one who gets his kicks building a shed!

Of course, there will be a book which will encourage you all to go out into the woods and get creative. For those of you with the wherewithal I can heartily recommend it, I will buy myself a copy and dream of those two acres of woodland. For the rest of us, well >>ahem<< there's also a little book, which explains how to do it in your back yard... I'm just saying... SHËD: Build your own designer garden office for less than £2500

Kevin McCloud’s Man Made Home can be viewed on 4OD here