Grand Designs is a Channel Four documentary program that premiered in 1999.
Presented by Kevin McCloud, the program follows people taking on major projects to get the home of their dreams either through new builds or through conversions. Each episode tracks the trials and tribulations of an individual project as Kevin provides commentary and occasional assistance.
There are localized versions for Australia and New Zealand.
This series provides examples of the following:
- Big Fancy House: Many builds result in large, opulent homes.
- Doom It Yourself: Time and time again, problems arise due to inexperienced clients or architects taking on the project management role to try and save on costs. Kevin always takes the opportunity to tell the audience that trying to save on the up-front cost of a project manager will only result in you having to spend more money and time to fix mistakes.
- Early-Installment Weirdness:
- Early episodes featured Kevin using his design background to assist clients develop the interior concept of their homes.
- Some early episodes ended with homes being unfinished due to the show needing to go out. As the show goes on and more episodes are in the pipeline, years-long projects can now be followed through to their completion.
- Schedule Slip: It's almost a given that a build will be delayed somewhat owing to budget issues, design complications, poor weather, etc. However, some builds end up running extremely behind schedule and their episodes end up spanning years.
- The Scrounger: Alida from "The Eco-House" immediately finds a mortgage broker willing to lend her and Roy money after she got tired of seeing Roy dither and struggle with the task. She also demonstrates a remarkable ability to find cheap furnishings for her home.
- Tempting Fate: Whenever the featured clients optimistically declares that their project will stick to a short timeline, small budget, or both, Kevin tries to get them to temper their expectations and have contingencies in place. Inevitably, these episodes feature delays and cost overruns.
