Grand Designs: New Zealand on ABC – When 55-year-old Phillip Metaxas came back to Christchurch after a three-year stint in Brisbane, he couldn’t believe his luck when he discovered an abandoned castle for sale in North Canterbury.
Ten years before, it was an elderly couple’s dream project – their piece de resistance – a post-modernist massive luxury homestay complete with tower, seven bedrooms, 12 toilets, home theatre, lift, gym and swimming pool.
However, due to a combination of a whole lot of factors out of the couple’s hands their dream languished for ten years until they made the difficult decision to put their castle on the market.
Who’s going to want a half-started castle on twenty acres, right?
Well, that would be a recently returned Kiwi with a career in renovation and a desire to put some roots in the ground. Also coming along for the ride is Phil’s new partner Sharon, who is committed to helping Phil fulfil his vision and who will be taking on a lot of the interior decisions.
As far as Phil is concerned, he can only see opportunity. With his background as a plumber, drainlayer, gasfitter and roofer, he’s confident he will be able to do the lion’s share of the work, completing the project for $500,000 and in under nine months.
And that work will be substantial: wiring, plumbing, insulating, jibbing, tiling, built in furniture, furnishing and the exterior.
The thing is, once Phil and Sharon have ironed out the finer details of budget and style, will this eccentric dream get its own fairy tale ending or will it be a case of too many cooks spoiling the design broth?
Production credit: Based on the format “Grand Designs” devised by Talkback Thames, a Fremantle Media company.
Grand Designs: New Zealand – Thursday 18 May, 2023 at 9:00pm on ABC and ABC iview
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