Haringey

Penny has a passion for cutting edge contemporary architecture. However husband Mark loves period architecture. Somehow, these two neurologists want to build a family home that satisfies both their tastes. But will it be the best of both worlds or just an appalling mishmash?

 

Taking the plunge they buy a derelict Victorian gatehouse on a very steep hill in north London that now sits abandoned and unloved. The plan is to lovingly restore it, paint it white and then add a giant, black, zinc clad box at the back, marrying their love of old and new. But right from the off they run into problems. The gatehouse is terminally cracked and needs knocking down completely. Excavating the tricky sloping site takes months longer than expected. Increasingly struggling to balance their busy work lives with project managing, the future of Penny and Mark’s unconventional home hangs in the balance…