Padstow

Harry and Briony have made a radical change to their lives, moving with their three young children from London to Cornwall - and setting up an outpost of their media business at the same time. It’s a bold attempt to emulate the positive work-life balance and lifestyle they experienced in California. But even bolder is the giant five-bedroom house they now want to build, heavily inspired by an American Modernist house Harry saw in the cult 80s film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. All floating steel and glass, Harry by his own admission has become ‘obsessed’ with living somewhere just like it.

 

But creating such an architecturally ambitious home would typically cost over a million pounds, and Harry and Briony have just £400,000 to play with. Undaunted, Harry opts to project manage himself, paying local builders by the hour. It’s a huge undertaking given his lack of experience in

construction, and despite his people skills it’s not long before they fall behind their wildly ambitious 8-month schedule. Quotes for glass and steels come in exorbitantly high – forcing Harry to consider compromising his vision. Then the whole project is overshadowed by personal tragedy...