Architect, writer and highly successful TV presenter, George
Clarke has a packed schedule, but that doesn't faze him as he is
passionate about property. Currently very busy at The Ideal Home
Show at London's Earls Court, he found time to talk to Lynda Clark
about his first steps on the property ladder
FTB: Tell us about your first step on the property
ladder.
GC: In about 1999 I was a student and lived in London at
my girlfriend's flat. She eventually became my wife, and when I
finished university I had some family contacts and close friends in
Dorset and we both loved the area and spent weekends and holidays
there. I found a tiny, rundown 19th century cottage that was in a
terrible state. It had been completely ruined with things like PVC
windows and was full of damp, everything leaked and the roof was
collapsing. In fact, it was pretty much beyond repair and couldn't
possibly be refurbished. So we roughed it for a couple of years,
and then in 2002 I decided to demolish it. There wasn't a stone
left, but I could then start from scratch. I called it the
'Playschool House' after the TV show because it was exactly as you
imagine a house should look if you drew it, with a door in the
middle and four windows. It was very traditional from the outside
but highly modern and innovative inside. I suppose you could
describe the interior as Scandinavian modern as everything was
white and bright and open plan. We really loved it, but as my
family have got older it became more and more difficult to go there
with all the children's activities at weekends with things like
football club and birthday parties. I also became very guilty that
I owned a second home that wasn't being used to its full potential.
It's a lovely house with stunning views and should be lived in and
not left empty, so a couple of years ago I decided to sell it. I
look back and think that I was only 25 years old and I built my
home from scratch, so it's pretty special.
FTB: What is your current home like?
GC: My home in London is completely different. It's an
Edwardian house built in 1910 in a conservation area. It's in the
right location next to the kids' school, which is very handy. It's
rather like a Tardis as the façade is original, but once inside
it's a different story. I am particularly fond of light so I have
installed glass floors and underfloor heating, and the house is
very well insulated. In fact, the house strikes the perfect balance
of traditional and very contemporary. I have recently undertaken an
eight-month project to review every inch of space. I added a third
floor, and the basement, which is about 1,100 square feet, has been
cleared. It was solid mud, so a team of what I can only describe as
miners cleared and underpinned it. Now it is a wonderful space.
Originally, the house had four bedrooms, but with three children
and our parents who frequently visit we needed more room. So we
have created this lovely guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom,
and there is also a utility room down there that has freed up some
prime space upstairs. We also have a fabulous TV and cinema room,
which is a big hit with the children! While we were doing the work,
I looked at the garden and thought what a waste of space that was
as well. So I literally dug under the garden and created a great
area that has become my office. It's so quiet and peaceful there,
which is good when I am working, and it's like my own little
subterranean world. We did put the garden back on top afterwards,
and if you looked outside you would have no idea that there was a
room under the earth!
FTB: It sounds like a huge project. Were you confident
it would work?
GC: Completely - it's changed the house and the way we
live in it. It's very modernist but is still a family home, and I
was very particular that we had proper drainage and waterproofing.
I designed it with floor-to-ceiling windows so there is plenty of
light, and I put structural glass in, too. I'm so passionate about
the house I have just set up a trust fund that will keep it in the
family forever.
FTB: How did your career start?
GC: I'd wanted to be an architect ever since I
was a little lad. My grandfather was a builder, so I spent a lot of
time on building sites, which I loved. I was always drawing
buildings and was fascinated about the way they were constructed
and created. When I was about 12, my grandfather went to the
library as they had a sale of old books and he bought be a glossary
of architectural terms. I spent the whole summer holidays reading
it and learning the different terminology, which may sound dull but
I was fascinated. I eventually got a week's work experience with an
architect, and then I wrote loads of letters to see if I could get
a job, which I eventually got. Luckily, they sent me to college,
and eventually I managed to get a place at the University of
Newcastle and did my masters at University College London. It took
a long time, but it's all I've ever wanted to do.
FTB: What do you feel about the housing market in the UK
today?
GC: As I said, I'm passionate about architecture,
and I feel we should make more of our existing housing stock. I am
also very keen on trying to make a bit of an ecological mark and
making our homes more 'green'. I don't mean installing wind
turbines in the garden or solar panels on the roof because they are
not very affordable, and unless you have a south-facing house,
solar panels won't work. But there is so much that can be done with
things like really good insulation. There are 25 million existing
buildings that are nowhere near what the building regulations
require. I will be talking about this at The Ideal Home Show, and
there are show houses showing what a home can be like before and
after - they are ecologically brilliant.
FTB: What is your favourite room at home?
GC: I love space, and I particularly love my
kitchen/diner as I'm also very fond of food and cooking. It's a
vibrant family space, and as my children are only three, five and
seven there is always a lot of noise and activity. We have the
large doors open in the summer, and friends come round and we have
a fun time. It's really the social hub of the house. I love my
work, too, so my new underground office is a wonderful refuge, and
I'm hidden away from everyone and can get on and write articles or
whatever.
FTB: What are you doing at the moment?
GC: There is a new series of Restoration Man on
Channel 4 in the autumn. I am currently starting the third series
of The Home Show for Channel 4, so there are several exciting
TV projects I'm involved in, but first and foremost I am an
architect. I am at The Ideal Home Show in both London and Scotland
and at Grand Designs Live at London's Excel. It's a busy time but
great fun.
FTB: If you hadn't become an architect, what other
career would have appealed to you?
GC: I have the best job in the world, and I have
a successful design and building company that I am totally immersed
in. It's diverse work, but every day is different and every day is
the best!