Grand Designs season 17, episode 2: the Haringey zinc home of two halves 'tightrope walking a fine line between fabulous and bizarre'

Tonight’s episode of Grand Designs is not so much focussed on the ups and downs of taking not the mammoth task of building your own home — although, of course, it is far from plain sailing.

The conflict comes rather from the ambition of what Penny Talelli and Mark Edwards, both neurologists, are trying to achieve.

This couple are trying to marry Penny’s passion for modern buildings with Mark’s love of period architecture.

Their whole vision centres around restoring a derelict Victorian gatehouse, which they bought along with a plot of land on a very steep hill in north London.

Penny and Mark then intend to add a huge, modern, zinc-clad black box onto the back of it and merge old and new with the interior design.

Having spent £725,000 on the land, their budget for the whole build and fittings is just £500,000.

This means project managing the build themselves, alongside working and looking after their two daughters.

You won't doubt the couple's ability to see this project through, despite the many problems that arise right from the start but the compromise they have to make to turn their dream home into a reality is a huge one.

As Kevin McCloud says, at times they seem to be “tightrope walking a fine line between fabulous and bizarre”.

Does this romantic love story which revolves around the premise that 'opposites attract' have a happy ending? You’ll have to watch to find out…

Grand Designs is on tonight, Wednesday 13 September, Channel 4 at 9.00pm.