One couple, two visions: Grand Designs visits a Haringey home with a modern zinc box added to a rebuilt Victorian gatehouse

Big and small, black and white, old and new — a Victorian gatehouse home built into a hillside was entirely rebuilt by a couple with very different visions.

Penny Talelli has a passion for modern buildings and a desire to express herself by "building a house that's me". Her husband, Mark, has the same dream, along with a love of period architecture.

Most Grand Designs stories focus on the ups and downs of taking on the mammoth task of building your own home.

Although this build is far from plain sailing, the conflict here comes from the fusion of styles that Penny and Mark, both neurologists, are trying to achieve.

The couple's vision centres around restoring a derelict Victorian gatehouse that dates back to 1854, 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 the gatehouse and merge old and new through the interior design.

Having spent £725,000 on the land, the budget remaining for the whole build and fittings comes to £500,000. Yet quotes to complete the work come in closer to £1 milllion.

This means Penny and Mark must project manage the build themselves, alongside working and looking after their two daughters.

It also means they have to make a huge compromise. The couple decided to knock and down and rebuild the gatehouse to save money, because their architect warned that the restoration could put the whole project in jeopardy.

In contrast to the cottage, the modern part of the house has huge windows and high ceilings creating an entirely different feel.

The interior design constantly flits between the two styles, from antique kitchen cabinetry to a contemporary, handmade, bright yellow staircase, constructed from half a tonne of steel.

The staircase marries the two parts of the building together and creates instant wow-factor as you walk in the home.

The land sits on a very steep slope, which means various problems and delays — the groundwork taking nine months instead of eight weeks, for example. Even so, there is no doubting Penny and Mark's determination and ability to see the project through.

Over budget though they were, the couple kept the big picture in mind and the result is a completely unique home that blends a multitude of design ideas.

Importantly, it reflects each of the individual tastes and is a testament to what you can achieve with compromise.