George Clarke’s Old House New Home
Season 2 Home Channel (*176) 20:00 Reality
Renovating is often tricky – renovating a house that has a 100-year-old history, however, is a headache on a whole new level. Architect extraordinaire George Clarke is here to save the day with his new reno show, George Clarke’s Old House New Home, where he helps families who want to bring their old homes back into the future.
Houses built centuries ago were well constructed and practical for its time, but they’ve become less practical in the modern world and with that came previous owners’ sub-par renovations. This is where George and his team step in. “By focussing our attention on the basics of the house’s design, we’re able to take Victorian-era homes and farmland cottages and turn them into modern marvels without losing the home’s history,” explains the host.
With so many home improvement shows on telly, you’d expect this to be another run-of-the-mill renovation show. But what sets it apart from the rest is celebrity architect George. Lowkey and humble, the 47-year-old was never interested in being a TV star. “I didn’t think about it. I was teaching part-time at a university and they [the varsity] asked me if I wanted to write a book on architecture,” he recalls. After signing up with a book agent, George was asked if he wanted to audition for a TV show because the architects being lined up were, as George puts it, “dull as dishwater”. “I went for a screen test and got the job the same day. I feel guilty saying that I stumbled into it, but I genuinely did,” he replies modestly, now with countless shows on his CV.
NB! Read more about George Clarke’s other show on p45.