Grand Designs Australia

I always enjoy Grand Designs (UK) and Grand Designs New Zealand, and Grand Designs Australia features homes that are interesting enough, but the host, Peter Maddison, just doesn't have what it takes for this role. I keep saying very rude things to the television and watch only reluctantly since I know this is the reaction he will evoke from me. What a shame.

Disappointing that the show grand designs has nothing to do with designs any more, and is all about grand time and climate challenges and budgets.

Shame to lose the market it was targeting. Shame it's just another reality TV filler. It was, and could, be better and worth watching.

Getting back to actual Grand Designs with progressive and historical architectural design would be more enjoyable.

I am always wary of TV show Franchise's, Just look at Top gear UK turned into Top Gear Down under, or Kath and Kim Turned in to Kath and Kim USA.

When they decided on a Grand Designs Australia i was a bit worried... Do we build enough interesting homes to fill enough episodes? Who should host?

Essentially these are the only 2 questions one needs to ask.

The first question is fairly easy. Yes. Building seems like a national past time here, New house's, improving and renovating is a cornerstone of our culture i believe, We love our homes, and Surprising there has not been a similar show sooner. So finding the right homes for the show has not been a problem.

Secondly, The Host was chosen Wisely, Peter Maddison lets the pictures and owners tell the story with little interference only guiding it along and putting in his 2 cents only when it matters.

Overall a great show which i think Kevin Mc'cloud would be happy to have his Grand designs UK show associated with it. 10/10

It is interesting to see the planning and construction of these houses. However, on the vast majority of cases these are houses being build costing vast sums of money. You do not get to see average people attempting to build a unique house of their dreams on a limited budget. I do get it that the show is called "Grand" designs and this inferring that the builds are expensive. But it is hard to relate to the show as an average person when you can't afford what is being done. The most frustrating part of the show is that not once have I heard the final structures being described as awful. On a number of occasions the final construct is woeful. ( Yes I know that is subjective) However, to laud over every building as a masterpiece, when clearly they are not, discredits the program.

Loved the house but my problem with the episode is in what was left out.

It was disappointing that in 2025 on ABC a big thing was made about the history of the family owning the block back to 1860. As if the land was Terra Nullius up to then. If you bring history into the story you need to offer more about what happened to the previous inhabitants? The land was evidently granted to the Irish settlers at the time. More than just acknowledgement of Country at the commencement of the episode is needed in this instance. First Nations peoples are owed the dignity of not being rendered invisible yet again. Here is the opportunity for some local truth telling. It wouldn't take much extra research to learn the fate of the Yaggera peoples who were forced to vacate that land and tell their story. Just two extra lines in the episode would contribute to some healing across Australia.