Retiree Dennis and part-time school worker Christine had always dreamed of living by the sea in a place big enough to host their large family. A former B&B in Margate with six bedrooms seemed the answer to their prayers but seven years later, they are still at a loss as to how to turn the rambling, early-20th-century property into a comfortable family home.

In the past, the property has been extended, creating a ground floor that is big on floor space but seriously low on light. The couple’s main living area is dingy and cut off from the garden by a scruffy storage area. What was once the grand entrance has been turned into a gloomy utility room, and the maze of rooms is a worry for Dennis, who has worsening mobility issues and spends lots of time home alone while Christine is out at work.

They are an outspoken couple with strong views but when it comes to troubleshooting the solution, the couple present a less than united front. Christine is proud of the new kitchen she designed herself, but Dennis would rather sweep it away and start from scratch. What is more, decisiveness isn’t their strong point - Christine took three months to choose the handles for the kitchen cupboards.

After years of bickering, the couple reluctantly hand the reins to architects Laura Jane Clark and Robert Jamison. But can they bring themselves to relinquish control to the pros?

First to don the VR goggles and pitch an alternative vision is Laura, with a bid to restore the house to its early-20th-century elegance with a contemporary twist. But getting the couple to see beyond the details to the design principles proves a challenge. Holistic architect Robert focuses on future-proofing their home, presenting a vision for a radically different way of using the space that challenges Dennis and Christine’s preconceptions about how they live in their home.

For a couple who have been plagued by indecision for so long, picking a design to go with isn’t easy. But at last Angela and the winning architect return to Margate to see how the couple have interpreted the chosen design in real life. Seven years of stalemate have been broken at last, and the tired former B&B finally feels like a home. What was once a gloomy and awkward collection of rooms is now a light-filled series of welcoming living spaces. And more importantly, the house has gone from being a source of discord for Dennis and Christine to a place where they can live harmoniously side by side. Show less