Hidealoo set to make appearance on Grand Designs special

in

A London self-build project, completed by architectural engineer Monty Ravenscroft, which featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs programme, is set to hit TV screens once again as part of an anniversary special airing this September.

‘Grand Designs: 25 Years & Counting’ is being broadcast on 11 September and will see presenter Kevin McCloud revisiting some of the series’ most memorable and challenging builds.

Monty first wowed audiences with his ‘Peckham House’ project when it appeared on the TV programme back in 2005. With very little space or budget to play with and only a tiny ‘sliver’ of land in south east London to build on, Monty needed to get creative with a range of space-saving inventions. He went on to design various moving elements within the property that would help optimise the use of the space available; from a bath hidden beneath a sliding bed to a foldaway sink and a sliding glass roof that opens to transform the main living space into an open air courtyard.

The innovation continued in the years following the initial filming, as Monty looked for even more ways to optimise the space. One such idea being a unique foldaway toilet mechanism, he named the Hidealoo, which inspired him to launch a new business.

The frame allows a toilet to be rotated through 90 degrees, meaning it can be hidden within a cupboard or wall recess when not in use. For households who are short on space, this offers a clever solution for moving a toilet out of the way when not in use, freeing up valuable floor space and opening up opportunitues for installing extra facilities.

Since officially launching as a business last year, Hidealoo has won multiple industry awards and orders have been flooding in from homeowners and property developers across the world.

Monty commented: “Appearing on Grand Designs was an incredible experience, and it was a pleasure to welcome the film crew back to Peckham House – almost 20 years later – to see all the additional enhancements we have since made. I think the house was one of the more unusual to be featured over the years, but having just a small plot certainly did nothing to dent our ambition!

He continued: “The contact I have had with people from all over the world inspired by our journey to make our home has been extraordinary and uplifting. This has often reminded me to believe in myself and not give up striving to achieve something new and special.

“The audience feedback also inspired me to create a new business too, as I could see so many ways a foldaway toilet might help other homeowners facing the same challenge – having limited space to play with. It was around the same time that my father also needed discreet access to a toilet when in his bedroom, during his palliative care. I could see so many potential uses and it seems I was right, with interest now coming from all over the world!”

Peckham House will be open to the public on September 22nd as part of Open House London weekend. For more details visit https://programme.openhouse.org.uk/listings/3831

Grand Designs: 25 Years & Counting is being broadcast on 11 September at 9pm on Channel 4.

To find out more, please email contact@hidealoo.com or call +44 (0)1420 557564