George Clarke

“I sometimes feel housing should be non-political, like the NHS, ring-fenced and protected and not a political stick that's thrown around.”

“I'm a big fan of contemporary art.”

“We should be building houses like we build cars - controlled environment, huge amount of research and development, high levels of quality control.”

“Buildings are storytellers. They teach us about our history, good and bad. They tell stories about people.”

“How to decide on the right style, fabric and colour of window treatments in your home is a tough decision and can make or break the look of a room.”

“Every time I go into a vinyl-floored bathroom I feel I'm in a hospital, care home or weird institution. Or a really cheap hostel somewhere.”

“Most paints used in homes are oil-based and therefore less energy-efficient.”

“We do have some beautiful houses in Britain, but we do have some pretty ugly ones as well, and I always think that every house has the potential to be amazing.”

“If you build your own home, it's usually something you wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. But with this type of project, you tend to be the builder and the main contractor, and you're managing every stage of the process. Nobody else is making a profit. You get the home of your dreams at a better value.”

“At 16, I left school and started work as an intern in a local architect's practice.”

“I think even when 'Restoration Man' came about I made a conscious decision that we wanted projects that were as affordable as possible.”

“I love storytelling through old photographs.”

“There are times when I go around England and I'm horrified by the pebble-dash houses with plastic windows against the coast.”

“Bay windows are big and beautiful and will open up a home far more than a normal window. There's more glass on show and the shape projects across three planes. This lets in so much sought-after sunlight and offers excellent views up and down the street - it's why bay windows are so popular.”

“In the U.K. we are shed mad and the level of inventive design and eccentricity is an entirely new world. I love it because the humble shed is like an escape.”

“I've gone the full hog with ecological upgrades.”

“It may seem like a wacky idea to have a vertically rotating house, but the whole point of a prototype design is to challenge our preconceptions and strive for greater innovation.”

“My kids are the best presents I've ever had in life. My second choice was when my uncle gave me my first car when I was 17 - now that was life changing!”

“Every parent like me thinks about the future. We worry about our parents, who are getting older and how we may have to look after them, and we wonder if our own children are ever going to be able to move out and afford a place of their own.”

“The majority of men can see and visualise the end part of the build, and their wives go, 'I just can't get it.' The common phrase I hear from women is, 'He gets to do the build, he can project manage all that - and I'll do the interior design, decide the look of it, decide what the kitchen's going to be like, decide the tiles.'”