Floating homes on channel 4

[pophops]

Thurs. Nov 12 on Channel 4 at 8.00pm.

 

Lifted from the tv listing.

 

In this special episode of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces, George joins forces with upcycling expert Max McMurdo. Max dreams of becoming mortgage-free by selling his house and using the £50,000 profit to build a custom designed floating home in a 40ft shipping container. Max then plans to moor his new house in a local marina and start his idyllic new life on the water. George gets a taste of the luxury floating home lifestyle when he visits a cutting-edge, wrap-around glass house near Canary Wharf in Docklands, London. George also travels to Denmark, a nation responsible for some of the most ingenious floating homes in Europe, to see an incredible hand-made house built for just £10,000.

 

Should be worth a look.

[Athy]

Yes it could well be.

"Upcycling"??? What the hell's that supposed to mean? Ah well, this MacMurdo cove is apparently an expert at it so he'll be able to tell us.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Athy

[Chagall]

Yes it could well be.

"Upcycling"??? What the hell's that supposed to mean? Ah well, this MacMurdo cove is apparently an expert at it so he'll be able to tell us.

 

Upcycling = To reuse something that would normally be discarded, in such a way that makes it worth considerably more.

[colmac]

So can you "down cycle" then ?

[OldPeculier]

So can you "down cycle" then ?

Yes. Stick it in landfill

[metanoia]

I thought "down cycling" was what we used to call freewheeling -

and "up cycling" was what we all did with the things people gave away when they replaced them before we entered the throwaway age?

[matty40s]

So can you "down cycle" then ?

But a Springer from Whilton(with last years survey) and move it to London for many years trouble free liveaboard accomodation at a location within 10 minutes cycle ride from your workplace..

[carlt]

So can you "down cycle" then ?

Upcycling is where you take a piece of old cheap chipboard or MDF furnitue, slap a coat of Farrow and Ball "Elephant's Breath" paint on it to make it look presentable.

 

If you then beat it with chains it becomes "Shabby Chic".

 

Downcycling is where you perform the same process on a nice piece of solid wood furniture that really doesn't deserve this treatment.

 

Restoration is where you undo the damage caused by "downcyclers".

Edited November 11, 2015 by carlt

[Peter X]

That sounds about right carlt. However in my area none of these things happen, because if someone decides they no longer want a piece of furniture they just dump it on the pavement and it sits there until the council get around to removing it a month or so later.

 

Now and again I take one of the better pieces, generally where there is solid wood and/or useful fittings to be had, and dismantle it and store the good bits in my shed for future use. This process might have a fancy name, but I call it "that'll be useful". There's so much chipboard chucked out that I'm very selective; I only bother if I get to it before the first rain falls on it, and either I have a particular purpose in mind for it or it's a good unblemished large piece.

[Nightwatch]

Single minded= uni-cycle. To make one item out of numerous items.

[Athy]

Single minded= uni-cycle. To make one item out of numerous items.

I thought a uni-cycle was the period of time that someone spent as a student.

[Larentia]

A floating shipping container? Yikes. £50k spent on an actual boat would make more sense. I don't wonder why I don't watch television.

Edited November 11, 2015 by MissyLisaMarie

[Quaysider]

I did watch that and whilst thinking some of his ideas (space efficiency wise) were ok... couldn't help but think his "mortgage free" claim was a bit futile, given his 400 quid a month - forever, mooring fees... what's he achieved?

[Leemc]

Exactly my thoughts. Great space, very well designed but £400 per month rent!!! That's hardly mortgage free.