Design, Grand Designs houses, Interior Design
How the Grand Designs Threshing Barn inspired my design journey
We chat with designer and artist Helena Traill — daughter of Grand Designs alumni Phillip and Angela of the Threshing Barn — to find out how it influenced her life
Grand Designs has now been around for 26 years, with 25 series gracing our screens, alongside international spin offs and special The Street episodes.
We’ve seen hundreds of self build projects, met countless families and individuals trying to achieve their dream.
But what happens next? After the dust has settled and the TV cameras have packed up, it’s real life isn’t it?
We chatted to Helena, eldest daughter of Grand Designs alumni, Phillip and Angela Traill about their unique Grand Designs journey – and how their experience on the show changed her life.
Helena is a designer, artist and visual storyteller
Helena’s parents’ Grand Designs episode aired in 2003, and was the first cover of the print Grand Designs Magazine
Helena is a neurodivergent designer, artist and visual storyteller.
Originally from Surrey, she’s now based between London and Bristol, and has a Graphic Communication Design degree from Central Saint Martins and a Masters in Healthcare and Design from the Royal College of Art.
“With my artwork, I aim to transform everyday landscapes into sensory experiences.
“I like to say that means I think in pictures, not in words, therefore colour and movement is a very important part of my work.” Helena explains.
“Earlier this year I had a solo exhibition in Chelsea, and currently have work on display at the Royal Society of Arts in London.
“In parallel to being an artist, I also run a creative co-design agency called nooh Studio. I work with healthcare organisations and communities to tell meaningful stories through design.
“I’m also the author of The Ideas Machine, this is a weekly blog where I share what it is like to build a creative business as someone with AuDHD.
“This includes the challenges as well as the many ideas and tools that I use to make it all work.” Helen adds.
The barn featured in the first ever print edition of Grand Designs Magazine (above)
The Threshing Barn
Helena’s parents’ Grand Designs episode aired in 2003, a whopping 22 years ago. It was the first cover of the print Grand Designs Magazine – and it also stuck in many fans minds due to the tragic story of her father, Philip Traill trying to get it finished for his family after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
The Threshing Barn was a Grade II listed Victorian timber-clad barn in Surrey, but Philip and Angela (Helena’s parents) had difficulties combining the traditional with their ultra modern design ideas.
“The Threshing Barn was originally a Victorian agricultural building in Surrey, and in 2003, when I was six-years-old, my parents took it on as a renovation project.
“It became a part of the season 3 of Grand Designs on Channel 4, as they transformed it into our family home.
“Just before building the barn, my father was diagnosed with cancerous brain tumours but, despite this, he was still incredibly hands-on throughout the project.
“The house became a true reflection of his vision, determination and resilience.
“Growing up in that space shaped so much of how I see the world.
“We were literally living inside a Grand Designs house, with all the quirks, light and creativity that came with it.” Helena shares.
Helena stayed at The Threshing Barn until she left home at 18 to study in London.
Philip passed away at home in 2024, after living with the brain tumours for 24 years, and her mum still lives there.
“It will always be a really special place to me, not just because of the architecture, but because of everything that it represents about our family.”
The first ever print cover of Grand Designs Magazine, featuring Threshing Barn and Kevin McCloud
A unique childhood
What was it like having your childhood spent in a Grand Designs home though, and how does it shape you as an adult?
“Growing up in the Threshing Barn was quite unique.
“Because it was a barn conversion, the space was really open, with high ceilings, lots of natural light, the walkway, helical staircase and clean lines.
“The design was simple and modern – even by today’s standards when it’s over 20 years old! But it still felt warn with a real sense of calm in the way the space flows.
“That environment has definitely shaped the way I think and feel about space and design now, and maybe why I’m drawn to light-filled, expansive compositions in my art.
“I’ve always has an appreciation for openness and clarity, and that comes through in the way I work now.” Helena explains.
Helena and Philip Traill
The Grand Designs experience
The Grand Designs experience has been a quiet but powerful influence throughout Helena’s life.
She recalls having the day off school to film with Kevin and going to the pub for lunch.
Helena remembers: “Watching my parents take on that project was incredibly inspiring.
“They had such a strong vision for the Threshing Barn and poured so much love and energy into making it a home.
“Going back and watching the episode now is always quite emotional – it reminds me of their determination, creativity, and the belief that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
“The house was more than just a building, it was a reflection of who they were.
“Growing up there, in the middle of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Surrey, gave me a deep sense of place.
“It’s something that’s really stayed with me, and you can see it in my paintings.
“I often explore landscapes and home as themes, because I’ve always felt the importance of feeling grounded in the space around you.
“My parents set the tone for everything that’s followed. They showed me and my sister what it means to dream big and follow through.
“My sister is now in her mid-20s, touring as a professional musician in big West End musicals (currently touring with Moulin Rouge).
“I have built a creative agency and an artistic practice, and I strongly believe that our upbringing, and the Threshing Barn, gave us both the confidence to build lives around the things we love.”
Philip, Helena and her sister riding horses
A special connection
Helena still feels a real connection to Grand Designs to this day.
“The magazine issue is still proudly displayed in our family home and is one of my parents’ most prize possessions.
“The brand has always stood for forward-thinking, innovative architecture, and that’s exactly what my parents achieved with the barn.”
“Even now, over 20 years later, people still comment on the minimal shapes, and the touchscreen lighting.
“These were all features that were way ahead of their time. The space remains modern and thoughtful, which is a testament to their vision.
“For my Dad, building the barn was his dream, and it became his sanctuary.
“Once of his wishes was to die at home, and my mum made that happen.
“She supported him right up to the end with incredible strength and love.
“The day he passed, the funeral director turned out to be a Grand Designs superfan, which felt oddly perfect – my dad would have loved that.”
The Grand Designs experience has been a quiet but powerful influence throughout Helena’s life
Helena Traill showcasing her paintings, which are now hugely popular with interior designers in a full circle moment. Photo: Theo Gray
Full circle moment
Now that Helena’s artwork has risen in popularity with interior designers, she’s had a real full circle moment from her Grand Designs history.
Helena shares: “Interior design and the use of colour have always been really important to me.
“I grew up in a home where every detail was carefully considered, so it makes sense that designers are drawn to the way I use space and colour in my work.
“What makes it even more meaningful, is that one of my dad’s paintings (featuring a field of sunflowers, with a barn (of course) on the horizon, still hangs in the Threshing barn, with one of my own pieces hanging alongside.
“The visual dialogue between our work, in the home he created, means a lot.
“It feels like a quiet continuation of his legacy and a moment of connection between the past, and the artistic path I am carving out now.”
So, is Helena a Grand Designs superfan? “I don’t watch it religiously like my feather did, but obviously the heartbreak house in Hackney Downs was a moving story, and I really like the pops of colour in the West London Mews House.”
Watch the Grand Designs Threshing Barn episode on All4 here
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