Why don't they ever mention the acoustics of the homes they show on Grand Designs? You've only got to hear the hollow sound of Kevin's footsteps to know that a lot of these concrete and glass houses may look fantastic but they've got the acoustics of a public toilet. All those hard flat surfaces, wall-to-wall glass, no carpets, no curtains, minimal soft furnishings. Not my idea of a home. And the hifi/TV sounds like a busker on Leicester Square Underground station. As far back as the Tudors it was usual to hang tapestries to, among other things, tame the acoustics of the baronial halls.

Do the designers of these "grand designs" even consider the acoustics, or include an assessment of the acoustics in the design proposal? Kevin never mentions it.

They did mention it last night - they had to reconsider the openplan-ness because they said the child would be able to hear the tv in his bedroom. And also said they could not boil a kettle and hear the tv (until they built the extension). And on a previous show a couple of weeks ago Kevin raised the question of noise penetrating through a largely open plan house and the people said, oh we don't mind there's only us here.

I agree it is incredible they don't seem to consider the implications in advance.