Find out more about the designers and builders putting their own fees on the line for The Renovation Game.
The Master Builders
Paul Collyer
Master builder Paul Collyer has been in the construction industry for around 24 years. He has qualifications in bricklaying, carpentry and has a vast experience on all aspects of building. He has run his own building company for 12 years and has undertaken a range of projects in both domestic and commercial fields. For the last 10 years Paul has also been a successful property developer. He particularly prides himself on providing a dedicated service and an extremely high quality of workmanship. Paul is able to plan and implement a complete build package from planning permission, architectural services and project management, right through to interior design.
Paul Puccioni
Paul Puccioni - otherwise known as Puch - is a multi-talented master builder. He has a degree in French and Italian, also speaks three other languages and has written two novels. In addition to all this he also has 25 years experience in the building trade. Paul never intended to become a builder but he did building work during his university holidays, to pay for a round the world trip afterwards... and found that he rather liked it. Indeed, Paul would say he loves his job. Fed up with everyone assuming that all builders are cowboys, Puch set up The Building Sheriff, a website that give laypeople advice about building prices, labour costs and tradesman's rates. It has quickly become a very popular independent price guide website.
The Builders
Jamie Brooks
Jamie has been in the construction industry since he left school at 16 but he learnt the beginnings of his trade from his dad from the age of 11 onwards. His specialist area is carpentry and joinery and he studied this for three years at Guildford College. He's not only a chippy, he also has an eye for contemporary design that enables him to create some fashionable and clever storage solutions for modern housing - he loves making amazing things from wood. Jamie works for himself and over the years has moved from pure cabinet-making jobs into project managing more general building jobs such as loft and basement conversions. Jamie is young, cool and good looking. He describes himself as easygoing and good under pressure, in fact the more pressure the better, really!
Huntley Thawe
Huntley is an all round handyman who's been in the business for 20 years. He has a range of skills, including plumbing, tiling, kitchen & bathroom fitting, carpentry, plastering and floor fitting. Huntley describes himself as the joker in the pack and his motto is that work is about the 'banter', not the work - otherwise it's too boring! Huntley is a team player who will always be at hand to help and will work late to make sure his work gets finished. He admits that his mouth can get him in trouble as he's very vocal and doesn't always think things through, but he never means anyone harm and although he's expressive he doesn't really get angry and never holds grudges. When he's not on the working on a building site he runs a DJ business working at parties and in night clubs... and yes, he's one of those DJs who likes to talk!
Philippa Tuttiett
From a very young age, Philippa's father encouraged her involvement in his building company and throughout her teenage years both her father and grandfather (a highly successful carpenter) taught her many trades including plastering, tiling, carpentry and rendering. She is now the third generation of successful and respected builders and runs her own company called FBI - Female Building and Interiors - which she started in 2007 after obtaining a BA degree from Cardiff University in Communications. Philippa works with The Construction Youth Trust offering construction courses to women and young people in Wales and encouraging them to go into the construction business. Off the building site, Philippa is a talented rugby player and has represented Wales in Rugby Union, 7's Rugby and Touch Rugby. She's won the Welsh Rugby Union player of the year and recently was nominated for Welsh Touch Rugby Player of the year.
Yves Way
Yves's active mind and creative personality has always kept him busy. After leaving school, he worked on a local construction site labouring for a variety of trades. Deciding to do his City and Guilds in carpentry, Yves was accepted by a local building company to become an apprentice and three years later he was awarded a certificate from the Institute of Carpenters. By the time he was 20, Yves was in charge of a small team of shop fitters and managing projects and the following year he started his own business, RightWay Carpentry, specialising in kitchen fitting. Yves has a passion for property and has bought and renovated a number of his own. Yves says 'I love what I do - it's my job and my hobby!' Away from work Yves is very active in sport, from running and swimming to Thai Boxing, having had seven professional fights and trained in Thailand. He has now retired from competing and just trains for fun and fitness.
Angie Parkinson
Angie Parkinson is a 27 year old gas engineer/plumber from Blackpool, Lancashire. In 2005 after a stint running a pub and working abroad Angie headed to her local college and got an apprenticeship as a plumbers mate. Now, nearly seven years gas safe, she is loving learning all the trades and continues to have fun whilst she does it. Angie now runs her own business and is also in the middle of a university course in construction management which finishes in June 2012. Parting words from Angie? She would encourage anybody who wants to get into a trade to go for it, regardless of age, colour, or sex!
Steph Leese
Steph Leese started plastering 10 years ago as a way to put herself through university and afterwards continued to plaster for friends and family. She is a qualified HR Associate but was made redundant a couple of years ago and fell back upon her old hobby. She decided to refresh her qualifications and The Pink Plasterer was born. The business has gone from strength to strength and Steph now has eight plasterers on the books. Her company specialises in listed and graded properties. Steph juggles being a mum with growing her business and studying for her PTLLS (Preparing To Teach In The Lifelong Sector) certificate which will enable her to be able to start training others in plastering.
Marcel Reeves-Walker
Marcel Reeves-Walker has been in the building trade for over 12 years. He's an all rounder who can turn his hand to electrics, plumbing, carpentry, plastering, painting and tiling& anything a job throws at him really.
Marcel runs his own company and is used to adding value to properties on tight budgets and deadlines. He describes himself as gregarious, friendly and fun and he works well under pressure. Just as well really!
Tim Dalton-Dobson
Yorkshireman Tim Dalton-Dobson is a plasterer with 24 years experience in the trade. He specialises in all types of plastering.
Tim is a larger than life character who wears his heart on his sleeve. He drives an 'A Team' van and in 2010 built a Roman villa for English Heritage, the first time this was done in 1500 years. The work featured in the C4 programme, 'Rome Wasn't Built In A Day'.
The Design Team
Ben Hillman
Since winning 'The Next Big Thing' in Interior Design 2010 and presenting a series of design features for This Morning, Ben taught the nation how to adapt and upcycle furniture to create unique and individual living spaces, and ultimately achieve a little bling without the sting. Ben's feet have yet to hit the ground as he has gone on to work on a number of design and renovation programmes. Having formally studied Product and Furniture Design and with an affinity for all things home, Ben found early success launching one of the worlds first portable LED lights and then went on to prototype furniture designs for Conran. Ben cut his teeth in the world of interior styling at Wallpaper magazine and The White Company, working on many of their high profile design features and publications. Ben is a hands-on designer who likes to get involved with all things construction. With his unrelenting passion for design and architecture, along with his upbeat and chipper personality, his verve and creativity never fail to enthuse and entertain.
Debbie Greasley
Debbie has a wealth of experience and knowledge in property presentation, and is simply passionate about colour and design.She has whizzed through hundreds of tired-looking homes for homeowners, achieving the maximum value and a quicker sale. She styles showhomes for new housing developments, creating aspirational lifestyle looks. Debbie also loves designing for homeowners wanting to update their homes for living, too; from a simple colour scheme, a quick makeover, through to full-on renovations. Debbie's company CoCo Interiors Ltd has been established for over 14 years. She has had her work featured in At Home, Ideal Homes and House Beautiful magazines and has won an award for her styling skills. Debbie is also a professional colour consultant for a leading paint brand. Most of all, Debbie loves the reward of improving someone's life by making their homes a better place to live in!
Alex Reeves
Alex has worked as an interior and set designer for ten years. Originally from Grimsby, she studied furniture design in Leeds before heading to London to find work. She's worked her way up from the bottom, starting as an assistant with a set designer - and now is responsible for the makeover and turnaround of entire houses. Although Alex is a designer, she's not afraid to get her hands dirty and is competent with a paintbrush and basic DIY skills. She sees her role in sourcing the details that will make all the builders work look great, as well as helping out with the painting and detail work of the makeover.
Alex has previously worked with TV programmes such as The Home Show, Mad About The House and House Doctor. As such, she's got a good idea of how to make the best of a home in a short time frame.
