Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Job: Inside Their House Renovation
Alan Carr and Amanda Holden have returned with a new house renovation, only this time they’re in the south of Spain.
BBC’s hugely popular Amanda and Alan’s Italian Job saw the duo renovate dilapidated ‘one Euro’ houses. Series one was in Sicily, and series two was in northern Tuscany (their Italian property was on the market with Rightmove for €220,000).
For series three, they are taking on their biggest project yet in Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Job, where they’ll tackle a rambling, rundown property in the province of Andalusia.
With many rural areas suffering from depopulation, Amanda and Alan are hoping to bring the tourists back by highlighting some unloved and forgotten areas around the Costa del Sol. Along the way, they’ll be learning new DIY skills and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.
‘We can’t wait to grab our power tools and get our hard hats on and bring some much-needed TLC to a casa in Spain,’ said comedian and Interior Design Masters presenter Alan.
Alan and Amanda removing window frames in the bar room
THE RENOVATION
Alan and Amanda’s new project is a rundown three-storey Andalusian townhouse, which they’ll be transforming into a boutique B&B. Like any renovation, it’s a big project: there’s over 2,000 square feet to contend with, plus a roof in need of repair and a crumbling outbuilding. Sicily-based home builder and project manager, Scott Thompson, is also on hand to help them take on their biggest and most ambitious renovation project yet.
The renovated property will incorporate traditional Andalusian influences, with the interiors drawing inspiration from the region’s Moorish style and timeless architecture.
Throughout the series, we’ll see Alan and Amanda enlist the help of Lee Thornley, founder of specialist tile company Bert & May. Lee plays a pivotal role in consulting on the ageing Andalusian property’s design and sharing his knowledge in tiles and design.
In fact, part of Alan and Amanda’s inspiration came from Lee’s award-winning boutique hotel, Casa la Siesta, which is nestled in the Cadiz countryside and where reclaimed tiles are used throughout.
Inside Lee Thornley’s boutique hotel, Casa la Siesta: Left: reclaimed plain Patchwork tile. Right: reclaimed Alhama tile.
A standout feature of Alan and Amanda’s house renovation is the use of Bert & May’s raw zellige tiles, which are loved for their handcrafted, organic texture. The duo visit the Bert & May reclamation yard in Southern Spain where they select beautiful tiles and architectural salvage pieces for the property, including reclaimed patterned tiles for the central island unit in the kitchen, and reclaimed and handmade cement tiles in the bedroom. Lee and Alan also create a bespoke tile based on Bert & May’s Moclin pattern.
Alan and Lee at the tile factory in Cordoba
‘I’m thrilled to be part of this incredible project with Amanda and Alan,’ says Lee. ‘Andalusia holds a special place in my heart, and it’s an honour to showcase its rich design heritage while helping breathe new life into this beautiful region.’
View the gallery below for before pics, and to see Alan and Amanda’s renovation progress:
Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job: Inside the renovation
SPANISH TRADITIONS
Alan and Amanda will also throw themselves into Spanish traditions, indulging in the local cuisine and joining summer festivals, as well as travelling the breadth of Andalusia to discover the rich, varied landscape of the Sierra Nevada mountains, whitewashed coastal villages and historic Moorish towns.
Amanda and Alan among the orange trees at a farm in Seville
‘It’s wonderful how often I’m stopped in the street and told how much people love our show,’ says Britain’s Got Talent judge and Heart radio presenter Amanda. ‘Alan and I have the best time filming it, and to have reached series three already is beyond the dreams of our lockdown pitch to the BBC!
‘By day we love getting our hands dirty knocking down walls and lugging around power tools knowing we’ll be sipping on an ice-cold reward by night, forgetting the cameras are rolling! Bring on the Spanish sun, we can’t wait to get started and continue to help Comic Relief and Children In Need along the way.’
WHERE AND HOW TO WATCH
There are eight 30-minute episodes of Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Job, airing every Friday at 8pm on BBC One. Catch up on BBC iPlayer.
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Olivia Heath is the Daily Editor at House Beautiful. Heading up all things digital, Olivia loves uncovering tomorrow’s biggest design trends and sharing the best decorating tips, small space living solutions, and houseplant care advice, plus compiling the most stylish high street homeware buys, as well as spotlighting the hottest and most unique properties on the market. She also covers some of the biggest events in the calendar, including all the action from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Colour of the Year forecasts from Pantone to Dulux, and exclusive previews of all the new Christmas collections before it hits the shops.
Olivia has been writing about homes and interiors for the past seven years, and her work has also been published on House Beautiful US, Elle Decor US, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Red, Prima, Town & Country, Elle Japan, Modern Living and Micasa Revista.
Prior to joining House Beautiful, Olivia worked at Reveal magazine, where she reported on celebrity and entertainment news by day, and attended showbiz parties and red carpet events by night! Olivia has an MA in Journalism with an NCTJ qualification, as well as a BA in Journalism and Media & Cultural Studies.
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