Making waves on a popular TV show, a celebrity make-up artist and boyfriend – both from Reading – left the host of Grand Designs 'awestruck' as they appeared on the 25th anniversary season of the show showcasing their self-built mansion. 

 Zara Findlay, 31, and Giuliano Rapoz, 29, who left presenter Kevin McCloud speechless, managed to finish their dream home both under budget and on time, whilst doing the majority of the work themselves, on the Channel 4 show.

The show, hosted by presenter Kevin McCloud, follows the journey of inspirational people creating their dream homes and is currently celebrating its 25th year on the air.

Viewers were introduced to the Reading couple who spent £135,000 on their one-acre plot of land to build a mansion in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Although McCloud had doubts about whether the couple could complete the home under the £700,000 budget, the presenter was proved wrong dubbing it ‘a miracle’.

Alongside her work as a Bobbi Brown make-up artist, Zara has had the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kiera Knightley where she was given the opportunity to do the stars make-up for boutique store Erdem.

In what she calls a “pinch me moment”, the Reading influencer also did Jasmine Jobson’s makeup for Bobbi Brown’s advertisement.

Experienced in showcasing her talent, Zara was more than ready to show viewers what she could do when given a £700,000 budget to create the 17th- century inspired mansion.

Her boyfriend, Giuliano Rapoz, currently works for Microsoft on their AI team, however since completing the project he said that he considers himself a ‘part-time builder'.

The Grand Designs journey started when the pair began an Instagram account for their new home named 'The Foxes Maltings'. Soon they were updating the page every day, bringing their 10,000 followers along with them for the ride.

They both gushed about their love and devotion to both the show and their project which they have put everything they have into.

Zara said: “We have sacrificed so much, and absolutely put our blood, sweat & tears into building our dream home, with the help of our amazing families and trades.”

The redesign of the 17th century malthouse came complete with a statement glass portal with a 30-metre pergola frame and a huge restaurant-size kitchen and dining room.

Reacting to the home, McCloud admitted that he could not have pulled it off himself and said the feat had “reshaped” his opinion of millennials.

He said: “It puts on quite a show. It’s all beautifully done and very tightly finished.

“That long shape of the malthouse, that’s really good… and in the middle of it is that great piece of theatre.”