STUDENT Ben Huckerby thought it was just another night out on the town when he got into conversation with a couple of strangers about the ideal home.

But the chance meeting in a Leeds bar turned into the opportunity of a lifetime and tonight Ben is to be hailed on television as the man who designed "the best house in Britain".

Because Ben was chatting to millionaire businessmen Michael Roth-well and Terry George who had bought a castle in Stainland to convert into their dream home.

Last Thursday they were named as winners of Channel Five's I Own Britain's Best Home and tonight Ben's work will be shown in detail.

"It was just the most brilliant piece of luck," says Ben, 26. "Talk about being the right place at the right time!

"I was in the last year of my degree course in internal architecture and I've always been passionate about design. I started talking to these guys about how I'd love to make the most of all the natural features and create a classically modern style with just the right colours and lighting.

"So they asked me out to Folly Castle to have a look. The potential was amazing.

"Then I got a call from Michael to say they liked my ideas and wanted to hire me. It didn't do my university work any favours and but it was too good an opportunity to turn down."

Ben became designer and manager of the ambitious project and even moved into for three years to supervise every detail. The castle cost the businessmen £750,000 five years ago and Ben's remodelling cost a further £900,000.

But it was valued at £3.2 million before it was voted the Best House in Britain by viewers. "It's a fabulous place," says Ben. "Goodness knows what it is worth now."

The interior design was definitely not to Ben's taste. "It was very chintzy," he winced. "They had lots of tapestries and it looked more like a museum. Lots of the fantastic original features were there, but they were all covered up.

"A wonderful arrow slit window was covered by a wall hanging and the flag-stoned floor was carpeted." Ben and the new owners devised a long-term plan. "They wanted to do things slowly to make sure we got everything right," said Ben. "They wanted to get the feel of the house and know where the sun rose and set at different times of the year.

"The lounge had lime green and pink wallpaper. We took the walls right back to redbrick and sandblasted them.

"I've always liked the classically modern look of the Mal Maison hotel chain so I used a lot of deep colours, dark wood and textured fabrics.

"Each room was given its own identity, but we wanted something cosy and homely so comfort was a key concern."

But before all that there was lots of landscaping and redesigning to be done outside.

A stagnant lake was dragged, old outbuildings demolished, tree taken out and a hill remodelled. The half-mile drive through the nine-acre grounds past the deer park was what first impressed TV presenter Melissa Porter who visited for Channel Five's hit series.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find a more idyllic setting," said Melissa.

"It's the ultimate des-res… an enchanting historical home that sits majestically in the 21st century."