The first thing that strikes you about Oliver Heath’s home is its colour. Many of the streets in the North Laine area of Brighton have houses painted in every pastel hue. Those on Heath’s street, however, are mostly white – except for his.

It’s not just the slate-grey facade of this three-storey, two-bedroom Victorian terraced house that makes it unique. Heath, 36, an architect, interior designer, former presenter of the BBC’s Changing Rooms and eco-evangelist, has spent four years turning it into as environmentally friendly a home as possible. “I don’t want to compromise on design, but I’m always looking for an environmental way to achieve it,” he says.

Inside, colour is just as important; the walls are painted in muted, earthy tones to mirror the exterior. These are part of a sol-vent-free range Heath created with Earthborn.

Attention to detail is key: no part of the house has been left to chance. Walls have been knocked down, then reshaped, and the rooms filled with reclaimed objects, as befits Heath’s vision of true eco-chic.

The front door opens onto an open-plan sitting room and kitchen-dining area. Heath had a bathroom at the back knocked down and built a sun deck with a glass floor outside, above the basement garden. “It creates a perspective as you walk in from the street,” he says. “Now you can see all the way through to the outside at the back.”

Heath and his girlfriend, Katie, a jewellery designer, often have breakfast there, at a table and benches made of reclaimed scaffolding wood (one of his own inventions). Because the outdoor space is tiny, the wood panels – which are bolted against the brick wall between properties – are hinged so they can be folded away when not in use.

It’s ingenious, and all part of Heath’s belief that you don’t have to spend a lot to be environmentally ethical. “The whole thing cost less than £10,” he says. “That’s cheaper than a couple of nasty plastic chairs.” The glass floor serves another purpose. “We don’t own a tumble dryer,” he explains, “but we can dry clothes outside all year because the floor protects the basement garden from bad weather.”

Heath is brimming with such ideas: much of his ethos is about creating something individual. He stops at the top of the stairs to show me the mismatching banisters. “They’re reclaimed,” he says. “It adds character.”

Upstairs are a master bedroom and a bathroom, converted from a second bedroom. Their 18-month-old daughter, Lyla, sleeps in the basement, next to the couple’s work space.

There isn’t a room in the house that doesn’t feature reclaimed wood, and the same goes for some of the stained floorboards. “I feel the house captures the spirit of the city,” he says. “It has elements of the beach, as well as the glamour.”

For Heath, who grew up in Brighton, creating a seaside feel was crucial. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the bathroom, where the floor is made of pebbles set in solvent-free resin. “It gives a wonderful textural feel to the room,” he says. And it is good for the environment: “Tiles require a lot of energy to produce and there are toxins in the glazes. These pebbles come from a beach in southeast Asia, where they have been ground down to make them smooth.”

The lighting has all the wow factor you could wish for: hundreds of tiny fibreoptic lights dangle an inch from the ceiling over the double-ended bath. To add drama, the tap is in the ceiling, so water cascades down into the bath, creating lots of bubbles. The lights, activated by an infrared panel, all come from one source, so are suitably low-energy.

The master bedroom next door isn’t huge, but Heath had a few design tricks up his sleeve, knocking through into the loft to give more height. “There is still attic space above the stairs and bath-room,” he explains, “but it wasn’t high enough to convert, so I had the flat ceiling raised to a point.” The partition wall was also moved back, allowing for wardrobe space.

The most magical creation in the room, however, is the bed itself. Heath built it from reclaimed wood, fixing the legs about 1ft in from each corner. With fairy lights underneath, it looks as if it is floating on light. “Always have the bed off the floor,” he advises. “It gives an impression of space.”

A wooden panel behind the bed is made from an old piece of fencing. “Everyone thought I was mad, but it provides a textural backdrop and contrasts with the chandeliers,” Heath says. The two antique chandeliers, which “add a touch of glamour”, hang either side of the bed, above old breakwaters that function as bedside tables. As Heath pulls back the heavy red drapes (from the local Sunday market, where he is a regular visitor), sunlight catches in the crystals and tiny rainbows dance across the wall. The effect is effortlessly romantic. “This house isn’t lavish or expensive,” he says. “Being environmental doesn’t have to be about money.”

For all his dedication to Brighton, Heath is moving to London. He has made an offer on a south-facing house with a garden in the heart of Covent Garden, and is already planning ethical home improvements. “We can have solar panels installed on the roof,” he says, “and a vegetable patch, so Lyla can learn about growing, composting and the cycle of nature.”

After so much effort, won’t he be sad to leave? “I’m looking forward to a new challenge,” he says. With all his creativity, you can well believe it.

Oliver Heath’s house is on sale for £425,000, with Brighton & Hove Family Homes; 01273 689087, www.brightonandhovefamilyhomes.co.uk

Top tips for an ethical home

Recycled wood Heath’s reclaimed floorboards are from Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project (www.woodrecycling.org.uk).

Bedside tables and bench supports are pieces of groyne or breakwater, rescued from the beach.

Loft insulation Heath used Thermafleece sheep’s-wool insulation from Second Nature (about £7.10 per square metre; www.secondnatureuk.com ).

Heating Heath invested in a condensing boiler by Vaillant. It has a weather sensor, which means that it heats water more in winter and less in summer. Prices start at £910 (www.vaillant.co.uk).

Lighting LED lights are much more energy-efficient than low-energy light bulbs, lasting 100,000 hours compared to 4,000.

Television A projector throws 5ft-wide images onto what was the chimney breast and is now a smooth concrete wall. It uses far less energy than a plasma screen.

Cooking The Miele induction hob has an electromagnetic field over each ring. It heats the bottom of the pan – unlike gas, which flames around the base – preserving energy. The rings cool as soon as a pan is removed. The KM5940 model costs about £980 (www.miele.co.uk).

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