A couple who commissioned the building of a dream home have been accused of driving up its cost to £5 million after dithering over their choice of toilet roll holders and door handles.

Stuart Russell, a property financier, and his wife Naomi, had hoped to spend less than a year on building the bespoke luxury house at a cost of just £2m, saying it would be “everything we wanted”.

But the project eventually went £3m over budget and it took nearly a decade for the home, near Hampstead Heath in north London, to be completed.

Incensed at the delays and overspend Mr and Mrs Russell decided to sue Peter and Linda Stone, the husband and wife team they had originally hired to manage the project, for £1.8m plus interest.

For their part the Stones, both 61, have accused the Russells of being to blame for the debacle themselves, saying they wasted money and caused delays by agonising over choosing the interior details, including door handles, toilet roll holders and ironmongery.