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Minor M
  • 2 days ago
Interior Design Masters (2025) S06 E03
Transcript
00:01This week we're in Portsmouth where our designers are transforming retirement apartments.
00:07But forget doilies and denture dishes, this boomer generation demand luxury living.
00:13So girls, 2pm spa, 3pm pilates, 5pm G&Ts.
00:20I shouldn't even be thinking about retiring, I'm so young.
00:24That's okay, we take anyone from 60.
00:26Clearly you've got cataracts.
00:30Welcome to Interior Design Masters.
00:33Eight designers remain, hoping to win a collaboration contract for a range with John Lewis.
00:40Last time, shipping containers were repurposed into offices.
00:46Holly impressed the judges by throwing in the kitchen sink.
00:49Oh my, isn't that amazing?
00:52How cute is that?
00:54And one standout space.
00:57John went over the top.
00:59I felt that you felt you had to show me that you could do more and pattern and extra and plus, plus, plus.
01:04But it was Briony.
01:05Does it look a bit bare?
01:07It does at the minute, Alan.
01:08And Bradley.
01:09Russell, Russell.
01:10Who ended up in the firing line along with Emma.
01:14It's gravity, man.
01:15Who fell to earth with a bum.
01:17I think Emma is going to be you.
01:19Thank you so much for a lovely opportunity.
01:21I'm so glad I'm here and the sofa is done.
01:33That's in the past.
01:34I'm going to bring a bit more briny this week.
01:35We're designing for over 60s because the new 60s is cool.
01:43Not quite retirement age yet.
01:45I guess what I do know, it's not all stair lifts and grab rails.
01:49So when I think retirement homes, I think lots of beige.
01:54Yeah, but this one's going to be cool.
01:58How are we all doing?
02:01Well, well done on surviving the first two challenges.
02:07I think you're all realising now that this competition is a marathon, not a sprint.
02:13So the bad news is you've only run a couple of miles.
02:17So it's week three.
02:19We're off to the sea.
02:21Yes, we're heading to Portsmouth where you'll be working in pairs for the very first time.
02:26On the banks of the Solent is Royal Haslar Waterfront Village, a luxury retirement complex for the over 60s with plans for a pool, spa and gym.
02:38Each team will be transforming one show apartment, which includes a hallway, an open plan kitchen, diner, living room, a master bedroom and a guest room.
02:49I would like you to use these high-end show apartments to demonstrate just how exciting retirement could be as a next chapter in life.
03:00Your design should be luxurious to attract the sort of buyer that wants a home that reflects those aspirations.
03:07So, Craig, I would like you to work with Bryony.
03:10Hey.
03:12John, I'm going to pair you up with Rita.
03:15Hey.
03:15Aisha, I'd love to see you work with Holly.
03:20Great.
03:21So, of course, that means Bradley, you're going to be with Victoria.
03:25This week, two designers are getting sent home.
03:29As used to say at my school, a double dumping.
03:33So, would you like to get in your pairs?
03:35Hey.
03:36Hey, Holly.
03:37Hello there.
03:38So I think...
03:39Get designing and we'll see you in Portsmouth.
03:42Wouldn't it be nice if we were all the best?
03:46After a week of planning, the designers have arrived in Portsmouth.
03:50This is an amazing old building.
03:51Isn't it incredible?
03:53Once a major Navy base, the Royal Haslar Military Hospital played a key role in both world wars.
03:59Since peacetime, it's served as an NHS hospital and then lay abandoned until now.
04:06Oh.
04:07Oh, it is grand, isn't it?
04:10Oh, wow.
04:10It's right.
04:11That is lovely.
04:12Yeah.
04:13Each pair has split the rooms between them.
04:16That looks very gorgeous.
04:18It's mine.
04:19Don't take it.
04:20You've got the bench?
04:21I did get the bench.
04:22They have to build the idea of who's going to live there and then make me feel that I'm
04:27walking into that person's home.
04:29It can't be a caricature.
04:31It has to be something quite real and wholesome.
04:33Yeah, look.
04:34Very Julia and David, isn't it?
04:36So the couple that we decided live in this flat are David and Julia.
04:40They're people of the world.
04:41They love to travel.
04:42I'm really pleased.
04:43They're gorgeous.
04:43This is my favorite pieces here.
04:45The character that we created is Lola de Blanche.
04:48She used to be a lingerie designer back in the 70s.
04:51Now she decided to retire here for a bit of quiet, but she's still very wild.
04:56What do we think?
04:57Do you think this will work?
04:58Whilst most of the designers are imagining familiar characters...
05:02Our client is called Flo, and she has lived a fabulous life.
05:06She loves to be cruising up whiskey before going to bed.
05:09Others have gone adrift.
05:11We've got two characters that we're designing for, Pearl and Jack.
05:14Retired sailor and retired mermaid.
05:16I'm a retired mermaid.
05:18Our concept kind of centred around the ocean,
05:24but I wanted to do it in not a really obvious nautical way.
05:27So it was me that came up with the idea of retired sailor, retired mermaid.
05:31It kind of started off as a bit of a joke,
05:33but then Holly named them Jack and Pearl,
05:35and then we just ran with it.
05:36We met out at sea many years ago, and she was a mermaid.
05:42So she's magically got legs now.
05:45They're coming back to where it all started in Portsmouth.
05:51Throughout the whole apartment, we're painting it kind of a neutral off-white.
05:54So that's going to be on all the walls, ceilings, and the woodwork.
05:56We're just going to bring colour through accents,
05:58and then we're kind of focusing on bespoke elements,
06:01because that's what we're trying to bring the luxury.
06:03Aisha's living area will feature mid-century-style armchairs,
06:07a homemade organic coffee table,
06:09and unique prints and cushions by Holly.
06:12It will also have a custom wall-mounted media unit
06:16made from reclaimed scaffolding boards.
06:18The entire space, including Holly's dining area,
06:22complete with pearlescent crockery,
06:23will have a subtle colour change to the walls.
06:27I've almost painted the whole room.
06:29We knew it was off-white,
06:30but you can see the contrast between what it was.
06:32I love it.
06:34God, this is blue.
06:35Over at Rita and John's apartment,
06:37Rita's being brave with a dramatic colour choice for her dining area.
06:42Really? You'd be nice.
06:44Let it dry.
06:45Do you want it to be lighter or darker?
06:47Well, I wanted it to be like this.
06:49Let it dry and see what it's like.
06:51I've got these blue tiles.
06:53That wasn't offending my eye,
06:55so I'm painting the entire walls that dark blue to hide the tiles.
07:01Rita's rich blue colour palette is a nod to the building's naval heritage,
07:06which she hopes will create an opulent backdrop for the dining area.
07:10She's building a bespoke bookcase decorated with mementos and art,
07:14curated for fictional client Lola.
07:18Team-mate John will be across the living room,
07:21painting it with neutral tones to balance the space.
07:24He's adding luxury with a velvet sofa,
07:26wall panelling and custom artwork.
07:28Scott, I don't like the colour, but you know what?
07:32We're just going to go.
07:34It's fine, it's fine.
07:35Don't look at it until it's all done.
07:37Oh!
07:38Don't worry.
07:39Don't worry.
07:41I'm really happy with the green.
07:43Over in Bradley and Victoria's apartment,
07:46Bradley's feeling confident about his bold colour choice for the living room.
07:49Such a rich, deep colour, and it's going to bring all the spaces together.
07:54I've never done a living room before,
07:56and I just love the idea of putting our stamp on a big space.
08:00So bringing the outside in with a nice mural wallpaper,
08:04referencing the scenic views,
08:05and then in front of the panel and wallpaper,
08:08there's going to be a nice marble stone fireplace.
08:10Painting the ceiling green, I just thought,
08:12makes it a bit more cosy, a bit more luxurious, I think.
08:15In Craig and Bryony's apartment...
08:19Ooh!
08:21I hope it's in the right place.
08:22Oh, yeah.
08:23No, I love it.
08:25Bryony's adding visual interest to her living area
08:28by adding panelling to the walls.
08:30Yeah, that's my brain on a wall.
08:33And it really does make you feel the grandness of the room
08:36going all the way up to the ceiling.
08:38To me, panelling is super timeless,
08:40and also it makes the most of the glorious high ceilings.
08:43Bryony's panels will adorn all the walls
08:46in the living and dining space.
08:48To elevate the room,
08:50she's incorporating vintage furniture
08:51and an elegant chandelier,
08:53which she hopes will complement her neutral walls.
08:57We wanted a neutral to run throughout the apartment,
09:00so to Craig's dismay, we have gone warm white.
09:03It's quite luxe to just do this one colour palette everywhere
09:07and then bring in your bolder statements in the colourful.
09:10Oh!
09:11I love it!
09:15No, it is so much nicer than white, isn't it?
09:19Yes!
09:19I'll say that much.
09:20Come on, you're a combo.
09:21No, I do like it. It's very nice.
09:23I still don't know if I'm a neutral kind of guy,
09:26but it really does elevate a white room.
09:29So I have the mural, if you'd like to see it.
09:36One designer from each team
09:38has taken ownership of their apartment's master bedroom.
09:42Ooh!
09:44Nice!
09:46Victoria's designed hers with her fictional client in mind.
09:49I wanted to make a statement,
09:51so I am having a dark and demure space
09:53with a wallpaper mural that ties all the colours in together.
09:57Inspired by whiskey-loving pensioner Flo,
10:01Victoria's bedroom will be painted in inky blue
10:04to complement the floral mural,
10:06while a white border and dusty pink ceiling
10:08will provide a gentle contrast.
10:11The mural itself will be framed by two antique mirrors
10:14crafted by Victoria
10:15to create a stunning focal point behind the bed.
10:19This man I'm looking for.
10:21How confident are you in cutting mirror?
10:23I can see seven years' bad luck coming my way.
10:26They were completely free.
10:27They've just been repurposed as wardrobe doors,
10:30but they're a good bit bigger than expected
10:32so that it's not all fitting on the one wall.
10:34Hopefully we can cut them down enough to make it work.
10:41I'm not very comfortable with this.
10:44It's a nightmare.
10:46Do you want me to help you
10:47or do you want me to walk away and pretend it's not happening?
10:49Yeah, no problem, I can do that.
10:51Good luck.
10:52Thanks.
10:53I wish I actually normally see I'm quite good under pressure,
10:56but I feel like I'm cracking a wee bit today.
10:59As Victoria stresses about her master bedroom focal point...
11:03I need a steady hand for this.
11:05..Ayesha is working on a unique and glitzy feature for hers.
11:11My vision for the master bedroom
11:13was to try and create this kind of celestial vibe,
11:17doing, like, a sun.
11:19In gold leaf, around the light fitting.
11:21I guess, really, the idea is looking up at the sun
11:24and bringing nature in.
11:25I'm really glad I've done this
11:26because I think it's going to be really striking.
11:29I'm glad it's going up.
11:31So from this line here...
11:32OK.
11:33Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, down.
11:35Mm-hm.
11:35Green.
11:36Green.
11:36Rita's inspiration for her master bedroom canopy
11:39is from closer to the location.
11:42I wanted them to walk in and feel at ease.
11:44We have big windows and we have a great view.
11:47This is all about being calm and looking at the outside.
11:50I'm using an olive green to bring in the outside inside
11:54and I'm using a beautiful textured wallpaper.
11:56It feels like you're touching pebbles.
11:59Ooh.
11:59Hi, John.
12:00Look at this.
12:02What are you thinking?
12:02This is nice.
12:03Does it look like this pebble?
12:05My inspiration.
12:06It does.
12:07It does.
12:09Oh, pebbles.
12:10If you stroke it, it gives you the same sensation.
12:13Stroking your walls.
12:14Yeah.
12:15That's the whole idea of having textured wallpaper.
12:18Love the green.
12:19The green looks good, doesn't it?
12:20Yeah.
12:20Yeah.
12:21Riton.
12:22Riton.
12:23We're on it.
12:34Can't wait to get to the apartments
12:36to see how our designers are getting on.
12:38But I must say, on this water, I do feel a bit iffy.
12:42Are you all right, sir?
12:45I'm fine.
12:46I'm fine.
12:47It's just whenever I'm on a boat,
12:48I get a really bad case of the...
12:51Winslet.
12:53Jack!
12:54Jack, I'm flying!
12:59But, sir, we're still in dock.
13:03Oh.
13:07Hi, Craig.
13:07Well, hello, Alan.
13:08What are you making?
13:09I'm making fake bamboo trim.
13:13Please promise me you'll get out more.
13:15Why?
13:16Why?
13:18Well, I'm going for a sort of a tropical vibe.
13:21Oh, yes.
13:22In my master bedroom,
13:23and the budget didn't quite stretch to real bamboo.
13:26So I thought, I'm going to make some.
13:28OK, so tell me.
13:29So what's this, then?
13:30That's my half-round beading.
13:32You get a bit of wood filler,
13:33and you get a credit card,
13:36and I've cut two little grooves in it.
13:37Oh, how clever's that?
13:39And then you just make these little notches.
13:42Oh, I see.
13:43Look at this.
13:43And then, yeah.
13:44And then I spray it gold and I gild it.
13:46It does look like bamboo.
13:48You're very clever.
13:50I think you'd even fool a panda with that.
13:53Hmm.
13:53So listen, let me do one as well.
13:57Do you want to have a go?
13:57Because I want to learn.
13:58Like that, yes?
13:59Yeah.
13:59And then go like this.
14:00Yeah.
14:01And then you sort of drag it over.
14:03Oh, that's rubbish.
14:04It is rubbish actually.
14:04I'm going to do it again.
14:06What's it like working with Bryony?
14:08She's a joy.
14:09And I've embraced the neutrals.
14:11Get out of here.
14:12Yeah, I've got off-white walls.
14:14She's got pops of colour.
14:16So we are a good team, I think.
14:18Yes.
14:18Do you think this vintage tropical look's enough to get your standout space?
14:22Fingers crossed, Alan.
14:23I'm embracing the brief, so it's in the hands of the gods.
14:27I'm just going to leave you this.
14:29Thanks for that.
14:30And, you know, I don't want any money for it.
14:32If you do win standout space, mention me in your speech.
14:38Each apartment has a spare room,
14:41doubling up as a space for guests and for hobbies and crafts.
14:45So the designers need to find ways to make this space as versatile as possible.
14:49So the biggest thing we've got to build in here
14:52is this day bed.
14:54Holly's in charge of the spare room in her apartment
14:56and she has a big idea.
14:59I'm thinking we'll get this little scaffold shelf.
15:02Just your extra storage.
15:03And then if we've got room, a little floaty shelf.
15:05I do like that.
15:06And I like the drawing.
15:07Oh, thank you.
15:08I think it's important to have something else going on in the spare room,
15:12not just to make it purely a bedroom.
15:14So it can be somewhere where you can chill out and read a book,
15:17do hobbies, arts and crafts.
15:20Holly's spare bedroom has a nautical theme
15:23and will have maritime artwork.
15:25It will also have Venetian blinds
15:27than a custom-built day bed with built-in storage,
15:30which isn't as straightforward as she'd hoped.
15:34We need to chat about your day bed.
15:36So we've only got the one sheet of 6mm MDF,
15:39so we don't actually have enough material
15:42to build what you want to do.
15:43You're either going to have to alter the design...
15:46Yeah.
15:46..or find some more material.
15:49I might just have to think about it for like two minutes.
15:51I'll get on with something else while you do that.
15:53OK.
15:53Otherwise, we're going to run out of time.
15:55Cool.
15:56I was in a bit of denial about not having enough MDF.
15:58Like, I knew I didn't, but I kind of hoped it would be all right,
16:01but it's not.
16:02Yeah.
16:02I'll find a solution.
16:04While Holly searches for materials...
16:07I love blue in a bedroom.
16:08It is the exact blue that I wanted.
16:10..the other designers are giving their spare room
16:13some character with colour.
16:15All of the door is going to be drenched in the blue as well,
16:18so it should feel, like, really cosy, really engulfing.
16:21Oh, I think Julia will love this.
16:23She'll knit to her heart's content in here.
16:26Wow!
16:27No, it looks so good.
16:29For the spare bedroom, I have considered Flo's grandson,
16:33so it is going to be a bit more modern.
16:35Bringing it up onto the ceiling,
16:38it just brings the whole, like, canopy effect on the bed.
16:41Just emphasises a grand, luxurious illusion of a bigger headboard.
16:47Ooh!
16:48Hot!
16:48Hot!
16:49Whoa!
16:49So, in the guest bedroom,
16:52we're hopefully making a really big feature
16:53of the wall behind the bed.
16:55They'll be panelled and in the gorgeous cinnamon colour.
16:59There'll also be some bespoke artwork made in there
17:01that really picks up on the colours of that room.
17:04John!
17:05What colour would you describe this?
17:09Calling this the cinnamon wall.
17:12Is it really cinnamon?
17:13Do you have a different colour in mind?
17:14Satsuma?
17:15It'd be an off-satsuma.
17:17Off-satsuma.
17:18A mouldy-satsuma.
17:19A mouldy-satsuma.
17:20No, Susan, how's it all going?
17:21Cos last week, Michelle said,
17:22pair it back,
17:24but the buzzword this week is luxury.
17:26What?
17:26This is my luxury, my panelling,
17:29and this is my pairing it back, my beige.
17:32Oh, OK.
17:35We're going to my van,
17:36cos I've got a piece of OSB,
17:38and that might be the solution.
17:40For my day bed.
17:43You might be able to squeeze something out of this.
17:46I knew I'd work it out.
17:48See?
17:48Just needed a bit of time to think about it, didn't you?
17:50I needed a bit of time.
17:52So I didn't have enough MDA,
17:54but I found some OSB that I forgot I had.
17:56I fished out my mum's skip last week.
17:58You never know if it'll come in handy, and it has.
18:01With all the walls painted and panelled...
18:03Oh, I love it.
18:05Oh, it looks posh, doesn't it?
18:07The designers can move on
18:08to add in the luxury to the living rooms.
18:11The pelmet, it's an opportunity
18:13to bring in that archie of the building inside the room.
18:17Whether that be through design features...
18:19That looks so grand.
18:21What's it doing?
18:23...or multifunctional furniture.
18:25Oh, they look fantastic!
18:27I think they look sophisticated.
18:30The bookcase is bringing definitely
18:32that va-va-voom, that je ne sais quoi,
18:34to the living dining space.
18:37Hi, Greg.
18:37Hello, darling.
18:38You all right?
18:39How's it going in here?
18:39Yeah, not bad.
18:40Not bad.
18:41You see, we've got a nice off-white.
18:43Well, we are in the neutral zone also.
18:45Yeah.
18:45We've got a bit more colour going on.
18:47OK.
18:47Probably for quite some going progress.
18:49I think it's all going to lift off any moment.
18:52It will.
18:52I've got a coffee table that I'm making.
18:54Nice.
18:54Not made yet.
18:55I've got a unit that's kind of covering this whole wall,
18:58which is made out of...
18:59Yeah, I know.
19:00Is it?
19:01With the end of day one quickly sailing by...
19:06Oh, hear that?
19:07Sounded good.
19:08Most of the designers are on course.
19:10Relief.
19:11Well done, thank you.
19:12Headboard time.
19:13Bryony and Craig are attempting upholstery.
19:16We have a very general idea of what we're doing.
19:20As is Holly.
19:21There you go.
19:22Nice.
19:23So we've not actually started building my bed frame yet,
19:25so that's the tomorrow job.
19:27It's all bits that take time.
19:28You don't realise how long they take.
19:30I'm not worried about it yet.
19:32I think we've done good today.
19:34I do.
19:34In terms of biggest concerns tomorrow,
19:36getting all the artwork done,
19:38and time is ticking away.
19:40I think the mindset for tomorrow
19:42is to go as fast as you can.
19:44Craig and I really wanted time to style.
19:46This challenge is so much about showcasing your flat
19:48and making it really aspirational,
19:50so we want that time at the end of the day.
19:52There's a lot to do,
19:53but I think it'll be fine.
20:03Morning.
20:03Morning.
20:04I'll see it for another big day.
20:06Always.
20:09The designers have just 12 hours left
20:11to complete their apartments.
20:13So day two, we've got quite a lot to cover.
20:16Yeah, there's a lot to do.
20:17We're going to be busy.
20:18I'm artwork heavier,
20:19so I've got a big one for in here,
20:21a smaller one for in the hallway,
20:23and a four for in the bedroom.
20:25You guys keep painting like mad people.
20:28Everyone grab a bath.
20:29Everyone grab a bath.
20:30OK, let's go.
20:32If the designers want to make a strong first impression,
20:35they've got to ace their hallways.
20:38Ooh!
20:39This looks great.
20:41It needs to be welcoming and elegant
20:43whilst giving a hint to the rest of the apartment.
20:46It really stretches the room out, doesn't it?
20:48Yeah, it does.
20:48We've got a dado grail across the room.
20:52Underneath that, a slightly different beige.
20:54You can keep it with our colour palette
20:55throughout all the other rooms.
20:56So it's quite a subdued palette,
20:58but it should be a nice, welcoming, warm palette.
21:01The hallway, we are going to have some half-height panelling
21:04in the dark charcoal grey colour,
21:05making a traditional feature, slightly more modern.
21:08And then I've got stripy wallpaper,
21:10which will go up the walls onto the ceiling
21:12and back down again.
21:13Ooh, this is looking good.
21:15Nice, isn't it?
21:16Yeah.
21:17Both Bradley and I love a bit of a stripe.
21:19A nod to the nautical setting that we have here
21:22in Portsmouth without being too obvious.
21:26In the yellow, we're doing the doors,
21:29the panelling below of the dado rail,
21:31and the skirting.
21:32And then we'll mirror that within the panelling on the wall
21:34with the trellis wallpaper.
21:37I really wanted to make it bright and sunshiny
21:39because there are no windows.
21:41I've got the neutral on the wall.
21:44And that, yeah, it's my real pop of colour
21:46to do a little bit of Craig.
21:48Not getting the in-the-seashell vibe as of yet.
21:51Craig's not the only one hoping to make waves
21:54with their hallway design.
21:55We are using a glitter cape.
21:57Oh, I can really see it here.
22:00It gives us that pearlescent effect.
22:01Then we've got this amazing coral-inspired wallpaper
22:04to kind of create this inside-a-seashell kind of atmosphere.
22:10Ayesha!
22:12Hi!
22:12Oh, I'm loving this wallpaper.
22:15It's nice, right?
22:16Why are you laughing? Do you not like it?
22:17I really like it.
22:18I just felt like it was a bit of a risk
22:19to put so much pattern in here,
22:21but I feel like it's worked.
22:22Yeah, it does. Who's designed it?
22:24Holly drew it and designed it, but we collaborated
22:27because I came up with the idea of having coral.
22:29Is that glittery on the ceiling?
22:31Yeah, so it's kind of supposed to be inside of a seashell.
22:35OK.
22:35OK.
22:36And who's your client?
22:38So we've got Pearl and Jack,
22:40a retired mermaid and a retired sailor that fell in love.
22:43And this is their home.
22:44Is there gas coming out of here that's sort of...
22:47Are you OK?
22:49I'm good, I'm good.
22:50Yeah.
22:51No, we...
22:51We just needed, like, a thread of something to design with.
22:55I don't think the people that are coming to see the show home
22:58will know about Pearl and Jack.
22:59No, no.
22:59It's just for us.
23:00You would keep Pearl and Jack just to yourself
23:02as yours, Holly's little secret.
23:05Some of the designers have created fictional clients
23:08to give them inspiration.
23:09Aisha's gone for a mermaid.
23:12You can't knock her originality,
23:14but last time I looked in the wanted ads section,
23:17there weren't many retired mermaids in the market to buy.
23:20But you never know, her design might cause a splash.
23:23Beyond transforming the walls...
23:28So, right now, I am just creating
23:30the piece of artwork for the hallway.
23:33..the designers can add bespoke pieces
23:35to make the space feel luxurious and add a sense of wellbeing.
23:38I'm going to also do art in the guest bedroom
23:41and then the living-dining area.
23:42They are a prominent feature of the spaces
23:45and they're as important as any other piece of furniture in that room.
23:48If you've got different elements in your room
23:50that don't necessarily fit together,
23:51if you're able to bring the shapes and the colours
23:54from those things together in one piece of artwork,
23:57it can provide you with that little bit of continuity
23:59and harmony that you might otherwise be missing.
24:03When it's dry, it should look like I've mixed some sand in it.
24:06So, lovely and all textured.
24:09Rita!
24:10Hi, Alan!
24:11Let me guess.
24:12What is it?
24:13An eye.
24:13Oh, my God, yes.
24:15A nose.
24:16Yes!
24:16A mouth.
24:18Perfect.
24:18Oh, my God.
24:19It's a face.
24:20It's a face.
24:21Thank you for helping me with that.
24:23You want to have a go?
24:24Yeah, OK.
24:25This is for the dining area.
24:26Yeah.
24:27And it will sit in the middle of my giant bookcase.
24:29Is this Lola?
24:30Yeah.
24:31What does she do for a living?
24:32She used to be a lingerie designer.
24:35Oh!
24:35In the 70s in London.
24:37Oh, right, yes.
24:39And now she retired here.
24:40In Portsmouth.
24:41In Portsmouth, yeah.
24:43And then she have her lovely partner
24:45that comes and visits and cooks for her.
24:47He's, like, 30 years younger than her.
24:49Oh, I love Lola.
24:50I know, me too.
24:52How she lost an eye.
24:54I think she was drunk.
24:59Back to me, Anibert.
25:00Yeah.
25:01While Rita creates her masterpiece,
25:03others are finding budget-friendly ways
25:05to bring in the luxury.
25:07Lovely.
25:08Proper focal point.
25:09Five pounds.
25:10What a bargain.
25:12The fireplace is just a nice, homey feature to have,
25:15and it's bringing detail into the room,
25:17the character of the building.
25:19So I'm currently putting wallpaper and cardboard
25:22to put in the fireplace
25:23to make the illusion of real brick.
25:26And I think it's just the past, you know?
25:29It looks like brick.
25:31This is my sideboard.
25:34It was an online find for 15 pounds.
25:37It's going to be, like, the separation piece
25:39between the living room and the dining room.
25:42These are my table legs.
25:44Well, these are bowls.
25:46I've stuck them all together.
25:48I really wanted a coffee table like this.
25:50But they're really quite expensive.
25:52So I just thought about ways I could make one.
25:55Stay there, my lovely.
25:57And with their custom creations coming to life...
25:59Just coming up with a little idea like this gives me real joy.
26:03It really elevates a piece of M.G.F.
26:05I put some wallpaper on it.
26:06It's just amazing.
26:07So happy.
26:08They now need to figure out where all their furniture goes.
26:11This could go in here.
26:12Yeah.
26:13Perfect.
26:14Yeah.
26:14And we can...
26:15Originally, I was going to have the TV there.
26:17Yeah.
26:17And the sofa here and the table here.
26:19That's it.
26:19Go for it.
26:20Sofa here.
26:21This stays there.
26:22And move the unit round that.
26:23I think the only thing that's playing on my mind a little bit
26:26is whether there's enough furniture
26:29and I think they should have been bigger.
26:31Put that at the front.
26:32That in the front, 100%.
26:33Hi, Bradley.
26:35Oh, hello.
26:36Are you doing how?
26:37Look at these.
26:38It's like it.
26:39I'm loving this ceiling.
26:40The green.
26:41Yeah, you're poshing that.
26:43Oh, look.
26:45Oh, that's wonderful.
26:47I'm seeing a little something on there, Brad.
26:48Oh, yeah, well.
26:49That's a nice green sofa.
26:51Don't.
26:52I've got the same sofa.
26:55You're a lion.
26:56You have got the same sofa.
26:58Have you got the armchair as well?
26:59I have.
26:59Bradley.
27:00Have you?
27:01You haven't got the footstool.
27:02No.
27:03Too far.
27:04Right.
27:06Let's see yours.
27:07Come on.
27:09Welcome, Cassa, to Craig and Briony.
27:12Craig, put the kettle on.
27:14Look, look.
27:15A bit of Craig's yellow.
27:16Yeah, it does.
27:17You can tell it's a bit of Craig.
27:18Yeah, it is.
27:20Right, come on in.
27:21So my sofa's not in yet.
27:23No, Brian, you need the panel on.
27:24Oh, good.
27:25It's so classy.
27:26Do you want to know where my sofa's going?
27:28Oh, yeah.
27:28Where are our sofas?
27:29So just here.
27:30OK.
27:30So they're going to be facing the TV.
27:32Should we have a little seat?
27:33Yeah, go on.
27:35What shall we watch?
27:36Interior Design Masters.
27:37Can't get over the contrast between the hallway and the living room.
27:44I feel like I wouldn't have done the yellow on the doors, but it's a colour that isn't appealing to everyone.
27:51Oh, we've got the media unit.
27:58As well as the living areas.
28:00I think it's lovely.
28:02Oh, it's going up.
28:05The designers must also create a dining area.
28:08I do love it.
28:10I just winged it and it worked.
28:14This is the dining table.
28:18Yeah, no, it's perfect.
28:20It's ideal for what I'm looking for.
28:21It's really important for us to stage these little areas and, like, pockets of spaces around the apartment so you can really envision yourself in the space.
28:31Rhyne?
28:32Oh, hi, Alan.
28:34Oh, if you wanted to invite me on a date, you should have just said.
28:37So that's why you've got me in here.
28:39Yeah, yeah.
28:40So what else needs to be done then?
28:42I could do with a hand with hanging some picture frames, actually.
28:44Oh, OK.
28:45So who are these photos of?
28:47That's Julia and David, isn't it?
28:49Oh, and so who's that in this photo?
28:50Well, that's their friend.
28:55Let's just put them up.
28:59Back in the bedrooms.
29:01Yay!
29:02The beds are in.
29:03This is not a master bedroom.
29:05It needs to be empty so she can run around.
29:06How much have you got that in?
29:08Whoa!
29:09Oh, my God.
29:10And the designers can focus on making their rooms.
29:13All right, don't worry.
29:14Feel like a home.
29:15These are my beautiful vintage botanical prints.
29:19It's so beautiful and so suit the mood.
29:21So I'm trying to create an antique mirror effect.
29:26Victoria's ageing her mirrors to give the idea of faded grandeur.
29:29So I am popping some acrylic ink on the top of it.
29:33Hopefully it'll look nice and expensive.
29:36These are going to sit at either side of the wallpaper mural.
29:39I've not done this before.
29:40No, I am winging it.
29:42Just hoping for the best.
29:43The bed's looking mint.
29:44And Holly's spare room is finally coming together.
29:47I think it feels like a day bed.
29:49It looks like a ship now.
29:51I'm hoping to put in, like, a little shelf over it, just to kind of make a bit of extra storage.
29:58With all the furniture in place...
30:00It appears I've got an idea.
30:03The designers now need to create a cosy atmosphere.
30:07A little magnet.
30:09Oh.
30:09Right?
30:10Using lighting...
30:12Ta-da!
30:12It does look like a sugar wedding.
30:16What do you reckon?
30:17No, it's not a lot of cool.
30:18Our lovely light fitting is supposed to look like a shelf.
30:20And we felt that it would be perfect representing Pearl's Underwater Adventures.
30:24And by carefully dressing their apartment, also known as home staging.
30:29One shelf is empty there.
30:31I love doing this.
30:33I love putting things on shelf and staging.
30:36It's just I would rather have half a day than, like, half a minute.
30:39The aim of the home staging was to create a personality to the flat, but not clutter it up.
30:46I've never actually done any home staging before, but I think we've got enough elements to make that flat look like someone lives in it.
30:53Plastic lemons are go.
31:00Shiver me timbers, you've got less than an hour.
31:03Aye, aye, Captain.
31:04Oh, aye!
31:05Moving, moving, moving, moving.
31:10Don't stop moving.
31:12Yes, gorgeous.
31:13Brain is kind of sticky.
31:18Feeding under pressure is horrible.
31:20High-speed extreme danger painting.
31:23That Craigie lives on the edge.
31:24Got a lot of stuff, haven't we?
31:26The show apartments are getting their all-important finishing touches.
31:30We've just got no time.
31:31Haven't even got any curtains.
31:32It's not very well staged, is it?
31:34This is a blind.
31:38It's going on the window.
31:39Probably a bit late in the day, but we've all been a bit busy.
31:42I think the bricks looked a bit nah for the fireplace.
31:45Do you know what to do?
31:47I don't think it's going to get done.
31:50There was supposed to be some artworks in this room.
31:52In the end, that was just a time thing, really.
31:55It's not the best.
31:57We're going to have to scrap it.
32:02We haven't got time for a blind.
32:10I found this really cool tea set.
32:15This might not be as finished off as we would have liked.
32:26Et voila.
32:27It's good, doesn't it?
32:40That time just flew by.
32:43It went very fast.
32:44Faster than usual.
32:45Those pictures are well wonky.
32:46Michelle has arrived in Portsmouth to critique the apartments with award-winning designer Sue Timney.
32:58Sue is creative director at luxury retirement developer Wallasea Living and has designed for an array of prestigious commercial clients, including the Royal Botanic Gardens Queue and Marks & Spencer.
33:11Later life is about having fun.
33:14These spaces are for people who still want to enjoy their lives.
33:19I think the misconceptions when designing for older people is to forget that they're one of us.
33:26We're basically that same person we were when we were younger.
33:30So we want to be excited by the spaces.
33:33We want to be stimulated.
33:36I want to see a sense of personality.
33:38We're trying to evoke a sense of aspiration that retirement can be fun and exciting and have a space to match.
33:53I would say that apartment is luxury to me.
33:56Bradley and I have worked together to create this crazy luxury space for our client flow.
34:01I really think we've smashed it.
34:03There was a few hiccups, especially with the fireplace.
34:06Hopefully the impression of what I wanted to achieve is there.
34:13Definitely a strong opening statement from Victoria.
34:17So we've got a lot going on here.
34:18She's added the dado rail.
34:20She's got an embossed paper making a panel effect underneath it.
34:24And then vertical stripes above it.
34:26What it does is elongate the very tall room to start with.
34:30It takes your eyes straight up to a completely blank ceiling.
34:34In a narrow hallway like this, if we put them horizontal, we'd have given ourselves a bit more width.
34:40Look at the lovely big plush sofa and an armchair.
34:48I'm from the Bradley's.
34:49I've even got a squidgy coffee table, which I think is quite a lovely device.
34:54I love it.
34:55It doesn't look boring, does it?
34:56No, because you've got this bucolic scene going on in the back with a fireplace.
35:01It's just intriguing.
35:03I applaud the idea of the fireplace, but I feel it's a bit twee.
35:09And it does look like they've run out of time because the internal piece isn't sorted.
35:14It's a very deliberate ploy that they've taken the space that would normally have the TV and given us a hearth instead.
35:21Yes.
35:21I'd rather love it.
35:23I'd absolutely love these pelmets that reflect the historic arches that we've seen.
35:28They celebrate both of these big windows, which is really quite lovely.
35:33This area then is Victoria's, which my immediate impression is it does flow very seamlessly from the living area.
35:41So, look, Victoria has added in a little breakfast bar here.
35:45And she's matched the level with the dining table, which is interesting because ordinarily a breakfast bar is higher and you're perched on a stool.
35:51But she's recognising that, you know, in later life, probably I don't want to wobble on a stool.
35:56I'm going to sit on a dining chair.
35:57The green lid over all of it really anchors everything.
36:01No, there's something very kind of fresh and upbeat about it.
36:04It is, isn't it?
36:05Ooh.
36:06Wow.
36:06So this is Victoria's bedroom.
36:08This feels super lux-y.
36:10Very brave, again, drenching the ceiling, but then dropping down into the dark, inky, bluey green colour.
36:17But with that lovely white band, oh my goodness, that's the bit that I love.
36:20And it just is incredible.
36:23This is what we were after.
36:25Yes.
36:26I'm getting the sense that the person living here, you know, they're a bit glamorous, they're a bit boho, they know what they like.
36:31Yes.
36:31Don't you just love the scale of that?
36:33Yes.
36:34That's what really sings as you walk in, grabs you and then envelops you.
36:40Oh, Bradley's bedroom.
36:43How splendid is this whole headboard treatment?
36:46And the whole thing just wraps up and over the wall and then this beautiful smoky grey-blue colour.
36:53That's just kind of fabulous, isn't it?
36:56Yes.
36:57It may sound niggly, but that ceiling rose has been painted through and with a little bit more planning,
37:03that curve could have changed its angle and missed the ceiling rose and the alarm there as well.
37:10I think Lola is really proud of the space.
37:21The walls in the kitchens are blue.
37:22Gives it this sophisticated, modern feel to a show home.
37:26I wanted to go for, like, luxury hotel style in the master bedroom.
37:30I think I've nailed it.
37:32Really, really pleased with what myself and Rita have accomplished.
37:35I had some artwork to go in the guest bedroom and that didn't make the cut.
37:38I'm not sure if it's a time management issue or maybe slightly over-ambitious.
37:46John took responsibility for the hallway.
37:49This is a rather sophisticated entryway.
37:52He's added in the day-day rail, but then wallpapered above it.
37:55Yes.
37:56Which I'd rather like.
37:57I love it.
37:58Makes me quite excited for what I'm going to see in the living room.
38:01Me too.
38:01So, John took responsibility for the living area, and then I believe Rita was responsible for the dining and kitchen.
38:13So, it's interesting to me that we flowed from the hallway into a very similar aesthetic here,
38:17but you've got this amazing pop of turquoise at the end of the room to draw you across.
38:23It works and makes the space feel bigger because the colour sweeps across.
38:28We're getting a lot of personality in this storage unit here with the art and the choice of artefacts.
38:34The artwork is sophisticated.
38:36I'm beginning to see a real talent in Rita.
38:39This is quite different to the work that she's done before, which has been more rough-edged.
38:43It's really nice to see something so contemporary.
38:47I do find, though, in the living area, John's sofa, a little bit teeny, we're lacking a little generosity in this space here.
38:54I think we could have filled that a bit more in order to make it feel more comfortable.
38:58I'm not sure I really want to perch in the window.
39:00I want a big sofa.
39:02No.
39:02There is a big space there between the curtains that something could have gone in,
39:07even if it was a beautiful piece of art in later living.
39:11The stimulation art gives one's mind is immense.
39:16It is very simple and pared back.
39:19It's about a little bit of panache here and there, and that's not quite there.
39:25I think this is the weakest part of this whole room.
39:30This is Rita's master bedroom.
39:33We have the velvet headboard and then the ribbon of green around it all, boxes in the headboard.
39:39And I just think, isn't that beautiful?
39:42This curve is part of the history of the building.
39:45And she's then taken her olive band around it.
39:48It really works.
39:50I'm slightly feeling that thing of she's stopped at show apartment.
39:54Yes.
39:54And not quite giving us that extra little bit of character that we did ask for.
39:59Yep.
40:00So John's bedroom.
40:02Wow, I love that.
40:04Burnt, orange.
40:06But the room needs it, doesn't it?
40:08Because we've gone very pared back again.
40:11It is absolutely defining this room as a guest bedroom.
40:15It is.
40:15There is nothing much else that is potentially able to happen in here.
40:19No, it's greedy for space, isn't it, that bed?
40:22It needs some art.
40:24And that wall there is perfect for a big piece.
40:27But in terms of design, it's a perfectly nice room.
40:30It's all very inoffensive.
40:33And so therefore I do think,
40:34Yes.
40:35OK, John, come on.
40:36You're going to have to give me a little bit more.
40:38As you say, the words are nice and inoffensive.
40:42And that's not good enough.
40:43No.
40:53Epic.
40:53Loved working with Craig.
40:55It all came together in the last hour.
40:57I feel like we've managed to bring our individual styles,
41:00but also try and be cohesive together around the whole apartment.
41:03When Michelle and Sue go into apartment,
41:05I hope they're going to notice our attention to detail.
41:07We've really tried to make it look like somebody lives there.
41:13So this is Craig's hallway.
41:15It's a nice sunny first impression.
41:17I like the combination of the sort of muted sage
41:21and the sort of egg yolk yellow.
41:22And it's a nice spacious hallway.
41:24What I like is that the styling feels comfortable and real.
41:28It's a good first impression.
41:29You get the sense of a life that's being lived here.
41:34Oh, Sue.
41:35Wow.
41:36So Bryony has taken most of the responsibility
41:39for the living area and the dining room.
41:42So we see the yellow repeated in the curtain.
41:44You've got that nice biscuity grey colour on the walls.
41:48And her panelling has really added some rhythm to the wall.
41:52It's restrained, but it's very livable and luxury.
41:57Yes.
41:57I feel spacious as well.
41:59We've got big, chunky furniture in here,
42:01and yet it doesn't feel cluttered.
42:03I think this is a really strong, coordinated effort.
42:08Wow.
42:09What a pretty room.
42:11I like how Craig's taken that green colour,
42:13and then we've gone up a notch by putting the red in as well.
42:17I don't know.
42:18I've got a really lovely feeling in here.
42:20It's quite unexpected,
42:22but still feels part of the same family of rooms.
42:25I love also the reference to the bamboo everywhere.
42:28Apparently, he'd made it himself,
42:31and that must have taken so long,
42:33but I actually think it was really worth it,
42:35because it really pulls everything together.
42:38I think Craig has created a story
42:40that's then let him fill it in
42:43with all these pieces and references.
42:46It works because actually the colours and the prints are very strong.
42:49The references all work together.
42:51Even the little gold tassels on the units
42:54give you that nod to something that's a little bit exotic.
42:58Ah.
42:59So this is Bryony's room.
43:01She did bring back the dado and the panelling,
43:04and yet Craig's room didn't feel the poorer for not having it.
43:08No.
43:08Because he introduced art and texture in other ways.
43:12Yes, yes.
43:12Because that's not to say that it doesn't work in this room.
43:14It's making a lot of sense as a cohesive place to live in
43:19with later life.
43:21You're going to spend a little bit more time in your home.
43:24You want those spaces to have personality.
43:26I think that's quite successful here.
43:35I absolutely love the hallway in the living area.
43:38It feels really warming.
43:39I wasn't able to stage to the best of my ability.
43:43But hopefully Michelle and Sue can look past the unfinished items.
43:47I'm a little bit disappointed that we didn't get to finish
43:49all the builds and all the decorating.
43:51I still think it looks cool.
43:57Gosh.
43:57This is Aisha's hallway.
43:59This is such a small space.
44:01You're enveloped by this feeling of wallpaper taking it over.
44:06We've got the beading around the door, which I kind of quite like.
44:10Yeah, I don't like that.
44:11It's a lot all in one very tiny space.
44:15Holly and Aisha constructed a huge narrative about their potential owner.
44:21So we've got this retired naval officer and his mermaid wife.
44:25Which you've got to go so many layers deeper than that.
44:29Otherwise you end up with glitter on the ceiling because his wife's a mermaid.
44:34This is an apartment for a couple in their later stage of life.
44:39It can be fun.
44:40But where's the fine line between fun and don't be silly?
44:45Ooh.
44:46At least it's a lot calmer in here.
44:49Ooh.
44:50Yes.
44:51It's a bit of a shock to the system after seeing a hallway that's less than subtle.
44:57Yes.
44:58To come into something that's more than subtle.
45:00This is Aisha's area.
45:02So if we were flowing from Aisha's hallway into Aisha's living space.
45:07Yes.
45:08I've just, I've met a completely different person in here.
45:11Yes.
45:11You're mixing all your design metaphors.
45:13I've got scaffold shelving.
45:15I've got a sort of 50s style-ish console.
45:19And then you've got a very low sofa.
45:21But actually higher furniture as you get to later life is more conducive.
45:25Yes.
45:26So maybe in the end this wasn't a terribly happy marriage between a sailor and the mythical mermaids.
45:32Holly took responsibility for the dining area and the kitchen.
45:36And this table is set with the most horrendous table sitting.
45:40I mean, I get it.
45:41She's gone with the pearlescent because it's like under the sea.
45:43Yes.
45:44But this is a luxurious setting.
45:46And I'm going to sit every day and eat of this?
45:49I'm slightly having a minor meltdown because it's just, they're so good.
45:53They're so talented and I just don't understand what they've done here.
45:59Holly's taken on the spare bedroom.
46:02We have got more space here to do other things.
46:06Is it my imagination or does this room feel unfinished?
46:10I completely agree.
46:12I mean, I feel like we had a design idea here.
46:14If you were really designing this, we'd put drawers under the bed.
46:18There's not even any blinds or curtains here.
46:20Something went drastically wrong with the time.
46:23So, this is Aisha's master bedroom.
46:27I like this sunburst around the ceiling rose.
46:30That's quite fun.
46:31That's the kind of fun I can get into.
46:33Again, we've got the same colour, that white cream.
46:37I guess it's throughout.
46:38I think they've very much gone down the route of, it's a show home, so let's keep it really neutral.
46:44We very specifically, in this brief, wanted more than that.
46:47We wanted a sense of home.
46:49We want a sense of someone that lived here.
46:53Yeah.
46:53As Michelle and Sue head off to consider their decision, the designers take a sneaky look at the competition.
47:02Oh, my God, I love it.
47:05The stripes.
47:07They're going the other way, though.
47:08Oh, that's really funny.
47:09I think they've designed that whole people.
47:11Yeah, it must be Holly's special.
47:13This feels Johnny, which means that over there feels very retail.
47:17It's really fresh, really contemporary.
47:19Yeah.
47:19Oh, that feels nice.
47:21I think this is brownie.
47:23I mean, it's a bit low.
47:25Slightly.
47:26I love the fireplace.
47:27I just wonder why they put this.
47:31This area, to me, feels more staged, more finished.
47:35It's more polished and refined, isn't it?
47:37Yeah.
47:38Do you think she uses a tad of copies of the client?
47:41Maybe.
47:42I would just like to say something.
47:43I will use a bigger clock.
47:47The designers are back at the studio to find out which team will win standout space
47:52and who will be on the sofa.
47:54All the way from Portsmouth to Brighton Beach.
47:58Who wants to retire now and just move in?
48:02Craig, did you fool any pandas with your faux bamboo?
48:05Yeah.
48:05I saw a few nibbling on it as we left.
48:08John, was you happy with your Maldi Satsuma wall?
48:11Cinnamon.
48:12That's it, cinnamon.
48:13Now, I know what you're thinking.
48:15This challenge is all about high-end style.
48:18So, who better to guest judge than myself?
48:21Strangely, the producers thought differently.
48:25So, please, let's welcome the incredibly chic, Michelle and Sue Timney.
48:31Yay!
48:33Hello, everyone.
48:35Hello.
48:36This was actually a very tricky brief.
48:39You had a lot to play with here, researching later life living,
48:43a whole apartment to design and working in pairs.
48:47I was very impressed.
48:49We got some really sophisticated results
48:51and nothing patronising, thank goodness.
48:55So, who made you want to put down a deposit?
49:00Well, my standout space has to go...
49:06..to Craig and Bryony!
49:15We just loved walking into that sunny hallway,
49:19but then seeing how you just used elements of that design
49:22throughout the whole space that really held it together
49:24while allowing us to see your two different styles.
49:28Yeah, Craig, we loved your bamboo.
49:31That was very ingenious.
49:32And, Bryony, we loved the panelling.
49:34Amazing.
49:36Well done.
49:37So, who else is going through to next week?
49:40Bradley and Victoria!
49:41Yay!
49:44Again, we just felt this lovely sense of joy when we walked in
49:48and I know that we both absolutely adored Victoria, your bedroom.
49:52I've never wanted a floral bedroom more than I have
49:55since I've seen that.
49:57It was wonderful.
49:58Thank you very much.
49:59Anyone else?
50:00Rita, we really loved your storage unit and the turquoise.
50:05That felt like a great space to...
50:07Someone could put all their treasures.
50:09Out of all of the apartments,
50:10it encompassed artworks beautifully.
50:15John, I would like to have a little bit of a longer chat with you
50:17on my sofa, along with Aisha and Holly.
50:20And congratulations, everyone else.
50:22We'll see you later.
50:23MUSIC PLAYS
50:24Oh, I'm here for winning standout space.
50:27This feeling is good.
50:29Much nicer than the sofa space.
50:31Standout space!
50:33How I'm feeling right now.
50:36Thank you, Michelle.
50:38Just wish you guys luck on the sofa.
50:40I feel like there were parts of the space
50:43that worked really, really well,
50:44but the elephant in the room is that bedroom.
50:46I just don't think it gave off luxury when it was done.
50:49Yay!
50:50I was pretty much prepared to be on the sofa this week.
50:53There is a possibility that some design elements
50:56that Michelle might not have agreed with,
50:58but I do stand beside my design.
51:01If it was finished,
51:02I feel like it would have given what it needed to give.
51:05Maybe we kept it a bit neutral.
51:07I'm not sure.
51:07Maybe it wasn't luxury enough.
51:09I think if Jack and Pearl were real,
51:10they'd love the space.
51:16Hello.
51:16Hello.
51:20Shall we dive straight in?
51:22Yeah.
51:22Holly and Aisha,
51:23where did your story about your potential owners come from?
51:27Because the building's, like, so rich in its history,
51:30like, navel.
51:31You didn't want to, like, lose that,
51:32but maybe not typical.
51:33OK, so you didn't want to go down the cliché navel route.
51:36Yeah, yeah.
51:37But Pearl was a mermaid, was she not?
51:39Yeah.
51:41Talk me through this.
51:42It was kind of playful,
51:43and it was just kind of a thread of something
51:46to hold on to to see us through our design.
51:49Obviously, it's not literal.
51:51Walk into the space.
51:52It helps as well with the colour palette,
51:53getting that sorted,
51:54and textures, like, with the pearls and the shell.
51:56And the shell and the pearlescent thing.
51:57Now that you're bringing it up,
51:59it feels a little bit silly.
52:02To have a story at the beginning of your design
52:05is really helpful
52:06because it gives you someone to design for.
52:10But introducing a mythical creature,
52:14it's just, it's flimsy.
52:16It hasn't got enough weight to it,
52:18which then gets played out in your design
52:21because as much as you're saying,
52:22well, we didn't want it to be too literal,
52:24it was.
52:25There was glitter on the ceiling
52:28and the crockery on the dining table.
52:32It's based on what is really quite a weak foundation.
52:38I used to talk about specifically
52:39the stylistic choices you made in your living area.
52:42My design intention for that space
52:45was to create a social hosting area.
52:48I'm asking stylistically,
52:50in terms of a design language,
52:52what linked those pieces?
52:54I felt like those chairs related to the modular shelving.
52:57The orange, that was just,
52:59the sofa was in our colour palette.
53:00Picking up one colour from somewhere else.
53:02That does not a cohesive design language make.
53:05Your armchairs, as beautiful as they were,
53:07as the pair,
53:08lovely curved shapes.
53:10Your modular scaffolding shelving unit,
53:13very square and boxy.
53:14We struggled to understand the choices.
53:18The thing about good design,
53:20it has to instantly tell a visual story.
53:23You shouldn't have to explain in words
53:26what's happening and why.
53:27Yeah, I feel like that is lack of experience on my part.
53:30And I suppose that's where I'm learning, you know?
53:33Polly, tell me a little bit about in the bedroom,
53:35cos that felt a bit unfinished.
53:38There was meant to be a Venetian blind on the window.
53:40I ran out of time with that.
53:42I wanted to dress the easel,
53:44I wanted to do, like, a little painting book,
53:46and I ran out of time.
53:47Planning is one of the most important stages.
53:50If you don't get that right,
53:51nothing that follows is going to be the right mood.
53:55That's exactly how I feel.
53:56That is essentially what's not working
53:59about the scheme you did together.
54:01You start from this dodgy premise,
54:03you're not going to get a great result.
54:05But I do want to move it over to John.
54:08Your, I imagine, client that you came up with with Rita
54:12was Lola, the retired lingerie designer.
54:14Indeed, yes.
54:15Come on.
54:16Stop it.
54:16At least she's real.
54:18Who's real any more?
54:20We didn't want someone to be a stereotypical person
54:24in their later years.
54:25It's someone who's led a fabulous life,
54:27and they're going to continue living a fabulous life.
54:31Well, I get it, and I love it, and that was brilliant.
54:33And we walked into your hallway,
54:35which we both thought was one of the best hallways,
54:37actually, of all of the designs.
54:39It was sophisticated, it was luxurious.
54:41You had the horizontal stripes that made it feel bigger.
54:44And then we walked into your living room,
54:46and I didn't feel Lola.
54:47Yeah, I wanted to bring a kind of refined elegance to the room
54:50and reflect the kind of Georgian architecture of the building
54:53and really bring that through.
54:55I kind of did that, and I made the room seem taller,
54:57and then it had the effect of making all the furniture
55:00seem really small.
55:02Yes.
55:03There was a lack of generosity, we felt, with the furniture,
55:06because you had one sofa and then a window seat.
55:09If we move then into your spare bedroom,
55:12it was very elegant, nice colour.
55:14Do you understand what was missing from it?
55:18It's lacking the kind of sumptuous texture and layers
55:21and the idea that a real person lives there
55:24and it's not just a kind of transient space that people...
55:28Well, you've hit the nail on the head.
55:30It was crying out for more.
55:31And the walls, they needed to be filled with art.
55:36And that's what you do.
55:37I know, I had actually started doing some art for that particular room
55:41and I ran out of time.
55:42And the other pieces of art, they took longer than I anticipated.
55:46You've got to work out what you stand for
55:49and how you add the va-va-voom.
55:52I'm maybe a little bit of a self-saboteur.
55:54Well, yes, actually.
55:56You're being a bit hesitant.
55:58Yeah.
55:59And I think, actually, just push through that.
56:01OK.
56:01Then let's see what you can do.
56:03But Aisha and Holly,
56:05you gave me something that had glitter on the ceilings.
56:10I think you know.
56:11It wasn't the depth I needed for this project.
56:15And so for that reason, I'm so sorry,
56:18but you two will be leaving us this week.
56:22Thank you for everything that you've just said to us.
56:24Yeah, it's been really good feedback, definitely.
56:26Yeah.
56:27Oh, come here, come here.
56:29Sue and Michelle, they gave me some valuable insights.
56:34So I'm going to take that away with me
56:36and try and grow from it.
56:38I'm really glad to be going
56:40because I'm, like, learning every week.
56:42This is the first interior designing I've ever done in my life.
56:44This is my pretty, like, extreme way of getting into it.
56:47But now, yeah, I definitely want to do more.
56:51It was really hard to send Holly and Aisha home this week.
56:55Holly won standout space last week
56:57and Aisha has really been growing in confidence.
57:01But I think it just goes to show
57:02that you can't build good design from a weak foundation.
57:07Next time...
57:08Oh!
57:10We're at Battersea Dogs and Cat Zone.
57:12Oh, I hope Michelle doesn't have a bun set for me for these.
57:15Where the designers meet their toughest but cutest client yet.
57:20It's like a doggie spa.
57:22And have to transform training rooms into domestic spaces.
57:26Oh, this is spectacular.
57:27Spectacular scenes from Devon to North Uist
57:34with heartwarming chats.
57:36Mortimer and Whitehouse gone fishing.
57:37Press red now on iPlayer.
57:39Here, facing a wave of mental health crises,
57:42specialist teams race to respond.
57:44Ambulance back for a new series next.
57:46Music