Original subtitles

Once again, it's that time of year when ten designers head

down here to Brighton to see if they've got what it takes

to become a master of interiors.

But to make it to the top, you need to have a unique vision.

THEME TUNE FROM THE A-TEAM PLAYS

BIRD SQUAWKS

If you really want to stand out from the crowd, you've got to think

bigger and better than the rest.

Welcome to Interior Design Masters!

THEY CHEER

Ten aspiring designers looking for a big career break.

I am alternative, but not your average alternative.

I just think he's just cute.

Oh! Oh, my God.

Oh, Lord. People do always say to me, "What can't you do?"

It's moving the flowers!

Every week, they'll be challenged to transform

a different commercial space...

Look at this! ..in the hope of impressing interiors guru

Michelle Ogundehin.

Great interior design is about dreaming, thinking and inspiring.

So I'm looking for someone who can give me that magical combination.

Oh!

They'll be stretched to their limits...

I am going to come out fighting.

I can't stand it. I think it looks like a poo poo.

I'm so disappointed in myself.

Done! I wanted to work together, but...

Oh!

..I also want to win.

..their design scrutinised...

I think the story is huge!

..by the biggest names...

It feels very masculine and rough.

..in the industry.

This is amazing.

It's very frumpy.

It's big, it's bold, for sure.

At stake...

Where is this place?!

..a career-defining contract to transform a top cocktail bar.

Is this the Ibiza room? I love this. Woo!

I'm throwing everything at it, and just pushing myself.

It's all I can do.

Spin, spin, spin.

How much more wild do they want?

Howdy, boy! Do I look like Beyonce?

# Last night, I had a dream... #

We're back in beautiful Brighton...

..with ten talented interior designers making a beeline

to Michelle's design studio.

Oh, wow. Hi. This is a bit fancy, isn't it? Yeah.

What do you do? I'm a furniture artist.

My style, in general, is a little bit dark and moody.

We couldn't guess that.

No? You can't tell?

I am alternative, but not your average alternative.

There is a few must-haves for me in every room.

A little bit of gold,

a little bit of texture, and a little bit of darkness.

Hi. Hi! Hi, guys.

So what do you do, Jack? I'm a furniture dealer.

So I live in an old chapel. Oh! That's my dream!

I delved into interior design when I bought a derelict church

with my boyfriend.

I suppose I am trying to recreate the Sistine Chapel.

That would be pretty cool, and a little bit bonkers in Norfolk.

HE CHUCKLES

Hi. Hi.

What's your name? Carl. I originally trained as an architect.

I also trained as an architect. Oh, did you, actually?

Joanne, what do you do? I'm a content creator.

I do recognise you from social media. Do you? Yeah.

LAUGHTER

My design style, it's maximalist and it's whimsical.

I love collecting things.

And once I start, kind of can't stop.

I sound like a weirdo, don't I?

Is this everyone? Yeah. I think it is. Hello, guys.

ALL: Hi!

Welcome to Interior Design Masters!

THEY CHEER

Looking beautiful. Thank you!

Flattery will get you everywhere. You've won.

Yes! But of course, I'm not the one you need to impress.

Who's been swatting up on Michelle Ogundehin? Who's been a bit creepy

and actually followed her home and looked at her through the letterbox?

LAUGHTER

I can feel my ears burning! Oh!

Hello. You look gorgeous.

Look at you in all those sequins.

Well, someone had to keep up the style stakes

on our side. Please!

Woo! Thanks.

So, look at you fabulous folk.

Are you keen to get started? Yes. Yes.

This could be the start of your journey to becoming

a professional interior designer.

So I'm going to want to see ideas, invention, energy, excitement.

So with that in mind, your first challenge, I'm sending you to create

five new show homes in a brand-new development, where eco-friendly

features are absolutely at the heart of its design.

MUSIC: London Calling by The Clash

With stunning views of the iconic London skyline,

this brand-new development is part of Elephant and Castle's exciting

regeneration. In teams of two,

the designers will transform an apartment, one taking on the living

area, while the other focuses on the bedrooms.

Each flat has a unique brief.

So each team must cater to a specific client, from a mature

couple to flat-sharing friends.

There is one brief per apartment, so I am going to be judging

you on how your schemes work together.

But also, I want you to put sustainability right into the core

of your design.

And, of course, the two weakest pairs will end up in front

of the judges on the dreaded sofa.

And one of you will be going home.

Good luck. Good luck. Thank you. Thank you.

So excited. I was like, "Let's go!" Yes.

Let's see what we've come up with. Show us what you've got.

The designers have already prepared their schemes...

So a lot of natural materials.

..and can now share their ideas with their partner.

How did you envision this couple?

A hosting couple who want to impress their friends.

Interior shop owner Jack is working with architect Buse.

All of my panels are also reclaimed wood. Amazing.

Buse, Jack, how are you getting on?

I think we've got similar wavelength, so that's quite exciting.

Who's your clientele that you're designing for?

A mature couple in their 40s.

Is that mature now? Apparently it is.

So, what are you going to do? Like, walk-in baths, ramps?

Yeah. You know, I'm in that bracket. Mature 40s?

Yeah, can you say it to this ear? What? Now, Jack,

your style is historic opulence. Yeah!

And I've been given a flat!

But I'm hoping this will bring out another side of me.

It's definitely different from my style. I've used lots of raw

materials, I've zoned things.

I thought I was a confident person, but I don't know if I necessarily

am...right now.

OK, so our brief was 25 to 35-year-old. Yeah.

Interiors graduate Ry is working with furniture artist Monika.

This brief was just made for me. I love this brief.

I am a recent graduate of studying interior design.

I live at home with my parents, which isn't ideal for someone who's

in their late 20s, but that's how it is nowadays.

I have the loft, which is my little crib.

Being on Interior Design Masters will help get me out of living

in my bedroom alone.

HE LAUGHS

This is the main living area here.

A lot of my materials are as natural as possible, and then I've created

this breakfast bar for everyone to sort of get around and socialise.

So great for friends. Exactly. Yes.

I was thinking friends that are eco-conscious,

and then they're Londoners. So, work hard, party hard.

Yeah. My first bedroom is a master bedroom, with neutral tones,

and just a little bit of darkness. Just a little bit.

And then my second bedroom,

this is more like the area of getting ready to go out.

So I'm going to have like a dressing table, and then a day bed that's

actually extendable into a double bed.

It's a versatile space. Yes.

I am so excited.

When I first saw Monika's design, I was like,

"Yes, I'm feeling this energy."

I love his design and I think we're going to work so great together

and create a beautiful apartment.

This is my mood board for the master bedroom.

Karl and Temi are designing a home for a couple and young child.

I took my ideas from my culture and heritage and the colours

of the sea and the natural materials.

My theme is Bohemian meets elegance meets London.

I'm from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and I have lived in

Newcastle upon Tyne for the last ten years.

When I came to Newcastle, people are so lovely and warm.

Everyone's just like, "Y'alreet, pet?

"You know, it's amazing. It's just great."

I'm an architect designer, and I run my own practice.

I definitely bring a bit of an edge to this competition.

I don't think you get big rewards without taking big risks.

Where does this feature in your design?

So that's going to be a self-built dining table.

Temi, Karl, what's going on? I saw you roll your eyes, then.

That wasn't at me, was it?

Was it?! That was my eye roll of happiness,

because Karl's design is filling me with joy right now.

Karl, you're an architect.

Traditionally, in the competition, they push boundaries.

Are you doing that? I certainly hope so.

They're going to have a little child running around,

so I'm going to build a sofa from scratch.

That's going to be integrated as a divider and have lots of storage

underneath, because that's where the toys go.

And then I've got the child's bedroom. It's a vintage circus.

That's probably your wild card.

The vintage circus is going to be interesting.

It's definitely going to be a challenge.

Our brief is a young couple, 25 to 35.

Still young. Still young.

Waiter Tom has been paired with lawyer Charlotte.

My inspiration is sort of India.

I'm doing a guest bed and office space in this greeny-grey,

with like a pop of yellow. This is like my take on the howdah.

It's an Indian term. So it's based on the elephant and castle.

It's like a little enclosed, curtained bed space.

In this turmeric, yellow colour. Looks good. Thanks.

I've gone with the botanical, eco-friendly vibe.

Yeah. My main feature is this wall mural.

And then I've taken all the colours from that wall mural.

So we've got greens. And also, I've got to have a bit

of pink in there.

I do lawyering by day, singing and dancing and acting by night

and interior design any other time that I have free.

My design style has a theatrical flair.

People do underestimate me because I'm quite feminine,

but I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty,

so, yeah, I'm definitely bringing the girl power to DIY.

So, the show apartment's in Elephant and Castle.

Who thought this up? Elephant and Castle.

All I remember is that massive roundabout.

Yes, and now it's undergoing a huge amount of regeneration,

which is a real opportunity

to kind of inject new ideas from the ground up.

You mentioned sustainability. What are you hoping to see?

It could be recycled materials, it could be upcycling furniture,

it could be the materials themselves,

but what it can't be is just some sort of add-on.

I want it to be core to their designs.

That's a lot of hoops to jump through.

Well, you know what I'm like. I like to throw them in at the deep end

right from the beginning. We'll see who sinks or swims.

It is only week one. You know that, Michelle.

What are you going to do week ten? Oh, well... Abattoir week?

# You should come south of the river

# This is where it all starts... #

It's the first morning at our eco-conscious complex.

Let's do this. Let's do this, go on.

This view. This is what it's all about. Yep.

Is that The Shard, that pointy thing?

The designers have a budget of £1,800...

Why don't you go get the stuff? I'll put the kettle on.

..a team of tradespeople...

Sorry, which one of you's the carpenter?

I... You need that man. ..need you.

..and just two days to complete their first designs of the competition.

It's so bright. I love it! It's so bright. It's so fresh.

Visual merchandiser Peter and content creator Joanne

have been tasked with creating the perfect pad

for a post-grad student.

My theme is London. Here we've got a bunch of green.

It's quite dark. It'll look really good.

And then I've got a shelving unit room divider

that's made out of recycled wood. And what's happening on this wall?

Oh, that's where the artwork's going. OK. Everywhere you look,

there's something that's going to interest you and excite you.

And this is me!

JOANNE GASPS

This is my white room.

I'm going to be doing my textured band all the way around

and then I have my big moment in the bedroom,

which is my living cactus headboard. Oh, yeah.

What I want people to feel is Ibizan, kind of chill vibes.

Our home is in a very normal cul-de-sac,

but when you come inside, it's a very Mediterranean space.

I love white spaces and the crisp freshness that they bring.

My aesthetic hasn't always been calm and neutral.

I had a Britney Spears bedroom at one point.

It was floor to ceiling pictures of Britney Spears.

Even the light switch had pictures of her.

So, this is bedroom two, which I'm turning into a study,

a kind of a gallery-studio vibe, so it's going to be a bit more modern.

I'll have a real pops of colour in this room... Yeah.

..and a big piece of artwork on the wall as well.

It's a risk that I'm taking us out of London, but it's my style,

and in this first challenge, I really want to show my styles.

I love Peter's theme. A designer wouldn't say,

"I'm going to have a London room and an Ibiza room,"

but we're going to make it work. Down the hall...

Morning! Hey. Morning! Morning, guys.

..Charlotte and Tom are designing a home for a young couple.

The ceiling's going to be painted kind of like a mint green colour,

which then comes down 10cm to look a bit like coving. OK.

My main bedroom is going quite dark

and there's wallpaper and paint in the second bedroom. Cool.

Tom will combine graphic wallpaper and a painted border

to create a striking crescent effect in his guest bedroom.

A draped yellow bed will take inspiration from the howdah,

and he'll add sustainable style

by reupholstering a reclaimed headboard and chair.

I'm doing three pieces this morning of upholstery.

It's in this lovely linen check, which makes it really easy

because you're just following the lines

so everything ends up being really straight and correct.

It's a good place to start cos I can get a lot done very quickly

and feel like I'm getting on top of the game,

but I probably will be stuck in here for quite some time!

HE LAUGHS

It's nice and fresh, isn't it?

And look - it's drying lighter, as well.

Tom's doing stuff that's bold and so am I.

I'm just hoping that everything comes together.

So, this is the ceiling. You've got stripes here.

Downstairs...

How are we looking? Yeah, it's good.

..work in the family flat is also getting started.

I'm attempting to make a headboard.

This is the classic curtain tent.

It's a child's room - it should be fun.

My style is about second-hand vintage, antique items.

That's what this brief's about - is about eco, it's about reusing -

and I just thought, "What a great combination - vintage circus."

I'm a criminal defence lawyer, so my day job

couldn't be more far removed from any form of design,

let alone interior design.

I love multipurpose objects.

Brass because, hello?

Bright colours.

Anything cultural. Art.

Oh, there's just so much! I don't even know where to go.

TEMI LAUGHS

Elsewhere...

Phil! Help! I'm coming, I'm coming.

Temi's team-mate, Karl, has big ambitions for his living space.

Nice. Wallop.

I tried to simplify the construction down as much as I can,

because obviously I know we're under a lot of pressure.

So this is the big build. This is the centrepiece of the whole design.

Karl's self-built sofa and divider will zone his living area,

giving the family space to enjoy time

both independently and together.

Extra storage will keep toys tidy under sleek sofa cushions

that he'll upholster himself.

He'll also create a curved table with tiled legs

for stylish but child-friendly dining.

We're going to make a dining table out of this

and the idea is to have a nice pebbly shape.

Rounds off there.

Right, yep. I think that's the shape.

I love your enthusiasm, but what line am I meant to cut to?

Sorry. That's going to be...this line.

It makes sense, right?

I get the gist.

# Do-do-do-do-do... #

I've definitely got a lot of work to crack on with.

I'm just all systems go, really.

In the mature couple's flat...

So, with the slats I want to run them up this wall here

and then across the ceiling and then down this side, too.

Jack and Buse are also keeping their carpenter busy.

So, this is the artist's studio? It is the artist studio, yes.

So, in here, I'm basically thinking about panelling up to about...

..two-thirds of the wall. OK. It goes from here all the way around.

The whole room? The whole room is panelled.

Is that the whole room for the other one? Yes. OK.

Buse 's ambitious plans include cladding her entire master bedroom

in reclaimed wooden panels from floor to ceiling.

She'll also repurpose wood to create a dramatic banquette window seat

with vibrant upholstery.

I've got a lot to do.

If I can make it work, I will. OK. I'll do everything I can... Yeah.

..but we might need to be a bit more realistic. OK.

I think both of us have been quite ambitious,

but I think that's a great thing.

Maybe I'm a bit too confident right now. Let's see.

Around the building, blank canvases are beginning their transformation.

One slat down, 50 more to go.

And the designers are busy creating sustainable style.

So the breakfast bar,

because it's about sustainability, I'm making it out of plywood.

This is a blind that I picked up from a car boot.

I'm going to turn it into a tapestry.

I found this sofa for £50. This is a hardy fabric.

Trying to go for, like, a really high-end look.

I want someone to walk in and go, "That's really nice."

What's this? It's, like, an old cast-iron pipe.

It looks a bit grotty. I think it's time for you to go back

to your room, thank you. It might... Come on. Thank you!

HORNS HONK MUSIC: Cars by Gary Numan

Typical London. Look, he's not letting me in.

I'm Alan Carr off the telly!

Michelle's brief is all about eco living and sustainability.

I mean, she should see me in this electric car.

Let's find out how they put the music on.

# New York to San Francisco An inter-city disco... #

Oh, this is just what we need - The Vengaboys!

# ..traffic lights are burning... #

Just when you think the journey can't get any worse!

# ..move your body... #

MUSIC CONTINUES HORNS HONK

Hello, darling. What's happening? What's happening?

What's this traffic like?

I'm saving the planet.

I might be running over a few cyclists,

but I'm saving the planet.

# The Vengabus is coming. #

I'm just applying this filler in a really rough way

to create this textured band.

White spaces are great, but a touch like this adds a bit more luxe.

# Ooh, ooh, ooh. # Hi, Alan. How are you, love?

Is this the Ibiza room? I love this. This is the club room. Woo! Yeah!

Have you done that before? Yeah.

If I'm not going round a pole, I haven't had a good night.

All I'm worried about is getting a rusty crotch.

Remind me of your clientele again. Postgraduates, 21 to 25.

That's why I wanted to do something youthful and quite modern.

My vibe is escapism, that Ibiza, Mediterranean kind of thing.

It's giving off really peaceful vibes. That's exactly it.

No clutter, no stress. Except that massive, round drainpipe. Yeah.

And, I mean, all I had to do was pay a fiver for that.

You were robbed!

THEY LAUGH

I know Michelle is after sustainability and eco living,

but I'm sure she didn't mean reusing a manky 100-year-old drainpipe.

I hope he's going to zhoosh it up a bit.

It's mid-morning and blank walls are getting an injection of colour.

GASPING

Oh, green's on in here.

That is the perfect shade.

But in the young couples' apartment...

Oh, dear.

..Charlotte is having to rethink her plans.

It's looking very bright green at the moment.

Do you think it's too vivid? Yeah.

Like I've got a really deep browny-black colour.

We could just mix some of that in, tone it down. Yeah.

You've mixed paint before like this, haven't you?

I mix it literally all the time.

It's happening. It's happening. It's happening.

The magic is happening.

I've worked as an actor, as a waiter.

I did floristry, puppetry and clowning.

I taught myself to be an upholsterer, did that.

I painted artwork.

And all the time I dabbled in interior design.

My design style is earthy and full of texture.

I've had many different jobs. Now is the time to concentrate

on the thing that I'm really passionate about.

Oh, nice! That's now the colour that

I thought it was meant to be, so that's perfect. Brilliant.

Thank you. You're welcome. My saviour.

In the older couple's apartment...

Water, cement, gravel.

Buse is also mixing things up.

So that's one kilo.

I'm just starting the cast of my concrete legs for my office table

for the main part of the second bedroom.

I studied architecture at university.

My signature is texture.

I am quite a competitive person.

My drive comes from a need to go above and beyond.

I want to be the best.

This is the point where you need to start mixing things.

I've used cement with recycled plastic flecks going through it.

I just wanted there to be something a little bit different.

I don't really have a problem with trying something new, so...

OK. This is going to have to be done quickly.

It's fine.

SHE GIGGLES

SHE SNORTS

It's like a cake batter gone bad!

Oh, my God.

SHE LAUGHS

What's happened?

It's OK. It's fine. Oh, Lord. And this is absolutely insane.

Yeah, I'm going to let you carry on.

The cement is very explosive.

As quick as you can cos... OK. ..this might set.

It's just, like, everywhere.

I just hope that when the sides come off,

that it just doesn't go like.

WET SPLAT

That was stressful.

There is no way that this is happening again.

I come bearing gifts!

Oh, you little beauty, you.

In the family flat... She's actually a little bit sexy, isn't she?

As a pegboard goes.

..Karl has hit an unexpected hurdle.

How are you doing? I'm good. Good, thanks. How are you?

I'll take a seat for this one.

I've just been looking through the material for our room divider

slash sofa build... Yeah. Mm. ..and the OSB that we've got

is only 12mm thick. We need it to be 18.

We will need three sheets of 18mm OSB board? Definitely.

OK.

We've had a bit of a design oversight,

and that's definitely my fault.

Hello? I'm just checking. Have you got 18mm thickness on your site?

I'm freaking out a bit, yeah.

If that divider's not ready for assembly tomorrow,

I would really struggle to see how we get it done.

Do I look like Beyonce?

Stop making me laugh.

SHE LAUGHS

Halfway through the first day... Oh, yay! I love it.

..the designers' visions are starting to come to life.

Oh, that's loads better.

That could have been a bit of a disaster.

These are the cactuses for my living headboard.

In terms of the brief,

they are bringing the outdoors in and living sustainably.

That's going to be a big old picture.

It's going to be ma-hoossive.

It's a big statement piece.

It's all just test your pots. Slap it on. Get creative.

Hi, Joanne. Hi!

So, what are you drawing? Is that me?

No. It's an elephant and a castle. Oh. Oh! Cos that's up there.

It's there, yeah. You're sort of known on social media for having

this great eye for furniture and colours and everything. Yeah.

This is a whole different skill set, being an interior design master.

I mean, how are you coping?

I've got to show that I'm not a one-trick pony.

I mean, I'm good at shopping, but that's just not...

Not just my only skill. Yeah. So that's why

I'm trying to do some artwork and I can give a nod to the area.

A good drawer, aren't you? Thank you, thank you.

Could you paint me like those French ladies? Go on, then.

Let's see what I can do. No, don't. Don't.

Cos I'll look the same as that elephant.

I've put on a bit of weight!

That's one dining table coming through.

In the family flat... That's perfect.

At least one element of the build is nailed down right now.

Cheers.

Temi's fixing up furniture for her master bedroom.

So I'm just priming my chest. I've sanded it down

so it needs something to help the paint stick to the wood.

Being a criminal lawyer, I would like to think

I would be good at explaining to Michelle my decisions.

Maybe if I wig and gown, then I'll go into character

and I'll be able to defend my design decisions then.

In the friend's flat...

How's it going, dream team? Hello. Hello.

..Monika's painted canopy is taking shape.

What I wanted to create is this feeling of cosiness.

..and Ry's statement piece is ready for decorating.

I apologise in advance to all tilers out there.

Don't judge me, please.

So we're going to eyeball the joins.

I'm a little concerned when I grout it,

you'll be able to see all the imperfections.

Everything's going to be fine.

Everything's going to be fine. It's going to be good.

It's going to be good.

That actually wheels quite well!

Tea?

Hi, Buse! Hi, Alan!

What is this?

An attempt at concrete casting. It's going to be a table.

So, what, you're just going to have this room with a concrete table in?

It's not prison cell week. No. I've put plastic inside.

The idea is that there is a bit of a terrazzo effect.

Oh, like in Sicily? Yeah, exactly! I know about terrazzo tiles, yes!

This is the big reveal.

We are opening these up and seeing what it looks like. Oh!

Let's have a grand unveiling. Ooh. DRILL WHIRS

All right. OK.

Oh. The plastic effect does not seem to have made the cut,

but that's a pretty solid leg. And do you know what?

I feel like it has a sleek look. It does have a sleek look. Yeah.

It's not like a concrete in a prison cell. No, of course not!

Concrete leg, tick.

I love Buse's ingenuity, but concrete legs aside,

there's nothing else going on in there.

She hasn't even started on the walls.

I hope she's left herself enough time to get it all done.

As day one draws to a close... This looks great! Thank you.

I am slowly getting there.

..designers' dreams are being realised.

Oh, my God. I love it.

I actually am, like, beaming.

Good work. I love it.

It actually makes the space look bigger.

But while some designers are pleased with their progress...

The zoning's done. This now makes this a separate area.

..others might be in for a sleepless night.

The concrete took a lot longer than I thought it was going to take.

Tomorrow, I need to get those timber panels up

or come up with some sort of a Plan B.

That looks about right.

The boards have turned up on site.

I've got to absolutely finish my divider slash seating area.

It's going to be a tight finish, but I think we're going to make it.

SEAGULLS CRY

# I wasn't ready But now I'm ready for you... #

I'm super giddy. Maybe I shouldn't have had that second espresso.

It's all go today. Go, go, go time.

I had a good night's sleep, so let's hope for the best.

It's the final day of the build...

This is a workout. Keep going!

Giving myself a pep talk. It's fine.

..and some important decisions have been made overnight.

# I risk it all. #

I've got a lot to do so I've reduced the scheme down to just on one wall.

BUSE LAUGHS

So that should make our job a little bit easier.

RY HISSES

Beautiful.

I'm really happy with my tiling.

It looks pretty good.

Onto the next thing.

Ry, how are you doing? Well, hello!

Look at that view. It looks good, right?

You've got the breakfast bar with the best view in London,

but I'm going to be really picky. Of course.

Say you're sitting down here having your breakfast.

You're like, "Oh, look - it's The Shard!" Yeah.

And you sit here and you're like, "Oh, yeah. The Shard."

I see where we're going. And then you're like,

"Oh, no, where's the Shard?" It's gone! "Oh, what's happened?"

What do you say to people who are down here having their granola?

They want to see the Shard. I say...set their alarm earlier.

Yes! Get up, you lazy sod.

Exactly!

With teamwork key to the brief...

I've gone with warm tones because Buse has got oranges in her room.

We're doing this.

..the designers are doing all they can to create a cohesive space.

I am pinching some of Joanne's paint.

This is a great way to introduce some of her colours into my room.

I'm thinking we do probably need an in-between colour.

Maybe that gold onto this wall here. I think that's a brilliant idea.

While Karl and Temi are going for gold...

It's the link. It's the marriage, isn't it?

Yeah, exactly. Between the two.

..Tom's toning down his turmeric walls.

Sorry, Megan, but we're changing the colour.

I was going to do this whole space this vivid yellow,

but based on what's happening in Charlotte's space,

this all needs to be a little bit more neutral.

That is fine, because I love painting things five times.

In the postgrad flat...

I love it. ..Joanne's artistic vision is being realised.

I'm really happy with my art. It's not bad.

I am feeling calm. Everything feels under control.

Might be my HRT!

SHE CHUCKLES

And team-mate Peter is attempting something more avant-garde.

This whole room is taking me completely out of my comfort zone.

I want this space to feel like a cool, contemporary art gallery.

LOUD SCRAPING

OK.

Yeah.

GASPING

Stop. Midway through day two...

Oh, we do it up. ..and plans are paying off.

This is why you're the pro. Yeah.

Sofa's upholstered. The island has gone in.

Think I'm on course.

Oh, wow! Looks good, doesn't it? You just want to touch it.

Banquette seating - pretty much done it. Great.

Do you want to do another one of these?

There's paint on the walls. I've got a few of the key items in.

I love it. It's vibrant. It's cultural.

So far, so good.

And Temi's team-mate, Karl, also has good news.

HAMMER TAPS

My centrepiece is finally here.

Now that I'm actually seeing it, I'm feeling a lot better, really. Yeah.

In the friends' apartment, Monika's daybed is causing nightmares.

The problem is that I'm trying to be sustainable. This is second-hand.

It didn't have instructions and it has so many parts.

Hi, Monika. Oh, Alan, hi! Sorry, I didn't see you from my prison.

Looks like you're trapped in a bed. I know! I am.

Free Monika!

SHE LAUGHS

Your clientele is two friends. Yeah.

But you've got a double bed in there and you've got a single bed in here.

Now, are you hoping the ugly one's in here?

"He'll never get lucky - stick him in the single bed."

Is that your thinking? Oh, no! No. This looks like a single bed,

but, actually, it has this cool pull-out area,

so it basically transforms from a daybed into a full-size double bed.

Oh, I see!

So the ugly person can get laid, too.

You are amazing, Monika. Keep up the good work.

Bye!

Yes!

In the postgrad flat...

Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo! That's really nice.

..Peter's living headboard is in position.

Shall we be like... I'll see if I can get down. Aww.

Like, erm, Eric and Ernie. In bed with a woman. Or Terry and June.

Is it your first time? First time in bed with a woman. Aww.

Right, let's get this painted.

Brush, brush, brush, brush, brush.

Please, Lord, let this stick.

So this is going on top? It is. Yep.

In the young couple's apartment,

Charlotte's breakfast bar is almost ready.

Watch your fingers. Yeah.

Just a smidge there.

And former thespian Tom...

OK, cool.

..is getting dramatic in his spare room.

I've decided to do this graphic cane wallpaper

because I wanted to add a drama edge to the neutrality of everything.

I just wanted something dynamic. Mm. Yeah, I'm happy.

Oh, Temi! Oh.

Hello, Alan. Oh, are you OK? I'm a bit vertically challenged.

What do I do? Shall I lift this up? Oh, I've done it. Is this helping?

Oh... I mean, that was a great help. THEY LAUGH

How cute are those dumbbells? I know. They're blooming heavy, Alan.

MOCK STRAINING

They're so heavy!

I told you. They're brilliant!

Look at that. I'd go to the gym more if they were this light.

It's really come together, hasn't it?

I'm happy, Alan. Yeah.

I'm as happy as I can be with an hour to go. Yeah.

Right, I've cut the backing boards for your cushions for your sofa.

But for Temi's team-mate Karl,

time pressures have caused a last-minute change of plan.

Unfortunately, we've kind of, um, skipped back a little bit

in a couple of the additional details.

Because of the delays with the divider,

I lost the upper top part.

I really hope the judges are able to see that the intent of the design

was still realised.

I've put all the cladding round the front of the sofa now,

so once the cushions are on, that's done.

# 22 grand job In the city, it's all right... #

With the clock ticking... Finally done the bed!

..everyone is feeling the heat.

Come on!

I'm disgusting and sweaty but it's turning out exactly how I wanted.

It's coming together but it's tight now.

I am damn happy with my table.

This is very cool. Thanks.

Up, up, up, up. Perfect.

DRILL WHIRS Ooh! Where's the end of this?

# 22 grand job... #

God, who's that old person looking at me?

# 22 grand job... # Put myself in the corner here.

HE GRUNTS

All right, cool.

# In the city it sounds nice. #

OK. I'm a bit hot.

I think I need some sugar.

MUSIC: LDN by Lily Allen

Finishing touches made, the five apartments are ready for judging.

Joining Michelle this week is master of luxury home decor,

Jonathan Adler.

Well, here we are in Elephant Park.

A fantastic new development, but quite far from home for you.

Far from home. Home is New York, but I am obsessed with England,

especially English design,

so I cannot wait to see what these Brits have concocted.

These are apartments that are for rental.

Each pair has been given a different brief

because I wanted to represent the broad spectrum of clients

that this development is going to cater to.

A space has to function and address the needs of the client,

and only once they achieve that can they really layer on

personal expression and voice.

Also, I've thrown in sustainability,

but I don't want a portrait made out of bottle caps.

It's got to be something really fundamental to the design.

So I'm looking for sustainability and beauty.

Plus we are judging them on how the schemes work together.

So we're not looking for much, then, are we?

Not too much. We're not overly ambitious or demanding.

Let's go, then. Let's do this.

I'm really chuffed with it.

Me and Monika have really good schemes.

I'm really proud of my tiles.

That's so sad to say it,

but I've never tiled before in my life

and I can't wait to tell my dad.

So this is Ry's design, and he is a fresh new graduate

from an interior design school.

I feel like I'm in the space of a very thoughtful designer.

I like the kind of mid line thing.

I love the way that it interconnects with the pictures.

We've got a really generous breakfast bar

and I guess that's his nod to sustainability as well. I mean,

this is all made of untreated ply, which is always a lovely material.

This tiled grid is very much on trend.

There's a sense of polish that I'm totally digging.

There's just something extra that I'm going to want to see.

I think mad props for the foundation.

It's the playful punctuation I am missing.

You have so eloquently put your finger on it.

That's what's missing.

I am super exhausted. I feel happy.

I feel anxious, stressed, nervous.

A lot of... It is a mix of feelings, yeah.

Oh. Well, she's dialled back the Gothic glamour,

but I'm loving a little nod to the sort of the dark side over there.

Do we feel this is the bedroom of that living room?

There's a unified palette.

This mauve has a similar milkiness,

and so there's a harmony of colours.

I'm loving the canopy.

It's a really clever way to denote bed.

And I love the kind of window enclave.

It's a very considered design.

It perfectly frames what is a spectacular view.

Ooh, this is different. I don't know about you, but I'm getting

immediate nursery vibes...

Right? ..which is strange because this is supposed

to be two flatmates sharing.

It's the cabinet in the corner that's throwing me off

and making it feel very junior.

The whole day bed thing,

I don't think is quite appropriate for a flatshare.

Every time I'm pulling my bed out, I've got to move my chair.

I'm not quite sure where my chair is going.

Yeah. I'm seeing my nods to sustainability with the older

furniture and the natural fibres.

Ry and Monika clearly worked together.

It's not like, "Oh, we've got exactly the same colours."

They've done their own thing, but it works together.

I like how each room is a different chapter in the same story.

I'm proud of both me and Tom because we've

done our own rooms and we've also

tried to have some synergy between the two.

So, I think we've really succeeded with that.

Ooh. Wow.

Well, this is a good first impression.

You know what I've seen immediately that I love is the pale green

ceiling and the little bit of, like, architrave. Isn't that clever?

It's the first thing that drew me in,

and it completely creates the mood.

And to have painted the skirting board as well.

It kind of creates architecture where there is none,

and I think that's very clever.

Oh, and look at this wallpaper.

That's a great, big gesture.

I love this island. You know, you can move it around,

have dance parties. They're young, they're going to have dance parties.

Duh!

But sustainability. Got a lot of natural materials, which is great.

I could see sort of adulting in this space.

I think it's a really great statement of home.

I'm stoked with how the main bedroom turned out.

And then the second bedroom was a bit of a curveball for me.

It's memorable in a good way,

like, it makes you go in and go, "Oh, wow!"

Definite first impressions - teamwork.

The colours are different, but they're working together.

I feel very calm. I feel like I'm in contemporary London.

Tom is on trend with this arched headboard

and it all feels very today.

I'm imagining this is one of his own artworks as well.

It's fantastic.

It's as if he did take all the colours and worked them into this.

That's giving me sophistication.

Oh! Interesting.

We've got some of the same ideas,

but then a very different vibe happening here.

I am loving this room.

There's just some master strokes.

And really, for me, it's the bed.

It is wonderful making a cocoon space out of that bed.

But I'm loving how he's used the walls. It's kind of fun.

There's something very bold and confident about that gesture.

Sustainability, nod to it over in the shelving.

And I think I'm seeing some of his skill set with upholstery, which is

always a brilliant way to update an existing piece of furniture.

And it shows mad skills, like, that ain't easy.

Overall, Charlotte and Tom, they've worked together.

I think it's really cohesive and I would happily move in here

if I were to turn back time and be 25 again.

I think any post-grad would be delighted to live there.

The green colour on the walls is beautiful.

It's a lovely place to socialise.

It's young and it's funky and it's fun.

Oh, gosh!

It's a very different approach to the space.

I like this reused wood little divider.

It zones the space. We've got living area here and I've got

this little dining space.

For me, this green gets a little bit too dark.

Roll on our English winters,

I think I might be feeling a little bit hemmed in.

I'm getting post-grad.

However, it's like a lot of little bits and bobs.

Those little bitty things are very popular online,

but in a real space, things need to be grander.

I showed myself. But then I also really pushed myself. I made things.

We worked on our cohesion as a team.

I think I have nailed the brief.

I wouldn't change a thing.

Oh, my word. A white room.

Got some textural effects going on, which I kind of like.

Kind of feels like Ibiza themed.

Good read, because that is entirely Peter's thing.

He has just transported us to his home.

If the entire flat were like this, I'd be like,

"Oh, this is fantastic."

It's the disjointed-ness that is harshing my mellow.

I do kind of love this whole bed construct thing,

but we're in Elephant and Castle.

Why, if I've chosen this deluxe apartment that I want to transport

myself to a Spanish island?

Oh, we've gone into a different vibe again, haven't we?

He's not even collaborating with himself.

The first base was very natural Ibiza.

This is more like foam party Ibiza, and they're

two very different voices.

Also, I'm very distracted by these sort of bits of reclaimed

stuff, because if that's the nod to sustainability - that's not it.

Overall, I just don't see that sense of teamwork.

Um, at least Joanne, I know who she is, with Peter,

now I'm very confused.

I've never done anything like this before.

I think me and Buse have pulled it off.

There's the cohesion. It feels like a lovely space.

I'd love to sit in the space and enjoy it.

Ooh. First impressions -

I love this.

It's really a very open, welcoming space.

The thing that hits me straight away is there's a generosity here.

The width of this, it's not just a little slither -

it's zoned the whole kitchen.

It's the graciousness of scale that makes it so inviting.

And boucle is the fabric du jour.

It's very flumpy and delicious.

I'm impressed because Jack is one of our youngest designers as well.

Really? I would not have thought

this was done by a very young designer. It's very confident.

It was touch-and-go there.

I don't know what it would have looked like if I did everything

I wanted, but when you walk in, it does feel like a show home

and at the same time it really represents sustainability.

I like that. Mm.

Yeah, it's quite beautiful and I actually really like the tone.

It kind of feels like well-worn leather.

I think it's really a nice gesture. I love it.

The built-in bench, that's giving me hints of her architectural

sensibility, which I like. That has that generosity to it as well.

Love it. And saffron!

She had me at saffron, but this wall is a bit of a disappointment to me.

We turn around and go, "Oh, you obviously ran out of time."

Oh, gosh, Buse's done the same thing again.

I've got, like, half of a room.

Yeah. It seems like Buse isn't

so great at planning her time or her resources.

I do feel potential.

She's obviously re-crafting this room as a studio.

And the one thing I really like about this whole apartment

is I'm feeling the re-use of materials. I'm going to give them

a big yes for the sustainability aspect,

but clearly there is quite a lot to be learnt here.

Agreed.

I definitely feel a bit gutted about having to change my design,

but most of the elements were there, and I still feel that the design

stands on its own.

OK. Huh.

I'm feeling a lot of very un-child-friendly features here.

Yeah, I'm seeing lots of corners and pointy bits.

I'm happy to see a rounded edge on the table,

but in general it doesn't feel super childy.

There's just a big sense of unfinished-ness here.

I mean, I see the sides of this table are tiled.

Obviously, this has been built and yet I'm not seeing that big

signature thing that clearly took all the time.

I mean, this is a seriously uncomfortable looking sofa.

Funny, when you think about this versus Jack's built-in sofa -

the power of upholstery.

It changes everything about the feel of a room.

I genuinely think my rooms are gorgeous. That main bedroom,

you walk in and you feel that ocean breeze on your face.

It reminds you of the sea.

I think the child's room is fun, playful.

It's exactly what I envisaged.

Oh, I like the colours in here! Mm-hm!

It's got that freshness.

There's something about coming into this colour

that makes you feel good. And I like the bed.

It kind of has a nice caszh, natural feel.

It's got that sense of being handmade, which is what I love,

but then also reflected with this rather fabulous whatever-it-is.

If we delve in deeper, I would have liked to have seen

slightly bigger pots for the plants.

Not quite sure what's going on with the side tables

because I can't use those. That's not functional.

Yeah, I agree.

Ah...

We've got such a strong statement here with the sort of circus

and the stripes.

I'm mad for the circus tent ceiling,

and I'm just now getting a little angry

at my own parents for not giving me a circus tent ceiling.

Kids' rooms are an incredible chance to go over the top

and make them fun and playful and I think Temi did that.

But one of the key things to me is that everything needs

to be at child level.

And so we've kind of win, win, win, win, win until we get here.

And I've got a trapeze hanging from the ceiling

and a very high level pegboard shelf thing.

So many designers forget about the needs of the client.

It's a scale issue.

As a duo, I do feel that there's a sense of collaboration.

There's a kind of attention to colour that has continued

from room to room. I agree.

So we've seen five identical apartments,

but each treated in such a different way.

I think we're going to have to have quite a bit of discussion

to decide who is going to be on my sofa.

Look at this. Wow.

Before they head back to Brighton to find out their fate...

This is lovely. Smile!

SHE LAUGHS

..the designers have a chance to snoop on their rivals.

This is absolutely amazing. Look at these tiles! Yeah.

So it's, like, changeable storage. Very clever. I would've lowered it

about a metre. This is a five-year-old's room. Yeah, five-year-old.

Oh, my God. There's so much handmade stuff.

Has he made all this himself? Yes.

That does make me a little bit worried, actually.

OK. Ooh... So this is not the bedroom.

I would be a little nervous just with this space.

You're not pulling that out to make a double bed.

You're pulling out for someone to come over.

But you're having nobody over. Not in that!

All right, you might not!

THEY LAUGH

The ten designers are back in Michelle's design studio...

SINGSONG: Nervous!

..to discover whose chance at a professional contract

may be in jeopardy.

Hi, everyone.

ALL: Hi, Alan.

I'm sure you're dying to know what Michelle and Jonathan thought

of your apartments, so I won't keep you in the dark any further.

The judges were impressed with some of your designs.

They felt some of you could have pushed yourselves further

and delivered more.

However, there was one team that showed strong teamwork

and delivered a brief with ambitious designs.

Well done...

..Tom and Charlotte.

SHE GASPS

Congratulations, you're through to next week. Oh, my God!

The other teams going through are...

..Monika and Ry, well done.

And also...

..Buse and Jack. Well done.

That, of course, leaves Karl and Temi,

and Joanne and Peter.

Michelle will see all of you on her sofa, and sadly,

one of you will be going home.

Good luck. Thank you.

So, some wonderful designs and some not so wonderful designs.

This challenge was really about bringing together collaboration.

It was about sustainability, and the four coming through are on the sofa

because they just didn't get that juggle well enough at all. Yeah...

Let's start with Peter. Did you enjoy visiting Ibiza?

I came away from it, only knowing that Peter loves Ibiza.

This wasn't the moment for signature style.

And then what about Joanne?

I thought it was all a little...small.

Yeah, and with Peter and Joanne, I really felt like every room

was totally different, completely unrelated.

I think Temi and Karl had a bit more cohesion, didn't they,

with their designs? You could feel it slightly more, yes.

They had the family home.

Temi did embrace that, but there was a question of scale.

The child is five, so things need to be slightly a lower level.

Yeah. That wasn't working for me.

Karl's room is slightly less family friendly.

And Karl really didn't juggle his time.

Was it a case of him being overambitious?

I think we really need to ask him the questions on that.

This is going to be so tough. No-one wants to go home week one, do they?

No, they don't, but they have everything to play for

and I'm really interested to see what they have to say.

Hello! Hello.

Hi. Hi.

So, challenge one, you're on the sofa, I get it.

It is not where you want to be, but I would really encourage you

to see this as a valuable opportunity for feedback.

A really big part of this challenge was about collaboration.

Joanne and Peter, let me just dive straight in.

I didn't see visual evidence of collaboration

in the way that I understand it. Do you think that's fair?

We both felt that we had a neutral base, but with pops of colour. Yeah.

That's where I tried to bring in some of her pops of colour.

But it isn't about, "I'm doing this, you're doing this," and

"Oh, OK, you've used that colour, I'm going to use that colour too."

That isn't it. You had one client

and I just felt you did your style and you did your style.

Does that make sense to you? Yeah, it makes sense. Yeah.

But we thought because there were locations, that was a collaboration

as well, a well-travelled person, these are the places

where they've been and this is home.

I think you guys are trying to stand out in a competition,

but I shouldn't have even known there were two separate designers.

I never felt a vibe that was consistent,

so I think you need to think beyond just colour.

But if we now go into your individual design.

Peter, I'll start with you. I get it - you like Ibiza.

But if I was going to spend that much money renting an apartment

in this gorgeous block, why are you taking me totally away from that?

Most people in this day and age look forward to an escape.

My way of designing is bringing that escape home. For my bedroom,

I wanted to create that oasis that we all look forward to.

And I get that, it's a nice idea.

But then I'm "party central" over on the other side.

I wanted to show you my two polar opposites to kind of surprise you.

But there you go, you see, that's all about you.

What about your post-graduate student? Has he got both those sides?

Yeah, I understand.

Joanne, we talked a lot about scale in your space... Yeah.

..that some of the pieces you chose would've had so much more impact

if they were bigger. Yeah.

Your space was styled... Uh-huh. ..it was decorated.

Yeah. What didn't work was an overall design.

I am good at styling. That's my talent,

and if I was to come back again, I need to push myself further

with the design element and show you what I can do.

Karl, what does "family friendly" mean to you?

I thought about the kind of people who would be raising a child

in the city, so I was thinking that I'd have a divider

for decorative purposes, but also for storage, which is ultimately key

when you're thinking of a child.

And my immediate klaxon is like, "What about safety?"

You had a lot of pointy corners. Mm-hm.

I admit that that was a design flaw.

Your space did feel very unfinished.

It was the room divider that I definitely put all my effort into.

It was going to have shelving on the other side facing the dining,

and it was going to be sort of an aesthetic divided top.

So what happened? I was overly ambitious.

My job, day-to-day, is sat behind a computer.

Now I've seen how it actually gets made in a workshop,

I now know how long that's actually going to take in the future.

Design is so tactile, it's like a 3D experience.

Everything in your space was very 2D. It was very hard.

So Temi, your rooms did appear to be dressed in a very nice way.

Jonathan loved your circus room. Yeah. When design is really good, it's memorable.

But children are quite small, they roam around a lot on the floor.

There was a lot of things that seemed at the right scale,

but then there was suddenly something quite high up on the wall.

It's quite hard brief because it was five plus. I put the pegboard there,

so as a child grew, they could go up the pegboard.

That's overcomplicated. Yeah. Keep it simple. Your kid is five years old,

they're this high and because you've designed for them all the way

for the next, like, five years of their life. Yeah, yeah.

You four are all here because you dropped the ball

on a fundamental aspect of this challenge.

Temi, we really appreciated a lot that was going on

in both of your rooms.

But if you're going to continue, I'm going to need to see you

really understanding - client is king or queen. Yeah.

Joanne, it was a promising start,

but you've got to give me more confidence.

It's go big or go home.

Peter, there is a time and a place for signature style.

This wasn't it.

Karl, you didn't finish.

And I really didn't feel that you met the "family friendly" brief.

So, I'm afraid, for that reason,

you will be the person leaving us this week.

Thank you so much for this opportunity.

It's been such a great honour, really, just to be here.

Thank you. See you later. Bye, Karl!

It's been a blow to go out in the first round.

You know, it's the first time I'd ever worked practically

in that way, and I fell short.

Now, I'm going to keep trying and doing more adventurous builds.

I'm just going to pray that I don't have to do it in two days!

Karl had ambitious ideas,

but in trying to do too much, he didn't finish.

And I felt he missed the mark on the brief.

Next time...

Wow! It's like a castle.

Not everything is child's play...

I don't know what babies do! ..when the designers team up...

You want to paint the walls beige? Yeah. I don't think it works.

..to turn nurseries...

SHE LAUGHS

..into worlds of wonder. Here's one I made earlier.

Why have you gone with brown?

It's looking like a massive mess!