Interior Design Masters

Who doesn't love interior design?

But, what if you wanted to turn that passion

into a full-time career?

From across the UK,

these ten everyday people

with dreams to become designers

are looking for a big life change.

They're about to face the toughest challenge of their lives.

It's going up!

Hoping to make a name for themselves

in the ruthless world of professional design.

They're competing to win a major career-defining contract

to design the grand historic bar

at one of London's top hotels.

I've been a mum for the last decade now,

and this is really my time

to shine again.

I have a need to be creative.

It's not enough for me just to be a solicitor.

My father died three years ago,

and I thought, "Life is too short."

Judged by former editor-in-chief

of British Elle Decoration magazine,

Michelle Ogundehin is an internationally-renowned

authority on design

and interior trends.

Interior design is so much more than just painting a few walls.

I'm looking for magic.

She'll be joined by some of the biggest names in the industry.

It's like being perfectly poised between pleasure and pain.

It's got some maturity, it's got some depth.

And, that's the space that lets it down for me.

The contestants will face eight commercial design challenges.

Wowzers.

Three grand, let's do Buckingham Palace next week.

Knock yourself out.

Do you know what I mean? I'm up for it.

It's so exciting!

But, only the successful will stay in the competition.

I worked so hard,

I don't want to go home now.

Fail to impress...

I absolutely hate it.

...and elimination looms.

I just feel like the bits I should have done well at...

are the bits I did the worst at.

Oh, dear.

Welcome to Interior Design Masters.

BARBER & PARLOUR

The ten aspiring designers

are about to come face-to-face

for the first time at Michelle's design studio.

- Hi! - Hello!

Hello.

- How are we doing? - All right.

It's good.

From all avenues of life, with different levels of skill,

over the next eight weeks

they're out to prove they've got what it takes.

I understand other people have good ideas,

but I think my style's the best.

What do you do?

I'm an antiques dealer.

Oh, wow.

Hi!

You see yourself as this hopeful singular genius.

So, they're taking...

- So, this is the whole crew? - This is it.

Do you think everyone's eyeing up their competition now?

Yeah, I'd like to think that I would win the competition,

but I could be wrong.

We'll see!

Hi, guys!

Hello!

How are you?

Good.

- Nervous, scared. Everything. - Yeah, all that. All the above. Yeah.

You've shut everybody up a bit, haven't you?

Yeah!

That's what I'm here for.

For order.

So, I'm going to be with you

throughout this wonderful

yet slightly nerve-wracking experience.

I'm going to be there to make sure you're okay,

give you a hug,

get you a cup of tea,

but now I'm going to introduce you to somebody

who knows everything there is to know about interior design.

Follow me.

Michelle, the gang.

The gang, Michelle.

- Hello. - Hi.

Some of you look absolutely terrified!

There's an air of tension in the room now.

Michelle is going to be setting the challenges each week

and scrutinizing your work,

and she'll be the one deciding whether you stay,

or whether you go home.

This is your big chance to go pro as an interior designer.

I'm sure you're all pretty eager to find out what the first challenge is.

In the north of England

lies the contestants' first major design challenge,

transforming model homes.

Working in two groups of five,

the teams must redesign and transform

these family homes.

Each designer will take ownership of a room,

staging it for sale.

Appealing to as many buyers as possible.

You'll see that you're stood in two separate groups,

so say hello to your team for challenge one.

Hello!

This is really important, okay,

because design is not a solo sport.

We're going to be looking at how you work together,

as well as how you work individually,

and the winning team

will be the one that I think has produced the most cohesive show home.

And, for some of you,

that might mean that you need to make

some compromises to your designs along the way.

Fail to hit the brief,

and someone from the losing team

will be going home.

Good luck.

- Thank you. - Cheers.

Before heading to location,

first chance for the designers to size up their new teammates...

...and show each other the designs they've already prepared.

Quite similar colours to yours, Kyle, sort of duck-egg,

but I've kind of mixed my own colour.

I couldn't quite get what I wanted, so I mixed two.

Yes.

Okay.

So, this room is the study.

After a four-year career break,

interiors consultant and mum-of-two, Ju,

is ready to unleash her sunny style.

I think, being a Brasilia,

I live everything to its fullest.

My design style is so strong, so different.

It has a touch of Alice in Wonderland to it.

When you enter one of the rooms that I've designed,

you can't just enter and not feel anything.

You may hate it, you may love it,

but you're probably going to feel something.

I have selected for a wallpaper to go on the back wall.

Then, add a little bit of edge to the scheme,

this geometric wallpaper.

Gorgeous.

Thank you.

Retired army officer, Verity, is tackling the team's kids' bedroom.

I've gone for a kind of teenage girl look,

which allowed me to bring in lots of bright colours

and thought is was the opportunity to have a bit of fun.

I got the master bedroom,

and I went for quite a bright colour scheme.

At just 22 years old,

interior stylist, Frank, is the youngest designer

in the competition.

I think my design is quite original.

I think sometimes the colours that I use

maybe aren't the conventional colours

that you use in a home in Britain.

My style is very, very influenced by travels abroad,

and my love for India, I think,

shines through quite a lot of my designs.

If I see a vision, I want that to happen,

and it'll be very hard for somebody to try and take me down a different path.

Can't listen to other people's ideas.

- Very nice. Well done. - Lovely.

So, we need to look at how we're going to get things to tie in.

- Has everyone got velvet? - Who hasn't got velvet?

Yep, I've got velvet.

Maybe you could alter one of your wallpapers?

I wouldn't change them, because they need each other.

I think this needs to be slightly more neutral.

I can't change right now, guys.

- I don't want to change my wallpaper-- - But just less...

Less feminine.

My design is more feminine,

but then the brief didn't say a particular style or anything.

Let's not fight over things--

Oh, no, we're definitely not fighting.

We're just being passionate.

This is no fight yet, honey. No.

I think Ju and Frank might clash, yes.

But, in terms of the designs,

we had a lot more in common than I would have anticipated.

I just wish that Ju had...

toned down her design,

and, to be honest, I don't really like her design.

Judging the teams alongside Michelle this week

is Matthew Williamson,

a hugely successful former fashion designer.

Adored by celebrities,

Matthew is now making a big name for himself

in the world of interiors.

I think working on a show home,