Interior Design Masters (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Episode #1.5 - full transcript

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.

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.
Know what I mean? I'm up for it.

So excited!

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've done well at...

are the bits I did the worst at.

Oh, dear.

Welcome to Interior Design Masters.

It's week five.

We need to be on it, and we need to be
pushing ourselves and pushing ourselves.

We're aware it's getting serious.

You can definitely feel that it's
becoming more of a competition now.

Yeah, competition is super hotting up.

Everyone's got so much talent in this now,

that you just cannot feel safe
at any point.

At the design studio,

the five remaining contestants

are about to discover what's in store

for their next project.

I'll be honest, I am slightly nervous.

I don't know
what they're going to throw at us.

-Hello again, designers.
-Hi.

So, for this week's task,

set in the heart of the countryside

is a beautiful holiday village.

In the east of England lies their biggest

design challenge so far,

two holiday cabins

in a luxury country resort,

ready for a refit both inside and out.

There are two target markets
that have been identified.

One is women over 30

that are looking for a really
sophisticated girls' get-together,

and the other is perhaps older couples

looking for that classic country break.

So when you're designing,

you need to keep the guest

at the forefront of your mind.

But the key thing

is to agree a unified brief
from the very beginning.

There's going to be one team of two
and one team of three.

Exciting!

Go get thinking in your teams.

This week, contestants on the winning team
will be safe.

But someone on the losing team

will be going home.

Okay.

Wow.

Graphic designer Nicki

and interiors consultant Ju

are working on the two-bed cabin
for older guests.

Shall we write down,
"Bring the outside in?"

Yeah.

because that could be
a big start to our concept.

Maybe we could think about
things like paneling.

Definitely.

And wallpapers.

Judging alongside Michelle this week,

the pioneer of bold, dark spaces,

author, trendsetter and global
interior designer Abigail Ahern.

When you design commercially,

it can't be your personal reflection
of that space.

I'm looking to see

lively rhythm of different materials
butting up against each other

to create this really beautiful texture,

because without texture in a space,
it goes really flat.

So that's one of my key components
to make a space come alive.

On the rival design team,

Frank, Cassie and Kyle

must turn their three-bed cabin

into a luxury girls' retreat.

We do really have to think of the clients
that we've been told about.

The girls in the parties,

and just that glamorous edge.

-They are going to be doing--
-I'm not really seeing party at all.

It's more like girls' spa weekend.

I'm seeing here,
it's saying, "Kept neutral,

calm and muted."

I'm still with Cassie,
and she's got big opinions.

Whether or not I'll have to use
my master persuasion skills

to veer her off that is another thing.

I've got this idea of basically building
almost like a set within the room,

-but not like a cheesy set...
-Okay.

of a Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

-Right.
-Okay.

Me and Frank,
we clash on so many opinions

of our ideas of design.

It's going to be tough,
and it's really going to push...

push myself,
and Frank and Kyle

to do something together,

because we're all very different.

Okay.

We've got a lot of ideas, haven't we?

Having discussed designs,

the teams head off to the east of England.

There might be three of them,

but there's two of us.

-Girl power.
-Girl power.

So, how are you feeling?

It feels like there's a lot to do.

-Yeah. There is.
-There is a lot to do.

The contestants have two days
to makeover an entire cabin,

including an open-plan living space

with a kitchen and dining area,

master and guest bedrooms,

as well as a veranda.

Oh, that, there. I think that's ours.
Look, it's the curtains.

And they're about to see the spaces
for the first time.

What do you think?

-I hate the TV on the wall there.
-Yeah.

The key thing that me and Ju want to do

in the chalet was to bring the outside in.

You know, it's a beautiful lake
surrounded by woodland,

and I think what we've realized is
the brief is all about luxury,

but in a simple pleasures kind of way.

To achieve their luxury farmhouse look,

Nicki and Ju will be
painting the kitchen cupboards

dark green on the bottom

and light green on the top.

The colour palette continues
with a sage green band

around the lower half
of the open-plan space

which will also be covered in
floor-to-ceiling batons.

They'll reconfigure the living area
by moving the TV,

building a statement mantelpiece,

and bringing in a new sofa.

Taking on the cabin next door

are Kyle, Cassie and Frank.

It feels smaller.

I was going to say it feels...

a bit bigger.

I think it feels way smaller.

It feels so much smaller, Cass.

Interiors stylist Frank

has an idea he hopes will attract ladies

looking for a luxury

country break.

I had this brainwave

to do this kind of Hamptons,

Long Island,

kind of beach holiday home.

Ideas wise,

it's very much got my stamp on it.

For the team's take
on the Hamptons beach house,

they'll be painting the kitchen
in a variety of gray tones.

In the living space, they're using a
minimalist blue and white colour palette,

with a bold patterned wallpaper.

They plan to bring in a large white sofa

and whitewash all wooden furniture,

including their new
bespoke chimney breast.

Would you like to help me
with this coffee table, Kyle?

Course I will.

But, before starting the makeover,

it's time to rid the cabins
of the old furniture.

We are supposed to be designing for,
like, it said,

over-30s women
coming away for the weekend.

I am in that over-30s bracket.

I don't expect to stay in somewhere

that looks like...

a very smart grandmother's house.

I've just been pushing things

a bit differently to make sure that
I'm happy with it, too.

With a whole cabin

to redesign in just two days,

the contestants will have the usual
team of tradespeople to help.

Morning, everybody.

We've got all your pre-cut MDF,

we're just doing the twin rooms
a mini little face-lift.

We just want a panel,

I'm going to give you
the exact measurements shortly,

around this height,

which will go all the way round,

and then just a straight block panel
all the way down to the skirting board.

Nice and easy,

then the twin beds back in,
Bob's your uncle.

We've got loads of stuff to do.

Aiming for a country feel,

Nicki's fixing wooden batons
on the walls throughout the cabin.

To create this kind of wood...

farmhouse, textured wall look.

But with a stack that need painting,

it's a task that could cost them
valuable time.

-Nicki!
-Oh, my gosh.

Hi, Fearne.

-How are you?
-Alright.

Busying away, as usual.

We're paneling probably about...

two thirds of the inside of our chalet...

-Wow.
-...with them.

It's quite a lot of work, no?

It is quite a lot of work.

How many of these babies
are we talking about?

We do have 120, I think.

Are you being overly ambitious again?

You know, I'm always ambitious,
but this is the edited version.

What was the unedited version?

The unedited version

-was the ceilings as well!
-Of course it was.

Nicki has big ideas.

I'm also trying to keep her...

tone it down.
So I think I find the balance.

She makes me a little bit more brave,

and I make her a little bit less!

THREE BED CABIN
FRANK, KYLE & CASSIE

On the rival team,

they're struggling to agree on
the design details,

as Cassie and Frank

have each picked different lights
for the living room.

So, that's the smaller,
and then there's a bigger,

-Yeah.
-and possibly having

the big one above,
the smaller one below.

-But in white?
-But having these...

-painted white.
-Yeah.

How do you feel?

I prefer the other ones.

I think they're...

softening.

This is the other one.

Quite like the natural...

rattan, and I think that's quite,

you know, on trend.

It's going to have
a bit of longevity to it as well.

What do you want?

I prefer those ones, if I'm honest.

I just worry, if everything's painted,

how do we get those kind of...

-The natural tones.
-Natural, yeah.

I don't think those lights
are as cool as the other ones.

Or quite as current.

Me and Frank understand the vision

that we're trying to achieve
with this East Hamptons

beach house vibe.

I think Cassie understands it,
but doesn't particularly like it,

so wherever she can,

she's trying to maybe curtail things
a bit more to how she would like.

So, is it okay if we do those?

-Yeah.
-Is that okay?

Yeah.

But it'd be nice to have something
that isn't all painted white.

They wouldn't be my personal light choice

if I was doing this just by myself.

However, you know, we have to
make this all work together as a team,

and they both prefer those ones.

-So you want this side?
-Yeah.

Okay, you've made the decision?

Like that.

What bits of Cassie's design
or things that she's brought

are you not keen on,
that you would like to park?

All of it?

No, I'm joking!

Sort of joking, sort of not joking.

No, I am joking. I, um...

She's very, like, exposed wood
and stuff like that, which I love,

but if we're trying to keep

on scheme, which is this Hamptons,
Long Island look,

it's a lot of painted furniture,

and I know she hates it,

but sometimes you've got to just...

do it just to deliver
what the brief wants,

and I feel if we've gone down this route,

she's kind of had to
get on board with it a bit.

At Ju and Nicki's,

the new design

for their living room
means moving the TV,

but it's not an easy task.

Because, the TV is going to
go here instead.

If we can make it work,

it will look so much better
than having a black box and a black box.

-That's the worst case.
-I do understand,

but if it doesn't really work,

we have to be open to the idea of just...

-keeping the TV there.
-Yeah. We might not have any choice.

How many times
have you had to say to Nicki,

"Whoa, stop.

Tone it down, Nicki."

Nicki is super creative,

and she's very ambitious with her design.

She's very conscious because,

the last time, on the sofa,
she had feedback from Michelle,

and, of course, she's just trying to
go with it and tone it down a little bit,

So, if we were to move the aerial,
would that be a big job?

-Yeah.
-Okay.

Nicki's a bit disappointed, I think,

because she really wanted to move it,

and it would look lovely
if we could move it.

But you do need to adapt.

So far, Frank and Kyle
have had their own way,

designing the Hamptons beach house look.

Start this back wall, with the TV on.

This wall here definitely has to come off.

But Cassie's putting her own stamp
on the cabin,

and going for a daring wallpaper

in the living room.

-Wallpaper here, wallpaper there.
-Got that, yeah.

-Wallpaper there.
-Okay.

The wallpaper I chose,

I just wanted to make it
a little bit younger.

Hopefully it should work in the setting,

and with the people
that are going to visit in mind.

Midway through the first day,

great teamwork from Nicki and Ju

means they're speeding along
and designing a bedroom each.

Wow, it's up.

Once the room's dressed,
got the batons on the walls,

got all the fabrics around,

-I think it will be great.
-Yes.

Lovely.

Good. That's a big thing, big step.

In Nicki's bedroom,

she's going all out with her nature theme.

I've been in love with this wallpaper

since the very first time I saw it.

I'd love to have used it
all the way around,

but obviously it was quite pricey.

But I really wanted to bring
this whole inside-outside feeling in,

so the wallpaper follows round

to the outside trees

and really connects the two spaces,

and it works really well
with Ju's wallpaper, too.

We worked really hard in just...

keeping talking about the types of
wallpaper we were going to have.

On the other team...

Very, very happy.

...master builder Kyle's
doing what he knows best,

with a new feature fireplace
in the living room.

We're putting in a new
false chimney breast

to accent that a bit more
and make it feel a bit cozier.

Talk me through this...

fireplace over here.
What are you doing?

We were trying to think of
how to create atmosphere,

and I thought,
to try and make a focal point,

to make it feel cozy,

and also to keep that beach cabin vibe.

We've broken down some old wooden pallets,

and we're going to clad them vertically,

at the top, then whitewash it.

That's quite a clever part of the room,
because it is going to draw focus,

and change the shape
and the layout, essentially, as well.

Yes. So we've bought in
a massive corner sofa,

which is going to section that off
and make that feel cozy.

And we've tried to tie it in a bit more,

because it just didn't have any soul.

With time running out on day one,

the teams are racing against the clock.

The wallpaper's up
at Nicki and Ju's cabin,

but there's still a load of batons
to fix to the walls.

Oh, that looks amazing!

That looks good.

So, from that corner...

Just this corner, all that wall,

and all of this wall here.

Only another 10,000 to go.

I have to admit, I think we're going to be
really hard pushed to get it all done.

Don't scare me, please.

because it'll go right down to the wire.

It's a different challenge
from the past weeks.

This one is much harder.

It's a lot of rooms to do,

very little time, small budget.

More tradespeople to manage.

It's tough, this one.

It's nearly the end of the first day.

I am a bit concerned
about the amount of...

decorating work still to do.

And, at the three-bed cabin,

they're feeling the pressure.

I've been painting that birdcage,

and it's a bit annoying, actually.

You just keep seeing black.

There's going to be some poor person
sat underneath it,

eating their dinner, going,
"Why did they miss that black bit?"

There is a lot to do tomorrow.
We've got...

all the bedrooms need to be decorated,

we've got beds to build
that need to go in,

and it is a lot of rooms.

It's a lot to think about,

and keep juggling
how much you've got to deal with.

Tomorrow, the teams have eight hours
to finish the cabins

ready for the judges' arrival.

Fail to get the job done,

they could be at risk of
leaving the competition,

and having their dreams shattered.

With an early start,

it's time to prioritize.

In terms of trades,

where do you want to task them first?

I think chimney breast get finished,

-and then we've got headboard done.
-Yeah.

Everything is pretty much painting.

Is it worth spending all the time
doing these lights?

How long do you think you're going to take
to finish?

Probably, for the pair of them,
about an hour.

Okay. Let's get going.

Yeah, definitely.

-Cool.
-Brilliant.

Wow, excellent.

At their rivals' cabin,

the country scheme is coming together,

with batons up on the living room walls.

Just that baton on the wall
transforms it already.

Look, the colour scheme
goes with the view and everything.

It does. It's beautiful.

I can't wait to start dressing it.

I know,
it's going to look really gorgeous.

In the master bedroom,

Frank's checking out the oversized
headboard he and Kyle have designed.

That is so smart.

Literally exactly how I envisioned.

-Cool.
-Looks really nice.

As Frank and Kyle
persevere inside the cabin,

Cassie's taking charge of the terrace...

building a pergola
to guarantee guest privacy.

It is beautiful,

and you don't want to block the view
too much from inside,

but also, you're away on holiday,

you want a little bit more privacy.

Should look pretty
in a couple of years' time

when it's all grown over.

They're quite... big.

Yeah, that's why I was chuffed,
to get some really tall ones.

Feeling like a little garden now.

But, on the other team,

Nicki and Ju are keeping it simple.

I know it's outside,
but we want to make it very cozy.

We're going to have lots of plants,

we're going to have a nice rug,

and we've got a gorgeous swing chair,

so people can sit here

and just appreciate this view.

Midway through the day...

next door, in the living room,

Kyle's Hamptons-style wooden
chimney breast is almost ready to paint.

I just want to make sure that everything
doesn't end up being painted white.

Fireplace is looking really good.

Yeah, I really like it.

Thinking we might not need to paint it.

I was going to wait until it's finished
to mention that.

Shall we leave some bare wood?

Yeah, I think we should.

Look at this beaming!

The minute after I said,
"Let's keep it exposed,"

I then started thinking about
the scheme that we're trying to achieve,

and, in a way,
I wish it was going like a whitewash,

but it's making somebody
on the team really happy,

and so, we're all about compromise,

so we're going to keep that.

With less than four hours to go,

in Nicki's living room,
as the TV can't be moved,

they're being forced to reconsider
the layout of the space.

Lovely.

So worried about the TV and the fireplace,

but, if you look through the window,

that's our focal point,
this gorgeous setting outside.

Hang on,
let's just look at the view here, Ju.

That's great.

-It is nice.
-And it's uninterrupted,

because it's quite tranquil
round the outside.

Yeah, so nice.

With time ticking on,

Frank's still trying to paint

the controversial birdcage light

that he and Kyle voted to use.

It just looks shit, to be honest.

It's an eggshell, but it's oil-based,

so it's gone quite shiny,

and it just looks naff.

I think we just chuck it away

and use the other ones,

-and Cassie will be...
-Over the moon.

These lights look awful.

Yeah.

Well, that one does, with the paint,

so we're thinking to just use yours.

Happy with that?

-Yeah.
-Yeah, we know.

What do you think, with all the...

wallpaper and the colours?

I really hate it.

It's just so "no."

Unfortunately,
Frank isn't happy with the lights.

Neither am I, to be honest.

But...

we're at a point where we have to make
these decisions just to get the job done.

That looks pretty good to me.

-What do you think?
-Maybe a touch higher.

I just absolutely hate it.

Just don't think it sits right
with the rest of the room.

However,

the finish of that light
is ten times better

than the light I tried to paint.

I just don't like it.

Frank might still feel at the end
that he's unhappy with the light,

and I'm sure he will, to be honest,

but at least we had another option.

If we had no lights,

it would be much worse.

I still hate it.

Decorating finished with two hours to go,

they need to start
pulling their scheme together,

starting with Kyle's giant sofa.

-It's a beast, isn't it?
-It is.

The chaise just needs to be past the sofa.

-That looks about the center there?
-Yeah.

Happy.

-Good find, Kyle.
-Yeah.

Joining Michelle this week
is internationally-renowned Abigail Ahern.

Launching her design career in America,

today she owns a hugely successful
interiors business.

Her famous faux flowers

and signature dark paints

have won over the design world

and established a global following.

So, this is the untouched version.

You can see
it's a high standard of finish,

but the owners felt it is a bit neutral.

It is that kind of prescribed good taste.

So, how do you add
a bit more character to it?

For me, like you said,
the finishing looks really lovely.

I just think it's just...

There's not enough texture for me.

For me, interior design
is about this friction,

you have to create friction
between materials and surfaces

and I just don't see

a lot of that in this space.

I want to face this.

-Yes, totally.
-Surely you don't come here

-and watch TV, do you?
-No, you don't.

If you do,
I don't know why you would,

because, like you said,
it's incredibly beautiful.

So you want your eye
constantly being drawn out to that room,

which is why the terrace
is quite an important thing...

-Yes.
-...I would say.

Time is running out for the contestants,

and Nicki and Ju
still have a lot of styling to finish.

Hoover, curtains.

Trying not to think about the judging
at the moment, because...

all I can think about
is what's in front of me right now.

Just want it to look good,
then I'll worry about the judges.

Down here.

Nicki, have you got two pillows
from this bedroom?

Loving it. Great.

No, hang on, one more tweak.

We've done it.

It looks beautiful.

I think this is so sweet.

-Very welcoming.
-It starts here, doesn't it?

You think, "Oh, look."

It's been madness.

Never worked so hard in my life.

But it's been great.

Such a great experience.

Everything you had in your head
is there now.

It's amazing.

A huge transformation.

It just goes to show you

what design can achieve.

And yet, just adding this kind of...

delicious paneling

just gives everything
a bit more articulation.

I also think the thing that they've done

which is really key to this room

is they've used pattern
in a really intriguing way.

This is quite a small room,

but you don't really notice
it's a small room

because your eye is going to
all these different patterns

which is very clever.

Great that you pick up on that,
because although the guys worked together,

this room has a bit more of Ju's flavor,

and her thing is pattern.

And what I've loved watching her develop

is how she's gone from

putting mad, bonkers patterns together
which don't work,

to this. She's finally, I think,

really cracked it,
and that's just by having

a bit more confidence to go,
"Actually, less...

can be a little bit more."

When we came in, it lifted our spirits,

and we immediately both smiled,

which is what great interior design
is about.

It's that instinctive reaction, isn't it?

I have really listened to Michelle

in regards to editing myself
and my ideas.

And I really hope that comes across
and she sees that,

without compromising the design.

Again, it's just...

-It's lovely, isn't it?
-It is.

I don't know where to even begin.

I want to look over here,

I want to look over there,
my eye's going over there.

It feels like this little sanctuary
where you just want to relax.

This room has more of Nicki's imprint,

and Nicki, to date,

has been the one that
throws a thousand ideas

at very small rooms, and suddenly...

I feel that she's just toned it back,

and she's really pulled it off here.

The detailing is clever, isn't it?

The little...

These really beautiful
touches of pink,

which is then echoed in the flower,
which is echoed in the book.

Your eye gently moves around the room.

There's nothing jarring,
it just feels incredibly sanctuary-like.

The thing I really love is
the feature wall, which, in our industry,

gets such a bad, terrible rap.

But I love what it does to this room,

and it totally echoes the landscape.

They've really thought about
their surroundings,

the outside and the inside.

Number one,

I'm facing the view.

-So I'm starting from a happy place.
-I know. Exactly.

Having a big, squishy sofa here
looking out there,

is really lovely.

I would say
this is my least favorite room,

compared to the other two.

I think that there's too much stuff.

Bits. It feels a little bit...

messy, and a bit more residential
than somewhere that you just check into.

And my biggest pet peeve is this...

cutting the wall in half with one colour
and then another colour,

because it makes it feel really closed in.

I rather like it, because it picks up
the line of the kitchen,

and when I'm sitting...

-it's just an extra little thing...
-Do you?

-...that they've added.
-For me, I absolutely hate it.

But that's a personal thing.

I'm really liking it.

I feel I would just like
a little bit more screening here,

because I want to spend time out here,

but I think I'd quite like to
not see my neighbors

-so much.
-You're completely right.

If it was softened with some fencing
or something woodsy

that connects to the landscape,

they would've completely
and utterly nailed it.

With the judges' arrival looming,

at the three-bed cabin,

not one room is finished.

I used to be one of the first
to finish, but...

yeah, it's been pretty close to the wire

for the past couple of weeks.

Attempting to do all the building snagging
as I go around.

I think we'll get it done,

but I don't know if everything's going to
be quite as we hoped it would be.

Do you like the bare wood a little bit?

Yeah, I do, Cass.

Do you know what?
I think I'm converting, and...

I'm going to do
a Swiss chalet next time,

everything exposed.

Well done, people.

Well done.

-Actually properly finished.
-No murders, either.

No murdering!

It's a bigger terrace, this one, isn't it?

It is, and I'm quite liking it, actually.

Especially...

-this.
-This is nice.

This is that sense of framing.

You're screened from your neighbors,

and it just feels a bit more private,
doesn't it? Cocoon-y.

There's a massive sense of relief

that the challenge is over now.

It's so weird.

You kind of come out of your own
and you think,

"We actually did it,
and actually it's quite good."

Maybe we've really done it."

Well.

-I'm not loving it, Michelle.
-No.

That gut thing,

walking in and having an instant reaction

is so important,

and the fact that we both
just took a moment...

For me,

I find this whole headboard thing
quite cumbersome.

I just don't really understand it.

It's a little unnecessary.

It's a little...

design for the sake of designing it,
isn't it?

I'm a little...

depressed by the colours, too.

They're not lifting me.

I agree. It's just a bit... blah.

In terms of our space

and our design
I think we fulfilled the brief.

You've got a touch of country,
but it's got quite a soft edge,

which I think is necessary
for the vibe that we wanted.

This one feels fresher and lighter.

It feels lighter.

Maybe there's just
a lot more elements of white

to lighten it, you know
with this big piece here.

I prefer it

to the other room.

I think maybe this one feels better

because it has a slightly more symmetrical
feel to it. We've got a sort of...

central dressing table.

The plus point is
they're echoing the colour palette

inside with outside,

so those beautiful greens
of the landscape,

as soon as your eye goes out that window,

you're transitioning from inside
to outside really seamlessly,

which is clever.

As much as I love paneling,

this just isn't working as well for me,

because you have to consider

how it meets the corners and the edges.

You can't just run it out.

It just looks like sort of...

wood stuck on a wall.

It doesn't really have any dialogue,
I think.

Where's the luxe, and the layers?

Where's the texture, where's the layers?
Exactly.

The thing about texture,
like we keep saying,

is it really is transformative,

because it adds zing,

and there's no zing, is there?

It's just a bit flat.

It's the detailing
that they haven't quite nailed.

But the detailing is everything.

I am happy with the living room,

and the terrace.

I think the living room
still could have been a bit younger.

I think...

the best parts

of this holiday home were my ideas.

Well...

It's a huge transformation
from what it was,

and hats off to them,
because I think it is incredible.

I'm distracted by the fact, though,
that the my sofa

is facing the wrong way, for me.

I agree.

My eye is drawn all over the place,

because I feel like I've got
one language going on here,

which is about comfort and coziness,

and then I have something else
going on here as well,

and I'm not...

convinced they sit

-together as well as they should.
-No, I think language is very confused.

It's the pattern that's kind of
dancing around with my head.

It's fighting against the view, isn't it?

Maybe a better idea would have been
to restrain it

on one wall, like this wall behind us,

which I think happens to really work,

and just really pare back

over there.

We both know it's all about the user,

the guests that were going to come here.

Does this speak to you
of somewhere where a group of...

thirties-plus women are going to hang out?

I personally don't think it really
cuts the mustard, I hate to say, Michelle.

I just don't think
it really nails the brief.

We're done.

Before finding out their fate,

an opportunity to size up the competition.

Wow.

It's looking lovely.

Oh, wow.

Oh, they're good, aren't they?

-They are.
-It looks good.

They are so clever.

I really like the batons

that they've done on the wall in here.

It's cool, isn't it?

God, look at their styling.

I think the difference is
we spent a bit more maybe on the build

and alterations,

whereas you can see
they've put a lot more money

into the styling side.

Oh, wow.

Oh, how smart is that?

It looks lovely.

I really love it.

Nice.

I love it.

They're just so good.

Making me slightly worried about ours.

-Yeah.
-Not going to lie.

-Oh, that's good.
-Wow.

Oh, that's fresh.

This is nice. I love the wallpaper.

It's beautiful.

But it does distract
quite a lot from the view,

it's very busy.

To me, it feels a beachy house.

Not, you know, country.

It doesn't reflect the setting.

Very green.

Feels a bit more country-esque in here,
I would say.

It does.

Yeah, this is really all very pretty.

I love this.

-It's dressed beautifully.
-Enjoy the scene.

-Yeah.
-Lake view.

I think they've done a good job out here.

With a career-defining contract at stake,

the contestants arrive at
Michelle's design studio.

I could really be quite at risk.

So, I'm very nervous.

It's hard when you have to
do things in a group,

because there is so many compromises,

and you never know

if you've done enough
to avoid the sofa.

If I get called onto the sofa,

I am going to be...

a little bit gutted.
But you know what?

I know that myself and Ju
did our absolute best

within the time frame,

and I just don't think
we could have physically done any more.

Who will be safe

and who will be next to be
eliminated from the competition?

Hello, designers.

-Hello.
-Hi, Fearne.

Welcome back from Lincolnshire.

How are you doing?

Okay.

Yes, we're very nervous.

Well, you know this bit's
nerve-wracking now.

You know what happens.

Your toughest challenge?

-Yes.
-Definitely.

So first, to our team of three,

how did you find working together?

-Difficult.
-Yeah.

When you have got people
with three different opinions

and there is no designated team leader,

someone's always going to be unhappy.

It's complicated?

-Massively.
-Yeah.

Ju and Nicki,
how did you find working together?

We loved it, yeah.

We enjoyed working with each other,
we really did.

Both judges really liked both spaces,

But they felt that one team in particular

really hit the spot when it came to
the brief and the target market.

Ju and Nicki, well done.

Well done, guys.

Well done.

Well done, ladies.
You are through, we'll see you next time.

-Well done.
-Thank you.

So happy.

We worked so hard on that.

Flippin' hell.

Frank, Cassie and Kyle,

the judges thought there were some
really smart design moments in there

but they felt overall,

it didn't quite hang together.

So they'd like to talk to you
about your design decisions,

and, of course, one of you
will be going home this week.

We kind of guessed it, didn't we?

Yeah.

It's not a big, fat shock,
know what I mean?

We saw it in our...

Theirs went together.

It was a much more solid, cohesive space.

Welcome to the sofa.

I know this isn't where you want to be.

I spent most of the week struggling
to try and understand Cassie,

because I have not worked with her before.

Massively stressful.

I know she's having to
deal with Frank as well.

They know that they clash.

I felt like a HR manager,

as opposed to a designer.

At this stage of the competition,

this really is now about
drilling into those...

the nuances, if you like,

of what makes
really great interior designers.

And I don't know about you, Abigail,

but for me it starts with this forensic

psychological examination

of, "What are my ladies doing?

Why are they here? Who are they with?"

that's always all about the user.

So, take us through

how you got into their head.

So, I think we tried to approach it of...

thinking of a person who wants to
go and stay in the country,

wants to be somewhere rustic,
but also has a soft edge.

I was worried all the way through.

You know, I'm... in my 30s,

I'm that person

that's supposed to be going there.

I was often worried
that it wasn't quite young enough.

You are the target market,

so I'm imagining that
your teammates turned to you

for your opinion and perspective?

No, I don't think they did turn to me.

And, you know, when it came

with the whole idea
of the Hamptons beach house,

I...

It just felt like an older,
classic, safe look.

-Whose idea was the beach house?
-That was--

-Sorry, carry on.
-That was my idea.

I wanted to tick the box of...

the luxury element,

and I thought that it's something

that maybe a 30-year-old lady

kind of aspires to that look, perhaps.

But beach house in Hamptons
isn't really the fisheries in Lincoln.

Yes.

That was just
too much of a disconnect for me.

It's not The Hamptons.

We're not on a beach.
We're in the middle of the countryside.

But did you really then
talk to Cass and go,

"How do you feel about that look?"

because I would say that it is a style,

but it's not a solution.

I definitely think that you
got on board with it.

I don't think you gave me a lot of choice.

It was like,
"This is what we're going to do."

The second thing that was quite major

that I think you didn't quite get

it's all about that view, isn't it?

Except your sofa,

that nice big, squishy sofa,

was facing the TV.

Was that something
that was deliberate, or...

you didn't think about it?

I totally get what you mean.

We were thinking too much
about the atmosphere in there.

So that's why I said about trying to

create somewhere that you're in
the country but it's got a soft edge.

-That was my interpretation--
-What's the softer bit, though?

That's the bit I'm after.

Just... I don't know.

It's really hard to
put my finger on it, to be honest.

The underlying friction between you guys

almost translated itself into the space.

I felt it wasn't that harmonious,

but I sort of see this team dynamic

and now I can kind of understand...

-It makes sense.
-...why it was so disjointed.

Individually, you guys are amazing.

You really are.

Frank, you have a real natural flair,

and a very intuitive way of designing.

I think your last learning curve

is to really understand

user first, design second.

And Cassie, you have a great eye,

really, for picking out these things,
especially for those finishing touches.

Only thing I'd say is,

you've flexed and you adapt to
all the different briefs,

but I've yet to see

exactly what is your true style.

Kyle, some of the builds you've created

have been amazing,

but I really needed to see what else
you had to offer as a designer.

It is so hard,
but one of you is going to have to go.

Ultimately,

it comes down to me
to make the final decision.

What we're always looking for is...

the person that is
constantly pushing themselves,

constantly seeking to evolve,

constantly taking on board
all the lessons as we go.

And...

as hard as it is,

it means that the person
I'm going to send home this week...

...is you, Kyle.

Okay.

You have real talent,

and you've had some great ideas,

but I just haven't seen
as much versatility, perhaps,

as I've seen in some of the others.

We're going to miss you so much.

-Thank you.
-Bring it in.

It was a hard decision
to send Kyle home this week.

He came into this process
as a really strong contender.

But I just didn't see what we needed

for him to stand out above his teammates.

I think maybe his USP
is more on the building side,

and that's just not enough

if you want to succeed
as an interior designer.

It's been a great experience.
It's been difficult,

and the pace has been insane,

but I've loved every minute.

Maybe I took my eye off the ball
in terms of the design

because of all the other issues
that were going on, and...

I've had to bear the brunt of that, so...

It's really difficult.

Oh, my gosh, look at that!

Next time...

It's got to come off.

Yes!

...the designers take on restaurants...

Could look really good or really tacky.

It's going to look great.

...in the southwest of England.

Like, I want to win it!

I need to win this task,
I need to be in that semi-final.

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