Interior Design Masters (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Episode #1.6 - full transcript

But, what if you wanted
to turn that passion

into a full-time career?

-[inspirational music]
-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.

[Fearne] It's week six of the competition.

[cheerful music ]

[Frank] I'm the only boy.

-You're not one to be hen-pecked.
-I'm not going to take it.

Apart from Cassie,
I'll just back down to anything.

[Fearne] With just four contestants left,

Frank, Ju,

Nicki and Cassie

are battling for a place
in the semi-finals.

I feel like I've been tested

on personal stuff now.

Can Frank work as a team?
Can Frank listen?

Can Frank compromise?

And, this week I just want to
deliver a brilliant design.

I'm feeling proud of myself
because I came this far.

I swear, I thought
I wouldn't pass the second week.

This competition means everything to me.

You know, I've worked so hard.

I don't want to go home.
I don't want it to finish,

I'm ready to fight for this.

I've got this far now,
I want to go further.

And, I think I can win it.

The designers are about to

find out what's coming next.

With only four of you left,

you're of course going to be
in two teams of two.

Nicki and Frank,

Cassie and Ju.

-Awesome.
-We're not together.

No, I'm joking.

Probably a good thing.

So, for our next challenge,

we are off to Bristol.

[cheerful music plays]

[Fearne] This week, the contestants are
off to the southwest of England,

taking on the redesign
of two neighborhood restaurants

that are ready for a facelift.

What I'm looking for is clever,

practical designs.

How they work in practice
is going to be absolutely fundamental,

not just what they look like.

-Good luck.
-Thank you.

Only contestants on the winning team

will go through to the semi-finals.

On the losing team, one designer

will be going home,
and their dreams will be blown.

The one thing I am worried about
though, Nick, is...

I don't know whether you've noticed,
just coming through Bristol,

there seems so many eateries,
and so many restaurants,

and to make it stand out from the crowd,
that's going to be quite hard to do.

Yes, it's very competitive
on the food front.

It is.

-After you.
-Thanks, dear.

[Fearne] For the first time
in the competition,

the designers are seeing their spaces

and meeting their clients
before finalizing their plans.

-Nicki. Nice to meet you.
-Hi, Nicki. I'm Kate.

-Hello, Nicki.
-Nice to meet you all.

Graphic designer Nicki
and interiors stylist Frank

are taking on
a southern Mediterranean restaurant.

It's exciting doing a restaurant,

I've never done a restaurant before,

and there's a whole bunch of
new things to think about.

Not only has it got to look beautiful,

it's got to be different to
all the competitors around,

but it's got to be functional, as well.

And, it's got to seat a lot of people.

The more people they can get in there
without them feeling like...

a tin of sardines, the better.

So, there's lots of different aspects
to think about.

Have you got a USP

with what you offer, food-wise?

I mean, it's really Mediterranean food.

You know, bold flavors, bold colours.

Food that is drawing influences from
the entire Mediterranean.

Okay. Now, do you want it
to stay more kind of,

like southern Spain, Italian influence,

or do you want this Moroccan spin on it?

It doesn't want to be...

too obviously--

No, we just want a subtle nod to it.

-Yeah.
-Even the smallest

kind of cock-up,

you could be out.

So it's really important
to deliver on everything.

Don't be afraid, we're...

We're going to pull this one out the bag.
It's going to look great.

-Alright, thank you.
-Brilliant.

That was a good initial meeting.

Got a much clearer idea
of the direction that it's going now.

Myself and Frank need to go away
and make sure we can bring

all of our ideas in,

and working together as a whole.

[quizzical music]

This week, judging alongside Michelle

is restaurant entrepreneur

Thomasina Miers.

A hugely successful English cook, writer,

and restaurateur,

she's a pioneer of Mexican food
in the UK,

with 25 restaurants in her Wahaca chain.

There's something indefinable
about that magic

when you go into
a really amazing restaurant.

Everything is humming,

and it just makes you feel great.

That is about the decor.

Good design, it really makes a difference,

and the customer will always notice.

[Ju & Cassie chatting]

[Fearne] Tackling the restaurant
next door...

Hello!

...on the rival team is
antiques dealer Cassie

and interiors consultant Ju.

So, we wanted to come to you

not with a full idea,
because we want to know a bit more

about you before we come up with anything.

We are a tapas bar,

and we're very partial to Galicia

in the northwest of Spain,
so the name

comes from that region.

And we actually met in Galicia.

-Oh, did you?
-That's amazing.

Very special place for us.

What is the thing that you
really want us to focus on most?

If there's one key word,

it's "welcoming."

We want people who are walking past,

making a decision on,
"Where are we going to eat this evening?"

We want to entice them as best as we can,

so, a welcoming space.

Cassie and I,
we have very different styles.

She's all about dark and moody,

and I'm all about bright and happy, so...

...it's a challenge.

For me, I think

if we can make the most of the space,

for example, to add more tables.

That would be a challenge,

-but would be amazing.
-That's the next question,

how many more seats do you need,
how many more covers?

Just every seat, you know,

from a business view,
it makes a difference.

Now it's down to four,

competition has got serious,

and I think it's the first time
it's really felt...

that the competition
is between the two teams,

but the competition
is with me and Ju, as well,

and we all know Ju's style,

it's bright, colourful florals,

but I can't see this
being a floral kind of thing.

You mentioned about hanging plants.

Originally, we wanted to
have a flower pot,

or a plant pot somewhere,

but we just couldn't find anywhere for it.

But, we're trying to work things

I worry that if we do it, we might be
already a little bit of a step behind.

But, foliage, I think,

just adds a bit of a personal touch,

a fresh note.

Thank you so much.

We're super excited.

Likewise.

[Fearne] Client meetings done,

Ju and Cassie need to settle on
one unified restaurant design.

I think we should...

think about incorporating the plants,

because they did ask in the brief.

I just feel that so many places do that.

I'm not going to lie,

it's not as easy working with Cassie

as it is with other designers.

At the moment, I give ideas and she...

"No."

If we put hanging plants in the window,

they're already months,
years behind everybody else.

It doesn't need to be
on the window or anything.

I feel that she's looking to the trends

of what you should do in restaurants.

However, I think
we need to be making somewhere

classic and timeless.

Okay, I just don't want to rule it out.

Until we have something

that we have come up with
something that is "wow,"

we should keep the plants.

But we're trying to work things

and, you know,
get the best for the project.

I don't want to be on that sofa

I don't want to have to be on the sofa.

So...

just have to work hard.

[pumping electronic music]

You're power-walking, babes.

-You are.
-This is how I always walk!

[Fearne] After a few days of working
together on their restaurant plans,

this morning the two teams are back

in the southwest of England
to start the makeovers.

-Hello!
-Hi!

We're even matching outfits this time,
yeah.

With a budget of £3,000,

the contestants have two days

to help turn these tired-looking spaces

into stylish neighborhood restaurants...

-Smaller than I remembered.
-It is, isn't it?

and the designers will have
a team of tradespeople

to help them complete their challenge.

I don't want to sound big-headed,

but we're super confident
with what we've brought together.

It's going to look really amazing,

and it's going to be
a complete transformation.

We hope you love it.

So do I!

[driving music]

[Fearne] Frank and Nicki's design

is a contemporary take
on the southern Mediterranean,

with teal walls,

a black and white
geometric tiled-wall effect,

and new paneled flooring.

The look will be complete with
sophisticated new lighting throughout,

and a feature customized
salmon pink velvet banquette.

Both of us are so excited
about this scheme.

I think it may be Nicki's favorite

that she's had
involvment with doing so far,

and it's definitely mine, too.

I absolutely love it.

[guitar picking]

[Fearne] At Muiño,

Cassie and Ju are already hard at work...

How is it, Cassie?

It looks a little bit...

...and they're experimenting with
a paint effect on the walls.

I think we need to
get those white--

More white there, because that is
looking quite pink, as well.

And then just let the pinks be...

-snaps of, rather than the whole area.
-Yeah, exactly.

Okay, cool.

[Fearne] Cassie and Ju's design

will pay homage to the owners' love
of Spain's Galicia region.

Terracotta-coloured faux plaster walls

will be set off by
an olive-green bar area,

framed by a handcrafted tiled mosaic

and bespoke lighting.

Upholstered banquette seating

and lots of greenery

will complete the fresh new look.

[Ju] I'm not sure about

-[Ju] having this effect on this box.
-[Cassie] Okay.

I am worried there may be
a little bit too much,

because I love pattern, I love colour,

but I also love things that are easy
and harmonic to the eye,

and I'm worried we've got
a little bit too much going on.

Yeah, that's cool. No, it's totally--

I just was going for it,

but yeah, I think you're right.
We'll do that in the eggshell.

Okay, sweet.

I think there is aspects of both of us

in the restaurant,

and hopefully

it's cohesive and works as one.

[breakbeat music]

[Fearne] On the rival team...

Let's get the brush out.

...Nicki and Frank are going for

a daring design in their restaurant,

choosing a bright colour for the walls

and ceiling.

Hi, Nicki!

-Hi, Fearne!
-What colour are you calling this?

Aquamarine-y, ocean-y...

-Like a teal colour.
-Teal!

It's going to dry a little bit darker.

Michelle's feedback
that she's given you along the way

is to refine your ideas,

to get one or two good ones
and really go for it.

Do you think you've applied that
to this space?

Yeah, I mean, definitely.

For example, we're having
new banquette seating here

and I was like,
"What can we do about that?"

So we looked at creating a whole new
banquette seat from scratch,

and then I thought, "No,
we've got to go back and scale it back,

and we bought a whole bench
for £50 off a website.

I was like, "That saved
a load of time and effort,"

So I am really trying

to go, "What's a better way to do this?"

I love it. You're trying to try less.

-Trying to try less! I was like...
-That's your problem in life.

I'm starting big,
then I'm having to wind it back.

and maybe that's an example of that.

[harmonic piano chords]

[major piano chords]

[Fearne] On the other team...

[Ju] I've got very bad peeling paint.

...they're also making over
the outside of the restaurant,

hoping to entice customers
through the door.

[Cassie] Can I just go up
your ladder a sec?

-If we just peel off the worst bits...
-Yeah.

...sand over the edges a bit,

-and then just paint over. Is that cool?
-Yeah.

One of our ideas was to
really create attention

so people, when they pass
through the street, want to go in.

And, it's not gone unnoticed
by their rivals next door.

Should we paint the front?

I don't think it's that bad.

When Nicki came out of the shop
and saw next door was painting it

this beautiful olive colour,
and I was like, "That's lovely."

You could see this panic of,
"We must paint our shop!"

-I just think--
-I get what you're saying,

-but it was not your priority.
-[ladder folding]

-Be honest, Nick, was it?
-It's not my priority.

Until you looked that way
and went, "They're painting next door."

And it was like, "Hun, no, we don't."

Because actually the outside
really wasn't a big point in the brief.

Unless we literally get to
two o'clock tomorrow afternoon,

and we're twiddling our thumbs
while having a margarita.

-For now, no.
-Okay

-Alright? Cool.
-Yeah, done.

Seeing that the others have done it,

I've got a little bit jel and that,
but, you know,

it wasn't on the brief,
and it's not priority.

[Drilling]

[Fearne] Back inside Muiño...

What do you think with it like that?

I think I don't really like it,

if I'm honest.

...Ju and Cassie are struggling to agree
on the important details for their design.

That green paint with this colour wall,

doesn't go that well.

It's okay outside...

-Okay.
-...but I was just thinking maybe

the frame inside,
we could just paint it white?

I don't know.

I do quite like the idea of
having the other green there,

and I think it does work.

Because we have
a lot of green already inside.

We'll let it dry and see.

Yeah, let's let it dry, and then we see.

-Thank you.
-That's alright.

Hi, Ju!

Hey, Fearne! How are you?

I'm great. Lovely to see you.

-So, this is your restaurant?
-Yes.

Coming along okay so far?

Yeah, it's been a bit shaky,

because me and Cassie
have different tastes.

If there are ideas that you don't like,

do you feel confident enough
to say no and challenge that?

Yes, actually,
I've been doing this all morning!

Oh, really?

-Been a testing morning, Ju?
-It has, yeah.

We're getting very competitive now.
I wasn't competitive at all.

I'm like, "I want to win it!"

"I need to win this task!
I need to be in that semi-final!"

So, you know.

So you can feel that passion now,

-you are... Ju is on fire!
-I want to win it!

I'm on fire.

I don't want to lose it.

I really want to win this task.

[dramatic strings]

[Fearne] Halfway through
the first day of the build,

the teams face an uphill task
if they're to get

their restaurant designs ready
for the judges' arrival tomorrow.

Oh, my God, the fabric's arrived!

-Yes!
-Oh, my God!

Thank you! There is a God.

Nicki and Frank are going all out

fitting a brand new floor.

So, we're about to have the floor go down.

What we're doing is doing

black and white laminate planks

all alternating at a diagonal.

We really wanted a black and white floor

to have that Mediterranean feel.

We were trying to figure out how to do it
and we went round in circles,

because lino itself
on a commercial restaurant

is not strong enough,

and then Frank came up with
this brilliant idea of using laminate

flooring planks and alternating them,

so, I'm really excited,
because this is going to really

make the design a thing.

Top of the agenda next door...

This is goggle-vision now,

so I don't get any broken...

tiles in my eyes.

...Cassie's getting artistic,

making a mosaic feature around the bar.

[tile pieces falling]

Looking really good.

I haven't actually done this before,

so it is a bit of a trial and error thing.

I'm just kind of...

whacking it on and hoping it works.

But, this is used a lot in Spain, mosaics,

and as much as we want to
add the touches of Galicia,

we also want to make sure

that the touches we add are worth adding,

and I feel that this has kind of got
this Spanish kind of look,

but is also contemporary and modern,

and something that we both
think is pretty cool.

Oh, my gosh, look at that!

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

-That's going to take forever, though.
-It's going to take a while.

-Wait, have you got to do all of that?
-All of that, yeah.

We knew it was a big job.

I notice that you've painted
the exterior of the shop, too,

and next door aren't doing that.

-Yes. I'm pretty chuffed about that.
-Bet you're chuffed about that.

-Mega chuffed.
-Bet you are.

I know this is an interior project
we're supposed to be doing,

However, I don't think you could come in
and get the "wow" feeling

without the front being good.

[uplifting music]

[Fearne] First day almost over...

It's looking good, and I love the colour.

-I know.
-Love the colour.

...and with plenty still to do
in the restaurants...

Cassie, can I just say,

what a clever idea.

I love that you chose to do it.

-Thanks, Ju.
-It's saved us a lot of money.

...Nicki's attempting to include

a feature wall in their design.

We're building this out and having
a little flower box all along the top,

and then we're going to literally

fill it with Mediterranean foliage
spilling out over the top.

This could look really good,
or really tacky.

It's going to look great.

But, it's creating some team tension.

[tense tones]

So, 3.9 is here.

I really, I'll be honest, Nick,
I really don't like it,

-and I think it--
-What don't you like?

I think it'd be better
if it goes flush to the wall.

Okay, so just do it to this line.

If it makes Frank happy...

-fine.
-Don't you think that looks more

-proper finished, though?
-No-one's going to be looking down there.

Everyone's going to be
looking at what's in front,

which is the edge of the bench
and the edge of the paneling.

Do you know what? I hadn't noticed it
until we've been on site, but...

Nicki's a stress-head.

It needs to end where the bench ends.

I don't think he stresses enough.

Okay.

He probably thinks
I'm a bit of a bag of stress, but...

I am always trying to think

about every detail, every next step,

all the stuff that needs to be done.

He's just so cool

and calm. I wish I'd be
a bit more like that,

but I'm not,
and we can't be sat on our laurels

with this,
we have got to be literally on it.

[breakbeat music]

It's an early start onsite.

[sawing]

[Fearne] The two teams have 12 hours
to get their restaurants

up to scratch before facing
scrutiny from the judges.

Ju's having a shot at
making new bench seating,

but it's not all going according to plan.

Oh, for God's sake.

[plucking strings]

That's because you've upholstered it
upside down.

That goes that way round.

[builder laughting]

It's okay, I've got more fabric.

I'll have to start again.

I feel very worried.
We have so much to do.

[tense percussive music]

[Fearne] Next door...

I'd go up just a little fraction more.

...Nicki's ambitious new lighting scheme
is taking shape.

So, here is going to be
our fabulous light box,

and it's going to be lit from the inside.

Lots of lovely green planting in here,
and then,

a bit of Perspex, frosted Perspex,
going over the top.

The idea is it's just going to give this
dark area here some lovely glowing light,

and it's hopefully going to feel
really Mediterranean,

tropical, a little bit tropical,
a little bit special.

[Fearne] But, Nicki's extravagance
with the lighting

is piling the pressure on teammate Frank.

My biggest concern
at the minute is the budget,

because the Alphacrete light

the big concrete B,

which is beautiful,

which Nicki's found and, from day dot...

she was like, "We need this!
Oh, my God, it's amazing!"

That light was 120 quid, without the plug.

The plug's been a further 80 quid,

so you're looking at £200

on a light, money that we haven't got.

That's going to look ace lit up, isn't it?

[Fearne] On Ju and Cassie's team...

More.

...their simpler lighting scheme
is almost done.

Little bit more.

Yeah, that's it. There you go.

That's good, thank you.

But, there's one big task outstanding.

Ju, mosaics...

are almost there now.

But I'm worried we've got another problem.

-[builder] Yeah?
-[Cassie]The chairs.

-We've got 14 chairs to paint.
-I know.

-We need to get those chairs rolling.
-Yeah.

To keep withing budget,

they're upcycling
the existing restaurant chairs...

[Ju] I just don't know
if I have enough time.

...and revamping the old tables
by fitting new tops.

The plan is to get

three extra covers into the restaurant,

and we're doing that by having
one table that's a tiny bit bigger.

It's not quite as big as
a standard four-seater,

but it should be big enough
that people can still eat on it.

[driving pop music]

With only a few hours to go,

the teams are up against the clock...

[Nicki] Go for it. Let's go for it.

and Nicki and Frank
are making a last-ditch attempt

to touch-up the restaurant exterior.

We've got a little bit of
eggshell paint left over,

so we are going to just do
the woodwork frames.

Our decorator has been amazing
at doing all the work,

so we have decided best to use his time
and the rest of our paint

in doing a little bit of a...

touch-up at the front.

Inside, opting for a Mediterranean vibe

for the walls...

Just lift up slightly,
we need a bit more this end.

...Frank's fitting his favorite lino.

-[sawing]
-The lino element's really important

because in the brief
it asks for a tile element,

it kept coming back to tiles,

and, because in the £3,000 budget
we couldn't afford that,

we've had to go for this option.

It's quite a cheap and effective way of

finishing a wall, if you will,

and it's quite durable
for these kind of commercial spaces,

and because it's wipe-clean,
especially in a restaurant,

if people splash stuff up
when they're eating,

it can just be wiped afterwards.

A lot of the spaces,

especially in quite famous
chain restaurants,

from a distance, it looks tiled,

but a lot of it,
it's more like set design,

where they just paint
tile-looking designs on.

So, yeah, we're not
doing anything out the norm.

[pumping electronic music]

Racing to the finish,
the restaurants will soon be revealed

to Michelle and this week's
guest judge, Thomasina Miers.

Bold interiors are a big feature
of her Mexican restaurant chain,

with urban-inspired sustainable materials

and colourful graffiti
at the heart of her designs.

So, Thomasina,

what, for you, makes a great restaurant?

It's so important that the interior

reflects what's on the menu.

In our restaurants,
we really wanted to bring Mexico

into our restaurant space,

but without doing that cliché,

so we looked to the Mexican markets,

we looked at being outdoors,
because we were doing street food,

and we really used those inspirations
to govern our designs.

[Michelle] So our designers
have a lot to grapple with?

[Thomasina] Yeah, you cannot forget

that the customer's paying money

not just for the food,
but for the whole experience.

[tense music]

[Ju] That is too close.

With time running out,
at Ju and Cassie's restaurant,

everyone's pitching in

as they fight for a place
in the semi-final.

I thought it was going to be
a bit difficult

to work with Cassie,

but, you know, we work very well.

Does that look alright, Ju?

It looks perfect.

We had a really good chat last night
about our plans

of who's doing what today

that I 100% trust whatever Ju's doing.

[Fearne] On the other team,

it's down to the wire for Nicki and Frank,

and the pressure is ramping up.

My hands are just shaking.

-[Frank] Oh, B's up!
-[Nicki] Yeah!

I hope they like that.

Working with Frank has been, you know...

an experience, I would say.

-[Frank] Move it what way? To the wall?
-[Nicki] Yeah.

They can't get in.

Just a little bit.

But, then if you move that any more,
they can't get it past the leg.

I've got my opinions,
and Nicki's got hers,

and I feel like
if I dare to question Nicki's,

it'd be like... "No."

Just try, and then see.

But, she's very happy to question mine.

Want to move it this way
a little bit, or--

Whatever you say, boss.

Let's move it this way a bit.

I felt a little bit patronized at times,

almost like...

a mother was speaking to their child.

[building anxious music]

-Yeah?
-Okay.

Yeah? Cool.

-Chairs!
-Chairs.

[music intensifying]

We got chairs!

I can't believe we finished it.

Oh, my God, I hope they love it.

[Ju] Yeah, I hope they love it.

I don't want to go.

-Break it up.
-Let's go.

[swinging upbeat music]

Let's go take a look.

[positive pumping electronic music]

I really hope
we've done enough to survive.

I've put so much into that place,

from physically making things

to coming up with ideas
of what we're going to make

and how we're going to make it.

I am going to be gutted
if we're on the sofa.

I may not have done the craft bit,

but lots of the ideas there are mine.

All the white that you see at the end,
that freshness,

that is Ju,
and then you see the little cushions

and the little touches,

like the four plants, and the little vases

on the tables, it's a lot of Ju there.

And, I hope the judges will notice that.

[Thomasina] Wow, look at this.

[Michelle] That is so much better
than it was before, isn't it?

It was just bland before.

I love the colour.

It really calls out to you, doesn't it?

You've got to stand out
on the high street.

Let's see what it feels like inside.

Certainly, first impressions
are very strong.

It feels really inviting and light.

[Thomasina] I'm immediately transported

into a sunny, warm place,

which is what good restaurant design
should be.

I think there's so many
nice little subtle points,

like the fact that they didn't do this
in a solid block colour.

[Michelle] They've done this by hand.
It really works.

This apricot-y colour
goes really well with the green,

which goes well with the pink,

and yet those are quite unusual colours
to put together.

[Thomasina] What I love about this design
is it feels very different.

They've got a bit of iron-work

and modern influences,

but it's in a setting of

tongue and groove, and textiles,

and lovely warm colours.

What about this mosaic, though?

-What do you think?
-I think it's great.

It's kind of fun,
and they've just used enough

to add that bit of colour and vibrancy.

[Thomasina] Very nicely framed the bar,
as well, hasn't it?

But, what's really interesting to me

is this restaurant
is the work of two designers.

This is Ju and Cassie,

and they have very different aesthetics,

and yet what I'm seeing
is a very cohesive restaurant.

So, what you need to look at now is...

does it actually work?

That banquette looks
incredibly comfortable,

but this one is looking a bit narrow
and quite hard.

Well, I guess you could always
sit on a cushion.

Yeah, you've got cushions.

It's not as narrow as I thought.

[Michelle] So, if I sit here...

can you pretend to be the waiter for me?

And so, someone's sat there,

and they're leaning back,
having a bit of a laugh,

and I'm suddenly like, "Oh, hello."

So they've increased the covers,

but actually, is it workable?

[pumping electronic music]

I'm super-duper chuffed with how it looks.

[Frank] I can be accountable for the lino,

and the floor.

I absolutely love the floor.

The light box was my idea,

the corrugated metal was my idea,

and the use of materials,
all the planting was from me.

But, yeah,

I would love Michelle

to just walk in and go, "Wow."

I definitely think
it looks much more appealing

to want to go there and dine now.

You know, it looks...

They could probably
put their prices up, even.

Not such a big change from before, is it?

Maybe they've concentrated
so much on the inside

that this was a very last-minute...

Just give it a wash of paint
and that's it.

If that's the case,
that would be a real shame.

Shall we go in?

A lot more sophisticated

than I was expecting from the exterior.

It's got a real mood to it, hasn't it?

It's quite glamorous.

Radical transformation.

This colour is amazing, I love it.

I like the cinnamon banquette.

And, this feels lovely.

This is super smooth and sexy.

I've got to say,

this is an incredibly uncomfortable
wire chair.

Those chairs are all about looks
and nothing about comfort.

They need a couple of cushions on them.

[Thomasina] But, the menu is
southern Mediterranean

and North African.

I'm not desperately picking up that
in the design.

[Michelle] Somehow it's just
not quite gelling together, is it?

[Thomasina] Yeah, the warmth of that
brick wall,

lovely brass, greenery,

kind of jars with the black
and the dark turquoise.

That very bright light

is really...

offending me a bit.

[Michelle] There's so many lights here.

And, then we've got this

very dramatic black-and-white floor,

the dramatic black, hard chairs,

the neon lights.

It feels like there's two competing...

design themes going on.

[Michelle] Maybe you're feeling

the two different designers here,

because we've got Nicki on the one hand,
who has a very strong,

contemporary kind of feel,
and on the other hand Frank,

who has a slightly more
traditional approach,

so I was always going to be intrigued
how these two

were going to come together,
and I think what we're feeling...

is that they kind of...

did, but kind of didn't.

[upbeat electronic music]

[Fearne] Before returning
to the design studio,

a snoop to see their closest rivals.

-Oh, wow.
-Oh, wow.

-I love it.
-Yeah, it's really nice, actually.

It's got a nice vibe.

You can definitely see

Ju's styling and softness,

the bags of flowers.

[Nicki] Yeah, and the cushions.

This competition,

it's getting down to the nitty-gritty,
isn't it,

and everybody's literally
pulling out all the stops.

Next door have really
pulled it out the bag.

They've got a beautiful restaurant.

[Frank] But, all I can say is,

it's apparent Cassie's been involved.

It's just a little bit...

Is there even a word? Like, DIY-y?

Do you know what I mean?

A little bit make-y.

-Oh, wow.
-Oh, that's so nice.

I love that at the end.

-That's very cool.
-That looks beautiful at the end.

The other team's done a great job
in their restaurant.

It looked wonderful.
I really love the light box.

It's got Nicki written all over it.

I didn't see a lot of Frank
in that design,

and from knowing Frank,
I know Frank admires Nicki's design

so he probably stood back a little bit.

If you were to be picky,

it's beautiful, it's gorgeous,
but it's very stark.

I think maybe they didn't...

follow the brief.

[quizzical music]

Before making a final decision,

the judges want to see
the revamped restaurants in action

and find out if the designers
have satisfied the owners.

-First impressions?
-Love it.

Emily and I have both been blown away.

Really exceeded our expectations.

I know they've added a couple of covers,

but I've seen you trying to
squeeze past those tables.

Obviously, space is not
something that we're blessed with,

but what I've noticed is that
the tables are able to be

pushed slightly towards the side.

So long as we're clever
with where we seat people,

have the right people
in the right size places,

I think it's going to work for us.

[guests laughing]

How are you feeling?

Yeah, it looks great.

I like the floor, I like the tiles,
I like the colour,

I like the banquettes.

So, thumbs-up for the face-lift?

Yes.

-[guests laughing]
-[glasses clinking]

[downward piano chords]

[Fearne] With a life-changing
contract at stake,

the designers are called to
Michelle's studio to learn their fate.

Who will make it through
to the semi-final,

-[serious bass music]
-and who will have their dreams shattered?

I think we have done enough
to avoid the sofa,

and I am so proud of what we achieved.

I think we did something amazing.

You never know, really,
if you've done enough.

However, I'm so happy with it.

It's the best thing

I've done in this competition so far.

Hi, guys.

[Nicki] We've done everything
that we could

in the time, with the budget,

that we could.

I don't think we could've done much more.

And, to go out now, I would just be...

completely devastated.

I'm so nervous.

Basically, I have done my absolute best,

and I want to stay in this competition.

That's it, really. I want to win it.

Hello, designers.

-Hi, Fearne.
-How are you?

Nervous.

You survived the restaurant challenge.

-Phew!
-Phew!

But, of course,

there are four of you sat here,

and only three people
can go through to the semi-finals.

Now, as you know,

each week Michelle asks you

to go above and beyond those briefs.

And this week, one team really did that.

[tense strings]

The judges really loved the colours,

and the details.

And, by addressing
the front of the restaurant,

you really invited the customers in
immediately.

So, well done, Cassie and Ju.

You're through to the semi-finals.

Well done.

Well done.

-[Frank] Well done, guys.
-[Nicki] Well done.

[Cassie & Ju laughing]

Semi-finals!

Chuffed.

So chuffed. We did so well.

I'm so happy.

So, Frank and Nicki, the judges felt

there were flaws with your design,

and they'd like to talk to you
to find out who's responsible.

-You okay?
-Yeah.

You kind of forgot about the outside.

So, I want to start there,

to understand...

why you felt either that
you didn't need to do it,

or that you just decided not to.

We just felt that the focus
was the inside of the restaurant,

that was what we felt the brief...

It didn't say anything about outside.

I know it wasn't explicitly in the brief,

but the other team,
they went through the same process

and yet they decided that
they had to do the front

because it was completely integral

to the inside,

and you kind of go,
"They got it... You really didn't."

But, we did do a bit in the end,

just to touch up the paintwork.

In a way, that slightly came across to us
as worse than not doing anything,

-because it was an afterthought.
-Does that matter, though?

I think it does.

Having done that bit of teal
on the outside

was so jarring

with the rest of the branding
that you didn't touch.

So, the furniture.

One of my concerns was the chairs
that you actually chose. Why wire?

Why did you go down that look?

Because of the sheer volume
of chairs in there,

we did want something
that was a bit more transparent

when you looked through.

But, when we were sitting in there,
we were thinking,

"God, these chairs are uncomfortable."

We did have cushions at one point

on them all, but we had to cut them.

Why did you have to cut those?

We just felt like
that was quite a big chunk

to the budget to go on cushions.

So, what cost the money?

-Lighting.
-Lighting?

There was a lot of lighting, wasn't there?

Do you think maybe
there was too much lighting?

I...

How do you feel about it?

I thought they were really smart,

and... Go on.

I feel it's more Nicki's look,

because Nicki does that kind of thing.

Well, the thing is,

lighting is key to giving it an overall...

chic look,

which was what
we were trying to achieve.

So yes, we did spend more on lighting.

The thing is that
you're both here because...

you get so excited

by the possibilities of design,

but you have made it impossible

for me to choose between you.

So I need to take
a little bit more of a moment

and have a real think,

because I know this is really important,
this is about the place

in the semi-finals.

I need to be sure that
we're making the right decision.

-Thanks.
-Thank you.

So, Tommi...

-Good luck with that decision!
-Thank you.

-Bye, Tommi. Take it easy.
-Bye.

This is a very tricky decision
for you to make.

Yes.

Bearing that in mind,

Frank...

last week you said, you say it
consistently, "Be more of a team player,"

and this week he really was,

but perhaps to his detriment,
because he didn't stand up for himself.

It's true.

I think this time he was perhaps
a little in awe of Nicki.

She has a very strong style,

and we've seen that quite consistently
all the way through.

I do feel that maybe
she's pushed that through.

Can I just say?

I've just absolutely loved
this whole process,

and it's been really incredible
hearing your critique,

and your critique also of others,

and where other people have gone wrong,

which I've then been able to learn from.

I'm still really young,

and I know that I'm not...

as talented as a lot of people,

but I just want to...

Yeah, just want to grow
and learn some more.

Yeah, this has been
the most incredible process,

and it's been so consuming, and...

-Come on, babe.
-Sorry.

You've got it.

And I've just loved it all.

Step-by-step through this competition,

I feel there's been two really crucial
things that have been learned.

One is that it's all about listening,

and not imposing your ideas,

but the really key thing

is the ability to evolve.

You have to start off
with a really strong sense of style,

but you've got to be able to let it go

in service to the client and customer.

[dramatic piano chords]

And, on that basis,

[dramatic piano chords]

the person that I'm sending home
this week...

...is Nicki.

[dramatic piano music]

Just completely...

completely shocked.

[dramatic rhythm]

Nicki has an enormous
amount of creativity,

loads of ideas, and a really good way

with materials and textures.

But, in this instance,

I feel that she rather imposed
what's become her signature style,

and it didn't really answer the brief.

Gutted, obviously,

but this whole experience has been
the most phenomenal experience.

It's had so many highs, so many lows.

I've learned so much in the process,
and I've thoroughly enjoyed it all.

I decided to save Frank this week

because I get a real sense of learning
and growth from him,

he's shown great versatility,

and I'm excited to see
what more he can do.

[driving electronic music]

[Fearne] Next time...

Time is of the essence, just get it up.

-[Fearne] ...the semi-final.
-[Judge] Wow.

Are you feeling horny?

The designers take on hair salons

on the south coast of England.

I'm hoping it's going to be alright.

Yeah, let's do it!

Oh, come on!

I don't want to go home now.

I just want to go all the way.

[pumping electronic music]

Subtitle translation by:
Christian Bretschneider