EPISODE 1
So we have a new series of ‘interior design masters’ to get stuck into, yas! I love reality TV and I love interior design, and I quite like Alan Carr so it’s pretty much my dream TV show. I recently binged the first series which aired a couple of years ago. And I was struck by how much you can actually learn from the show. And in particular from the judge’s critiques. These judges know their shit. So it’s really inspiring (for someone like me) to hear them praise or berate a design. And with Michelle Ogundehin on board, there is plenty of berating. Wow, can she be savage!
The contestants are also really inspiring, I don’t know how they do it. I could not do up a room with a thousand quid and a TV crew in my face whilst doing some shoddy upholstery work on a driveway. Hats off to them. Of course it’s all fun and purely for entertainment, we all know this isn’t actually what it’s like to be an interior designer. Right? So let’s sit back and enjoy it, and see what we can learn.
lessons from ‘Interior design masters’ 2021
LESSON 1 – COHESION IS KEY
Cohesion is all about creating harmony in your room. If you throw random stuff together chances are it’s not going to feel cohesive. But. If you carefully choose furniture, light fixtures, fabrics and accessories that all have something in common, they will feel like they were meant to be together. So in last night’s show a designer mixed a geometric, contemporary, monochrome shelf with a traditional ornate chrome mirror, that was never gonna look good.
LESSON 2 – LAYER YOUR TEXTURE
Some of the most successful rooms last night did an awesome job of layering texture. So think about texture you can apply to the walls in the form of wallpaper or panelling. Then through fabrics like curtains, throws and cushions. And also through furniture finishes like wood. The more tactile your finishes and the more you layer, the warmer and cosier your scheme will be. It’s a great way to make a restrained colour palette not look boring.
LESSON 3 – THINK HOW THE SPACE WILL BE USED
When designing a room you first have to consider all the activities that will take place in the room and then design the layout and colour scheme to suit the activities. So don’t go for bright stimulating colours in a room where you want to rest and sleep. And don’t go for dark and moody colours in a room where you want to stimulate conversation. And if it’s a room for watching television don’t forget to put a TV in it! The quote of the night has to be “It’s fine if all your family does is sit opposite each other listening to cello music”. Ha. Nice one Laurence.
LESSON 4 – DON’T FORGET SIGHTLINES
Sightlines are what you see as you walk into a room or what you see when you are sitting on the sofa or lying on the bed. So you always have to consider the key sightlines when designing a room. And make sure they are pleasing to the eye. Michelle really laid into a contestant last night because she forgot the sightline as you approached the room. So your first impression was the side of an ugly chest of drawers. She was right to be mad. No one wants to see that. So don’t forget your sightlines people.
LESSON 5 – DON’T FORGET PRACTICALITIES
I would have thought this was pretty obvious but apparently it’s not. So let me tell you. If you are designing a room for sleeping then it has to be conducive to sleep, so please get some curtains. Choosing not to put curtains in a bedroom is like designing a kitchen without a sink.
LESSON 6 – CONSIDER YOUR SETTING
It doesn’t matter how much you love a particular style if you use it in the wrong setting it’s going to be jarring and will never look good. So don’t do a beachy, Hamptons-style look in the middle of the countryside. And don’t do a Mediterranean scheme in a room that overlooks a Morrisons car park. Take inspiration from your landscape, even if it doesn’t seem pretty, and reflect it in your scheme. So that Morrisons car park view could inspire a lovely industrial-style interior. A room is never totally separate from its surroundings so try to make it feel in keeping with what’s around it.
LESSON 7 – NEVER DROP A HOT IRON ONTO PLASTIC
For obvious reasons, as demonstrated by the charming Charlotte last night.
And there you go, a master class in interior design from a really entertaining reality show. Who knew? So get your notebook ready for next Tuesday’s instalment. There’ll be lots to learn.
Thanks for reading my blog. Remember if you would like any real-life interior design advice then you can always give me a call. I offer consultations and design packages in Southampton and Hampshire.
Bye for now.
Sarah x
