Georgian Terrace The Great Interior Design Challenge

I'm constantly taken aback by the huge variety of property styles in Britain,

from characterful timber-framed cottages to grand townhouses.

But sometimes,

the insides don't live up to the expectations on the outside.

So we've gathered together the most talented amateur interior designers

who think they could be the next big to show us how it's done.

But it's not as easy as it looks.

-Wahey!

-Crikey.

-I'm a bit stressed.

Across three knockout episodes,

a group of designers will compete for one place in finals week.

I'm feeling a bit like...argh!

-Who built this?

-I love it!

Judging them, two industry experts - Daniel Hopwood...

Having survived round one,

I want to see that the designers have listened to our feedback.

..and Sophie Robinson.

They are going to HAVE to take it up a notch

if they're going to stay in this competition.

There'll be scrutinising presentation skills...

That's NOT the way to present to somebody.

..artistic flair...

-Have you ever seen that done before?

-No. It's weird.

..and how well they deliver their brief.

-Pretty amazing transformation.

-Absolutely beautiful.

In the finals, the best will face giants of the design world,

-Oliver Heath...

-Oh, my word!

-Orla Kiely...

-It does look quite rough.

-And Kelly Hoppen.

-I want perfection.

But only one can be crowned winner of the Great Interior Design Challenge.

Last time, four amateur designers went head-to-head.

Ta-dah!

-That's really not good enough.

-It's not going to look bodged, is it?

-The judges sent one home.

-I just got it wrong.

The other three made it through.

To be honest, I feel really good about the room.

I couldn't have done any more than I've done.

It is definitely something that I want to do for the rest of my life.

Their next challenge is much tougher.

In this round, our amateurs take on the vast dimensions

of a sitting-room in Georgian Bath.

What I'd like to do is go with everything the same colour.

The clients are more exacting...

-I'm wondering whether you've planned any storage boxes.

-Sorry.

Fair enough.

..and the judges more demanding...

The orange that she's promised better hit me in the face.

..as the three designers fight for a place in the next round.

Then suddenly - bang!

Are you joking?

One more must go.

The designer going home this time is...

The design battle's about to begin and is taking place

in Bath, a city that's inspired architects for hundreds of years.

Bath was first settled by the Romans

when they discovered its mineral springs and ever since,

increasing numbers of visitors have come to sample its miraculous waters.

But it was the Georgians that really built it into a fashionable resort.

Terraces like these ones were built to accommodate seasonal tourists

who came to flirt, gamble and dance.

Now our amateur designers have the serious business of updating

a sitting room each in these elegant homes.

Time to get started.

Are you ready for this?

-This is a rough model, er...

-Yeah.

-The storage bits either side of the telly, is that right?

-Yeah. Next to the telly.

The designers have been working on a brief from their homeowners

for the past week.

Going into round two, I'm so excited.

I feel like I've come a long way.

They've each got a small team to help them,

including a decorator and a builder.

I want to saw this in half.

HE CHUCKLES

It's great to be back. Exciting.

They also have a budget of £1,000

and three days to make their transformations.

Just prepping the floor ready to start sending it.

I've got plenty more ideas in the bag,

so I'm itching to unleash some of those.

Busy!

The first amateur is Lucy, a textiles lecturer from Colchester.

Are you ready for this? This is what I would love you to build for me.

These shelves.

Last time we saw Lucy being highly creative and taking some risks,

but I wonder this time how she's going to handle a more classic

brief, where she can't compromise the quality of the finishes.

The room Lucy is working on this time started out pretty plain.

Judges Sophie and Daniel sized it up before work began.

-Oh, wow! Look at that view!

-Stunning.

Quite a stark white on the walls. It's a bit harsh for me.

It's a beautiful room, though. There's some nice original features.

It's got a lovely fireplace, which looks fairly original.

Yeah.

Lucy's clients love their neutrals

and have asked her to come up with a classic elegant scheme.

I'm wondering if she's going to push our homeowners

-way out of their comfort zone.

-That could be interesting.

But I think she is going to have to achieve a very high finish in this property.

The judges want quality but Lucy's going for quantity with soft

furnishings in several layers and textures,

a junk shop chandelier, and a large open shelving unit.

This brief is a complete contrast to the last one.

It's much more grown-up, so, yeah, another big challenge.

So this is the mood board I've created for you.

Um, timeless, elegant lounge.

As well as getting the OK from clients Jill and Charlotte,

she had to impress Sophie and Daniel, who will be judging

all the designers on their presentation skills.

It's quite crowded, sorry,

because what I've focused on is fabrics and texture and layers.

-And the shelves are going to be grey, with a silver edge.

-Oh, OK.

-Just to kind of lift it and give it a bit of fun and sparkle.

-Ooh, OK.

And if I've got time, cos I've got loads to do, I want to

paint the floor with a white chequerboard design, really big.

OK!

Lucy's got bold plans for the furniture too.

-So the sofas...

-Yes.

-I'm going to take the loose covers off...

-Mm-hm.

-..and reupholster the base of them.

-And then with the stool?

Oh, yeah, the ottoman.

I was going to chop it in half to make it two long ones, cos this

is the layout I'm going for, which I probably should have told you first.

Sofas opposite each other.

OK, but then you've got your back to the window.

-Yes. It was something I was going to try...

-You could see... Yeah.

-And see how...if it works or not.

-OK.

-To be honest.

I think Lucy might have a rather good scheme there but the way

she presented it was wholly erratic and confusing and blustering.

She hadn't prepared herself for that presentation at all, had she?

With work already under way,

Lucy's homeowners have doubts about her chequerboard floor.

You can always play chess, but...

-Yeah!

-..I think it would just be a bit too busy.

Right, um, I've just got one query with the design we're not totally

happy with and that's with the chequerboard painting of the floor.

-Yes.

-Not convinced about that.

-It's too much, is it?

-Too much.

Too busy? Or maybe have a different design on it? Really thick stripes.

-Have a think.

-We'll both have a think and then we'll have a chat.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Last thing today?

Yeah, no, sure.

The floor was quite an important element to the design.

I think she thinks it's going to be more dramatic than it is,

which is a shame.

This will hopefully whet their appetite.

Hoping he's on the right track is our second design,

engineering manager Rob from Hull.

Look at my sexy Persian rug!

Last time we saw Rob create some really impressive pieces

but he failed to set them into one cohesive scheme.

This time, I want him to create one whole room.

For this second round,

Rob is taking on what was a slightly tired looking sitting-room.

Sophie, look at it.

From the skirting board to the picture rails to the cornice,

it's all completely original.

It's a perfect Georgian room.

And this is an old settle, but it's...

This is where the word settee comes from.

But it's just a little bit too big for this room.

Rob's clients are after a sumptuous Parisian-chic-inspired lounge,

featuring their favourite shade of blue.

The homeowner wants strong colour

and that could be the key to making this scheme hang together.

Let's hope Rob realises that,

because we need to see a coherent scheme from him this time.

Well, Rob certainly has realised that and he's aiming for

cohesion with a vibrant blue colour scheme and dark lacquered floor.

I've got a feeling that this is going to just chuck a cat amongst

the pigeons for the best and I think they're going to really like it.

-Blue.

-Oh, fab. Got the blue.

He had to get his clients Neil and Jo on board before he got going.

-What do you call that blue, actually?

-Smalt.

What I'd like to do is go with everything the same colour.

-OK, what, on the...

-Yeah.

-..the paintwork, the door?

-Yeah, the cupboards.

-What about the floor, Rob?

What are you going to do with that?

I was going to invest time into sending it back and I've got a dark oak lacquer for it.

-The wood floor there with the blue, I think works really well together.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, that's fine.

Er, what about the lamp? Can we just have a look at that owl?

I mean, I like the idea -

just that particular owl looks a bit sort of peeved.

-The one that I've got is quite different.

-OK.

Oh, all right, then, yeah.

-Yeah, I'll try not to clutter the room too much.

-Mmm.

I think it's such a lovely, open room.

-It'll spoil it when we're in there, wouldn't it?

-Yeah!

-THEY LAUGH

Going for a dark scheme works really well

because it makes it all feel quite cohesive,

but I wonder if it's all going to look a little bit stark?

With work already under way, Rob has no such concerns.

This dark blue that you've got, that's pretty much going,

well, near enough everywhere.

Walls, doors, skirtings.

You'll never buy blue again!

We're going through our blue period at the moment and so,

we love blue, want it on the walls and we actually do want to hide,

um, so hopefully, no-one will see us when we're in there!

Rob's complementing the blue with grey ornaments, one of which is his owl light invention.

But the last thing a peevish owl needs is a hole in the head.

I'm going to drill a hole through his head, um, put my lamp fitting onto there.

It's a bit of a Marmite situation.

For me, quite an important part of the design,

cos it's something bold that stands out.

Our final designer is 27-year-old DIY store worker Angelica.

-If we have the time...

-Yeah, yeah.

-..doing the alcove, for the shelving.

-Of course, yeah, yeah.

Angelica is a solid designer.

She produced a very pleasing scheme in the first round

but if she wants to stay in this competition,

she has to grow in confidence and be more bold.

This time, Angelica is redesigning a room that

started off as a bland and underused lounge.

The shell of this space is really lovely.

It's got beautiful proportions, nice fireplace

and I rather like these alcoves on either side.

Angelica's clients want a modern look

and to be pushed out of their neutral comfort zone.

Angelica here has a perfect blank canvas to be really bold

and creative, which is something that we haven't seen with

her before, cos she's been quite safe up until now.

So this really is a great opportunity to show us something new.

Angelica's decided to keep the walls and floor light,

adding the boldness with her furniture design, building a unique TV and storage unit.

The brief this time was a challenging one but it has pushed my design ideas forward

so I can't wait to see how it's actually going to work out.

This here is my idea for some storage.

She had to get sign off from clients Tracey and Adrian first.

The units that I'm building on this wall,

the telly is going to fit snug in there.

It will be on a diagonal, so when you walk into the room,

-you'll, it will just make it feel really elegant...

-OK.

So, with the floorboard,

I know you don't like the colour at the moment.

The colour I've chosen, it's lighter than this, so it's going to go

-really nice with the colour scheme that I've chosen for the room.

-OK.

So, we've got a really nice calm, neutral colour.

I'm going to add blue.

It's called steel symphony blue, so it's got quite a lot of grey

undertone in there and that is going to be placed on the ceiling.

I imagined a stronger blue.

The one interesting thing there is quite safe for me.

Right, but we're going to have a tiny bit of orange

-in the room as an accent colour.

-OK.

That homeowner didn't seem too impressed.

She said she wanted to be pushed out of her neutral comfort zone

and really, Angelica's come up with the right box,

albeit a grey ceiling.

Oh, hang on, I thought it looked really quite interesting

and very contemporary.

It seems there's more to this scheme than Angelica's let on.

So, I've left some things as a surprise for the homeowners,

simply just because if I revealed everything in the briefing,

they would know what to expect.

I'm looking forward to seeing what she does.

-And we love the idea of a surprise, probably.

-Yes.

Yes, it will be nice to be surprised.

But there's one surprise Angelica wasn't counting on.

-You know that this is oil-based?

-ANGELICA GASPS

-Are you joking?

-No, no, no, no, no.

Angelica had planned to paint the floor

with quick drying water-based paint,

but the wrong paint has been delivered.

It's hard wearing, but...we can't put that down on the floor.

Right, OK. I'm going to have to give them a call,

-cos it was supposed to be a water-based one.

-Yeah.

-It's 16 hour recoat.

-Right, OK.

-So you cannot go on it for 16 hours.

-Right.

-And you haven't got 16 hours.

-Yeah.

I'm really annoyed with the paint, simply because

it's a specific colour to tone in with the walls.

Good afternoon, I'm just ringing up to check some availability

on a floor paint that we've seen online.

All she can do now is order an alternative paint.

But it's a major setback to her schedule.

I really am stressing because it needs to be dry for tomorrow

and I need to get it done.

Having gotten stuck into work,

all three designers know what's coming next,

being judged on their mood boards and presentation skills.

Last time, I came first in the presentation,

which was a bit of a shock.

I really don't know if I'm going to come first this time.

With one designer going home at the end of this project,

how well they do here

will impact on the judge's final decision.

And they're feeling tough.

As a group,

we feel that you guys could considerably improve

the way you present.

Lucy, for example.

The way that you presented is a little bit random

and really hard to follow.

We were going from ceiling to floor, to wall,

to light, then it was just exhausting. I'm really sorry.

No, that's all right!

Rob, we felt however that you explained your project very clearly

and I think it's fair to say that your homeowners were

really on board with what you were aiming to achieve.

However, your board could still be a little more exciting.

Really capture the mood

-and the atmosphere that you're trying to achieve.

-All right.

And then there's Angelica.

You really sold that project on presentation.

However, you need to set the reasoning behind every thought.

I feel that you had a homeowner who's a little bit confused

on what they're getting.

So, designers, we've taken into account everything that you did well

and not so well.

And the designer who did the best presentation...

is Rob.

-LUCY:

-Well done.

Cheers, thanks. Yeah, thank you.

So, Lucy, Angelica, we're two rounds in and you guys need

to seriously take a look at how you can improve your presentations.

That was actually really nice to get that.

I did not see that coming in the slightest.

This is my chance and I've just really, really

got to push myself even more.

If there is a next time, then I need to approach it completely...

uniquely and in a different way to either of the briefs so far.

Each designer must now impress with a one-off scheme.

But 200 years ago, Bath was designed to a more uniform brief.

This beautiful harmonious crescent

was designed by one of several architects,

who shaped the city in the 18th century.

But each house was funded by a different investor,

hoping to rent it out to affluent guests.

They employed a range of builders, so to ensure uniformity,

those builders had to stick strictly to the architects' plans,

with master masons employed to smooth out any blemishes.

Bath stone gives the city its unique appearance,

a warm honey-coloured limestone found in the local area.

It was elegant to look at and easy to carve, but very expensive.

Walking around these streets, you're struck by the smooth

facades of its buildings, but turn a corner and the impression changes.

Bath stone was used on the front of the buildings but on the back

they used a cheap waste product, nicknamed rubblestone.

Elegance on a budget is what Lucy's

hoping to crack with the help of a lucky charm.

I got this sewing machine for my 21st birthday...

..and, um, yeah...it's amazing.

It better be, because ambitious Lucy is choosing to hand make

and dye cushions as well as reupholster both sofas.

I allowed four hours to do this so I'm over already

but this is bigger than the other one.

I'm always like that with everything I do

but I guess I've never really had such big time constraints.

Come on...

Stop the clock!

Lucy was equally overstretched in the first round.

I'm wadding the bed frame, ready to upholster it.

I've got to destaple it and sand it...then paint the floor.

She managed to pull things off.

Her big challenge was getting this floor painted

and I think it looks really dramatic.

Albeit with a slightly slapdash finish.

On that cupboard it's a bit drippy.

-Do you have any concerns about your project?

-Time as usual.

Just fitting it all in.

We wanted to see you rein it in a little bit on this project,

you know, be a bit more classic, a bit more sophisticated

and the finish is quite a key part of that.

I'm very aware of the finish.

I so much want to get the finish right.

The homeowners have asked for classic and I'm not sure Lucy

clearly understands what that is.

Quite often it's quality, not quantity.

A quality finish is key to Rob's Parisian-chic

style wooden floor, too.

For me, a big part of this room was going to be the floor being

sanded and varnished.

But there's a major problem.

The sanding's revealed big white patches which a varnish

isn't going to cover.

Just makes you a little bit nervous

when you've sold a scheme to someone based on a couple of key aspects

and one of them, you know, isn't really going to be able to happen.

What's become really apparent through the age of the boards that

some of the stuff is just so ingrained into it, I don't

think varnishing the floor now is probably going to be the way to go.

I think we're looking more towards a paint finish.

I think we'd be happy with that, yeah, absolutely.

I can see the problem.

No problem, right, take care, guys.

That was good, really.

Really great accommodating people

and they totally understand the problems that I've got.

Cracking the overall scheme is something Rob failed to do in

round one, when he focused mostly on quirky inventions.

All right, OK.

The bulb obviously just going to sit into the top of there. It's a

nice little jar, it will double up as a nice little lampshade.

The results were impressive.

These lights look very intriguing.

But there were concerns that his room lacked cohesion.

He's got to remember it's just not product design.

This is about interior design.

This time he's hoping to master the whole look

and part of that involves spraying all his ornaments grey.

The important thing, when you're painting anything like this

is that you don't have any, like, grease or dust on it,

things like that, because all that's going to happen is the paint's

just going to stick to it and it's really going to affect your finish.

And, of course, what I'm going for at the moment is a really good quality finish.

Rob, I always look at you as being the sort of Caractacus Pott

of interior design, a great inventor

and creating lots of little bits and pieces.

Are you going to be doing that in this room as well?

I am going to be doing some of that in this room

but I'm also taking on board some of your comments from the previous heats.

I want to try as best as I can do to bring it all together.

And the key to that is...?

I think the way that it's going to pull together is with

sort of grouping certain objects like the glassware that I've got,

is all going to be sprayed the same colour

so I think there will be a continuity there with it.

He's really making an effort to get this kind of decorating

scheme looking really coherent.

My concern though is he's probably gone too far with it.

The idea of the blue was to have a foil, lots of collections of things.

You've got to punctuate that deep colour, haven't you?

You've got to add accents.

Having had a major setback with her floor paint,

Anjelica's gotten off to a slow start.

The replacement paint still hasn't arrived.

I'm just really anxious when it comes,

it's going to have to work because I've got no other choice.

In the first round,

Anjelica suffered a bit of a crisis of confidence.

I'm just questioning myself whether I've actually pushed myself enough with the brief.

Her modern ideas worked well

but they weren't quite bold enough for the judges.

She's played it safe.

I know she has even more creativity in her

and I want to see it unleashed.

This time she's pushing the boat out with textured wallpaper.

-Wasn't expecting to see this.

-Yeah, a bit of texture.

-Wallpaper? OK.

So on the walls it's going to be the same colour as the walls

and on the ceiling it's going to be the same colour as the ceiling.

You've got it going over...

Yeah, so it's just going to zone this whole section.

-It will be extremely subtle.

-Yeah.

Don't remember you mentioning it in your presentation.

Wanted to leave a few surprises for the homeowners

because I was a bit nervous about explaining to them

just in case they didn't...they thought it was going to be too much.

Why on earth is Anjelica putting up that wallpaper,

because she thinks it's going to add texture?

It's actually going to just create cheapness in that room.

It is really random.

She's not very confident about her own ideas, so

she thinks she's got to get them in the back door.

Don't tell the homeowner then they won't disagree and I can get my way.

That is not the way to proceed as a designer.

Confidence and creativity is what all the designers need when it

comes to thinking on their feet and they're getting a big surprise.

-Hi, Lucy.

-Hi, Sophie.

-I've got a surprise challenge for you.

-Oh, God!

In this second round we're upping the ante and rather than

give them an object to up-cycle they're getting just a raw material.

-This time flock wallpaper.

-Are you ready for this?

-Yeah, I'm ready.

Now, we want the designers to be hugely creative

and use it in ways we've never seen before.

I don't want to see it used conventionally on the walls, OK?

I still haven't covered the Ottoman, that might work.

You can use it to incorporate within your scheme.

Or it can be a standalone piece.

They need to use the wallpaper to design

and create an inspired new product in 24 hours.

Thank you.

How well they do will feed into the judges' decision

and could have a huge impact on the results.

This challenge is going to test me quite a bit more than the last one.

I don't love it but I don't hate it.

I haven't got a clue what I'm going to do with it.

The judges will see their ideas later on.

The first day's been tough and all the designers are feeling the pressure.

A little bit disappointed by the judges' comments.

Anyone finds it hard to take criticism maybe.

-Yeah, even if it's constructive.

-Exactly. Which it is, isn't it?

-Yes.

-What about you?

-I'm overthinking... like I'm doing everything wrong!

Yeah.

The competition's hotting up.

I've got to give it even more than I have been because this is

the second round now and I've really got to be, you know, performing.

It's been a rollercoaster today, it's been ace.

It's going to be quite good tomorrow, I'm looking forward to it.

It's the start of the second day in Bath,

two sofas have been reupholstered, walls have been papered

and floors have proved resistant to sanding.

By the end of tomorrow, one of our designers will be

out of the competition.

The first plan is to definitely get the floor sanded,

that needs to be done immediately.

I have spent quite a lot of time thinking,

"Have I put too much blue, is there not enough blue,

"should I have gone all out and even done the floor blue?"

I'm feeling quite excited to just get the ball rolling

and get going.

Her client ended up vetoing the chequerboard floor

so Lucy is leaving it unpainted but she's still got a lot to achieve.

I want to get the chair painted, the table base painted,

finish the cupboard.

Basically get everything, most of everything done.

I've got to make the chandelier... today...

Oh, and cut the ottoman in half.

-What do you think we'll need, Dickie? Hand saw, I think.

-Yeah.

To add symmetry to her elegant scheme,

Lucy is creating two identical ottoman pieces for which she is

covering with linen, checked fabric and leather.

I think this elegant chic is really hard on a budget of nothing.

So, last time you upholstered a bed and this time you've taken on another big challenge, haven't you?

I really like big challenges and I think that's what makes me...

gives me motivation.

You like to push yourself?

Yes, of course, I like not sitting still...doing a lot.

Struggling to project manage her modern design,

Angelica has yet to paint the floor.

But she is well on the way with her bold TV and storage unit.

The angled upright sides will cleverly hide what's on the shelves.

And she has an ingenious idea for a coffee table that will

accommodate any unexpected overnight guests.

The main aim for the coffee table is so that it can contain the mattress

and so as long as that's snug in there, that's...that's perfect.

Tucked into Rob's Parisian chic room is some hidden storage.

-It fits!

-That is sexy!

It's worked out better than I planned actually

because there's certain items that the homeowners really wanted

to hide away like the coal scuttle and sort of like the log baskets.

Yeah, I'm chuffed to bits with that.

What did you think of the brief?

Does it push you outside your comfort zone,

that Parisian chic look, was it?

Yeah, it did take me totally out of my comfort zone.

This isn't a room that I've ever come close to doing anything like

so, it's a challenging brief.

Are you feeling like a designer yet, an interior designer,

professional or, I mean...it's hard work, isn't it?

Oh, it's... It's extremely hard work

but it's really good to be part of this.

-It's a good learning curve, isn't it? The whole thing?

-Yes, yeah.

It's a curve all right. A very steep one!

Oh, look at the shelves. Love it.

As well as redesigning a whole room,

the designers have the added pressure of demonstrating

their creativity by integrating flock wallpaper into their schemes.

Just going to get my thinking cap on and see what I can do with that.

How well they tackle this challenge will influence the judges'

decision on who stays and who leaves the competition.

I'm thinking of creating,

like, a kind of art piece for on top of the fireplace.

I'm going to get rid of the colour.

I'll paint it white or something over the top

and make it like a kind of origami bit of sculpture on one of the walls.

Rob's using the wallpaper to line his shelves.

I'm just going to cut the paper to size. I've got some spray adhesive.

That's the only space I'm going to use it

because it doesn't work massively with my scheme.

I don't think Rob is being that adaptable.

He says that wallpaper doesn't fit the scheme.

But the challenge is making it work.

It's a neat idea though, a little hidden surprise

when you're doing the dusting!

Lucy's idea is anything but simple.

This is the wallpaper so I've painted it with white emulsion

and then I've started to chop it up into strips.

I sort of added some fabrics and then hang one either side of

the mirror from the picture rail

with the LED lights wrapped round it.

This is Lucy all over, isn't it?

I mean, she doesn't do things by half measures

and why not chuck in some fairy lights while you're at it?

But as always with Lucy, she's rather over-complicating it.

Angelica's cut small circles from her wallpaper

and is using them to decorate a bowl.

I don't actually know if it's going to work

because it's a floor varnish but it's the only thing that I've got

to make sure that these don't come off so I'm just going to go for it.

Well, she's taken that wallpaper

and turned it into something unrecognisable.

I think she's taken the idea of repurposing too far.

No, it's a shame, she's not used any element of that wallpaper design within her project.

The items may not seem too impressive now but what

counts for the judges is how well they work in the finished scheme.

We'll see how they work later on.

If they want to win this competition the designers have to think

creatively with every detail,

as the 18th-century architects of Bath once did.

Much of Bath's splendour is down to one architect, John Wood.

His King's Circus was begun in 1754

and its design references both classical and Pagan influences.

It's circular shape is a nod to Rome's Coliseum

and a local druidic stone circle.

And those acorns that run along the top reference King Bladud

whose pigs are thought to have discovered the city's

sulphurous waters whilst snuffling for acorns.

As the city expanded, more and more great terraces were built,

often looking out over grassy fields of livestock.

This strange combination of rustic nature

and grandeur was a term called the picturesque which was

coined in the late 18th century but the picturesque look was

jolly hard to achieve on Bath's hilly terrain but it was worth it

for their all-important looks and views that it gave to its residents.

In fact, the higher up in the city you were,

the greater your social stature.

Lucy's grand plan for elegance includes a statement

chandelier made from an old fence panel.

Experiment number 362...

I bought a shell lampshade/chandelier

from a car-boot sale.

It needed poshing up a bit.

I wanted to make a big circular thing to make more impact.

And so I found this bit of fence at the side of the road

and my dad cut it into strips.

I've got to move them all. It is heavy.

-Yes, it is.

-Yes. Fandabidozi.

Next thing just give it a try and see what it's like.

Rob, meanwhile, has kept his inventions simple,

taking a less-is-more approach to his project this time.

I'm a lot more on top of things, keeping it realistic as well

and not going over the top with it.

What are you going to fill this room with?

The biggest piece of furniture is the sofa.

I'm going to address that with some darker blue cushions which

will tie that to the walls.

And then you've got some blue curtains coming in?

-I've got blue curtains, yeah.

-Blue walls, blue curtains.

-Blue sofa.

-Blue cushions.

-Yeah.

-Have we got it right so far?

-Yep.

-Anything else?

Red rug.

A red rug, that's going to be the star in the show then, isn't it?

The brief was about luxuriousness

but what Rob is actually doing is paring down everything

so there's not going to be very much in the room.

But confident his scheme is heading in the right direction,

Rob's off to size up the competition.

-Hello.

-Hi, you all right?

-I'm good, how are you getting on?

-All right.

-Wow, this is a cool room, isn't it?

-So, got the floor to do.

Got loads of units that I need to paint up but at the minute

I'm just sort of really nervous and you know if you can't see

everything coming together it seems like there's so much to do.

It is nice to go and see

because it just pushes you to step up your game and I wish them guys

all the best but I'm going to drive through and hopefully be victorious.

But there are no winners yet.

Around the halfway point today all the designers will have to

face their clients and reveal their work in progress.

I'm nervous to see what they... what they think about it.

-It's a crucial moment for all of them.

-Angelica.

-Hi.

Angelica's homeowners are in for a few surprises.

I'm not keen on the textured ceiling.

Basically what I'm trying to create is a zone but it's going to be so

subtle it's not going to look like Artex but it will look beautiful.

OK.

I think she explained that you wouldn't notice it

but then I'm trying to figure out, well, why is it there?

-Hi, hello.

-Hi, Lucy.

Sorry about the state of it.

Lucy's homeowner has questions, too.

We have quite a lot of storage which we don't really

-want on display which needs to be unseen.

-Sure.

So I'm wondering whether you've planned any storage boxes at all?

I haven't at all. Sorry.

-Fair enough.

-But I'll think about it.

If it's possible at all, I will but in the timescale I'm not sure.

Fair dos.

I feel like there's too much.

You can't come in and change things this late in the day

and asked for storage boxes, sorry.

Lucy not planning any hidden storage in that room is a major fail

and you cannot design an elegant

and classy interior without somewhere to hide all the gumpf.

Rob, meanwhile, feels he's got everything covered.

Yeah, I think it's looking great actually,

-I'm chuffed to bits with it.

-Hello.

-Hiya, how are you going?

-Blue, blue, blue. Yeah, it's great.

-It's strong, isn't it?

-I mean, it's really quite overwhelming.

-Wonderful colour.

-The television presumably is going to go here?

-Yes.

It looks a bit high, doesn't it?

The homeowner's also now having doubts about painting the floor.

-You won't get that see-through that you would get with a varnish.

-Yeah.

Suddenly, bang, "Actually, this, this, this, this and this,

"we're not sure about, we don't like, we maybe want to change."

It does, it totally unnerves you and it's thrown me.

Thinking on his feet, Rob comes up with a compromise.

Watered down paint mixed with varnish

which should show the grain through it

but he has no idea if it's going to work.

It's nothing I've ever tried.

Rob's not the only one with a floor crisis.

The flooring hasn't started yet because the paint's still wet

so we can't actually start sanding until it's dry.

Because it's just going to get dust all over the walls.

I'm really worried because it needs to desperately be done now.

Attempting to answer the bold brief,

Angelica's going for a light floor, a dark ceiling,

and she's spent £40 on quirky lights but is she going far enough?

You're adding some colour into the room as well?

Yeah, I'm adding, like, a rustic orange accent colour with some cushions.

The orange is definitely going to just warm the design

and just make it a bit more funky.

Angelica thinks she's being bold with her colour choices

but at present all I am seeing is a grey room

so the orange that she's promised better hit me in the face.

The judges are looking for both function

and individuality from our designers.

Something the Georgians of Bath rather excelled that.

As you wander Bath's streets you can pick up clues as to what life

might have been like for its Georgian residents.

This here was a candle snuffer, designed to extinguish

the flaming torches that lit up the night sky,

carried by linkboys or attached to sedan chairs.

Elsewhere you can find winches that carried heavy goods down into

the basement and coal covers covering the original coal shoots.

From a distance, the outside of this house looks pretty uniform

but close-up you can see those windows up there

on the right are actually painted on.

You see fake windows like this all over the country,

a direct result of people trying to avoid the dreaded window tax

by blocking up their windows whilst maintaining

the overall look of the building.

This tax was only abolished in the mid-19th century by which time it

had become so despised it inspired the phrase, "daylight robbery".

It's time the designers feel they are being robbed of, as day two

draws to a close.

I can cover two sofas in a day.

But I can't make all the cushions as well.

Floors still need finishing.

Angelica's now sanded hers but the right paint has only just arrived.

I'm going to have to stay even later and get that done

because that has to be done today regardless.

The battle is on to avoid elimination.

I've got to just push on to the finish now.

I really want to be able to come back and show the judges that

I do listen and that I can get better and better.

Of course I don't want to go out of the competition having put

all this hard work into it because I am really choked.

I've put my all in to it.

It's day three and the final chance for our designers to pull together

their schemes and come what may, one of them will be going home today.

With just a few hours

until the judges see the complete schemes, the pressure is on.

I feel really excited, um, my nerves have calmed down a bit.

I don't want to think about it. I just want them to like it.

I just want them to come in and be blown away by it

and I can go home a happy, happy boy.

But he won't be happy until he's seen how his floor's turned out.

If the floor hasn't worked out as I hope it's worked out then that's it.

There... There's no alternatives.

The floor is a major part of Rob's scheme.

A problem at this late stage could throw his whole project in the air.

Wow.

Yes! It's worked!

Thank you!

Now, you wanted a cohesive scheme from Rob, are you seeing it?

The homeowners wanted really quite a lavish

and eccentric scheme in there and they were really up for colour.

Love the blue.

It is perfect but we're yet to see what else is going into that

-room so, too early to call, isn't it?

-Hmmm.

Lucy, on the other hand, has two re-upholstered sofas,

two ottomans, several new cushions and there's more to come.

It's meant to hang in there, the grey bits, just down,

you see. That's it.

Here you go.

She's using a car-boot bought shell lampshade to

complete her chandelier.

That's quite nice.

Is Lucy's scheme coming together?

She's got some nice details, some very well-designed items

but if she actually manages to pull that room together

and finish on time is yet to be seen.

Also yet to be seen is bold colour in Angelica's room.

The curtains are way too heavy and so I don't know

whether I'm going to get rid of them, I'm not sure.

Has Angelica's scheme got that boldness and creativity you were after?

-Yes!

-No!

-Oh, I think it has!

Try to justify that one for me, then.

-Well, she's painted the ceiling dark grey.

-That's cool.

That's pretty cool.

But I'm looking forward to the orange that she's promised us.

I haven't seen any yet

but it potentially could really zap up that room.

And it's finally time for the orange to make its debut.

I'm going to do a flat piece of art

so it's like different colours fading into each other.

Albeit in a small way.

But just really subtle and just make everything pop even more.

Dickie, you haven't got a lovely little tack hammer?

All the designers have had three days and £1,000 to transform a room.

I tell you what we'll do if it's all right with you, we'll bring

the sofa in so we can get that built.

They've been tested on their client briefing skills

and had to rely on their wits to create a new unique product

-which will be judged in the finished rooms.

-Right about a centimetre.

With the deadline approaching, Angelica's adding her final touches.

I still need to put the rug down,

get the sofa in and dress the room so there's loads to be done.

Having failed to win the argument with her surprise textured ceiling,

she's hoping to impress with bold furniture design.

Done. It's all done now. It's dressed.

Oh, I'm so relieved that it's finished now

and all the hard work's over.

Angelica's brief was to create a modern and bold family lounge.

Three days ago the room was tired and bland.

Angelica has created a contemporary look combining neutral walls

with a dark ceiling and orange soft furnishings.

She's gone bold with structural

and useful pieces of bespoke furniture but kept things subtle

elsewhere with textured wallpaper and pared-back artwork.

I definitely think I've been more bold and original so I've definitely

listened to what the judges said and I hope they like it.

Oh.

I love the rug. That's one of the surprises, isn't it?

I do feel a little bit too much has been painted with the same tin.

We were promised some colour injection in this room with this

wonderful burnt orange but, actually, I've got a pair of cushions

and that's just not enough.

I think Angelica tried to put a little bit more

interest in the room by working with texture instead of colour and she's

done it by putting wallpaper on the walls here but not having it there.

It's totally subtle. There's nothing bold about it.

But for me the big star is this and I've a feeling that

I might just try and nick her idea because this is rather cool.

It's very architectural actually.

By putting the verticals on an angle it is actually hiding all

the stuff inside them when you walk into the room.

-I think it's an ingenious idea.

-As well as Angelica's overall scheme.

Sophie and Daniel want to judge how well she's integrated

the upcycled wallpaper into the room.

This is too abstract.

I think if she had cut out the flock pattern

and glued it on, so you could at least read

the pattern, it would have been good but that is too far gone, I'm afraid.

Last time Angelica gave us a really impressive cohesive scheme

and this time she's certainly answered the brief but we

also wanted her to be a little bit bolder in her design.

Has she done enough?

I'm really hoping that when the homeowners see the room

they like it and can see my vision.

If they hate it I'm going to be really sad about that.

Right, your new sitting-room.

-Oh, wow.

-Wow, yeah.

-Well, what do you think?

-I like it. I like it.

-I'm still not convinced about the textured paper.

I think she could have pushed us

further with the colour on the ceiling.

I'm quite open to a good shot of colour.

I think there could have been a lot more orange but yes,

overall, it is laid out nicely and I asked for, or

we asked for, modern and essentially that's what she's achieved.

With the finish line in sight it is a mad dash for Lucy.

Who knows the judges will be keeping tabs on the quality of her work.

There's blobs on there.

Get a little artist paint brush and the light colour grey

and just do those, would you?

Earlier she put herself under major time pressure and she still

has lots of accessories to put on her open shelves.

Just put that up the top, will you?

-Thank you so much.

-It looks great.

Really good.

I'm really, really proud of myself.

Sorry. Just really proud to have achieved all of that...

in that space of time.

Lucy was asked to come up with a classic, elegant scheme.

Before, the room was pretty stark.

Now it's cosy and inviting with a varied neutral palette.

Lucy's introduced texture with linens, leather and wool.

She's covered the existing sofas,

rearranged the layout and added an open shelving unit.

She's completed the scheme with a budget chandelier.

It kind of surpassed my expectations

when I saw it all come together so, yeah, really, really pleased.

Oh, this is super. Now what do you think of this layout, Dan?

Because this was a bit of a contentious issue.

Well, let's just try it out.

I'm going to sit on this chair here where

I can talk to you beautifully and at the same time

I can look out the window at an angle and see the view.

No, I like it here.

The sofas... I think she's got these finished beautifully with

the different textures and the colours.

I think the piece de resistance in this room is in fact this

pendant light.

It really holds the space because these are high ceilings in here.

While I like this scheme,

and I think there's some really lovely styling in here,

it is very decorative.

There is a lot going on in here

because they did want a very classical pared-down look.

The Georgian style is quite minimal

and maybe it is overkill all these knickknacks absolutely everywhere.

Is Lucy's twist on the upcycle challenge clever enough to

tie in with her classic elegant scheme?

You have to really, really,

really look to know that that is actually wallpaper.

Yeah, I think it would have been nice if it had been a little bit

closer to flock. I know we asked them to think laterally but she's

just used it almost as a background for paper.

My biggest hope is that the homeowners just walk in there

-and love it and aren't critical about anything.

-Come in.

Oh.

Oh, wow.

-OK.

-Oh, my goodness.

The shelving is great.

-The shelves are, yeah, fantastic.

-Is it elegant enough for you?

I think it's quite a modern elegance rather than a Georgian elegance

-if you like.

-Anything looking around you're not quite sure of?

-I think it's quite busy.

-What, too much stuff?

A little bit too much but I actually think it looks really good.

Hoping his room will look really good too is Rob,

but he's wondering if he's got enough Parisian chic

along with all the blue.

I'm worried that I haven't really got as much of

my sort of like gold accent that I wanted to put in.

Having had a floor nightmare,

Rob is ready to show it off,

with the help of a £100 rug.

-Yes, there is more, isn't there, Rob?

-Yeah.

One last little touch.

I'm done!

-LAUGHING:

-Yeah, I'm so tired.

I think I'm a little bit delirious.

Rob's brief was to create a sitting room with a Parisian chic theme.

Three days ago, this room was more faded grandeur.

Now, it's a sumptuous sitting-room

with rich blue walls and a dark, polished floor.

Rob's added storage, decorative ornaments,

and some quirky inventions to light up the room.

He's finished the look with a few gold frames

and a splash of red with the rug.

I'm nervous that the judges are going to think

I've gone from no cohesion

to all-out cohesion,

because everything's painted exactly the same colour.

HE LAUGHS

-It's pretty high impact, isn't it?

-Oh, yes.

Up until this point we have just seen a bit of a blue walls,

black floor, bit of a Goth box, actually, wasn't it?

-LAUGHTER

-Yes!

But that beautiful Persian rug just hits you with a big bolt of warmth.

-Love it.

-Yeah. It gives a glow to the room. It needed it.

I thought the floor was going to be quite oppressive,

and if it had been painted in flat black

I think it might have looked like a nasty pub.

-LAUGHING:

-Yes!

But because there's a patina

and it's more of a wash,

it's more interesting, and more in keeping with a Georgian room.

Now that it's in situ,

can the judges even see Rob's flock wallpaper challenge?

Spot the wallpaper.

It's fairly hidden.

It's on the top of the shelves over in the corner, there.

It does question for me, is he adaptable?

Because what he's saying is "I've got this scheme,

"I'm sticking to it," and if we're going to chuck wallpaper at it,

he's just sort of thrown it out of the window, really.

-You think the shelf lining is not the most exciting solution.

-Exactly.

Check out the owl in the corner.

I like the way he's taken quite, you know, junk shop finds,

painted them all up in this gunmetal grey.

They look very sophisticated,

but they are quite close to the wall colour, and so are the curtains,

and I think the effect overall...

is a little unexciting.

Everything kind of blends into each other a little bit too much.

I'd like to have seen a bit more gold in here, for example.

Gold would look great in this room.

Actually, some gold velvet would be really exciting.

Such a nice room.

And if the homeowner's not happy with it, I'll rent it off 'em.

Wow!

Gosh!

HOMEOWNER HUMS A DRAMATIC TUNE

-Blue!

-There's a lot of blue.

-Blue, blue, blue!

-Yes, it's a fantastic amount of blue.

-I love the floor.

-Oh!

Cos he was really worried about the floor, but I love the floor.

-Yeah! The floor's looking good, isn't it?

-Rug's great.

Does the room have that kind of Parisian chic look?

I think what's missing is that lovely warm golden look,

but the little bits that he has added, I think

the owl light that we were worried about has been great.

I love it.

It's a waiting game now for the designers,

as the judges decide which of them will be

going through to the next round,

and who will be leaving the competition.

I'm definitely more nervous than I was in round one,

simply because I just want it so badly.

Really pleased with how I've done, so I just hope I've done enough.

You don't know which way it's going to go. Fingers crossed.

We'll see what happens in a few minutes.

What an amazing setting! Bath!

Great rooms, and amazing views!

I mean, to some designers that might be quite intimidating.

Oh, I know, and our expectations are seriously high.

You wanted Lucy to do a real classic scheme this time.

Do you think she achieved that?

If you're looking at the classic rules, she knows them,

she knows how to layer, she knows how to play with colour,

she knows how to play with texture.

But when you're dealing with an elegant Georgian townhouse,

and you want a very classic look, it needs to feel a bit more

luxurious, so maybe a little bit more velvet, a little bit more...

sheen and glamour.

And I think a reduction of all those bits and pieces would really

put some sense into that room, and just calm it down a little bit.

What do the homeowners think, did they think that it was busy,

-as we felt?

-Yeah.

That was the one thing that they picked up on.

Now, Rob. He's great at designing individual products,

but you were worried about the whole room holding together.

The tone of blue he picked just vibrated in that room,

it was electric, I loved it.

But it needed a little bit more.

I mean, if you're going to do Parisian chic,

you need to be a bit flamboyant, have some joie de vivre.

But he came up with some super ideas.

I loved how he turned the original cupboard in the corner

into the TV box.

I mean, the thing is the homeowners loved those quirky details

that he did put in. They like the owl!

-He should have just done more.

-Yeah, more.

That's the key with Rob, we want more.

You wanted to see much more boldness from Angelica.

-Did you see it in her scheme?

-I feel a little disappointed.

This homeowner asked to be pushed out of their beige comfort zone.

-And what does she get?

-We only got a couple of orange cushions, didn't we?

The homeowners did pick up on that.

I mean, particularly her. She wanted to see more of that.

But when you see somebody create a piece of furniture

like that TV housing, and that storage,

you know you've got somebody who's interesting as a designer.

These rooms...

High ceilings, incredible views, great architecture.

These designers have been really challenged this time.

Will you take all that into account when judging?

I think it's going to be a really tough decision this time.

Incredible architecture, high ceilings, big rooms.

You three really have had an interior design challenge this time.

Yes, we can all agree these properties are magnificent

but as a result, our expectations have been particularly high.

And also my envy.

You've been working on Georgian architecture, my favourite.

So all three of you had a real tough challenge this time,

but one of you I'm afraid has to go home today.

And the designer going home this time is...

..Angelica.

-We're sorry, love. Really tight competition this week.

-Ohh!

Oh, I'm absolutely devastated.

I wish that...

I know what I could have done better,

but I just need to keep going, and it's an amazing experience

overall, so I'm really proud of that.

-Hiya!

-Hi!

-Hi!

-Do you like it?

-Yeah, you're very clever.

-Do you... Oh, brilliant!

-Yeah.

When your client asks to be pushed out of their beige comfort zone,

it's an interior designer's job to show them how to use colour.

She failed to do that, so that was really what sent her home today.

I'm just so chuffed to have got as far as this,

and I'm kind of itching now for the next one.

-How do you feel? Now you're in it?

-We're both really very happy, Rob.

We'll be like this, you know, here, for the next 12 years,

-surrounded by a lot of blue.

-LAUGHTER

Great!

Going forward with Rob, I think he's got to bring back that

wonderful inventiveness which we've seen before.

-Hello!

-Hi!

-What did you think?

-Yes, we really love it.

-Love it.

-Oh good!

-It's absolutely fantastic. You've done so well.

-Thank you!

-Well done!

Moving forward, she needs to focus, edit her ideas,

and I'd love to know if she can do a simple, pared-back style.

Definitely worth the blood, sweat and tears

to get where I got with the room.

Me and Rob in the next round, which is going to be really tough.

Stiff competition.

I really don't know who's going to win the game.

Next time, in timber-framed cottages,

Lucy...

Yay!

..and Rob...

transform a bedroom each to prove they deserve a quarterfinal place.

The designer going through is...