Worsley Mock Tudor Houses The Great Interior Design Challenge

Here in the UK we're blessed with an enormous variety of types and styles

of buildings that we call home.

From thatched cottages to 1930s Art Deco apartments.

Regency terraces to contemporary townhouses.

But sometimes while the exterior creates a wow factor,

the interior can be distinctly lacking.

So we've gathered some of the UK's most talented

amateur interior designers to show us what they're made of.

-Ready to hear my plans?

-Let's get started, guys.

We're in the quarterfinals...

It looks really nice.

..and spirits are high.

And I'm happy. So, that's OK.

Putting the designers through their paces

and scrutinising their every move are judges Daniel Hopwood,

designer, and a director

of the British Institute of Interior Design...

This year we've got new challenges for the designers,

we're really going to push them to the limit.

..and internationally renowned interior designer Kelly Hoppen.

As a judge in this competition, I want to see perfection.

I think I will be quite a hard judge.

But it's going to take a lot of creativity and hard work

to be crowned winner of The Great Interior Design Challenge.

This time we're in the picturesque town of Worsley

on the outskirts of Salford.

Our two quarterfinalists will be working on two rooms each

in neighbouring mock-Tudor houses.

James and Daniela have battled their way through the first round

and now they're competing for a place in the semifinals.

They'll have just 48 hours over three days, and £2,000,

to transform two rooms.

This time their teams have doubled.

They'll have two builders and two decorators to manage.

Oh! I'm freaking out now.

And in their toughest challenge yet,

their first room must be finished and judged on day two.

So, they'll need to work hard to impress.

At this point they really have to stretch their creativity.

I need to see that extra special bit

of sparkle that could turn them into a professional.

I've really had to up my game this time. I want to impress the judges.

I think I have the talent and the creativity

to get through to the next round,

so watch this space!

HE CHUCKLES

Today, Worsley is a pretty village

made up of mock-Tudor Arts and Crafts properties

dating back to the early 1900s.

But its rural appearance belies its industrial past.

In 1759, the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater

began work on one of the technological wonders of his age.

Just beyond the bridge over there

lie hidden 50 miles of underground tunnels,

dug out into the hills to reach the seams of coal

that lay buried inside.

The tunnels were the brainchild of the engineer John Gilbert,

designed to transport thousands of tonnes of coal.

It was boom time for Worsley.

It might look all quaint today,

but back in the late 18th century, it was a hive of industry,

buzzing with blacksmiths and boatyards.

Now, these days, its narrow boats carry passengers and holidaymakers,

not coal.

And today, in this tranquil waterside setting,

with two rooms to transform,

the pressure is on for our ambitious designers.

In a pair of monochrome mock-Tudor houses,

they'll each have a bedroom...

..and a living room to work on.

The first designer returning

is 30-year-old photographer Daniela, from Essex.

In the heats, she created a regency Tropicana bedroom that delighted

the homeowners.

Wow, that's amazing!

I really like it.

So, judges, we've two very different designers.

We've got Daniela. What are your hopes and fears for her?

She designs well, but her styling is unbelievable.

She put things together really well, but it's the basics,

the foundations of good interior design,

which is all about the detailing, which she is not very good at doing.

It's whether or not she can actually finish it...

-Exactly.

-..to a level that is exceptional.

With the amount that she does...

Oh, I don't know.

Daniela's challenge this time is to breathe new life

into John and Julie's family home.

Thank you very much.

Although both designers have had their briefs for just over a week,

today is the first time they'll be seeing the rooms in person.

Starting with the bedroom.

Oh, my goodness!

I think for the bedroom, we'd like to go Scandi-style,

fairly pared back.

I'd like to keep the vanity unit because I think it's, you know,

fairly handy. But I would like them to paint it

because I'm not keen on that mahogany colour.

The second room for Daniela to tackle is the living room.

Oh, wow!

I think it's my favourite room in the house.

I envisage it being a room where we would go and relax.

I would like lots of different textures, you know, velvets, silks,

that sort of thing.

Quite a luxurious room, I think.

On hand to assess her performance are industry experts Kelly Hoppen

and Daniel Hopwood.

Thank you for setting me such a lovely brief, to start with.

They'll be looking out for strong presentation skills,

as well as an ability to adapt to her clients' needs.

Daniela's kicking off with John and Julie's bedroom.

You said that you wanted Scandi.

Normally Scandi is quite kind of, you know, pared back.

-Yeah.

-But I think with a house of this kind of size and grandeur,

I wanted to bring some sort of luxury element into that as well,

to give it that kind of warmth.

Tied together by the same tones and colours, you know, just whites,

creams, really neutral, really calming and almost quite angelic.

Oh!

Daniela's also planning to modernise the mahogany washstand

by transforming it into a sleek floating vanity unit.

I'm liking that, if you can do that with the wash basin,

that would be great...

-Yeah, me too.

-..because it's an eyesore at the moment, really.

Now, we don't like radiators.

-No, we don't.

-So, what I'm going to do, floor-to-ceiling,

is a huge piece of artwork,

so it's going to have light dusky pinks and a splash of yellow

and some silver leaf as well.

-Wonderful!

-You're blown away.

-I am.

-She's blown away!

-Feel quite emotional!

Oh, no,

-don't!

-Calm down.

I am, I'm thrilled.

Next, it's the living room.

From the brief, you said that you wanted imposing, elegant,

with a slight Parisian edge.

And that instantly drew me to these chic Parisian boutiques.

-Yeah.

-Where the sofa is at the moment,

obviously once again you have a radiator.

-Yeah, a big one, again.

-Yeah.

-A big, ugly radiator.

Yeah. So what I wanted to do,

which is kind of like, once again, quite a radical idea, perhaps,

is do a curtained wall like this,

and that's going to be down-lit by LEDs,

-so it's going to be a really soft, warm light.

-Very elegant.

The alcoves here, they're going to be lit up in LEDs,

so they're going to have shelves in there.

That's somewhere you can put your books on and things like that,

so it's all really smart and really well put together, hopefully.

Daniela's presentation - wow, wow, wow!

I especially like the fact where she'd say,

"OK, I know that you like the Scandinavian look,

"but I think it could be just a little bit too bare for your bedroom,

"so I've taken it off into a slightly different direction."

They followed her into that direction.

She's very good at getting them involved in what she's created

to the point the excitement is so much

that she's absolutely won them over.

But does that mean that the expectations are so high,

if she doesn't pull this off,

everyone is going to be incredibly disappointed?

-Hello.

-Hello.

The clock has started on Daniela's 48 hours,

and keen to get going, she's assembled her team.

Ready to hear my plans?

Wayne and Steve,

make a sink unit box

and then basically I've got a big piece of 6mm MDF

and I'm going to do some artwork on it.

And then that just needs some strip wood put round the edge.

-Cool.

-Cool.

The pressure is on, as one room has to be finished tomorrow,

so Daniela's tackling the bedroom first.

But she's got a problem with her waterworks.

Basically the sink is actually mounted on the unit.

-Right.

-So, if we take the unit away, there's nothing to support the sink.

-You need a plumber.

-Right, OK.

-I don't have any money for a plumber...

-OK.

..so maybe we box around it and have a push opening door at the front.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-Make it look as minimalistic and chic as possible.

Yeah. All right, let's go.

Our second designer returning is 44-year-old James,

a marketing assistant from Kent.

Last time, James impressed with his presentation...

-Yeah, I like that.

-..and his quirky creativity.

This is the sort of innovation that we're wanting from the designers -

making it useful and practical.

But his delegation and time management let him down.

He has listened to the brief, it's just, it's not finished.

Bit disappointing that we didn't finish, but, well,

I've done as much as I can do in the time, so, yeah.

So, judges, what has he got to improve from the last round?

-Well, he's got to finish.

-Yeah, that is it.

-I mean...

-We have taken a risk putting James into the next round,

but we both believe that there's a bit of a spark with him

and a really good design ability

that we are hoping is going to flourish this round.

What he's got to do is be confident in himself.

James' challenge is to revamp two rooms

for homeowner and new mum Jen,

who wants a rustic farmhouse-style family home.

The first room James is looking at is the bedroom.

We like simple, we like neutral.

We like calming environments.

This room feels smaller than I imagined it.

I like the rustic.

The more thrown-together look.

Probably a bit more romantic.

The living room is so dark.

If we can get some light in there, that's what we want.

I would hate for anything to be busy, to be bold.

You can't go far wrong with relaxed.

-Hi, Jen.

-Hi, James.

First of all, the bedroom.

I'm going to try and put a sliding door for the walk-in wardrobe.

-We love sliding doors!

-OK. Also, what I've tried to do in this is

-add some ironwork to try and make it feel farmhouse-y.

-Yeah.

The colours will be grey, white and cream.

-Lovely.

-OK.

-Very nice.

The carpet's going to be replaced as well in a grey,

slightly darker than this grey.

And then this is the piece that makes the statement.

So, what I want to do is basically make this dresser

from two existing tables.

Basically, got some oak for the middle section.

-Yeah.

-And the mirror above the dresser will be framed

with the shepherd's hooks.

So, basically it gives it a proper edgy-farmhouse feel.

-Very unusual, yeah, ace. Brilliant.

-OK, the lounge.

So, basically, the bit above the picture rail would be the sage green

and the chimney breast, as well.

I'm going to make you a clock.

It's basically a pear-drop shaped piece of wood which, I think,

kind of works really nicely in terms of the feel of the room.

-OK.

-Flooring.

Basically, we're going to sand the floor.

I was thinking basically, if it was painted white...

Yeah, yeah. The only thing is with white

is I've got white up in the nursery...

-OK.

-..and I don't think it looks as warm and as inviting

and friendly, maybe, as what a warm oak would do.

That's why I probably wanted to keep it more farmhouse, if we could.

-OK. No, no, that's fine.

-Yeah.

-I thought I'd give you the choice.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

James - what a change with him.

He was so confident in that presentation.

And also, the boards look really good.

But I feel that sometimes he holds back because

he wants to have that surprise when he unveils what he's done.

If you remember the last time he did the presentation,

it was very similar. But when we walked in,

it just had that certain look that we hadn't actually imagined

we were going to get, and that's what we liked about him.

So, I think, and I'm hoping, when we actually go and see the rooms,

he's going to have something with a bit of a twist there.

James's 48 hours have begun.

And like Daniela, he's planning to finish the bedroom first.

You all right, guys? These are the plans for the bedroom.

This one's the one that's got to be finished by tomorrow.

Keen not to repeat past mistakes, he's delegating with confidence.

Sliding door to be fitted onto the walk-in wardrobe.

-OK.

-And then this is the dresser.

Then, it's just painting the walls.

So, can we finish the bedroom by tomorrow?

-Should get it done.

-All right, brilliant.

The fact that there's two rooms this time round,

just means that I need to be a little bit more focused

and basically make ideas more concise.

After clearing both rooms,

it's straight to work sanding in the lounge floor...

..and getting rid of the old carpet in the bedroom,

ready for the carpet fitters.

-So, I wanted to kind of match the...

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And James is determined to get the bedroom finished on time.

How long will that take to put down?

-One hour.

-One hour.

We are on a timeframe, I think,

so if you could make the hour... 50 minutes?

-We'll do our best.

-All right, brilliant. Thank you.

I've asked them to make it as quick as possible,

so if I pull an angry face, they might go a bit quicker.

So, yeah, we'll see. We'll see what happens.

With both designers off their starting blocks,

tomorrow's deadline to have their bedrooms finished is inching

ever nearer in this quaint, waterside village.

Arts and Crafts architecture was all about the art of craft.

Following the mid-19th century writings of John Ruskin,

it celebrated the skill of the craftsmen

as a riposte to industrialisation

and mass production. You can see it here on the beautiful carving

on the edge of the bargeboard and the finials.

"A happy craftsman," said Ruskin, "made happy architecture."

This style of architecture was all about authenticity and honesty,

as opposed to the frippery and fakery of high-Victorian style.

It was about showing off how a building was made,

not covering it up,

right down to the pegs that held the beams together.

And behind this monochrome exterior,

Daniela is showing off her interpretation of Scandi chic.

This involves lots of white and natural textures.

She's also getting crafty with a shop-bought lampshade,

which hasn't broken the bank.

This light is just a standard light from a superstore,

and I think it was, like, 20 quid or something.

And what I've done is I've made about 200 tassels altogether.

Did some suede ones and string ones as well.

And what I'm doing is I'm just going to customise the light with them.

It cost about 20 quid for the tassels, so for 40 quid,

you've got a light that no-one else has and it's, like, stunning.

And this unique mixing of styles is reflected

in Daniela's home in Essex.

I really love retro furniture

because I think it adds personality to my modernity.

When I do upcycling, I don't do it in your usual way.

I try to do it in quite a slick way. It's quite subtle.

In Worsley, in James's rustic-inspired home,

he's rising to the challenge of completing two rooms,

and he's making good progress.

Downstairs in the living room, the sanding is in full flow.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the carpet has been laid.

Yeah, it's nice.

And the sliding wardrobe door... is sliding.

-So, your door's on.

-Cool.

-I'll just check,

are you happy with the way it all looks and all the rest of it?

-Yeah, that looks perfect to me.

-Perfect. OK.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Great.

When it comes to personal taste at home, for James, less is more.

My style is geometric shapes, clean lines.

I like minimalistic approaches.

I think that my strengths are bringing bespoke pieces

that will stand out and make the room unique.

I like the fact that when I've decorated a room,

there is kind of a piece of me left in there.

Back in Worsley,

James is working hard to communicate with his team

and manage his time well.

Where are we going to be by the end of the day?

Ideally, I want to get the first coat of paint on the walls.

So, they'll be one coat on all walls by the end of play?

-Yeah, yeah.

-All right, cool.

-On schedule.

There's definitely something to be said about lots of communication.

That way, you kind of know what's happening

and you know where you're going to be

and you don't leave it to the last minute, so, yeah.

Yeah, it's all good.

Kelly, we're asking for a huge leap from what he did last time.

But what I'm hoping is that his creativity isn't left behind because

he's panicking too much to try and get those rooms finished.

And I'm really looking forward to seeing if he can do it.

Fingers crossed.

With the sanding done in the living room...

-It looks really nice.

-..the varnish can go on.

End of day one, and the last project

was nowhere near as accomplished as today.

Time management and delegation worked well today.

But it's not so smooth over at Daniela's.

She's got no plumber and she's been forced to abandon her design

for a floating vanity unit,

so she's come up with an alternative solution.

What we're going to do is we're going to neatly box it in,

still keep that really slick look, plywood on the top.

And we're just going to have a little access hatch to go in there,

so we can access the plumbing.

Things haven't gone quite to plan for Daniela,

and she still has lots to do.

Tomorrow, we've got to finish the bedroom.

Priority is getting a coat of paint on the walls,

getting the wallpaper up.

Making the side tables, finishing the sink.

It's the end of the first day.

Both James and Daniela have got a lot of work to do if the first

of their two rooms is to be ready for the judges to see tomorrow.

And with day one over, the designers touch base to compare notes.

-Hiya.

-How you getting on?

-Not too bad. Not too bad.

-Yourself?

-Yeah? Yeah, good.

So, second round.

Oh, don't.

-How you coping?

-Yeah, I'm really excited.

I felt like almost the first round was like a practice.

-Yeah.

-And I'm hoping to up my game a little bit.

-We've got to finish it by tomorrow now, haven't we?

-Yeah.

-The game's on.

-The game is on.

-Good luck.

Good luck to you, too.

You're going to need it.

It's the start of day two,

and today, both designers must finish their first room.

-Morning, guys.

-Morning.

-Morning. I'm going to do the ceiling first

and then jump straight back onto the walls.

James is confidently forging ahead.

-Blinds will need to go up.

-OK.

Curtain pole needs to go back up.

Mirror needs to go on the wall, as well.

-Yeah.

-So, I'll start doing your desk.

OK. Approximate timeframe on that getting together?

-Putting together?

-I don't know.

-Shouldn't take more than an hour, so...

-Cool. All right, thank you.

The pressure's on.

We just need to get focused today and meet the deadline.

But Daniela is definitely feeling the pressure.

-Good morning.

-Morning, hi.

-You all right?

Had lots of things keeping me awake last night.

You know, just worrying about kind of...

You know, how we were going to do things in time

and to the standard that I would like.

First thing for Daniela,

she's getting creative with some MDF to make her original artwork,

which will also double up as a bespoke radiator cover.

Jo, the decorator,

gave me some very valuable advice last time about painting

and how you're supposed to do things.

But actually I'm going to go against everything she says for this one

because it's an expressive art piece.

It's all going to be very tonal.

I want it to be really smudgy, really messy.

It's all about the texture with this one.

She's getting stuck in.

I've got some leftover filler

and I'm just slapping it on to create some texture.

And it's messy work.

Oh!

SHE LAUGHS

This is expressive. I'm just doing what feels right.

I'm kind of layering it.

I am totally making it up as I go along,

but I do this a lot, I make art for my home

and they always work out all right in the end.

James is also putting his creative abilities to the test

in his rustic farmhouse-themed home.

This is the wild flower feature.

The homeowner specified kind of a farmhouse-y, magazine style.

So, this was just an idea that I thought of when I saw the wallpaper.

I thought, "Oh, that's really nice."

I haven't done this before,

but I thought this would be quite a unique way of

basically having a feature on the wall.

Anybody can just stick up some wallpaper.

It's just a bit more creative, I guess.

The end effect should be worthwhile.

It's the little things that are going to enhance the room,

so I'm hoping this is one of those little things

that has been worth the time it's taken me to cut out.

James is putting his own stamp on, and pinning his hopes on,

some shop-bought furniture.

I got a box and an ottoman that are upholstered at the top,

so they have kind of foam in them.

The staple gun forms the indentation

and then I have little studs that I'm going to glue

into the indentation.

This is a quick and effective way of getting a pin-tuck effect.

The trunk itself was under £20, so, yeah,

I think it's quite a nice finish.

It's nice to kind of add the personal touches

and kind of upcycle, or change things in whichever way you can.

Judges Kelly and Dan are keen to check up on James's progress.

-James.

-Hi. You all right?

Do you feel confident about the scheme

and how you've planned it this time?

Yes. Yes.

I learned lessons from kind of not finishing last time.

And, you know, just in terms of delegation and budget management,

I think I've corrected those mistakes this time round.

What have you got that you feel really proud of in

the projects you're doing in the two rooms?

In the bedroom itself,

I've designed a little vanity table dresser.

And then downstairs, I'm going to do a clock.

It's interesting because your presentation,

you are really confident this time.

-Yeah.

-But for me, the presentation boards are beautiful,

but you never show any pieces that people are going to have,

so a lot of it's left to mystery.

Is that done on purpose?

There is an element of that.

LAUGHTER

He's holding something back.

I think he wants to give us a bit of a surprise

because when you mentioned the clock

being a bit of a star on your project,

when you actually see it on the board,

it's just this tiny little thing hiding in the corner,

so that is going to turn out to be something that's really interesting.

Kelly, you know, we took a bit of a risk letting James through into

the next round, but I've got a hint we are doing the right thing.

100%. 100%. He's got something.

I knew he had something, and he's proven it.

-So, all those little details...

-But it's all secrets.

I'm proving it to myself more than anybody else.

I didn't finish the last room, I'm kind of...

You know, I need to prove to myself that I can get this done.

Making their own impression in the early 20th century,

the architects of our houses understood a thing or two

about showing off. Edwardian houses really knew how to make an entrance.

They were usually built on the edge of town on cheap farmland,

so they had more elbow room to spread themselves out with great

big porches and entrances like this one, topped with a Tudor arch,

with some beautiful stained-glass windows behind,

all designed in a kind of slightly Art Nouveau style.

For Daniela, the pressure is mounting.

Her bedroom must be completed later today.

OK. All right.

And her bespoke vanity unit is still causing her issues.

What varnish would you suggest?

Because I want something that's going to bring out the grain,

but is still matt. I don't really want it shiny.

You need something that's waterproof obviously,

cos that's the main thing, to actually waterproof this wood.

So, matt isn't waterproof?

-It's got to be water-sealed, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

So, there we are. Steve, the builder, brought to my attention

that the vanity worktop next to the sink, which is plywood,

needs to be, like, watertight, basically

because it's obviously next to a sink.

I'm freaking out now.

These are rookie mistakes, here.

So, the mirror...

I'm going to say it's going there.

And is there a curtain on this wall?

It is, yeah. Floor-to-ceiling curtain.

Wall-to-wall curtain.

Keen to see how Daniela's getting along, the judges pay her a visit.

Now, it isn't Scandinavian, which is what they were looking for,

but you've convinced them cleverly.

With this... The grandeur of this house,

I just didn't want to go down that stark Scandinavian route.

I wanted it a bit more luxurious, a bit more peaceful.

So, you've gone quite romantic, actually.

-I have gone quite romantic.

-I mean, Scandinavian is all quite

very hard lines and sort of primary colours.

-Yes, exactly.

-I'm not picking that up in here, at all.

-No, no.

-Can you deliver what you presented?

-I hope so.

I hope so. I can only hope and try my hardest.

My concern is that Daniela has created a dream of a scheme, but...

Is she going to deliver?

Is she going to be the one who's not going to finish?

Is she going to be the one who's going to disappoint?

Because she has put everything into that.

You're completely ensconced in this amazing experience in design.

Mm. One little bit missing, we're going to be disappointed.

As the rooms are all slightly different,

the judges want both the designers to demonstrate their creativity

on a level playing field.

So, Daniela and James are being given an identical surprise item

which they must artistically incorporate

into either of their rooms.

Hello, Daniela. You know it's that moment, don't you?

The wonderful moment of the creative challenge.

-OK.

-Because I realise you've got so much spare time on your hands.

-I have loads.

-You don't have to use all of them, you can use one,

two, three, four, five, and you can use the tray.

You CAN do anything you want with this.

-A breeze. Yeah.

-It's closed.

-Quite a tricky one, this.

I have no idea what I'm going to do.

I'm going to have to sleep on this one,

or at least think about it for a little while.

I like the ribbing of the cans and I like the silver.

So, I have no clue, but I'm sure it'll be wonderful.

The creative challenge will have to wait for Daniela as

the clock is ticking and she really needs to complete that bedroom.

I'm just finishing off my art piece.

And I think that's it now.

I'm really happy. I've just put enough silver on.

I don't want overdo it. It's not some sort of glitzy piece.

James is putting his bedroom plans into action,

which all hinge around his statement piece -

the bespoke dressing table.

Basically, what I would like to do is basically have

this middle section of oak...

-Right.

-..untreated, basically set in between the two.

-Oh, I see.

-So, it forms like a desk.

-So, it's... That's in the middle there, is it?

-Uh-huh.

-OK.

The table at present, erm...

Not quite, it doesn't look quite right.

It's not the vision that I had in my head. It looks a bit...

a little bit off-balance. It doesn't look sturdy enough,

so there's going to be a few adjustments made.

Basically, what's going to happen is we're going to make a back

for the table. That way, it makes it more rigid.

Ten minutes to go. Just silly me

forgot that we had to put the blind in, still.

The builder reckons that that's going to take about ten minutes,

so just on the buzzer, I think.

As the first designer to start, Daniela's time is ticking away.

And her deadline is rapidly approaching.

Yeah, that's all done.

Lovely. Well done. Right.

So, she's ensuring that her room is styled to perfection.

Done.

Daniela's time is now up.

I am so happy with that room.

You know, in comparison to my mood board,

I just think it's even lovelier. In my opinion, anyway.

Daniela's brief was to create a cool,

light and modern Scandi-style bedroom.

Yesterday, it was drab and uninspiring,

full of mismatched florals, dominating the room.

Now, it has the unmistakable air of modern chic.

Daniela's clean, white and minimal theme

is enhanced by her hand-painted artwork

and striking marble effect wallpaper.

Her remodelled basin and vanity unit blends in with the sleek scheme.

And she's cleverly combined different textures

to pull the final look together.

Wowzer!

It's a major, big impact when you come in. It's so white.

It's white, on white, on white.

But on top of that, there's some amazing texture.

Oh, I love that painting!

Isn't it good? What's clever, though,

she's also covered the windows with that full-on white...

I almost want to say muslin curtain, isn't it?

I love the muslin curtain,

but I could live without the bit behind the sink.

Turning to the boxing around the vanity unit,

clever that it is with this lovely stripe.

-Yeah, it's lovely, that.

-Like that detail.

-Yeah, love it.

My concerns about Daniela, though, is...

is this all just style over substance?

It looks great.

But if you were actually living in this bedroom

and you wanted to put your toothpaste in the corner here,

it's going to look like a mess.

This is not going to last five minutes.

You know, some bloke is going to throw his dirty old boxer shorts

-into that and it's not going to look good.

-Not in my house.

Daniela has been working to the homeowner's brief.

And John and Julie's opinion will be taken into consideration by

the judges when they make their final decision.

Wow!

Goodness me. Love that wall. That is fantastic.

-I do!

-That is spot-on.

We'll have to up our game.

Yes, I know. I'm going to get some silk pyjamas now, or something!

Does anything not sit right in the room?

Anything you're not quite sure of?

I'll probably have to get used to this.

-That's your radiator cover.

-Yeah, yeah.

Doesn't look like a radiator cover, but it is.

I got the impression she was going to hang it from maybe the picture rail

or from the ceiling, rather than it just being propped up.

-I think propping's all the rage.

-John doesn't do all the rage.

No. No, I haven't done all the rage since about 1977, I don't think.

Definitely got that cool theme that we asked for, in fairness.

Scandi-style? You wanted a bit of Scandi-style.

Yeah, a bit Scandi. Yeah, yeah.

I'm feeling anxious because there's only an hour left

and I know how quick an hour goes, but the room is pretty much done.

Anxious, but positive.

Time's about to be called on James, but will his room be finished?

Oh!

He's cleverly incorporating mirrors into his scheme,

which will create an illusion of space

to make the room look bigger and brighter.

James adds his final touches.

He finesses the bed

and styles the curtains.

His time is up.

I don't know if I've done enough to impress the judges.

I think I've done little key things to kind of hopefully catch their eye

and for things to stand out.

And we'll see, we'll see.

I don't know. I was really chuffed that I finished the room.

James's brief was to design a relaxed and romantic retreat

with a feel of all things rustic.

Yesterday, the bedroom was dark and tired,

lacking in any personality.

Now, it has a serene and contemporary edge.

With a sleek sliding entrance to the dressing room beyond.

Rustic touches give the room the farmhouse feel

the homeowner was after.

All set off by James's bespoke statement-piece dresser.

And the clever combination of different greys creates a striking,

but tranquil feel.

Wow!

So, they asked for homely, friendly.

-And I think we're getting that feel, aren't we?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

I love the colour of the walls, I love the existing bed.

I love the cushions on the bed, I think.

I love that sort of cable knit.

I think that's all beautiful.

I mean, that dressing table is really genius.

He's found two Chinese console tables,

he's put marble on the top and he's connected it.

He's found an old piece of mirror.

-And he's connected it up.

-And it's very nice.

-Yes.

-I think what he's done on the wall there is very creative.

Do you like that? I quite like that.

I think it's clever. Cutting it out and gluing it on the wall,

it's very feminine. Do you know,

the feeling in this room is really lovely,

and that's what the homeowner asked for.

They wanted something comfortable and homely, and he's nailed it.

He's done the brief.

Absolutely. I look at this and I just want to lie down.

I feel very at ease and calm in here.

And he has... He has answered the brief.

Come on through, Jen.

Oh, wow!

Oh, this is lovely.

Really like this.

To me, it looks sophisticated, but that kind of rugged,

English-country-farmhouse thing.

That's kind of gone. Do you miss that?

No, to be fair...

Because like see you've got these sheer curtains here,

they make it feel a little bit more cosy and inviting.

-Softening.

-Softer. You know,

whereas if you would have took them away and things,

it could have felt a little bit more harder, but it doesn't.

It's all really working together.

And, OK, it's not as rustic,

but you've got like little gems like this

that help to just bring in a bit of charm.

And he promised me I would like the table, and it's gorgeous.

-Very nice.

-So, good! Thumbs up.

-Very good.

Nothing wrong with it at all? Nothing at all?

-Nothing!

-Nothing?

-No! No, no, it's lovely.

Now, Daniela and James may have finished one room,

but there's a whole other room to do if they are to stand a chance of

getting through to the semifinals.

So, it's full steam ahead, as their second room will be revealed

and judged tomorrow.

Buoyed up by successfully completing one room,

James now turns his attention to the living room.

There's another coat to go on the floor before end of play today.

Yeah, I think we're on schedule for this room.

With his sage-green chimney breast, complementing his muted walls,

James's painting is progressing well.

However, it's a very different matter over at Daniela's,

who's not happy with her wall colour.

I just don't think it's a very nice colour. I'm just not happy with it.

I think I'm going to have to look at paint colours again,

have a think on it. Maybe go with it.

Maybe I'll come in tomorrow and it'll be a different light in here

and it'll have dried completely and I'll feel completely differently.

It's the end of the day,

and both designers have got their eyes fixed firmly on the prize.

Judges have seen our first rooms.

-Yeah.

-I mean, scary or what?

-I know, tell me about it.

-This is it now, isn't it?

-Yeah.

For me, it was more about getting the room finished.

-Yeah.

-That was kind of the big thing for me.

-Yeah.

-It was definitely a confidence booster.

It's definitely best man wins, isn't it?

-Yeah, it will be best man wins.

-Yeah.

-Best MAN wins.

Best man... Yeah. Best man...

Yeah, right.

Day three, and the gloves are well and truly off.

One room down, and these two are getting super-competitive.

But there's only room for one in the semifinals.

And Worsley's wet weather isn't going to dampen James' spirits

-this morning.

-Morning, guys.

-Morning.

-Hello.

Oh, last day!

The plan is to kind of just...

Yeah, get the room finished to the best standard that we can.

Hopefully, it will be enough.

But it's a soggy start for Daniela.

I am feeling completely shot to pieces.

Yeah, didn't... Once again, didn't get much sleep last night.

I know that I've got to change paint colours today and things like that.

I'm feeling really nervous.

-Good morning.

-Morning, hi.

-All right?

-Oh, don't.

Don't give me that sad face.

That's the sad face of change.

-It may be.

-Right, OK.

-The issue is time.

-Yeah.

-We've got so much to do on woodwork

and trying to create everything else that you want,

so it is a bit of an issue.

I 100% get what you're saying.

-Yeah.

-It's making me think...

Especially now I've come in now and I'm like...

-I've had some sleep. I'm going to think about it.

-Yeah.

It's your space.

Right.

I've made a decision.

-Hopefully, it's in our favour.

-It actually is.

-OK.

It actually is. I'm going to keep the paint colour.

-Great, fantastic.

-Yeah.

With the decorating back on track,

Daniela turns her attention to the creative challenge.

How easy are these to cut? Do you know?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, easy. Because what my idea is...

-Do a drawing for me because...

-Yeah. Right, so, square vase.

-Like that.

-Yeah.

And so, you'd cut the tin can down the middle and you'd flatten it out.

Just stripping the metal and creating...

So, you've got some sheets of it...

-Yeah.

-..to do something with.

-Yeah. Thank you.

Daniela's got a CANNY design plan to make an alternative flowerpot

using MDF and the flattened metal tins.

It's the best I could come up with.

James is also adopting a CAN-DO attitude.

OK, so, last night I gave it some thought

and I decided what I'm going to do is I'm basically going to

cover the tins in some string.

So, basically I'm going to wrap it around like this

and have three different heights

and I'm going to use them as vases for artificial dried flowers.

And I'll put them somewhere in the lounge.

Next, James is sticking with his tried-and-tested idea

of cut-out wallpaper.

This will be a bit tricky.

It's a calm exterior, but underneath the water,

the legs are flapping away. "Have I done enough?" I guess,

is the question that I'm asking myself now.

I think it looks all right. Looks OK.

So, judges, final day.

Clock's ticking. And, stop press, James has finished a room.

How do you think he's going to cope with another room?

Well, I think the next room is meant to be his jewel in the crown.

And this first one was just a little bit of a build-up,

so I'm hoping that this special moment

which we're both looking forward to

is actually going to be there.

And has all gone to plan for Daniela?

Well, I'm sort of slightly concerned, actually.

-I know.

-Really, are you?

Yeah, no, I am a little bit because...

I think I've been slightly thrown by James and I was expecting

so much that I've sort of come away thinking

maybe we've had everything from Daniela

and the second room isn't going to be as good.

Oh, I get you. So, you're saying he's holding back because

-it's going to be a big surprise next time.

-Yeah.

-And she's just actually...

-She's given everything.

Given it all and it can't be any better than that.

So, I'm so confused right now.

You know, I'm normally very clear of what I'm thinking

and where it's going to go and now I'm completely flummoxed

and I don't know which way it's going to go.

With that deadline inching ever nearer,

Daniela has still got a lot of work left to do.

This is my curtain wall that I put on my mood board.

And it'll be curtains for her

if she doesn't complete that Parisian boutique feature wall

with the LED lights that she promised the homeowners.

I don't know, it's very atmospheric, I think, once you put it up there.

But there's a problem. There aren't enough strips for the alcoves.

The design in here is going to be affected because I wanted them to be

able to switch off all the other light and just have the LEDs on

here and behind the sofa,

and it just be like a really beautiful, like, atmospheric light,

and it's now only going to be half the atmosphere.

With his entire team getting to grips with the accessories,

James gets to grips with the statement piece for the living room.

His clock.

At home, I've done quite a few different wall hangings

that are done with wood,

where you can see the grain and use stones or tiles.

So, I'm just incorporating that into this brief.

And then I bought clock hands separately,

so the mechanism and the clock hands actually fit into the circle

that's cut out of the board. Yeah, there it is.

It's finished. So, it's a nice,

cost-effective way of making a clock.

Meanwhile, Daniela's faking it with some MDF

and some gold sticky-back plastic.

You know,

this is kind of a rip-off of a real high-end designer piece that's like,

you know, thousands of pounds.

But it's going to be very, very subtle.

It's going to sit on the rug and, yeah,

just going to be a little glimmer of gold underneath.

So, altogether, probably, like, £15-worth of materials.

And you just, a bit like wallpaper, really, you just smooth as you go.

Pushing out any air bubbles and stretching it down.

But I think it looks so good.

And once it's on the rug as well and we got a lovely cream rug down,

that's going to reflect in that.

Oh, it's going to be lovely. I'm really pleased.

As Daniela was the first designer to start, her deadline is almost up.

Make that up for me, please, darling.

SHE SIGHS LOUDLY

She uses every last second to style the room.

Oh, get in!

Yep!

And now, she can do no more.

LAUGHTER

-Oh, my gosh!

-Her 48 hours are over.

Oh, I feel like I've just had a baby!

I actually do. I probably sweated more doing this, I reckon.

I reckon I did.

Yeah, I'm finished.

I'm done and I'm happy.

Daniela's brief was to create a sophisticated and luxurious

Parisian-inspired living room.

48 hours ago, it was a blank, cold blue canvas.

Now, it's a warm, glamorous and elegant drawing room.

With wall-to-floor curtains...

..enhanced by a muted colour scheme and clever lighting.

The Parisian boutique theme is reflected

in the use of opulent textures

and elegant cushions, with Daniela's own photography adorning the walls.

While her bespoke reflective gold coffee table takes centre stage.

-Wow! C'est tres jolie.

-Tres, tres jolie.

Sophisticated, elegant, Parisian.

There's a lovely warmth in this room.

-I just have to take it all in.

-A perfect evening room.

You know, she's created the statement wall with the fabric,

and it's clever.

And she's hidden the radiator with it as well.

I think I've just discovered the creative challenge.

-Well spotted.

-Is that it?

It is. So, she's actually taken them apart and stretched them.

That's very clever. That's very clever.

-Very creative.

-I'm going sit down and see how it feels in the room.

A couple of little details that are missing,

which I think means she was a bit rushed towards the end.

I've noticed the skirting down here's not been painted.

Wasn't there some LED lighting?

There's supposed to be LED lighting in there,

which has not been completed.

-It's a shame.

-There is no question, she's very talented,

she's not just a stylist,

she's a designer, but there's a huge amount to learn.

But will her design work be good enough to win over the homeowners

and, crucially, win that coveted place in the semifinals?

Come through.

Oh, goodness!

-Goodness!

-So, what do you think?

-It's a lot to take in.

-It IS a lot to take in.

I don't know where to look, to be honest with you.

Very pleased with this.

That really is kind of...

..boutique hotel style.

With the LED lighting coming down, nice and gentle.

From my point of view, it's all a bit monotone.

They seem to have used the one colour.

Ceilings, walls, beams, seems to have been used everywhere.

What do you think of the overall finish of the room?

I can see bare bits of MDF about.

I don't know if they ran out of time.

I'm slightly disappointed.

Meanwhile for James, time is slipping away.

Oh!

Every second counts, as his deadline is fast approaching.

How's that, James?

Awesome, yeah. Brilliant.

James adds some final flourishes to his room.

Oh, brilliant. Thank you.

-There you go.

-Cool.

Brilliant, cushions, cool.

Doors shutting nicely there?

-Yeah.

-All right, cool.

And his 48 hours are now up.

OK, guys, thanks a lot. That's that.

-Thanks. Brilliant.

-You're very welcome.

-Yes.

-I've done the best I can do.

It's finished, it's finished on time.

There's not much more I can do now. It's in the hands of the gods!

James' brief was to create a homely farm-inspired living room.

48 hours ago, it was bland, drab and lacking in personality.

Now, it has a bright, cosy and contemporary edge.

The light and stylish soft furnishings are drawn together by

the fresh natural oak tones of the newly varnished floor.

The floral artwork showcases James's creative nature,

set off by his rustic statement-piece clock.

Ah!

Wow! Very bright and airy.

Very smart, very crisp.

The colour of the walls is gorgeous.

-I love the green paint on here.

-I'm with you on that.

The floor, it feels fresh and it feels open, but for me, Dan,

you've got two existing sofas that could definitely do with some throws

over them because they look old and they look dirty,

and their position, surely,

either side of the fireplace to make it more welcoming when you come in.

Yeah. Ah, that's clever!

You see, that's the James.

Oh! Now, that's him!

-That is brilliant!

-Yeah.

He's stacked the tins and wrapped them in rope.

This is James when he's being creative.

The interesting thing is, the presentation he produced

-is exactly what he has given them.

-Mm-hm.

SHE CHUCKLES

Wow!

I love it. Oh, wow, look at this!

-Oh, I really...

-First impressions?

Really, really like it. It feels so much bigger.

It feels like a really big room

and it feels so much brighter and lighter.

Was it the right decision about the floor as well?

Yes, I think it was the right decision with the flooring,

especially seeing bits of wood here and having the floor and the wood door,

I think it helps to bring it all together as a room.

And it gives a warmth, really. It's a beautiful floor.

Yeah, this room couldn't be any better for me, it's really my style,

really relaxing and not too heavy on the design.

It's not overdesigned for me, and I quite like that.

The designers have done all they can.

Now, they must wait for the judges

to decide who's made it through to the semifinals

and who's going home.

If I don't get through...

I've had a brilliant time and, yeah, it's given me so much back.

I can't believe I'm getting tearful!

It would mean a lot to me to get through to the next round.

You know, I didn't think I would get this far,

the fact I'm this far into the competition now,

I would like to see its course.

So, judges, some amazing mock-Tudor Arts and Crafts houses,

all about authenticity and design quality.

Now, do we see that from our two designers?

Let's start with James.

Well, James is always authentic.

What he shows you on those boards is exactly what you're going to get.

I still believe that he has something unique,

but I think his prime focus

was that he had to finish both the rooms.

And I think the design just let it down a little bit.

There was no flourish in there.

He had two sofas,

very worn, that could have had some throws on them, and I think that

he could have just been that little more creative.

It was clever, though.

His colour scheme in the living room, I loved.

It was really simple, it was the right tone of the stone grey colour,

I think some of us call it "greige".

And yet he balanced it off by painting the entire chimney-breast

in a soft green, which is a really relaxing colour.

The homeowner loved it.

Both rooms. She could barely fault anything.

-Wonderful.

-I mean, adored it.

-I knew that, we knew that.

He worked to that brief, to the tee.

Now, Daniela was organised and she showed creativity

the first time around - how about the second time around?

Daniela has got incredible style

and she's very good at pulling a design together.

When she presents, she presents with the total experience.

She does the mood board, she completely engages the homeowner

in how they're going to feel in that space.

And I think she designs that way.

She sees the end result.

Exactly, Daniela is an absolute show girl.

She pulled out all the stoppers this time

and it was really impressive,

but when you scratch a little bit under the surface,

you realise she is almost setting up something for a photoshoot.

It will look fabulous,

but there were quite a few corners that weren't finished.

I think she's still got to learn how to finish something,

and have a bit of breathing space.

Well, the homeowners were swept away by the bedroom, they adored it,

adored it.

The living room, much more equivocal, I would say.

-Really?

-They were fairly disappointed by it.

They were disappointed that they didn't get their paint effect.

They also felt that she hadn't made enough of the room.

Well, we sort of said that.

I think they found the overall tone

and the paint colours all just too neutral.

I think maybe they got let down cos they were disappointed by the things

that hadn't gone in.

So, an interesting response from the homeowner.

You two have got a lot of discussions to have.

Kelly, we have, we've got a lot more thinking to do.

I'm not often speechless, but I'm really shocked and I think

we've got to go back to the drawing board.

Now, Arts and Crafts designers believed

that happy workers made happy buildings.

Now, I know it's been a slog for you two,

but I hope you're a little bit happy with the results.

James and Daniela, you have done incredibly well,

and this is just the beginning for both of you,

so you should be extremely proud of yourselves.

We've taken ages deliberating this

because it's really difficult for us to make a decision because

you both are very good,

but you've both got different strengths and weaknesses.

Daniela, you've done so well, and you have incredible flair,

you style beautifully,

and your designing is really very good, but going forward,

you need to think about the bigger picture as a whole,

and it's all about the detail.

James, what a different person you were from last time.

This time, extremely happy homeowners.

Moving on, take a little bit back from that first project,

that lovely design flair that you had, which I felt

was a little bit missing here

and that you were being a bit too conservative.

So, it's decision time.

The judges have decided that the designer going through

to the semifinals is...

..Daniela.

But this might not be goodbye, as in a twist,

Kelly and Daniel will be bringing back one of the eliminated designers

as a wild card for the semifinals.

Just wanting to go home, with not going through to the next round,

but...um, I did the best I could.

So, how did you get on, then?

-I didn't get through.

-Oh, I'm so sorry.

I really am so sorry.

You deserved to go through, you met our brief.

James didn't go through because, unlike Daniela,

he was missing the flair this time, and I'm so sad about that.

You go get some sleep. Thank you for working so hard.

-Not a problem. Not a problem. You take care of yourself.

-Thank you.

James didn't go through because he wasn't as GOOD as Daniela.

And I think James's problem this time around

was purely about finishing the room,

and he lost the integrity of design.

I'm absolutely gobsmacked that I went through.

To be in the semifinals now as a contestant, is just like my dream.

What I'm looking for in Daniela next time

is even better than she's produced so far.

-Hi, Daniela.

-Hello.

All the stress is over now?

It's all over, I can breathe.

I rarely see someone who's got that styling ability -

that is something that is very rare amongst people,

and Daniela's got it, and actually, she blew me away.

These Arts and Crafts houses in Worsley

prove that history is never really dead, it just gets recycled.

Styles come into fashion, they go out of fashion,

but the one thing that lasts is design quality -

something our two designers have proved

with their own contemporary take on Arts and Crafts.

Next time, in Georgian-style homes in Wales...

-a study...

-This is not what I expected.

-..and a bedroom.

-It's going to look beautiful.

But hard graft means emotions run high.

He looks so nervous.

I am very much making this up as I go along.

I'm going to cry! I'm going to cry!