Converted Leisure Centre 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 interior designers

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

But it's not as easy as it looks.

Ah!

I feel really sick.

Across three knockout episodes, a group of designers

will compete for one place in the finals week.

Ta-da!

It looks amazing, it looks exactly how I wanted it.

Love it, love it, love it.

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

What I'm looking for is talent that can be nurtured.

..and Sophie Robinson.

I want the designers to impress me with their creativity.

They'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.

-A 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.

In this first round heat,

four rooms seriously in need of some creativity.

This time, our amateur designers will work in one bedroom each

in these modernist apartments in south London.

Each designer has their own distinctive style.

-Colours.

-Theatrical.

Scandinavian.

Oriental sensation.

But working to a client's brief won't be straightforward.

Oh, no, I'm panicking!

Shall we just scrap the whole thing?

-I'm a bit stressed.

-Crikey!

They'll need to impress to keep their place in the competition.

Ahh!

I'm not very happy with it.

I think that's really rather dreadful.

-Because, of the four amateur designers...

-Weey!

..only three will make it through to the next round.

The designer that we are saying goodbye to is...

The setting for this design battle

is one of my favourite buildings in London.

Because there's far more to it than meets the eye.

The 1930s were a decade of innovation and optimism in Britain,

with cultural influences, including architecture,

coming in from continental Europe and America.

But, in Peckham, South London,

a very British experiment was taking place.

Two pioneering doctors established a health centre

in this modernist building,

promoting wellbeing and leisure like never before.

It's now been converted into apartments,

and our designers must transform a bedroom each.

OK, so, everything is going to be white.

The designers have been working on a brief from their homeowner

for the past week.

The brief is quite different to my normal style.

I've really got to go out of my comfort zone.

-Basically, all the layout is going to stay the same.

-OK.

Obviously, I need to fit into the client's criteria,

but hopefully I can get away with some twists.

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

including a builder and a decorator.

So, the mirror sits on the ply...

-Yeah.

-..with the concrete surround...

You make it, I'll fix it.

Quietly confident, but who knows, they might hate it!

And they also have a budget of £1,000 and three days.

And for my next trick...

I'm feeling a little bit apprehensive and nervous,

but I just hope the homeowner likes what I have planned.

First up is a 62-year-old theatre director and actress Sharon

whose home in Sheffield reflects her taste for the dramatic.

When I go round other people's houses, they are usually quite safe.

And I just think you've just got to go for it, really.

The room Sharon is working in started off as a plain white box,

which judges Sophie and Daniel checked out before work began.

Oh, what a wonderful light-filled room!

At the moment, bright white walls, very masculine,

hard edged furniture. This couldn't be further

from what the homeowners asked for in the brief.

Sharon has been asked to give the room

a colourful 1920s Bloomsbury-inspired scheme.

The thing with this Bloomsbury look is it's quite soft.

I imagine lots of fabrics, patterned wallpapers.

The thing is, in a concrete building,

is the designer going to make that look really work?

Sharon's hoping the building can take vibrant floral wallpaper

and a bright colour scheme,

which she pitched to her client Kate before work began.

The scheme is based on Bloomsbury.

The modern furniture, I'm going to paint in a particular style,

but I'll show you.

The judges are scrutinising every part of the pitch

and will be ranking all the designers on how well they do.

And after 10 minutes, Sharon hasn't even got out her mood boards.

What sort of colours have you got in mind?

Now I can reveal my mood board.

Oh, look, that's a beautiful blue.

-The main colour for the walls is the green.

-Yeah.

-And the chest of drawers?

-Probably more of the dusky coral.

I love it, Sharon, I really do.

-I wasn't expecting to be so taken with it straight away.

-Really?

-But I really am.

-Oh, good.

-I really am.

-That's really exciting.

-What I was envisaging...

I think a Bloomsbury-inspired theme is a lovely brief,

but that colour scheme, I don't know,

it seems a bit of an odd choice.

Yeah, and I'm not sure it's going to work.

The judges may not be sold on the colour scheme,

but Sharon's got other worries - moving the wardrobe.

-The back's hanging off.

-Yeah, the back is coming off, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Yeah, that's going to be quite tricky to move.

At the moment, if we move it, it will be in bits.

If I can't move the wardrobe, I'm going home.

I definitely like making a list.

Our second designer is 28-year-old Holly,

who runs a doggie day-care centre from her colourful London home.

A lot of my inspiration comes from films that I love.

Particularly Jurassic Park, I love the tropical theme,

it's nice and bright and colourful.

Holly's updating a once-cluttered 11-year-old's bedroom.

-It's quite a tight space.

-Yes, you could say it's cosy, couldn't you?

There's a lot of demand on kids' bedrooms,

not just for sleeping, but for all their bits and pieces.

Holly's young client wants a more grown-up room with a retro theme.

We've got sorbet pastel shades, mid-century modern,

-modern geometrics.

-So everything, really.

Yes, she's hitting all the major trends, I love it.

Holly's using a multicoloured circle motif throughout the room

with handcrafted accessories...

See what you think.

..which she needed client Bea and mum Emma

to sign off before work started.

The main backdrop of the room is going to be white

and then I'm going to paint

this kind of circular mural on that wall there.

-Does that sound good, Bea?

-Yeah.

-OK.

We've got a couple of accessories I'm going to make for you.

I'm going to do a marquee light with your name and I'm going to use

five of these lampshades, all in different colours.

I've got you a new bed.

-The bed is a single bed, is it?

-It is a single bed, yeah.

-OK.

-Happy, Bea?

-Definitely.

-That's great, Holly.

-Brill.

-Yeah, brilliant.

What's very clever, by painting the walls with those round circles,

she can introduce all those different colours.

You don't think lots of bubbles on the wall looks silly?

No, they look fun, I like that, it won't look silly.

Holly's first major job is to remove the built-in bed,

revealing a problem underneath.

I pulled the bed up.

This is what we've got.

Yeah, we thought there was going to be two types of carpet going on.

I think what I'm going to do is have a very light laminate on it.

So it will change flooring,

but because it's part of the dressing area, it should look OK.

This has kind of thrown the budget into turmoil.

I'm not sure I should touch this.

Our third designer is 38-year-old former textile sales assistant

Frankie, who's got somewhat conflicting tastes.

My style is crossing between minimal and very ornate.

You don't just clash them, you have to find the harmony.

It's like a rhythm.

Frankie is working in a room that was tatty,

doubling up as a guest bedroom-cum-study.

Oh, you can tell this is a spare bedroom.

Oh, yes, it's got the second bedroom syndrome, hasn't it?

It's doing everything.

And what Frankie's clients want it to do

is be practical with a minimal Japanese feel.

It's going to be interesting to see how the designer can pull this

together as a scheme and make it look cohesive and interesting.

Frankie has embraced the Japanese brief,

with muted colours and decorative fabrics,

which he had to get the OK for from his client Andy.

Here's something I'd like to show you.

-OK.

-This is vintage Japanese fabric.

All the way from Kyoto.

You know, it takes you back to when you see

all those magnificent geisha walking on the street.

It looks really interesting.

We're going to cover all your furniture

-in this natural Irish linen.

-OK.

If you can cover a chair, so you can cover furniture as well.

And then right inside, a panel, we're going to do some padding

and then you can put your personal note with a pin.

-OK.

-So, it's kind of multifunctional as well.

-Yeah.

I think that was such a lovely presentation,

-all those beautiful fabrics.

-Oh, hang on a minute.

You're being seduced by the kimonos.

Remember, those homeowners were after, I think,

the Japanese version of Bauhaus.

Yes, they did ask for something very minimal and utilitarian,

and they got something highly decorative.

Part of Frankie's decorative design involves breaking up

the existing chest of drawers to create a new storage feature.

-These cabinets, I'd like that to be chopped.

-OK.

-So the top section is going to be here.

-Right.

That would be covered in the kimono fabric and the Irish linen.

This is probably more work for you and the decorator than it is for me.

The final designer is 42-year-old Jane,

who, at home in Yorkshire, likes a modern aesthetic.

My ideal house would be in LA, with huge windows,

but that's not going to happen.

The room Jane is working in was an understated

and rather plain master bedroom.

Oh, what a lovely airy room.

You've got this enormous wardrobe,

which I have to say is rather ghastly.

But they clearly need the storage.

Jane's homeowner wants to keep the room simple,

but inject some Scandinavian style.

Looking in this room, they've got a lovely bed.

There are a few eclectic pieces

and you don't want to lose that personality.

There's your personality. That's a brilliant gallery wall.

But that gives me an indication that this homeowner does have

quite a strong sense of style.

Jane's come up with a pared-down Scandi look in greys and whites,

broken up with natural and industrial accessories...

This...is my thoughts.

..which she ran past her homeowner Kate earlier.

That is the wardrobe that I've got for you.

-So hopefully you're happy with that.

-OK.

I'm just thinking, because obviously it looks smaller than

-the wardrobe we've got now, which is full of clothes.

-OK.

Food for thought.

Now, the bedside table.

-I've sourced a tree trunk.

-Oh, great.

And I'm going to put casters on that.

I really like that.

This is the exact flooring, which took a lot of the budget.

Is there any way of painting these white,

or do they have to stay this colour?

-The trouble with that is we haven't got any white paint.

-OK.

That's not in budget.

-Not really, I'm afraid.

-That's fine, I just thought I'd ask.

I felt, with Jane, that she's not been very amenable.

That design isn't working hard to answer the homeowner's problems.

She is offering us rubber-stamped Scandinavian design,

rather than using that type of design

to solve the problems of the room.

And there's one problem that Jane's homeowner definitely wants sorted.

Jane seems to think that the wardrobe being smaller will be OK

cos there's shelves next to it.

But I'm not sure that piles of jumpers and T-shirts

is going to look that good there.

If the wardrobe we've got now had new doors, I'd feel a lot better

about things cos then I know we've got that storage there.

So, the wardrobe will stay. But there's more to negotiate.

Can I talk to you about the floor?

I'm worried that it will look like it is in here

-and I hate the floor in here.

-It won't look like this, I promise you.

It's a lot nicer. If you go with the white floor - and it's your call...

-It'll be too white.

-..it's going to look like a white box.

Yeah, that's a good point.

-We're OK to do two coats in one day?

-Yeah.

Work is well under way.

But the judges are now calling all the designers

for some early surprise feedback.

-Jane, the judges want to see you.

-Do they?

For what?

Maybe kind of like a criminal check?

Sophie and Daniel watched how they presented their schemes to their clients,

and now they're going to judge them on how well they did.

At this stage, it's not their design being scrutinised,

but their ability to articulate ideas,

their mood boards and their drawings.

I feel like I'm walking to an execution.

With just three places in the next round,

where they're ranked now really matters.

Designers, we've asked you out here because we are here to judge you

on your presentation and grade you from first to fourth.

I'm going to start with you, Holly.

Your presentation was very comprehensive -

sketches, plans, products, samples.

However, there was a lot of emphasis on the products

rather than helping your client visualise the room in the 360.

OK.

Sharon, what rapport you have with your homeowner.

And you really led on the charm.

But when you started to describe your project, you should have

picked up your presentation board and used it as your tool.

-Yes.

-Jane, I thought your board was really strong visually,

you got loads of images on there that clearly portrayed

the look you are going for. However, you were quite negative.

There were lots of excuses made.

And that wasn't really upping the feeling with your client.

Oh, Frankie, what a lovely storyteller you are!

It was a great introduction.

But we were worried about the big issues that you have

when dealing with a second bedroom

that has lots of different jobs to do, and you didn't cover that.

So, I bet you'd like to know how you've done against one another.

-In first place, well done, Frankie.

-Thank you.

In second place...

is Holly.

In third place...

is Sharon.

Which means that in fourth place is Jane.

A bit miffed, really.

I'm a bit of a worrier, that's my nature,

and I just need to try and not to be too negative.

Well, I came first, which has come as a complete surprise.

So far, so good.

A boost for Frankie, then.

But all our designers would do well

to draw inspiration from the building around them,

constructed in a spirit of confidence and optimism.

It might not look like it, but this building was designed 80 years ago,

when the Modernist movement was just taking off in Britain.

This ideology rejoiced in overturning tradition for a brighter future.

Architects built this fascination with the new into their designs,

such as here - the sharp horizontal and vertical lines of the concrete structure.

Dr Scott Williamson and his wife Innes Pearse commissioned

the construction of the Pioneer Health Centre.

Local families paid a shilling a week to use facilities

such as a gym, a swimming pool, even a cafe.

And while they enjoyed their leisure time,

they were observed by a team of doctors who passionately believed

in promoting a healthy lifestyle, not just in curing disease.

Sharon's feeling fighting fit now she's got the wardrobe out

and her bold, Bloomsbury colour scheme going up.

It won't look as green as it's cabbage looking at the moment.

The undeniably green walls will be contrasted with coral pink

and electric blue on the furniture.

I think I'll mix some white in.

Sharon's not used to toning down her style.

At home, she makes all the design decisions.

I decided to go for something very bold on the walls.

I don't get much of an opinion.

I'd certainly have it a bit quieter, a bit more reserved.

I have to introduce you to Scarlet here. She's a lamp.

I'm a risk taker. I don't do normal things.

I think we hold ourselves back far too often.

That is a challenging space. It's long and thin.

And she's giving it more challenges

by painting it really strong colours.

In that room, it's just a bit too much.

Frankie's walls are far more subtle,

with an £18 a roll basketweave wallpaper.

He's also busy making a blind, edged in kimono silk.

I love those fabrics.

Do you think they suit the homeowner's taste

in minimal Japanese design?

If you only use minimal, you'd get really bored of it one day.

That's why I came up with the idea

of a splashing of that magnificent geisha outfit.

You've set quite high expectations.

Frankie has high expectations at home in Epsom too.

When you do things right, when you do it beautifully,

it makes you so happy.

Creating things is a passion.

If I won this competition, we're going to buy loads and loads

and loads of champagne. Back to the reality!

Frankie's reality right now isn't a happy place.

Still hasn't arrived?

Oh, crikey!

The Irish linen which he plans to cover

most of his furniture in hasn't turned up.

What? It went back to the depot?

I don't know what to do really, at the moment.

I'll have to think about an alternative.

It's like a Swiss cheese.

Things are going better in Holly's room.

The walls are half pink and half white.

And circles are cropping up everywhere.

I've literally spray mounted a little bit of bubble wrap

and then I press it here.

It just goes to prove there's other things you can do with bubble wrap

other than just popping.

You're a good boy, aren't you?

A confident designer, Holly is keen to shine in the competition.

Before working with dogs, she was a PA.

I'm quite proficient with time management.

But I'm also really good at handling last-minute changes.

I don't have any formal interior design training,

but I really like making stuff.

I like to draw and sew, and I really enjoy actually doing it as well.

I mean, seriously, it's like an episode of Blue Peter in there.

There's pots of glitter, there's bags of plaster.

Well, you know, her client is a young girl.

But I also know she's quite sophisticated,

so that may not quite work for her.

There's more heavy-duty work going on in Jane's Scandinavian room,

with the wardrobe dismantled

and the controversial floor being laid.

It looks classy. I like it.

-Thank God!

-SHE LAUGHS

To give her design an industrial edge,

Jane's making a concrete mirror frame in a home-made mould.

Oh, fabadoosh!

I like getting messy and making things.

Jane's used to getting hands-on at home too,

as she's spent the last 13 years doing up her house.

I'm forever learning new skills.

You know, you get a week's holiday

and you end up doing DIY instead of going somewhere.

I think it's an ongoing project for life.

The drying time will probably be a minimum of 48 hours.

Hopefully it will have time to set.

Fingers crossed.

No pressure.

They've come to the right place for pressure.

As well as their schemes, Sophie and Daniel want to test

all the designers on how well they think on their feet.

-A surprise challenge.

-Right...

They want to compare their creativity

by getting them to upcycle the same item.

It's a vintage tennis racket.

Which you've got to do something with that is part of the room

or is a nice stand-alone piece.

Be innovative, be creative.

-Right.

-Make it into something new and a new interior design product.

-I'll leave that with you.

-Ughhh!

Um, I'm going to put my head in the vice.

Our amateurs believe they have what it takes

to be professional designers.

So this will test them to the max.

It is very Bloomsbury.

So I should be able to do something creative with it.

I'll have to do, otherwise I shouldn't be here, should I?

I've literally no idea.

The judges will see the items they produce later on.

And what they think of them will help them decide

which designer will leave the competition.

It's the end of day one

and a chance for the designers to size up their rivals.

I'm thinking about curtains, I am the mad curtain woman.

It's a bit scary.

It's like, oh, no, they're really good,

I wanted them to be really rubbish.

I'm taking them back to the hotel.

-Are you going to sew them back at the hotel?

-Yeah.

-Oh, bless you.

-THEY LAUGH

-How about you?

I'm confident. On the end of day one, everything is on schedule.

I think I've actually got a little bit more done.

It's been a ridiculous day.

It's totally ridiculous.

I've spent the whole day chasing after these fabrics.

Not making much of a progress.

-Thank you, thank you.

-Tomorrow will be a good day.

As Frankie's team are clocking off, he's heading back to the hotel

for more work, putting together a twig lampshade he's designed.

Tonight, I won't be able to sleep.

If I'm going to spend all that time

worrying about it, I might just, you know, do something.

It's the start of the second day.

We've seen concrete moulded, painted furniture

and an abundance of craft.

Our designers still have a lot more work to do.

Tomorrow, one designer will leave the competition.

I've been worrying a lot, but once I start making things

and ticking them off my list, then I'll feel more positive.

I've not slept one single wink.

I'm just hoping the adrenaline that kept me awake last night

keeps me going today.

I think I'll be able to get everything done, fingers crossed.

Ask me again a bit later on.

I went to bed about four o'clock.

Absolutely exhausted.

The only way is going forward.

Thank you.

Forward for Frankie includes a very welcome delivery.

All the time waiting for this and finally it's here.

Now he can begin covering all that furniture.

Starting with the wardrobe doors.

The solution is spray glue.

Hopefully, when the glue dries, the fabric will just stick on it.

It's a big job.

I have to act as fast as I can because I'm running out of my time.

I'm concerned Frankie won't get it all done.

That's a really big project he's set himself

and I don't think he'll have time to do it well.

Holly is not worried about time, she's crafting up a storm.

This is so much fun.

Turning a piece of MDF into a speech bubble chalkboard.

Chalk paste is quite expensive, so you can make it by mixing

plaster of Paris with paint and a little bit of water.

So I'm just going to put this on.

I'm going to have this picture frame hanging down from the ceiling

and it's going to be kind of like a selfie booth.

And then that's where the chalkboard speech bubble is going,

on the wall behind, so that she can change the captions.

All those things that Holly's making,

they're probably just a little bit kiddie for her young client

because the request was for something rather sophisticated.

I agree with you, I think maybe she's just throwing too much at it

and it's all getting a bit too gimmicky.

Gimmicks won't wash now,

as the designers all face a visit from their homeowners

to check up on progress around this midway stage.

It's an anxious moment, as any unexpected changes at this point

could seriously impact the designs.

As far as any changes is concerned, it's just not an option now.

To make changes now would be really, really silly.

For Sharon, it's the first time

her client has seen her bold colour scheme.

-A little unsure about the blue.

-OK.

-With the green.

But when the wallpaper's on, it's got both the colours in.

It'll make so much difference.

I am a little bit worried about those colours.

And a little alarmed by the blue.

It's what we discussed, that it needed to be bold.

I'm really hoping that the overall effect

is all going to pull together and gel.

The curtains are blue, the headboard is blue,

but I think, when they're dressed, she's going to really like it.

No such colour worries for Holly,

who is taking her visit in her stride.

You're going to have mirrors, you're going to have a big lamp,

so that's literally going to be like a walk-in sort of closet area.

No, no worries or concerns at this point,

so that's really, really good.

Slightly less relaxed is Jane.

-Wow!

-Hello.

-Hello, Jane.

After fraught negotiations with her client,

she needs approval on the new floor and wardrobe.

-The floor looks good, actually.

-I like it, I think it works.

-And the wardrobe looks great.

-Good.

You've done such a great job.

-See you later.

-Thank you, bye!

Hopefully I'll sleep tonight now, then.

My only concern is that the room is very white.

All-white walls, white wardrobe, it's white.

Pleasing their homeowners is not the only challenge our designers face.

They've also got just 24 hours to prove their creativity

and originality by upcycling a vintage tennis racket.

How inventive they are with it

could affect who goes through to the next round.

Frankie knows he must do something radical

if he is to impress the judges.

I am thinking...for that, you sort of turn...

so they can put their cup of tea or whatever they want.

Yeah.

What an ingenious idea!

And being able to tuck it away means the joke isn't always on display.

Oh, I think it's a bit of a waste of time.

There's already a side table there for your cup of tea.

I don't really see the point.

I like it, like it.

Right, I'm starting getting excited now.

The clock is ticking and we've got the clock.

Jane is risking money from her budget

and has bought a clock mechanism from a local shop for £12.

I'm going to feed this through there and turn it into a clock

and hang it on the wall.

This is like...shaky-shaky.

Turning it into a clock is a smart idea

and shows a good level of reinvention.

Yeah, she's changed the use of the tennis racket,

it could look quite quirky.

Ahh! Fantastic. Oh-ooh!

Right, super-duper.

Sharon seems to have failed to grasp the importance of the challenge.

She's turning it into a simple photo frame.

I'm actually looking for a photo of vintage tennis players

that's appropriate to the era of the building, around the 1930s.

Her homeowner has come up trumps

with a black-and-white photo of a gym class on the roof.

Right, that's that done.

It's a beautiful object as it is, and Sharon can clearly see that.

But it's an upcycle challenge and she's done nothing with it.

Holly has also come up with a plan for a frame,

though her idea is much more ambitious.

I have made the racket into sort of an oval-shaped photo frame,

but then what I decided to do is to get mum and daughter

to do a paint handprint, like one on top of the other.

Amazing, love it.

I've also used bits of the racket and made those into drawer knobs

for my little vanity table, which I think will look really cool.

What Holly has done with that tennis racket handle,

chopping it up and turning it into a little drawer knob,

I think is genius.

But what she's done with that racket head, don't get me started.

It's dreadful, I wish she hadn't bothered.

That's what the judges think of the individual items.

But what really matters is how they look

when integrated into the finished room schemes.

A spirit of invention was also integral to the Pioneer Health Centre when it was built.

But in post-war Britain, it didn't last long.

The experiment came to an end in the 1950s

and the building was converted first into a leisure centre

and then into smart new apartments in the 1990s.

The upper apartments even came complete with a step ladder

up to a private roof terrace.

But back in the building's heyday,

this space up at the top was a key part of the health centre.

Aerobics and dance, even rollerblading took place

out here in the fresh air and wide-open space.

Today, residents are encouraged to use the original swimming pool

and this newly built tennis court,

preserving just a little bit of the building's pioneering spirit.

Instead of sporting endeavours,

our designers are fighting to win a place in the next round.

For Jane, her chances depend on

her being able to bring enough interest to her pared-back scheme.

Weey!

So she's braving the wind to make candlesticks out of copper pipe.

While inside, her room still looks pretty white.

I know you've got these wardrobes in,

they look a bit bland to me at the moment.

What are you going to do to jazz these up?

I'm going to make some bespoke candles out of the salvaged wood,

which is beautiful, it's got the bark on the outside of it.

Wow. Right, brill.

So...

Oh!

Here we go.

Meanwhile, Sharon is relying on busy floral wallpaper

to unify her bold colours.

-I love it, it just makes it look really special.

-Yeah.

And it now ties everything in, so we don't look like I've lost the plot.

There's been concerns all along about Sharon's colour scheme,

but I like a designer who's bold with colour,

and it might just be coming together.

Happy with her own progress,

Sharon takes a moment to have a nosy at one of her rivals.

I see you're finishing your mural. It's very space age.

Well, it's meant to be kind of like '60s mod.

She's still got to put paint on the wardrobes,

so I now feel a little bit better about my time management.

'I feel really calm, which I didn't expect to do'

at seven o'clock this morning.

Things definitely aren't calm back in Holly's room.

It turns out that the bed I've ordered doesn't come with a mattress.

I just think, in these situations, there's no point in panicking

cos I'm here to win, not to panic.

The mattress may end up being the least of her worries,

as her builder thinks constructing the bed itself

is a bigger job than she thinks.

I am concerned I'm not going to get the bed up tonight.

-I'm just going to do as much of it as I can.

-You're going to do it?

Don't you worry about it.

Frankie is also under time pressure.

He's only upholstered part of the wardrobe and a shelf.

And as Andy's partner Hannah comes to check on progress,

there's still a lot to do.

Oh, wow.

-I've got faith in you.

-Thank you. I really much appreciate your trust.

I won't let you down.

I hope he's going to manage to finish it all

without killing himself.

The visit has made Frankie realise how ambitious he's been.

I've got that panel and then the divider,

plus the valance still to match, really.

I'll be all right, I'm just like a ship

right in the middle of the storm.

That's why, you know, I'm struggling with the whole thing.

Frankie's left himself with lots of decorative fabric work still to do.

But soft silks and linens are a far cry from the building's

original construction materials.

The man who designed the building, Owen Williams,

was an engineer, not an architect.

So he came to the project with very different sensibilities.

He specialised in industrial structures and he was an expert in

reinforced concrete, a material used rarely as boldly as this in Britain.

The building is symmetrical, made up of four rectangular blocks

grouped around this central swimming pool.

Originally, the whole inside would have been open-plan,

the only walls made out of glass.

This was absolutely crucial to Dr Williamson,

he compared the whole building to a biologist's telescope.

Tomorrow, the designers will be under the microscope,

and as day two draws to a close,

they are all concerned about the competition.

My biggest worry tomorrow is the concrete mirror.

It could crack, so that's going to be very nerve-racking.

It's getting a bit late, the sun has gone down. I'm pretty tired.

But I'm still 100 percent confident that everything will get finished.

I don't want it to end tomorrow. I deserve to be still here.

I said I wouldn't cry, it sounds really pathetic,

but it's a lot of hard work to get to this point.

For the second time running, Frankie plans to take work into the night.

Unfortunately, it's still going to be a very late night for me.

I just have to keep going.

It's the start of day three, and our designers have just got

a few hours left to finish off their schemes,

and nobody wants to be the one that's going home.

The curtain rail, still lots to do, lists and lists.

But I'm secretly confident.

I'm so tired because another late night.

It's becoming more of a physical challenge.

Pretty tired, but I can't wait to see it all come together.

I feel incredibly relaxed today.

I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

She may be feeling relaxed,

but there's nothing calm about her colours.

The dressing table and drawers are coral pink.

And she's finishing off her bright blue curtains.

Well, trying to.

Unfortunately, I've not got my glasses.

Being old, I can't see to thread my needle.

No, I can't see it.

They're for driving.

Oh!

-How is Sharon's colourful scheme looking?

-It's coming together.

She's definitely been bold and confident with her colour choices.

But there are some spatial planning issues.

She's put a book case against a wardrobe and has lost,

oh, I'd say about half a square metre of space.

And when you think that these flats are probably £5,000 a metre,

I'm not so happy about that.

With just a few hours to go,

Frankie is adding padded panels to his wardrobe doors.

But his fastidiousness is threatening to hold him back.

They're slightly off the line.

Which I won't allow that.

So I'd rather unpick them and do it again.

Frankie is doing an awful lot, isn't he?

Well...it is a concern, because he's got an ambitious project,

but what's more he is such a perfectionist.

And I hope he fully realises the constraints of time.

And it's time that Jane needs

to add texture to her pared-back Scandi scheme,

with a £90 copper light.

Oh, it's amazing!

I love it, I love it, I love it.

I've obviously got good taste.

Oh, wowsers. Awesome.

She's made concrete tea-light holders to match the mirror.

Hopefully it's completely set

and has had time over the last couple of days to dry out.

Well, fingers crossed, that's worked well. I'm happy with that.

That's a good omen that we're going to be all right

with the concrete mirror frame.

Jane had to revise her scheme, so how is her second scheme shaping up?

It's looking very bright and white in there.

But she's got the wood-effect floor down, which I have to say

was a good choice, it does add a bit of warmth to that room.

Holly is adding warmth with hands-on craft projects.

But she seems to have forgotten about

the elephant, or bed, in the room.

So, while she busies herself with the fluffier stuff...

Yes!

..she's handed the bed back to her builder.

This bed has been somewhat sprung on me, last minute.

Has Holly proved as crafty as she looked?

Our concern all along has been, is she doing a bit too much,

and is that little bedroom going to look rather cluttered?

Our designers have had three days and £1,000 to transform their rooms.

They've been tested on their client presentation skills

and had to show that they can think fast

to create an original piece which will be judged in the final room.

Now, their time is nearly up.

The obsession with straight lines has gone right out of the window.

With concerns all round about Sharon's colour choices,

she's now got minutes left to tie it all together

and prove she can pull off the bold scheme.

I'm panicking, I can't move this though.

The relaxation she felt at the start of the day has evaporated.

Give me the box with the rings. Ah!

I know this sounds really stupid, but if you come across a panda...

Your goal is to give it your best.

And I'm really proud of what I've achieved over the last 48 hours.

Sharon's brief was to create an artistic, Bloomsbury-inspired look

for a master bedroom.

Three days ago, this room was a white box.

Now, it's awash with colour and pattern.

Sharon has painted the furniture in striking shades,

changed the layout to create a library area,

added handmade soft furnishings

and dark-blue curtains.

I feel it couldn't have worked better, colour-wise.

If I'd pulled that back,

it wouldn't have had the dramatic effect it's got now.

I think, as a colour scheme, it really works.

This green punching it up with that electric blue.

It is a lot darker in here, but you know what, this is a bedroom,

and I find this really relaxing,

it's like the room's giving you a lovely hug at night.

She's put the shelving here and the wardrobe finishes here.

So we've got a whole square metre of space lost in that corner.

Now, if she'd stuck this on wheels,

so you could push this back when you're not using it,

then I would have been really impressed.

As well as judging the overall designs,

Sophie and Daniel are looking out for

how well the upcycled tennis rackets fit into the finished schemes.

It's a picture frame.

I mean, the homeowner did want to have photographs through the room

and I was loving and admiring these and thinking,

maybe there could be a few more. Well, they've got it.

How happy each homeowner is with the finished room

will also inform the judges' decision.

She'll like it.

Here we are, your new boudoir.

Ohh!

Utter transformation.

I was concerned about this blue yesterday.

But it's pulled together.

I think the pink drawers, that's kind of a pastel-y pink,

and that was something I didn't want.

But, you know, this is gorgeous.

As his deadline approaches,

Frankie has finally finished his wardrobe doors.

I'm not very happy with it, to be honest with you.

I hate to do it to you - you mustn't forget the blind.

After huge delays getting his fabric,

it's now a race to the finish.

That to the top.

Absolutely crazy.

Oh, my God.

I just need to straighten that lantern.

It was a tiny bit of regret I hadn't done it quite neatly

as my standard.

But the whole look is there.

The room now is absolutely beautiful.

Frankie's task was to create a minimal look

for a multipurpose spare room.

Three days ago, it was somewhere you'd rather just shut the door on.

Now, it's a streamlined and tranquil bedroom.

Frankie has divided the room into sleeping and working areas.

He's upholstered the wardrobes and shelves.

He's used kimono silk on the blind

and the back panel of his unique drawer design.

I hope the judges now are not going to look at small details.

I just hope they can look at all the positive things I've done.

I just think, you know, my first impressions are lovely, clean lines,

this very pared-back and very minimally styled,

and the fabrics are just little hints of them,

they're not too much of them.

But I have to say, Sophie, something went dreadfully wrong

with these doors and he's not been able to get the finish he wanted.

Let's just check that drawer.

That's not going to work, is it?

If you want to get a certain coloured pair of socks out,

you're not going to find them, are you?

Time to see what the judges make of the tennis racket cup-holder,

now it's in the finished room.

I do like the idea that he's built this piece here.

Just like in Japan, you know how rooms have sliding doors

and they turn into something else and bedrooms become living rooms.

And that he's done that here as well.

My clients were really looking forward to my design.

I hope I haven't messed it up.

Right, your new guest bedroom.

-It's lovely.

-It's got a calm feeling, hasn't it?

-It's really calm.

-What do you make of his linen?

-There's a lot of linen going on.

-There is a lot of linen.

A few glitches, maybe. There's just things not quite finished.

But I think the style is really lovely.

It's the moment of truth for Jane.

Time to remove her concrete mirror frame from its mould.

This bit is moving.

But this bit is not.

It's cracked there and there. That's what it was supposed to look like.

Shall we just scrap the whole thing?

The frameless mirror is a big blow to Jane,

as having battled so hard with her homeowner,

she's now almost out of time to get her Scandi look right.

Unbelievable. Everything's gone wrong.

Oh, deary me!

Well done, it looks great.

I feel shellshocked.

The concrete mirror maybe was a bit overambitious.

Fair play, it hasn't worked.

Life's too short to worry about it.

Jane was asked to create a simple Scandinavian-style bedroom.

Three days ago, this room was unremarkable.

Now, it feels fresh and bright.

There are elements of nature in the bark candles,

bedside table and shelving.

While Jane has added an industrial edge with concrete tea-light holders

and copper accessories.

And there's ample storage.

I think the judges will think, overall,

I've got the look that I was after.

I've tried to be creative and put my character in there.

It's light and bright, isn't it?

She's picked up on this theme of nature

and bark going through the room, from the shelf here,

bedside tables, which is an old tree trunk on rollers,

-to the handles.

-I love these.

-Quite cool, aren't they?

These are really cool.

I know the homeowner asked for something quite pared back

and well organised, but I am left feeling like it's a bit empty.

One thing that I really loved about this room before it got redesigned

was the adorable collection of pictures and prints

which she'd arranged on this big wall here,

which I must admit I'm a bit disappointed to see that dismantled.

I know, they've put the pictures over the bed head,

so you're never going to see them cos when you sit in bed

you're looking at a blank white wall.

One thing you can see from the bed is Jane's upcycled tennis racket.

I quite like that. She's painted the strings in black with the handle,

so it fits in with her scheme, so she's thought about

integrating it and turned it into something useful.

I think the homeowner will be happy.

I'm so glad it's not a white floor,

and I think she'll agree when she sees it.

-Come in.

-Ohh!

Wow, it looks totally different.

It's very white. That's going to take a lot of getting used to.

Yeah, it's definitely a big wall.

I think it's probably 90 percent there.

Finally, Holly must finish her room.

It's literally going to come together

within the last few minutes. I'm a bit stressed.

She must bring all the different arts and crafts elements together.

Lean them on the corner of the bed for now.

I'm going to get these curtains on here in 60 seconds.

-Where are the screws that go in this...?

-They are...

They were on the side. Somebody's moved them.

Got them, got them.

Lights on, please.

Done.

All of the kind of craft projects

and all of the sort of personal touches and everything,

I've prioritised that and I stand by that.

Holly's brief was to create a retro but fresh teenage bedroom.

Three days ago, the room was cluttered, with no distinct style.

Now, Holly has made the most of the space by creating zones.

She's tied the room together with pastel shades

and a recurring circle motif.

She's filled the room with crafty touches,

like bespoke lighting, the selfie booth and hand-printed cushions.

I think I've achieved the look I wanted for the room.

Overall, I'm fairly confident.

My first impression is this looks quite well organised.

This is sort of the dressing area here.

-That's part of the selfie area too.

-Yeah.

Oh, you look so gorgeous.

It certainly feels light and uplifting

and it's not that sunny out there right now,

but this room feels very bright and light.

I think her colours are spot-on

and this mural on the wall is a total triumph. I love it.

I wouldn't say it's a total triumph, I wouldn't get that excited.

She's also said she wanted it to feel very '60s,

and actually it doesn't feel '60s enough.

I was a bit worried that this room was going to look overly handmade.

On balance, I think she's got it right.

One of Holly's many handmade projects

was the all-important tennis racket upcycle.

-Having seen what she's done with the handles...

-They're genius.

They're brilliant, really neat.

Not so happy with what happened to the head of the racket.

-I think that's really rather dreadful.

-It is a bit, isn't it?

I think the homeowner will really like all the colour schemes

and all the little personal, quirky touches.

Come in, Bea. Come in, Emma.

Oh, wow!

-Are you speechless?

-Yeah.

-It's just so much bigger.

-Yeah.

-It's really odd.

And what do you think about the bed, cos you've moved from a double bed

into a single, is that all right when you have your friends over?

I think it's going to be a change,

but I think it will be a nice change.

Rooms viewed, there's no more they can do but wait to see

which one of them will leave the competition.

I want to stay and go through to the next round

cos I want to do it all again.

It means a lot because it's who I am.

And for the judges to appreciate it would be unbelievable.

If I do go through, it will be wonderful

because I've been waiting for that door to open

for a very, very, very long time.

I'd absolutely love to get through to the last round.

It's been absolutely fantastic, so much fun.

So, judges, have our designers been as pioneering as this building?

I think what's really impressed me, from quite simple, generic spaces,

we've got four very individual room schemes.

Holly really put a lot of crafty, original ideas into that scheme.

My concern, really, in terms of answering the brief,

I felt that perhaps it was a little childish,

and this is a sophisticated 11-year-old, soon to be a teenager,

and there are elements that are a bit too kiddie.

Both homeowners loved it.

-Oh!

-Oh!

-That's a great reward for someone who worked jolly hard.

Sharon was asked for a modern take on the Bloomsbury set.

Were you impressed with her scheme?

I was really impressed by her colours,

a really nice, unusual combination.

But she also placed a bookcase beside a wardrobe

and lost quite a lot of space between the two.

And in flats this small, that's a major faux pas.

Her homeowner wasn't entirely convinced about the dusky pink.

I was quite suspicious that might happen.

Jane's homeowner wanted a natural room with Scandi simplicity,

but she was not really impressed by that entire wall

and corner that had nothing in it.

Absolutely, it a was very clean and simple space,

but at moments it was just a little bit too sparse.

The whole idea with the Scandi theme is lack of colour.

But where there's a lack of colour,

you've got to really ramp up the texture.

She had elements there - concrete, copper, linen -

but none of them were really working next to one another,

they were just dotted around the room.

Frankie's client asked for a minimalist guest bedroom-cum-office.

Well, it wasn't quite minimalist,

but they certainly got a Japanese aesthetic.

And what he was really good at doing was unifying that space.

So it had a sense of calmness.

And yet at the same time entertained.

The homeowner quite liked the decorative elements.

She wasn't quite convinced by the finish.

There were lots of bits that weren't finished.

Maybe he was overambitious in what he could achieve in the time.

I think, for a designer who's all about fabric,

it was a very disappointing finish.

When the Pioneer Health Centre was built,

it was the most radical building in the country, bar none.

So I hope some of its spirit rubbed off on you.

It did produce rather generic box rooms.

But you guys have completely transformed them, well done.

And with all of you, I've seen a huge amount of making,

creativity and original design.

One of you though has to go home this time.

The judges have made their decision

and the designer we're saying goodbye to is...

..Jane.

-It's all right.

-Sorry, love. It's very tough.

-It's fine.

Obviously it's a bit sad, but I'm quite relieved

because I can get my life back.

It's not the end, I've got some brilliant advice off the judges

and it's a start, I think.

An amazing start.

You've done such a brilliant job.

Sadly, we've had to let go of Jane

because she didn't master the Scandinavian style.

She should have taken it by the scruff of its neck,

wrestled it down and showed who's in charge.

Oh, Sharon, it's brilliant.

Getting through is such a relief.

That's definitely inspired me to really up my game now next time.

Sharon produced a bold colour scheme

which tells me that she has got confidence.

-It's a proper lady's room now.

-It is, isn't it?

However, she needs to work on the layout

to really maximise the impact of her scheme.

What do you think?

Yeah, I think it's a massive change from the room before.

Like you just moved the room out and put a new one in.

I'm a bit speechless, really excited,

can't wait to do it all again. Can't wait to come up with some new ideas.

Holly was in her element.

But what's going to happen

when she gets a much more sophisticated brief?

Can she deliver that?

Well done.

'The timing is my biggest concern.'

I feel I let myself down a little bit.

What really excites me about Frankie is he took a rather ordinary brief

and seriously exceeded all our expectations.

But the finish wasn't up to scratch.

So he really needs to work on his stress levels

and manage his time better.

Next time, in Kentish weather-boarded houses,

Frankie...

Waaagh!

..Sharon...

I'm on a mission.

-..and Holly...

-Ohh!

..compete for just two places in the next round.

The designer not going through is...