Stately Home The Great Interior Design Challenge

I'm constantly taken aback

by the huge variety property styles in Britain,

from characterful timber-framed cottages to grand townhouses.

But sometimes what is on the inside doesn't live up to

what's on the outside.

So, we've gathered together the most talented amateur 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.

Oh, no. I'm panicking.

I feel really sick.

16 came to show us their skills,

now we're down to our last brilliant two.

Finals. Yes! Bring it on.

Yes, I'm shocked and surprised, but absolutely thrilled.

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

This is the final. I expect nothing less than excellence.

..and Sophie Robinson.

One of these finalists is the best amateur interior designer

in the country, and now is their chance to prove it.

Helping them decide who will triumph

and pushing the stakes even higher is surprise special

guest judge and iconic interior designer, Kelly Hoppen.

To win this competition, you've got to be

passionate about being in this business.

I want perfection.

But only one can be crowned winner

of The Great Interior Design Challenge.

Across four hard-fought heats, there have been successes... Yes!

..and some failures.

I just don't know what else I can possibly do.

Crikey.

But two designers have dazzled throughout.

Oh, this is super.

They asked for impact. And you have it here. Yes. Wow.

To win a place in the final,

they've had to impress guest judges Oliver Heath...

It does feel very atmospheric in here.

..and Orla Kiely. It's a one-off. It's bespoke.

Now only one can win.

Will it be Sarah, a garden designer from Hove?

I'm really excited to get into the final.

It's been totally life-changing for me.

I think they made the right choice by putting Mum through.

I really hope they choose her for the winning spot.

I might look like I'm unflappable, but I'm nervous.

She's up against Lucy, a textile lecturer from Essex.

I'm still amazed about getting this far.

It's a bit of a blur, the last few months.

Me, my brother and my dad, we're all really proud of her.

It's amazing what she's doing.

I'm ready to win if I can.

Of course I would love to win.

It would be absolutely incredible. A dream come true.

Now it's their biggest challenge yet.

For the grand final, our designers will be taking on not one,

but three rooms each

in this spectacular 18th-century stately home.

This would be a clash of two very different creative styles.

Brilliant. Yes!

Sarah is a courageous designer. She can deliver some bold schemes.

Ta-da! Fab.

And then you've got Lucy. It's got to be pukka.

She so industrious, brimming with ideas.

Their challenge couldn't be tougher.

This is the biggest for a long, long, long, long time. It's huge.

No, something's going wrong here.

It's all just falling apart. It's going to look like a mess.

Only one can be crowned champion.

The winner is...

So, where better to pitch this battle

than in a magnificent residence of extravagant proportions?

Sheffield Park House in Sussex was created

for one of the 18th century's new aristo-entrepreneurs

as a neo-Gothic statement of wealth and power.

It's since been converted into flats

and gained Grade I listed status, making the challenge even harder,

as our designers take on a dining room,

living room and a bedroom each.

So, designers, this is it!

The final of The Great Interior Design Challenge.

Now, both of you have worked so hard to be here right now,

but we are going to push you just a little bit further.

We're expecting a lot from you, but if anybody can dazzle,

you two can.

And remember, this is your last chance to astound us.

Right, you two, off you go. Get working.

Come on then!

They have no idea Kelly Hoppen will be the surprise guest judge,

helping to choose the winner.

Oh, where do we start?

The designers have had just a week to work on their homeowners' briefs.

This coffee table's going out.

Nervously confident at this stage, but the victory is not plotted yet.

As part of their team,

they each have two builders and two decorators,

and they also have the support of a friend from home.

My friends, my family, me,

we've all had to give up masses for this to happen,

so I'm kind of really conscious, it would be really great to nail it.

For this grand final challenge,

they have ?4,000 and four days to bring their designs to life.

I've never won anything. It would be great to win something, so...

..who knows?

Then I'd buy five dyes. Yeah.

Our first designer is Sarah, who has won her place

in the final with increasingly distinctive cutting-edge designs.

Sarah's grown in confidence throughout this competition,

and as a result, she is taking bigger risks.

Now, that's a bold strategy going into the final,

where we really need to see that designers are versatile

and can absolutely nail a brief.

The apartment Sarah is redesigning started out neutral

and restrained with a plain but practical bedroom,

a dining room lacking character,

and a refined, if rather beige, living room.

Her client has requested elegant schemes that are in keeping

with the period of the house.

No, I'm not playing it safe. There are risks in there.

So, this is the design for your dining room.

Sarah wants to bring warmth and atmosphere to the dining room with

a gold ceiling, red paintwork and a striking black wall and furniture.

But it's a world away from the conservative brief,

so she must convince her homeowner, Penny.

The colours I'd like to bring into the room are, on the ceiling

is this ochre.

Wow. OK.

The walls would be white. Yes...

So I'm keeping the walls fresh and white. Right.

Bear with me. And the woodwork I would like to paint this colour.

It's just coming over to me, at the moment,

that it looks a little bit too modern.

Sarah's living room is no less modern.

She's opted for a green, gold and black colour scheme with

animal print fabrics and a bespoke cheese plant chandelier.

So, here I have the design for the living room. It's teal fabric.

I don't like it, I'm sorry. You don't like it?

I really, really wanted burgundy wine colour in here. OK. Sorry.

So sorry. No, no, no. It's OK, we can resolve that.

The green may be a no,

but Sarah still needs to push her other bold ideas.

What I would like to do is use the idea of painting panels,

two sections there... Yes. And one, two, three, four back there. Right.

They would be painted in a black. Right...

I have to say, this isn't gelling with me. I'm sorry.

I don't like black panels. No. No, I'm sorry.

Something's going wrong here.

Sarah will need to rethink the living room.

And her bedroom scheme may also be too risky, with dark green walls,

black floral fabrics and patterned wallpaper ceiling.

So, the bedroom... Oh! Oh, dear. Mm.

SHE INHALES

Not very keen, sorry. No? No. No.

No. This is quite way off the brief that I gave. OK.

It's the worst possible start for Sarah.

I have to admit, though, I really do like the schemes.

They are quite naughty.

But we are in the final

and a big part of this process is how well someone interprets a brief.

If Sarah wants to have a chance of winning this competition,

she has got to get that homeowner back on board.

Will she be able to pull things around?

Let's have a look at the dining room.

Yes.

It seems Sarah may not realise the scale of work ahead, though.

It's not a complete redesign at all. Better not be.

SHE SNIGGERS

Well, it's not going to be. End of.

Is there any way we could not have the solid black?

While she attempts to talk her client around,

her grip on the title hangs in the balance.

This is your home...

Yeah, and it's the balance of... Yeah.

What I want you to do is...when you are in here,

is just really have the most wonderful room.

Hoping she's judged things better is Sarah's rival, Lucy.

And then I was going to trompe l'oeil a ban on them or something.

Lucy's industrious spirit

and artistry have won her a place in the final.

Look, this.

Yeah. Yeah. One of those then. Perfect! Off you go then.

Lucy designs from the heart and she knows what her clients need,

but she's got so many ideas that her schemes can look cluttered.

That simply won't do if she's going to win the final.

The apartment Lucy is working in began as a bit of a blank canvas

with a slightly empty, dated living room,

an ordinary but functional dining room...

..and a cosy bedroom that lacked storage.

She's been asked for traditional sophistication.

It's quite a grown-up, sophisticated scheme

and I guess that's not naturally me normally,

but I'm so hoping I'm going to be able to please the homeowner.

Right, John, I'm going to start with the bedroom. OK.

Lucy's designed a country garden-inspired scheme,

with green accessories, fitted wardrobes and cloud wallpaper.

IF she could get it past client John.

I've got you this lovely, I think, cloud wallpaper. Sounds good.

And then I had the idea, you've got this double chest of drawers. Yes.

And I wanted to cut it in half and make it into side tables,

if you are up for that.

The main issue is storage space.

We're not losing anything except the bedside tables

and you are gaining a new wardrobe.

OK, that's fine. That's great.

Is it? Any probs? No.

He may like the bedroom,

but she's going off brief in the living room,

pushing her luck with geometric wallpaper,

shiny silver leaf chimney breast and an unusual light fitting.

This is the inspiration for a light I want to make you.

So, there's this gold cage around it, quite dramatic.

Yeah, it would be interesting to see it

but it tends to go away from the more traditional theme, doesn't it?

Has she pushed it too far?

I wanted some slightly contemporary edges to it, but I'm happy to...

No, I quite like the idea of actually mixing contemporary

with traditional. Interesting. I've never seen anything like this.

I think it'll be impactful but it's...

There will certainly be an impact. Exactly.

In the dining room, it's make or break for Lucy,

featuring a deep red wall, one stripy red and gold wall,

and one with a busy bird print wallpaper.

It's a bit crazy. Hm, yes. I'm not sure that would work.

I have doubts about that. OK, fine.

That's something we can chat about and look at. Definitely.

I'd have to see it, that's the problem.

Sure. Well, I can show you it a couple of days down the line

when we get there and we can make a decision.

Yeah, absolutely.

What I love about Lucy's project is that she's adding some

much-needed personality. I'm not sure.

I'm looking at those designs at the moment and they are good

but they are not jumping out the page at me.

I think it's still a little bit too conventional.

In all three of Lucy's rooms, decorating is underway.

Gosh, you've got a coat on already.

Lovely!

In the dining room,

her builder is about to fit the top part of Lucy's dresser.

Is it going to go in?

Erm... It's not going to, is it?

But her measurements are out.

Oh, what a pain. Sorry.

Next-door, Sarah is desperately working to redesign her schemes

and please her client.

Would you consider bringing even more gold in? Yes.

So... How about...

if we paint some panels gold?

That sounds better, doesn't it? Yes.

Sarah has been forced to tone down some ideas,

replacing black panels in the living room and dark green in the

bedroom for lighter colours, changes that could cost her the title.

That sounds fine. Great. Really? Yeah. Yeah? Go with that, yeah.

It's always complicated to change plans,

'but it's gone really well with the homeowner.'

Thank you so much. Thanks for being so understanding.

'She's been really brave, which is great'

cos it means that for the most part, we are changing very little.

Work in both apartments is well underway.

So, the obsidian colour is going to come to the edge of here.

But the judges are about to deliver a major surprise that will

change the course of this challenge.

Hello, Lucy. Hi, Dan.

We want you to have one of your rooms completed by tomorrow night.

I thought you were going to say tonight.

THEY LAUGH

They must deliver their first room scheme after two days

instead of four.

Adapting to situations out of their control is something that

professional interior designers do all the time.

By moving this deadline forward,

I want to see how these amateur designers can cope under pressure.

You're not very happy about that. No.

Do you know which room you will do?

None of them!

Good luck. Thank you.

Right, which room will that be, then?

It's just insane. You cannot do everything in that timeframe.

On top of the early deadline,

they have no idea that the guest judge

coming to see their finished schemes this time is

one of the biggest names in interior design - Kelly Hoppen.

You need to understand your client.

You have to deliver what they want because when you unveil

what you have designed for them, you want them to go, "Wow!"

So at this point, there is absolutely no time for error.

Blissfully unaware,

Lucy decides the scheme she'll deliver first is her dining room.

Oh, that red is brilliant! Love it.

It's the smallest room so I think it is the achievable room.

Sarah decides her bedroom is the most realistic to finish early.

The bedroom has less building work which means that we can just

crack on and paint it.

The design she has agreed with her client is for soft pink walls

against the bold-patterned ceiling, but there is a problem.

So, the wallpaper, even though it was measured, measured and

re-measured, there isn't enough. We cannot get any more rolls.

It's 75 quid for a single roll and I don't have 75 quid.

So it's just another problem to...

SHE SIGHS ..get over.

Throughout the competition, Sarah has pushed her homeowner's

briefs, often using bold colour and pattern.

This isn't on brief.

It's a strategy that has worked well.

Wow! It looks amazing!

Oh, wow. Oh, my word.

It does feel very atmospheric in here.

You look quite excited about this.

I actually really think she's done a great job.

But this time, for many reasons, she's having to compromise.

We are probably half a roll short.

But that's fine, I've just decided to just drop it back

a couple of feet and then we're going to run

a green edge around it. So, is it going to feel a little

compromised in the room if you're not covering the entire ceiling?

No. I still think that's going to feel like a canopy above the bed.

My issue with this scheme is

it was a very, very together scheme.

It pulled together very well, but by removing elements of it,

it's all just falling apart. It's going to look like a mess.

To stop her dining room scheme falling apart,

Lucy needs her client to approve the busy bird wallpaper.

This is the wallpaper. Oh, I see. Oh, OK.

Right.

I'll be gutted if he says no, because I love it.

I think it's going to be attractive. Yes.

Throughout the competition,

Lucy has shown off her flair for fun-packed creative schemes.

As far as the wood panel effect wall is concerned, I like the fact

that she's taken the time to do it herself so it's a one-off.

She can be too ambitious, with quality suffering.

On closer inspection, everything has been a little rushed

cos this is looking a little rough around the edges. Yeah.

On that cupboard it's a bit drippy.

When she gets it right, though, she can deliver unique

and very personal rooms.

Oh, I love it. I love it.

I could almost cry.

So, John, what do you think? I like it. I like the concept.

I like the quality of the artwork. Oh, great.

We can get on with it, then? Yeah. Thanks.

I mean, seriously, Dan.

We've got four different wall finishes going into the dining room.

Two different wallpapers, two different paint colours,

certainly something I've never seen attempted before.

It is almost madness.

Both designers are in the midst of bringing new life

to these apartments...

..with designs that live up to the impressive setting.

To our modern gaze, this kind of grand historic building

looks about as quintessentially British as they come.

But stately homes are a relatively recent addition to our landscape.

This estate was commissioned in 1770 by the first Lord Sheffield,

an ex-army politician who had recently come into some money.

He wanted this new money, though, to seem old,

so he asked for his house to be built in the neo-Gothic style.

Its church-like turrets and spires, its spiky finials and crenellations

were evocative of the grandeur of times past.

It's been a long first day...

Oh, brilliant.

Oh, it's a lovely colour.

..with highs...

Feeling good tonight and going to plan, I think.

..and lows.

I want to be able to say to you,

"Do you know what? Don't worry about it."

Sarah's client is still feeling uneasy about the bedroom.

Do you know what's hitting me?

I like the lighter door to link in with the... Yeah. The cream. Please.

Let's leave the doors. Keep the doors as they are. Yes, please.

No problem. Brilliant. Thank you. Yeah. Excellent. OK.

Today has been emotional.

I've managed to fire-fight all day.

And speculation is rife about the guest judge.

Who do you think the guest judge might be? Well, Terence Conran?

Kelly Hoppen?

SHE LAUGHS I love that you are aiming high.

It's the start of the second day.

Lucy and Sarah are well and truly into their four-day challenge,

and with three rooms on the go, it has been pretty tough.

Sophie and Daniel will be judging the first rooms tomorrow morning,

so there's no time to waste.

Basically it's got to be pukka.

Feeling apprehensive about getting everything ready and done,

but everybody is so on it and I'm hoping we can achieve it.

Greeting Sarah this morning, disastrous news.

I've been thinking over the wallpaper overnight, erm...

I just feel I can't live with that particular wallpaper on the ceiling.

And her concerns run far deeper,

threatening to derail all three of Sarah's schemes.

I just feel the brief hasn't actually been really done.

'The homeowner's anxieties accelerated overnight.'

Erm... She won't let us carry on.

We are basically not allowed back in the house at the moment.

The homeowner's lost faith in the design and, in fact,

Sarah was not working to brief anyway.

She's really got to get this homeowner back on board

and get the work started.

So, it's the wallpaper on the ceiling itself that is really

distressing you? Is that the room that is particularly... Erm, no.

I've got one or two other things.

OK, well, let's start with that room.

Sarah must work with her client or she may be out of the competition.

If I'm honest, I wanted to go with the flow,

but I realised overnight, no.

This comes on the back of a massive amount of planning,

so I'm going to have to do all of that all over again.

How I can pull it out of the bag on this one, I do not know.

SHE SNIFFLES, EXHALES

As Sarah's hopes for winning the title seem all but impossible,

Lucy is hard at work.

All right. Good.

The living room wallpaper is going up,

but her focus is the dining room.

Oh, my God. That's amazing.

She's bringing in accessories to create a grander feel.

Quite small but...I still like it.

Well done. That looks mega.

So I see that you've got some regency striped wallpaper there.

Yes. And lovely rich red walls.

And then the very animated wall over here,

and then the pale grey on this side.

What's the idea behind it?

I think basically we started with the red

to make it really warm.

Then I wanted to add lighter colours, whimsical theme,

off the top of my head.

WHISPERS: I like the idea if the whole room was painted red,

but that pale wall on the back wall just doesn't seem to make any sense.

I agree. She's just doing it just to be a bit zany.

Toning down the zany next door, Sarah is still negotiating.

It's all quite luxe and quite fresh and beautiful. It's coming together.

Sarah has worked extremely hard reimagining her designs.

I can see this being completely your style.

And winning back the trust of her client.

OK. Yeah? Brilliant. Bingo! I could kiss you.

Hello. Welcome back.

The homeowner and I are finding mutual ground

and we are storming ahead again now.

They've reached a compromise

and Sarah is toning down her colour schemes throughout the flat.

Genuinely afraid of more drama today.

I've had it with drama.

Sarah has persuaded client Penny to be brave in the bedroom

and keep the floral ceiling.

I'm not sure if she's going to like it but there have been

so many compromises.

She was prepared to let me do it and then make judgment.

So that's the best that I can ask.

If that doesn't say country hotel, I don't know what will.

I have my concerns, still, with the bedroom,

but let's wait and see what happens.

I'm feeling my energy returning and the fight coming back in.

Meanwhile, Lucy's shifted her attention to the bedroom.

I've done so much sewing my fingers are falling off.

Pushing herself and her team to keep quality high.

We're there, look. Ta-da! Fab.

She's having a chest cut in half to make bedside tables,

but it won't be straightforward.

The edges have got to be bevelled to be made good.

Then it's got to be sanded, painted and new legs on,

so it's a fiddly job.

In the dining room, she's adding a rustic paint effect to her dresser.

I'm giving a bit of detailing to this cupboard.

Pick out some of the pinks and reds in the room.

I think it makes the dark red even darker.

I've not finished it yet.

Next door, Sarah's new designs may be approved,

but now she's got to get it all done.

Do you feel like you are painting the Sistine Chapel?

SHE LAUGHS

It's huge in here.

Sarah's bold ideas may have sat well

with the original owners of the estate.

Lord Sheffield displayed his new-found wealth

in the architecture of his home.

But all was not quite as it seemed.

This huge east window looks grand enough for a cathedral,

but its function wasn't to let light in, but to show off.

There were other ostentatious displays.

How about this for a flamboyant staircase?

Or this ornate ceiling depicting cavorting nymphs, lions and tigers,

fresh from the newly-fashionable Orient.

It's nearing the end of day two.

Perfect. That's the right way, too.

The judges are seeing the first finished rooms tomorrow morning,

so both designers are busy.

I'm making a hurdle for the judges to get over.

After the devastating hold up this morning, painting is being

finished in Sarah's bedroom while Lucy's dining room is being dressed.

That goes there, sausage. Get the two pictures.

Hopefully it's not too big.

On the mantelpiece.

Oh, I'm loving... The end is nigh!

Today has been a mammoth day, emotionally, physically...

Left, left, left. Stop.

I just hope that I've pushed myself far enough.

Two days down, two more to go.

They are at around the halfway stage of their final challenge

and so far it's all been high drama.

'I don't know if it's possible to win now.'

And I'm so close. I'm so close.

But it might just be one step too far.

Obviously I would love to win this competition.

I've worked so hard. It's an achievement to come this far

but to win would just be utterly amazing.

Winning is still a long way off, but crucial to Sophie

and Daniel's final decision will be the first finished rooms.

So, the judging starts now.

First up, Lucy.

She was asked for a simple, traditional

and atmospheric dining room.

The room was stark, lacking some character.

Now it's got bags of personality

with a wall of birds,

rich red colour scheme and one plain grey wall.

She's added opulent touches like the gold mirror...

..created a clashing bird wall hanging...

..and designed a new dresser with a distressed effect.

I think I'm pleased with it but it's worrying

thinking about the judges looking at the dining room today.

I don't know if they think I've put too much of a twist on it,

whether it is too fun and a little bit too whimsical.

I think considering we pulled the rug from under their feet and

asked them to finish this room two days early, I am hugely impressed...

Hugely impressed. ..at the level of quality,

the fact she's got it finished, the beautiful styling. Steady.

I'm feeling a bit underwhelmed, actually. It's all a bit busy.

Erm... Busy? Yeah.

OK, we buy the wallpaper there,

I don't think I'd need it on the table.

I mean, for me, that cupboard is a bit of a frustration.

It's too short and she has over fussed it. This is classic Lucy.

So, this sort of odd paint rubbing in the raspberry colour,

it doesn't need it.

And it's the same here.

Why on earth have we got a pale grey wall in the room that was

wanting atmosphere?

In the evening, that is just going to freeze this room.

But to defend Lucy, it was one of the most conservative briefs

and I think she's pushed it just far enough to make it interesting

without alienating her homeowner.

To inform the rest of the project, the designers will hear

directly from the homeowners their opinion on the first room.

I think the homeowner will like the dining room,

but the potential worry is still with the wallpaper.

Splendid. Oh, that's a nice touch.

Yeah. Oh, that's the fabric. Another bit of fabric. Yeah. Super.

And what about the wallpaper, John? I love it. It's absolutely superb.

Oh, good.

Excellent. Well done.

After work was halted in her room yesterday, the judges have

given Sarah a few hours this morning to finish her bedroom.

I see it coming together now. Oh, it's magical. I like this bit a lot.

Major elements have been changed in all of Sarah's schemes.

I think she's going to absolutely love it.

It's imperative Sarah gets this first room spot on

to restore her client's confidence in her.

Well, I'd have it. We've got ten minutes.

Amazing.

I can't believe it's done.

It's been such an extraordinary couple of days.

Sarah was asked for an elegant country house hotel bedroom.

It was a plain and neutral room.

Sarah's reworked design still has impact.

She's used soft pink across the cupboards and walls.

Her floral ceiling creates a canopy, framing the room from the bed.

The dark woodwork and black floral fabric across soft furnishings

give edge to the room.

I think it is just the most beautiful room.

It's soft and feminine, so I think the judges are going to love it.

Oh-oh-oh. It really makes a statement, doesn't it?

I mean, I think the way that Sarah has dressed the bed, I think

really does it justice. I love the way your eye travels through to

the back of the room with her use of the repetitive pattern and colour.

It looks great.

The thing that I was afraid of was this black

painted around the architraves cos it does travel in a very

weird way up and down, up and down. But it does feel cool somehow.

I mean, it's the same with the back.

I mean, the idea of putting a black panel over panel doors is brilliant.

Yeah, that's interesting, isn't it?

One thing that I think hasn't pulled off is the wallpaper on the ceiling.

I think having that over the top of your head is really distracting.

I rather enjoy it. I'm intrigued by it. It's fun. It's dramatic.

There's a part of me that is really hopeful now

that when the homeowner walks into that room she can...

She absolutely loves it.

If she doesn't, the competition could be over for Sarah.

Oh! Wow!

It's beautiful. Beautiful.

Thank you so much! Really? Yes.

I was slightly concerned on the wallpaper but I very much like it.

It's so different. You've achieved something that's unique.

Fabulous.

OK. Yeah. You're magical.

Yeah!

Oh, my God.

SHE EXHALES What a relief.

With both homeowners happy with their first rooms,

the competition is far from over.

They have until tomorrow to complete their final two schemes...

I like it!

That cupboard is so cool.

..and impress Sophie and Daniel,

who will be joined by surprise guest judge Kelly Hoppen.

I will be scrutinizing every single element.

I want perfection.

They don't know it's Kelly they must impress tomorrow.

Right now, all they care about is their rival's finished scheme.

Wow!

The wallpaper, the colour, everything, it's gorgeous.

Oh, thank you. It's really grand.

I always knew the competition would be stiff with Lucy.

It's lush. Makes me feel very nervous now.

The fight for the title is well and truly on.

In Lucy's country garden bedroom, the cloud wallpaper is up

and the extra storage is being installed.

That's all right. Nice colour.

And in the living room,

Lucy is cleverly creating a chimneybreast just from silver leaf.

I've glued the wall with PVA.

What I'm trying to do is butt them up next to each other

so there's not too many gaps.

My personality isn't delicates.

I'm much more, you know, rushy and getting on to it.

I've got to slow down and really take it steady to get a proper job.

Something the judges are very aware of.

Do you think you're going to be able to manage it,

getting that quality level right?

I really did try to for this brief. I didn't want to go mad

and fill it like a jumble sale, so I really have tried.

So, we'll see.

Next door, Sarah's pared back dining room scheme is being

painted in golds and neutrals and display shelves are taking shape.

In the living room, things could be changing again.

You are getting a pre-look.

Spurred on by their bedroom success, Sarah hopes to convince her

client to revert back to her original bold green fabric choice.

Can I say something now? Yeah.

It looks better.

For sure? If that's OK with you. Yes!

I'm so happy. My God, this day is going well.

So, you are basically back to plan A. Plan A.

But, Sarah, how are you feeling in terms of time?

You are looking a little behind schedule. Yeah.

This is our one chance to do something really amazing

and I'm not here to do just average.

Her living room chandelier is anything but average,

the leaf shapes having been laser cut from brass.

They're going to hang at different heights.

It's fab. Better than I imagined.

Lucy is also working on her living room light.

Made this out of some old tin sheets that I had at home.

And I'm trying to glam it up a bit.

She has connected the circles with cable ties

and is spraying the whole thing gold.

It's looking all right, I think.

As the designers compete to make the interior look stately,

when this home was first built,

getting the exteriors right was just as important.

Alongside his grand house, Lord Sheffield, of course,

required and equally grand landscaped garden.

Money no object, he hired the best man in the land,

Capability Brown.

Throughout his career, Brown designed more than 170 estates

and sparked a revolution in landscape design.

Out went formal French-style gardens and in came Brown's natural looking

vistas with clumps of trees, undulating lawns and vast lakes.

It's late on day three.

Tomorrow, one of the designers will be crowned champion.

And the competition couldn't be closer.

I'm just going to plough on through, hope I can get

everything done and then come back tomorrow and just dress the rooms.

I'm completely worried about the fact that we haven't got paint

on some of the furniture upstairs.

We haven't got a lot of stuff done.

It's the final day of the entire competition.

Months and months of hard work all come down to today.

Soon, the completed rooms will be seen by the judges

and the homeowners for the first time.

Whatever happens in the next few hours,

one of the two finalists will be crowned our champion.

This is the biggest day of my life for a long, long, long time.

It's huge.

I'm just thinking I might have played it a bit safe.

Is it radical enough?

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the judging today.

But I'm going to go out with a bang.

They don't know it yet,

but the guest judge who will help decide their fate -

iconic designer Kelly Hoppen - is on her way.

Before she arrives, she's evaluating their schemes.

Starting with Sarah.

Having read the brief and seeing what Sarah has produced,

I'm really shocked.

Really, I'm sort of quite speechless.

I think her presentation is exceptional.

She is gutsy and her fabrics are pretty kind of cutting edge.

But the worrying thing for me is the colour choices.

Her client is now on board with a dark green

and bold fabrics for the living room.

You've got to love a cheese palm bolster.

And her matching light is going up.

The existing chandelier will be repurposed

for the dining room scheme.

Is it possible to add a chord and a plug?

Yes. What were you thinking of doing?

So that I can put it on a sideboard and plug it in.

What I want it to do is bring grandeur into that room and

that means I want the most amount of light, the most amount of sparkle.

Now, Sarah is renowned for her bold,

adventurous schemes that go a little bit off brief.

And we have been really concerned about the success of this design.

We are getting really strong statements,

but this homeowner wasn't asking for that.

We're going to see if she can get that balance right.

OK, so Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Erm...

The brief has been ticked but the presentation fills me

with a bit of horror because it's a real mishmash.

I'm struggling a bit here, I've got to be honest with you.

I think you need to do to it from the top wires.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

A little bit more of a squeeze like you did.

That's it.

There you go. Is that better? Love it!

Lucy has got a pretty conservative brief, though.

How's she coping with that?

Well, she's rebelling against it, but ever so slightly.

The rooms are lacking a little bit of drama for me.

We are already picking up that the finish isn't quite up to scratch.

That's not so good.

Having assessed their designs,

the time has now come for Kelly to meet the finalists.

Lucy. Yes, darling? The judges would like to see you now.

The judges? Yes.

What, now?

Speculation, speculation.

What do you reckon, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen?

Now, as you know, Dan and Sophie have called in some serious

heavyweight help this time to help them make their decision.

We have one of the world's most elite interior designers.

She has been designing for over 40 years and her client list

includes royalty and rock stars from around the globe.

You're going to be judged by Kelly Hoppen.

Hello. Hello.

Congratulations for getting to this point in the competition.

But I'm a very tough judge and I'm expecting absolute perfection.

I feel a bit amazed and overawed.

I'm now rethinking how I'm sewing.

Because it makes you think you're going to

have to be a bit more perfect.

They may be right to panic as Kelly checks out their first two

finished schemes, starting with Lucy's dining room.

There's too much on the wall.

You've got a striped wallpaper,

you've got oxblood red, you've got blue.

And then you've got this bird wallpaper here.

It's a lot to take in.

But this wall I find quite disturbing.

So I'm going to face this way.

Then Sarah's bedroom.

Oh, my word.

I'm astonished at the idea of putting

flowers on a ceiling that is already incredibly low.

She has pushed the boundaries just a little bit too far for me.

They must both aim to please with their other schemes.

This needs to come over a bit.

And Lucy's time is almost up.

Right. Sofa here.

The judges warned Lucy of the dangers

in cluttering her schemes earlier on.

As she dresses the living room... This is too low, isn't it?

..and the bedroom...

And let's have that one over here, that rug, can I, Betty?

..she must prove she's learned.

Have we done it in time?

We haven't done it yet. We have. Have you finished?

Well, there is nowt to do.

Feeling ecstatic that I've finished.

And really, really pleased with all the rooms. Yeah, really pleased.

Lucy's brief was to create a grand

but simple Georgian-style living room.

Four days ago, it was slightly dated and lacked personality.

Now it's an elegant room with metallic colour scheme

and green accents.

She pushed the traditional brief with geometric wallpaper and rug.

Characterful touches like the silverleaf chimney breast

and contemporary lighting complete the look.

Feeling nervous about the judging.

Kelly Hopppen made it quite clear that she's here for business

and that the rooms have got to be perfect.

The first thing that hits me walking in here is, due to a quick change

in layout, the room already feels a little more cohesive and calm

and pared back.

This is not minimal for me. Yeah!

This is really not minimal.

I love the green, I love the greys, the taupes, you know,

the modern table.

And I think the use of the silver on the chimney breast is

absolutely brilliant.

But just looking at the lighting, that light fitting there.

Too small, too contemporary and doesn't fit.

Yeah, too industrial.

And this really should, if it could be, slightly lower.

Yeah. I like the idea of what she's done. Very clever.

She's changed an old light fitting which was rather boring

and turned it into something actually quite contemporary.

Look at the quality. It really lets it down.

This is classic Lucy.

It's always the detail, it's always the finishing

where she lets herself down.

In the bedroom, Lucy was asked for a country garden inspired scheme.

Four days ago, it was pretty simple but lacking in storage.

Now Lucy has given it a lilac and green colour scheme...

..with bold cloud wallpaper.

She's designed a new wardrobe in the eaves

and made new bedside tables from the existing chest.

Simple bedlinen completes the look.

'I'm really pleased with the whole look of it'

and I'm so proud of the finish and the quality.

I absolutely love that wallpaper. I think it's very clever,

sort of the clouds, the sky.

That really creates movement and depth in the room.

And I like the idea the bedside tables are bigger than normal.

She took a risk cutting a fairly good quality piece of furniture

in half but I'm quite impressed with the finish on those, if I'm honest.

You know, her colours are good, I think the green has worked

but if I'm going to be picky, which I am, the bed is the biggest

piece of furniture in the room and that really should be the statement.

And that's fairly disappointing.

I have to say, though, I'm glad that Lucy just went for two cushions.

This is a man's bedroom after all, and too many wouldn't have worked.

Well, it's good to see she hasn't over cluttered,

which is what I thought she would do.

But, you know, overall it could have

been a little bit more...exciting.

I think the homeowner's going to love the rooms. I'm pretty sure.

The reaction I got in the dining room was really good.

What the homeowners think will inform the judges' decision.

The transformation. It's a great change.

The first feeling is there's a lot more space

and that silver really works.

So thumbs up. Apart from that.

It looks a little bit... How can I describe it? Amateurish.

Come in.

Great. The wallpaper is great. It's transformed the room.

And the idea of actually cutting up a chest of drawers into two

and making them into effectively bedside tables is brilliant.

Sarah's time is almost up and there's still a lot to do.

Right, there's a painting that was there that's going to go

back on there.

Her bold original designs were

a gamble that failed to impress her client.

That's the height we need there.

I've actually run out of places to put things.

She had to change fundamental elements of her schemes

and gain the trust of her homeowner.

I suspect that might go quite well in the dining room.

For the first time in the competition,

Sarah's had to show adaptability.

That's exactly what we need there.

Yes, that's it.

I'm done zhooshing.

I'm absolutely exhausted now. My whole body aches.

I wish I do good.

On the upside, I think the judges are going to see that

I really have listened to the homeowner.

Sarah's brief was to create an elegant drawing room

in keeping with the period of the house.

Four days ago, it was an ordinary beige room.

Now Sarah has transformed it.

Her reworked scheme uses cream and gold on the walls,

a backdrop for her bold printed soft furnishings.

She's added a bespoke cheese plant chandelier

and brought in accessories to style every angle of the room.

The living room is nice. The living room's lovely.

I am pleased with what we have managed to achieve in the time.

Wow! That is spectacular.

I feel like I've walked into something very clever.

I just absolutely love what she's done there.

Oh, yeah. I love it.

She's got extraordinary ability for styling and placing things

and putting things into proportion.

I didn't expect it.

I'm really enthusiastic looking at this.

This is really, I think...top.

But I think the big star in the show is the light fitting.

It's dropping really quite low over the coffee table.

It does pull this centre part together.

I'm going to jump in and say I think

she's taken a massive risk with this.

I agree, it's a beautiful room but they are colours that

were not asked for on the brief and they're very strong.

But also choose animal print

when someone hasn't asked for animal print,

I think that is a really...

That is taking a punt. I mean, you are right.

I'm just kind of bowled over by her brilliance

and she's definitely a brave, courageous designer.

In the dining room, Sarah was asked for an atmospheric scheme.

Four days ago, the room was a little stark with cool blue walls.

Now Sarah's given it a warm colour scheme with an ochre ceiling.

She's designed gilded shelving at either end of the room

and added boldness with some black accessories...

..as well as an opulent chandelier table lamp.

Obviously, I think if I'd been allowed to go the whole way

with all of my designs, they would have been a bit edgier.

But overall I am super pleased.

She's good. The styling at both ends really works.

I love the gilded shelf.

I think it's really impressive

when you're using somebody's antiques and old pieces

and putting them together in a way that really is very artistic.

I love the use of the chandelier which she's turned into a lamp.

I was very concerned about this colour choice on the walls -

it's just an off-white.

And I still don't think the colours are doing the job.

There is actually a lack of colour in this room!

And that is not something you will ever hear me say often.

But she's used it on the ceiling

which I actually think is quite clever.

Yeah, it's a brilliant idea.

It makes this room just seem ten times bigger.

The big question is whether her redesigned schemes

will impress her client.

They're both spaces she's going to absolutely love

and she can live in and she can really enjoy.

The grand living room. Ooh!

Gosh, it is grand, isn't it? Um...

But. There's a but, isn't there?

There's a but. There's a but.

There's just something missing in the room.

Can't quite put your finger on it yet? Can't quite...

But she's still done it beautifully. What about the green?

Because I know you weren't initially convinced about that. I do like it.

She's done the coffee table brilliantly

but that's not really me.

SHE CHUCKLES

After a lukewarm response, the dining room must fare better.

Oh. Gracious!

Unbelievable!

It's just phenomenal. Just brilliant.

You and Sarah have been on a journey together, haven't you?

Oh, we have. You have been on a journey together.

We have been on a huge journey.

The result is fantastic.

I didn't realise quite how good it would be

and she's done a beautiful job.

The judges and Kelly must now take everything into consideration

and decide who deserves to be champion.

So judges, this final has been an emotional rollercoaster.

There's been tears everywhere.

I thought we were going to have to put umbrellas up inside.

Let's start with Lucy's challenge room.

And she worked so hard, didn't she? Oh, absolutely.

There was a lot of wallpapering and decorating and furniture making.

It wasn't an easy project to finish in under two days.

But Lucy's dining room was the weakest part of her entire project.

It was the clutter on the walls.

I mean, it made me feel incredibly claustrophobic.

For Lucy's living room she was asked for a grand, comfortable space.

Did she deliver? She created a beautiful space.

It was really pared back.

The textures and the colour palette were really pleasing.

But classic Lucy, the execution was questionable.

For example, the light fitting.

For the bedroom, Lucy was asked to bring the outdoors in.

Did she deliver that?

Not only did she bring the landscape in, she brought the clouds in

as well which were at the back of the bed and looked beautiful.

She ticked all the boxes in listening to what the client wanted

but I do think that she could have just gone that little bit more.

Well, the homeowner really, really liked it. Really liked it.

Every single room.

Only one bum note - that lamp shade in the living room.

Yeah, because it looked tatty. Now, Sarah's challenge room, the bedroom.

That was quite an ordeal for her.

But remarkably,

she won the homeowner round and the homeowner liked it.

It's an extraordinary room and clearly she's got

extraordinary design flow, whether you love it or hate it.

I don't think it works for me.

But I like the fact that she was experimenting.

Rebellious and unique.

For her drawing room, Sarah was asked for something lavish. Was it?

Oh, I think so. Her styling abilities were breathtaking.

And it takes a lot to take my breath away.

Now the dining room. What did you think of it?

Well, it felt very grand in there. Very regal.

And I think, again, her styling was brilliant.

Well, the homeowner, we know she liked the bedroom,

she also loved the dining room.

She really did not like the drawing room.

That's a shame because I think that room was Sarah's jewel in the crown.

She's an incredibly exciting designer.

So this is the big one. You have got to make the ultimate decision.

Have you made it?

No. Very tough decision to make.

The judges will take into account each designer's project

throughout the competition.

SARAH: Do you know, it's been a mammoth journey.

I've loved it and hated it.

I'm quite calm about which way it goes.

To win this would just be... It's been so incredible.

It'd just be amazing but I'm so proud of myself for what

I have done anyway.

Now, we don't call this the Great Interior Design Challenge

for no reason.

And I think it's safe to say you two, for this final, have been

pushed to the limit.

But it's been worth it

because you've both created extremely beautiful interiors.

Your talent is extraordinary, both of you.

It's really hard to decide who can win.

We have wrangled.

You've made our job deliciously difficult.

The winner is...

..Sarah.

Well done.

You deserve it so much.

Holy maloney!

I feel like I've got a...

Someone said, "You're good at that."

And that feels really cool.

Brilliant. I really appreciate it. Thank you. You know you're

a winner as well, don't you?

Thank you so much!

I actually feel fine.

This isn't tears of sadness, it's kind of tears

because I feel proud of myself anyway for how well I've done.

What do you think? I think it's beautiful.

Thanks, John. Well done. Thank you so much.

Lucy is an incredible designer and, for me,

one of the most important things is giving people the gift of a home.

And she does that every time. That girl has got such a bright future.

Hello!

Thank you so much! You're very welcome.

You have done the most amazing job. Aw! It's...

I'm speechless because it's so beautiful.

Here you are. The winner.

Thank you, Tom.

Sarah is a very special designer and will go really far.

It's very rare that you see somebody with a talent that can

produce something that is so different.

Sarah is bold, courageous, outrageous, daring.

She pushes her parameters

and that's why she won the Great Interior Design Challenge.

And I love her!

You're gorgeous, well done.

I'm the most excited about...

..potentially being able to do the thing that I love doing.

We've a spell of sunshine heading our way.

With hot new comedies and fresh twists on cool classics.

Mr Humphries, are you free? I'm free!

This is not squalor. This is genteel property.

I will have you, Fletcher.

I'm not as daft as I look, am I?