Regency, Cheltenham The Great Interior Design Challenge

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

of buildings that we call home, from thatched cottages,

to 1930s Art Deco apartments.

Regency terraces, to contemporary townhouses.

But sometimes, while the exterior creates a wow factor,

the interior can be distinctly lacking.

So we've gathered together

some of the UK's most talented amateur interior designers

to show us what they're made of.

-I'm actually raring to go.

-That looks great.

Argh!

Work quicker, come on!

In our first heats, three designers will transform a room each.

But only two will make it through to the next round.

I'm feeling a little bit nervous now.

Putting them through their paces and scrutinising their every move

are judges Daniel Hopwood,

designer and a director of

the British Institute of Interior Design.

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

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

And internationally renowned interior designer Kelly Hoppen.

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

I think I will be quite a hard judge.

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

to be crowned winner of The Great Interior Design Challenge.

We're in Pittville, in the beautiful spa town of Cheltenham,

home to more than 2,500 listed buildings.

This time, three amateur interior designers

have been given the task of transforming a bedroom each

in these imposing Regency terraces.

They'll have just 48 hours...

-Lovely, let's go.

-That's rather good, isn't it?

It's not bad, is it?

..£1,000...

-Look at the size of the list!

-No, that's not just for him.

-That's for us as well.

-..and a small team,

including a builder and decorator...

Yeah, there, perfect, perfect. Quick, quick, quick.

Is that not upside down?

..to complete their transformations.

I've been up since three o'clock this morning.

Ay, ay, ay...

They'll need to work hard to impress...

OK, OK, OK.

..as only two can go through.

It's not an easy walk in the park, that's for sure.

Hopefully it will be enough.

I would definitely love to go through.

In 1716, the discovery of a medicinal spring

with healing properties

put Cheltenham firmly on the map as a health-giving spa.

With the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain's economy boomed.

And developers cashed in on Cheltenham's spa town status.

Joseph Pitt was one such developer

and had his own grand plans to create a town.

Very modestly, he decided to call this town Pittville.

These grand gates form the entrance to the estate,

adorned with the motto salubritas eruditio -

health and education.

Construction started in 1825,

but soon after, the country was plunged into recession,

meaning the development was never completed.

Although Pitt's original grand vision was never fully realised,

Pittville today is considered to be one of the finest Regency estates

in the country.

And hoping to realise their own grand visions today

are our three competitors.

The first designer is 27-year-old professional dog walker Katie,

who has an eclectic style.

I'd definitely say my style is vintage,

because anything that's old now is vintage.

And I would definitely say there's an element of rock and roll

because I like pops of colour, clashing prints.

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

this will be the first time they'll be seeing the rooms in person.

Wow.

Katie's task is to make over this bland bedroom

for homeowners Guy and Jane.

I originally said sort of Versailles or Provencal-type theme.

It's a really nice room, it's really bright.

It's brighter than I thought it would be, so it's really nice.

I can't imagine it being a nightmare vision,

but anything too gaudy, anything too...gold or too much.

So slightly ornate but calm, not too ditsy.

Now I've seen the room and it's actually come alive in my mind,

other than just looking at a picture,

I'm super-excited to get going.

Judging how well she puts forward her designs

and adapts to her clients' needs

are interior architect Dan Hopwood and Kelly Hoppen,

renowned for her neutral palettes.

Thank you for letting me come into your house and do your room.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

This is the plan I have for your room.

-Wow!

-I know you said in your brief

that your wardrobe doors were a little bit rickety?

The whole wardrobe's rickety!

So your doors, I'm actually going to make one big door.

-Cos I know you said you quite like the French sort of feel.

-Yes.

I'm going to challenge you a little bit,

cos I know you said you didn't want dark colours,

but I've actually gone for this slightly darker grey on this wall.

But you won't see that much of it because I'm actually going to do

some gold-painted stripes on the wall.

-You see a lot of stripes in the Regency decor.

-Yes.

I actually want to paint this ceiling

this very light peach colour to just make it feel a bit warmer.

The only colour I'm a little bit...apprehensive about

is that colour, really.

Erm...

Are you willing to let me try a little bit for you?

-Yeah. No, try it.

-OK, thank you for that.

A really elegant presentation by Katie.

The brief was complex insomuch that we had Versailles and the Riviera.

There was a lot going on on that board,

but for me, the thing that stood out that I just can't bear,

and the client didn't like, was this peach colour.

I couldn't see where that went.

Peach was big in the '80s,

and I'm really not sure that we're ready for it to come back yet.

I'm certainly not!

I think, Steve, if you want to get started on the paintwork?

Katie's 48 hours have begun.

She's ready to recreate a French revolution in this Regency room.

She jumps straight in,

outlining her brief to create the single armoire doors.

-I wanted to make one big door.

-Ah, just one big one?

Yeah. Sorry.

But now, looking at it, I'm worried it's going to be a bit heavy.

And also, I mean, if you had just one,

it's going to be double the width of that.

-So you're going to have a massive, like huge...

-Crazy. Yeah.

It's not going to work with a big door, is it?

They're so much bigger than I anticipated.

-Let's do a split.

-OK.

This means she's unable to give the homeowner

the French-style wardrobes she promised.

Our next designer is 30-year-old photographer

and self-confessed perfectionist, Daniela.

My style is, you know, modern, luxe.

Laid-back, but, you know, kind of quite...

I would like to think quite chic.

I like to add a bit of a twist, whether it be a little bit humorous,

or make you think about something, or shock you.

Yeah, it just gives you a certain feeling inside, and I like that.

Daniela's brief is to remodel a young girl's bedroom

for our homeowners' 12-year-old daughter, Pippa.

I don't want it to be too girlie.

It should be timeless and modern

because I don't want to have to redo it again next year.

Wow.

Oh, it's much bigger than I thought.

I definitely want it to be trendy and cool,

but I don't want it to be, like, over-the-top funky.

I think she's got a really cute little style, anyway,

so hopefully she'll like what I do.

Pippa and mum Karina are keen to see what Daniela has in mind.

So I went to start from the point of the building itself.

So it's Regency Tropicana, basically.

I noticed all the little cacti dotted around and things,

and your lovely little postcards, it all looked very tropical.

So I was like, hmm, she clearly wants to be on holiday

a lot of the time!

So I thought I'd bring some Tropicana to you.

So I looked at kind of cactuses and things like that,

and then also Palm Springs, that led me to Palm Springs.

Do you know whereabouts that is?

-Kind of.

-Yes, in America, basically, and it's a beautiful place.

You said that you liked blues and things like that,

so basically, it's going to be a complete mix

of all the blues in the world.

But then pops of nice little pinks and oranges and yellows,

so very colourful.

What a great presentation!

And I mean, it's so out there.

And it's so LA and it's so Palm Springs.

But she's 12 years old, the homeowner.

Yeah. It's very, very sophisticated,

and as a result, we got excited.

but how is that going to translate into that room?

Being a mother myself, I know that when a child wants to change a room

from being a child to a teenager,

you think how long is that going to last

before they want something else?

I was so nervous, but, yeah, they really liked it.

I'm pretty confident going into the first day.

I mean, who knows?

But, yeah, I think I'm pretty sorted.

Daniela's 48 hours have begun.

So she gets to work creating her Tropicana Regency bedroom.

And she's got a long list of jobs that need to be done.

-What's the plan of action today?

-Panelling everywhere.

-Panelling, what, the whole room?

-Yeah. Yeah.

The cupboard is going to get taken right up to the ceiling.

-Just...

-Right.

-And then, basically, the same here.

And then radiator cover as well.

Then I need just the MDF cut to size for the headboard.

-Just a panel, or do you need...?

-Just a panel, yeah.

That should be, hopefully, quite simple.

There's an awful lot of "quite simple" going on!

THEY LAUGH

Our final designer is 49-year-old hairdresser Oliver

who has a deep rooted dislike of all things minimal.

When people ask me to describe my style, it is a mashup.

Cos there's bits of everything that I like.

So there's a little bit of grandeur,

a little bit of sort of, you know, old world charm,

a bit of retro.

Oliver will have to muster all his creative charm

to make over this forgotten basement room for home owners Kim and Joe.

Most of the house we've done up in very pale colours,

and I think what we want for the guest bedroom

is perhaps a little bit more like the exterior,

the countryside coming into the house.

OK, the basement.

I wouldn't want to find it was very chintzy or very florally.

OK.

I think that would be quite disturbing, really.

But will the homeowners be happy

with Oliver's interpretation of their brief?

-Time for the big reveal.

-OK.

-Are you ready?

-Yes.

-OK.

So we've come up with something like this.

Wow! I like this panelling. That's a good idea.

The reason I did this was because of the history of the building.

OK.

I'll be honest, the one thing I'm not very keen on in houses

is plants indoors.

OK. Are you happy with just one?

Would you be swayed with one?

I don't know.

Can you explain the light fitting?

This is a light fitting I'm going to be making for you,

and it's actually made out of hula hoops.

OK. Sounds good.

You just have to bear with me on that one,

but it's going to look really amazing, I promise!

-So you've put the bed between the windows?

-Yes. Yes.

Cos I think it frames it really well

cos this headboard is pretty spectacular

when it's going to be upholstered in this fabric.

You need that kind of focal point, I think, you know,

to kind of draw your eye in.

I guess that's a little bit of me in there, really.

-OLIVER LAUGHS

-A little bit of fancy.

Only time will tell if the chintzy headboard

will be a step too far for our homeowners.

I was really impressed by Oliver's confidence

in presenting that scheme,

and also, the drawings helped him very well as well.

But those fabrics,

the way he glued them on the board were a little bit slapdash.

I thought he was winging it a little bit.

I love his style,

I just cannot see how that fabric's going to work,

and he's literally taken that thought of taking the garden inside

by thinking that you'll have birds and all of that topiary

onto that fabric, and I personally don't like it.

So that's my only concern with the design.

Oliver's 48 hours have begun.

But he's off to a slow start.

I'm just actually waiting on paint.

I...I didn't actually order the paint

until after the homeowners had actually seen it on the mood board.

Now it's a little bit of a hold-up

because I've now got to send somebody else off

to get the paint that they really like,

here, so we can actually start putting it up on the walls.

At home in North London, when it comes to paint colour,

Oliver has quite strong views.

I was actually going to get some T-shirts made

and it was going to say, "Ban the beige".

Cos I just think people rely on neutrals too much.

It's safe, it's easy.

I can't stand minimalism.

I'm what they call a maximalist.

You know, it's like more is more, and it's better.

HE LAUGHS

The doors have been papered with woodchip paper in the panels,

which is an absolute nightmare to get off.

Can I have a look?

It's really... It's been on there years.

Unless you're a professional!

You just need a bit of muscle power.

A bit of elbow grease seems to do the trick.

Over at Katie's, she's concentrating on adding a focal point to the room.

There's nothing more romantic than a fireplace in your bedroom.

So I'm going to paint them up here, give them a couple of coats.

I do think the key with Katie's scheme

is that she uses the right materials and the best materials.

And that's where my concerns start to rise because she's painting gold

on some of the details, and that is just going to look so cheap.

And it wouldn't have been that difficult

to use the real McCoy, such as Dutch Gold.

I know, but look at the budget.

At Daniela's, everyone is busy working through her list.

At her home in Epping, she likes everything in its place.

I kind of like to keep the walls plain and pure and white

so then I can add accessories and take them away when I want.

I try new ideas, yeah, try things out

and then they don't work, and then I try something new.

So it's ever-evolving, which I love.

So, first of all,

-I did actually want to do the wallpaper on the ceiling.

-OK.

But despite being ultra-organised,

Daniela's calculations may be slightly out.

Can I ask you how many rolls you've got as well?

-I think we've got four rolls.

-Four rolls?

I did it automated on the internet.

-Right, OK, great!

-Oh, no!

-THEY LAUGH

She may have enough paper, but will the pattern match?

If you've measured for the whole ceiling,

being, you know, that space,

and you've not accounted for the repeat as well,

it might be that we might be short.

-Oh!

-Yeah, yeah.

At first glance, all these Regency terraces look all uniform.

But a closer inspection reveals inconsistencies,

a jagged roofline

or one porch doesn't match the neighbouring porch.

And that's because, even within one terrace,

different houses were built by different developers and builders

at different times.

But certain elements were standard.

The exterior walls tended to be plain.

Regency houses were usually built out of brick,

but coated in stucco, a kind of plaster,

often incised with lines to give the impression that

the houses were built with more expensive stone.

And echoing this architectural deception,

Katie intends to create a grand illusion of her own.

These are the bedside lamps.

My main concern was that they're very modern,

and obviously, they're metal,

and the room's supposed to be sort of French vintage.

So I'm going to paint them,

hopefully putting a sort of a verdigris patina on them.

Katie mixes plaster of Paris, water and paint

to mimic the look of aged copper or bronze.

-I've got one door.

-Oh, fabulous!

Nearly at the end of day one.

The ceiling's been painted, which was something.

The coving's been painted as well.

The doors are made for the wardrobe, they're just making sure they fit.

A couple of my bigger jobs are getting done.

So, yeah, I think we've done good, we've made good time.

With most of the painting finished for Katie,

over at Oliver's, he's still waiting for his paint.

I think we've got about half an hour left now

until we've got to down tools.

So if you just crack on with that.

The things that I've progressed really well on are the wallpaper,

the panelling on the walls, and the headboard as well.

So, good progress so far.

Though with no sign of his paint, progress is slower for Oliver.

I'm going to stay positive.

You know, it can be done, it can be done tomorrow.

Well, it will be done tomorrow.

I'm not going to allow it to sort of, you know...

It's a hiccup, it's not a setback.

With day one under their belts,

our three amateur designers take a moment to exchange notes.

Did you get much done?

Not as much as I'd like to have done, to be honest.

But I'm not going to freak out about it tonight.

A few things have happened really fast

that've made such a big difference for me.

It's, like, just reassured me that little bit more, like, "Oh, yes."

I mean, it could all go wrong tomorrow,

I'm not saying it's going well, but, you know.

-No...

-Yeah!

It's the start of day two in Pittville,

and there's a long way to go

before two of our designers earn their place in the next round.

And the pressure is on,

as our judges will be paying them each a visit.

Daniela's unsure whether she has enough wallpaper.

-Morning, Stuart.

-Morning.

Katie can only hope that the homeowners...

Morning!

..will like her new-style wardrobe doors.

And Oliver's still waiting for his paint to arrive.

Day two, and I'm actually raring to go.

I was beset with problems yesterday,

you know, there was unforeseen things that happened.

I'm not going to harp on about it, you know,

it's like kind of just move on from it now.

You know, there's so much to do today.

-Floor paint!

-HE CHUCKLES

At last!

With the arrival of the paint, finally he has everything he needs.

Over at Katie's, she's taking stock of the situation.

What're we up to?

I'm just cutting these cupboard doors that you asked for.

-Brilliant.

-I should have them up in, I don't know, the next sort of hour.

-Thank you.

-No worries, you're welcome.

Got a good plan in my mind for today.

Got some key things I want to crack on with.

Definitely getting the headboard done,

a massive job for me today is painting the bed.

But the painter's really, really got ahead of himself

so that's looking really, really good,

so, hopefully, we can start focusing on some detail later on in the day.

But, first, Katie gets straight down to sanding the bed ready to paint.

So, plan for today - architrave, finish that.

Mm-hmm.

Um... Fireplace. Then...wardrobes.

-That's me for the day, I think, Wardrobes.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Morning, Jo.

-Morning.

-What's the situation with the paper?

-How short are we? Are we short?

-Well, we are very tight.

What we'll do is keep the...

Any splicing in of pieces,

keep them to above the head as you walk in so they're out of sight.

-Hopefully, we'll be fine.

-We will.

-Don't panic - we'll be fine.

-Yeah, no, don't panic.

At Oliver's, despite the homeowners' reservations,

he's adding a touch of gold to his hula hoop lamp.

So, this is just five, simple regular children's hula hoops

which have all been drilled into the same place on each one.

And then you thread your threaded bolt through.

Five, I found, is the maximum you can have,

unless you go much, much larger.

I'm spraying it my favourite colour, which is gold.

This doesn't actually fit in...

Purposely doesn't fit into the idea of nature,

and nature being in the brief.

You know, it just throws something else in there

that isn't kind of part of the brief.

You know, kind of makes things a little more exciting.

And that's what you end up with five children's hula hoops

and some gold spray.

This morning's gone really well. It's so much better than yesterday.

I'm actually getting things done today,

I feel like were moving forward.

Over at Daniela's, things are organised,

and they're working through her list.

But there's still a lot to do.

I'm really nervous about seeing the judges today -

I'm not going to lie.

I'm in love with this design, so if they don't like it,

that's going to, like, break my heart a little bit.

I've just taken the arm off of this sofa here,

and turned it into a chaise, basically.

Actually, now I'm looking at it

turned up the other way with one arm off,

I actually really love the silhouette.

With all her hopes pinned on the judges

liking her Tropicana Regency design,

Dan and Kelly arrive to take their first look.

-I love the wallpaper.

-I'm really pleased with it so far.

So, you've got plenty of wallpaper?

I wouldn't say plenty, but we've got enough.

I mean, it'd be a drama if you missed a bit, you know.

I know, imagine! I know, I know.

The million-dollar question that I always ask -

what keeps you awake at night on this?

I think that I've been worrying about the wardrobes.

I really want to get that done.

It will get done, but, you know, I'm just cutting corners

with the standard, perhaps, which is a shame...

Don't tell us that! You've got a lot to do.

You've put a lot on that board.

And this entire project depends on

-absolutely everything you've got in it.

-Yes.

Daniela. She's got great style,

and she seems to be on top of the project as well.

I'm looking at it, thinking, "Where's it going to go wrong?"

Because she's confident, she's delegating,

she's got lists upon lists, she's ticking off, she's signing off.

We couldn't fluster her at all, could we?

You know, if there's anything missing,

-it's going to be massively disappointing.

-Oh, I know.

Dan really put the pressure on that, you know, the timings were short,

and I've got a lot to do.

But, then, Dan hasn't seen my list,

he doesn't know what I'm ticking off,

he doesn't know what I'm achieving,

so, I think, you know, I'm not going to let it faze me.

I think they were trying to scare me a little bit,

but I'm not going to let them.

Meanwhile, Katie's going for gold,

as she draws on the opulence of Versailles for her room.

That's got potential, that gold, hasn't it?

Beautiful, isn't it?

I was coming to ask, Katie, about the headboard.

I've sketched something out on the MDF.

-Do you want me to look?

-Yeah. I'm not going to cut it until...

All right, yeah, I'm coming.

Her build is organised.

But, at home in Maldon, things tend to...evolve.

I don't tend to do a lot of research because I like things to grow.

But I'll always start with one piece

that I know I definitely want in the room.

So, like, my living room started from one picture that

my nan bought me as a moving-in present.

It's Monarch Of The Glen, and that's how I came up with the wall colours.

Because it's quite dark and moody, with the gold frame,

so that's why there's a lot of blue and gold in this room.

Oh, wow! How long do you reckon we're looking?

We're coming up to lunchtime now,

so I'm getting a little concerned about time.

Yeah, I'll probably have this done in...don't know, 45 minutes?

-Ooh, I'm going to hold you to it!

-OK.

-OK.

All the additional joinery is beginning to put pressure

on Katie's schedule.

When it comes to headboards, for Oliver...

Very, very tricky for you, this.

..things appear more relaxed.

Look at that. See?

Thank you, and goodnight.

Yeah, that's cosy.

Over at Katie's, the judges are on their way

to see just how she's pulling

the Versailles Riviera and Provence brief together.

Hi, Katie. My heart goes out to you.

Your brief was really difficult for any designer - amateur or not.

My worry from the start was peach.

-Why peach?

-Why not peach?

It hasn't been around since the '70s, so let's bring it back.

-There's a reason for that!

-Well...!

-Yeah.

I wanted to paint the ceiling

because a lot of the Regency homes would have had a painted ceiling.

It's just...you know, the grey and the sort of verdigris green,

all of that worked really well.

I love the fact you've painted the bed in this beautiful grey.

And I've walked in and seen the stripe on the wall,

and I am in a bit of a panic about that.

Don't be panicked. It'll be fine.

-Don't panic! Nobody panic!

-DANIEL LAUGHS

-There's a fireplace going here.

-OK.

-So that's going to break it up.

And I've got some artwork to go on there.

'Katie is so charming.'

She's so bubbly, she's so happy,

she's so confident with what she's doing.

But she wants to please too much as well.

The homeowner has asked for Provencale, Riviera, Versailles,

but she's just got one room to deal with, and you do have to edit.

I think she's going to create something fantastic

that the client wants, but is it going to look right,

and is it going to be too much?

You know, the proof is going to be in the pudding when it's done.

The judges seeing my room for the first time was...

..quite daunting.

I know Kelly Hoppen said that peach should've maybe stayed in the '70s,

but I think that's what I wanted to do -

find the most out-of-fashion colour

and try and use it in a modern home, in a modern room,

and then maybe we'll make it come around again.

Back at Oliver's, the paint may have arrived,

but he needs to get it on and dry in time to avoid any more delay.

So, we're going to get down the first coat of the floor paint.

This is just... We will need two coats.

But it's just the first one, almost like a prime.

And Oliver's wasting no time getting the paint job done.

OK.

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

Photographer Daniela wants to make a portrait of Pippa for her bedroom.

Gorgeous!

Upstairs, the final piece of wallpaper slots into place.

Wow, finally.

-It's done!

-Tell me about it.

-Are you relieved?

-Yeah, I am relieved.

It looks...fabulous.

In Regency homes,

drawing rooms for entertaining were generally on the first floor.

Gigantic windows not only flooded the rooms with light

but also gave a chance to show off your fashionable interior decoration

for the world outside.

They also gave great views of the parks and gardens.

Letting the outside inside seems like a very contemporary concern,

but the Regency home did it first.

And someone bringing the outside in now to transform his dreary basement

is Oliver.

Painting is relaxing, you know?

It helps you zone out a little bit, I think.

-It does me, anyway.

-HE LAUGHS

-Hi, Oliver.

-Hello.

You seem really laid-back,

and there doesn't seem to be a huge amount that's being done down there,

and the clock is ticking.

And there's a floor that's being painted.

-Is that holding you back?

-That's just dry, that's just dry now.

So you're watching paint dry, literally?

No, I haven't got time to watch paint dry!

That's had its first coat.

At end of day, it'll have its second coat,

which should just level it all out completely.

Does that mean you've got a plan?

Does it mean you've got a tick-off list

of the things you need to get done and achieve?

It's a bit more of an organic plan than that.

-That's what I thought.

-I don't do things to order.

Like at 9am, I've got to do this, at 10am, it's got to be finished.

-You know, I think that's...

-BIG mistake.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-OK...

I quite like the idea of it, but I'll tell you what,

by that time tomorrow, if it's not finished, you're in trouble.

I know! It's curtains!

-Do it anyway you want, but it has to be done.

-It has to be done.

I do think that Oliver has got a difficult task ahead.

I think that his imagination is good.

I guess my worry is,

having now met him and seen the progress of the project,

is that the way his mind works in terms of design?

He has a great idea, and then it's just very...

"I'll do this now, I'll do it later."

Well, he has been nonchalant, the way that he's running this project.

But that sort of nonchalance could give us that je ne sais quoi

-that you need in great interior design.

-That sort of freedom?

-Yeah.

I'm just going to keep coasting along.

It's working fine so far, so...

Yeah. I'm not going to start getting rattled.

As the rooms are all slightly different,

the judges are keen for the designers to demonstrate

their creativity on a level playing field.

So the competitors are about to be given an identical surprise item

to artistically incorporate into their scheme.

-Katie.

-Hello.

-I've got a little surprise for you.

This is your creative challenge.

-Hmm...

-That is quite a lot to deal with.

-And that's anything, anything you can do?

-Creative challenge.

And, also, just to make it more spicy, you've got three hours.

Three hours? Wow, OK.

-And do everything else that you're doing.

-Of course, fine. Easy.

Don't get hung up on it, though!

Wow.

Nice surprise.

I mean...I don't know whether to laugh or cry with these.

But, unperturbed, Katie gets straight down to business.

For the challenge,

I asked Johnny to try and square them off a little bit,

so we can try and make them into a big frame,

because we're using this sort of shape in the room

for the back of the bed and on the wardrobe,

so I'm going to try to mirror it in a frame for some artwork.

Look at those!

It a bit '70s, but it's going to go with the peach ceiling.

Frame constructed, Katie draws it into the room scheme

with her rich use of colour.

Katie's challenge complete,

things are taking a little longer with Daniela.

So I'm thinking that I want to do, like, a little kind of...

Not Moroccan style, because it wouldn't go with my room,

but a kind of low table that you can just sling a book on

or I could put a cushion on,

So something like that.

And then these either in the same direction or crossing over.

-I see, OK.

-So layering them up.

-Yeah, all right.

-Cool.

I'm just going to mask off a little geometric design on top of here.

And completely unfazed by the three-hour deadline,

Oliver's still mulling over his design.

I'm just thinking.... I'm just thinking, kind of...

working out shapes and ideas and stuff.

I could cut them in half.

OK, so that doesn't really work...

With a little encouragement...

It's quite a nice motif.

..Oliver's masterpiece evolves.

Yeah, it is. It's going to make a really nice flower.

-HE LAUGHS

-She wants to bring the outside in!

-That's rather good, isn't it?

-It's not bad, is it, considering?

It really is.

Three hours are up, and it's creative challenge time.

-I'm dying to see what you've done.

-It's behind you.

-It's behind us?

-Oh, my word!

-That's clever.

-That's very clever!

-Here it is.

-Oh, my God!

I looked down there, and I saw a table.

I thought, "Where did she get that from?"

Hi, Oliver. Wow, look at that!

Well, there's no need to ask you

if we can have a look at your creative challenge.

Very beautiful, actually, isn't it?

And, at the end of the challenge, Katie's created a picture frame,

Daniela, a table,

and Oliver, some artwork.

I feel so energised by those creative challenges.

I'm so surprised.

But it's just been amazing!

It goes to show it is possible to be creative with something

which is pretty humdrum in this world.

-A coat hanger.

-I know.

-And can we pick a winner?

I'm afraid I can't.

-I think they're all good.

-I think they all have come up trumps today.

With the challenges completed,

our designers turn their attentions back to the job in hand.

-So, tomorrow, the fireplace, the hearth...

-Yeah?

-..the shelf...

-Yeah.

And then we've got to construct the canopy that goes over the bed.

So this is basically two minutes away from being done,

which I'm so relieved about.

Tonight, I've just got little jobs to do.

Right, here you go.

Lovely.

I'm going to leave that with you

cos I've got lots to get on with back at the hotel.

Today has gone really, really well. It's gone brilliantly,

but there's still things I need to do back at the hotel.

I've got some cushions to finish, I've got some curtains to make,

so it's going to be a big sewing night for me this evening.

With all three designers up against it,

this could be the beginning of a long night.

It's the start of day three, and there's just a few hours left

for our designers to pull together their schemes.

They'll soon find out whether all their hard work has been enough

for them to progress to the next round.

Or whether they'll be the one going home.

I've been up since three o'clock this morning, actually,

and I feel, actually, so full of energy. It's madness. It's, like,

'there's so much to do. It's all to play for.

'I've just got to keep going.'

OK, day three, let's get started.

-Morning!

-Morning.

-You all right?

It's all a blur. I was up so late doing stuff.

But I got everything done, so I'm super-pleased.

I'm definitely feeling the pressure today.

-Hi, guys.

-All right?

-Last day!

But I think we're going to get it done.

You know, I'm not going to not let it get done.

But, yeah, obviously, there's a lot of pressure.

At Oliver's, he's taking a bit of a gamble

as he experiments with his decorative lead strips.

They've each got to be cut out individually.

I've marked out, very loosely, a pattern to follow.

I've never done it before,

and, first time, it's not bad.

But they're still playing catch-up with the paint.

Progress so far, so the room's had to have its second coat of paint.

It's kind of holding things up a little bit.

They're working as fast as they can

but I would prefer if they would just work a little bit faster.

So, what do the judges think of his scheme?

How about Oliver's brief?

I mean, the whole idea was that he's bringing the outside in.

Cos it's actually quite a dull, dark room, that,

and it just needs to feel more like a garden room.

He's picked out this rather floral, not Kelly Hoppen-liked chintz.

I think he's designed something that is very...

It's good. It's very eclectic.

He's taken on board putting panelling up halfway,

he's done good colours.

What you've got is a nice, neutral background

with some panelling which feels OK, and then there's that chintz.

And with more than just a hint of chintz,

Katie's rushing ahead with her grandiose Versailles scheme.

And things are getting a little topsy-turvy.

-I'd go, like, something like that.

-Lower, lower, lower. Lower!

Is that not upside down?

That's the right way, isn't it, surely?

Yeah, I think you're right, actually.

So, yeah, I think we should do them the other way -

-that looks much better.

-SHE LAUGHS

The really tough brief was the one for Katie,

because it asked for Riviera, some Provencale, Versailles.

And what she's actually created is everything.

She's got this peach idea in her head, hasn't she?

She thinks she's going to carry the banner

for reintroducing peach into our world.

-Good luck with that.

-Mm.

At Daniela's, her lists are getting longer.

You don't have to agree to any of it.

This is just what I would love done.

THEY LAUGH

Look at the size of the list!

That's not just for him - that's for us as well.

Us?!

And, top of her list is a new desk for Pippa.

We haven't got the hinges that we need

to do the fold-down legs, right?

-Is that right, Stuart?

-Yeah.

-Just use the things that you've got,

and as long as it folds down and it connects, then I'm happy.

-Hold it there.

-Yeah.

-Hmm...

-All right?

Hang on, let me get a better positioning.

Let me try a different way of holding it.

-Like this.

-I'm just going to mark it up.

With the desk a key part of the scheme,

the pressure's on to get the joinery right.

-All right.

-All right.

-Let go. I've got it.

You've got it? OK.

So, how's Daniela getting on? Are those lists helping her?

Daniela's Little Miss Organised,

and I think she's brilliant at what she's doing,

but she is frantically painting cupboards this morning,

and very little time to go, so I'm just praying that she gets it done.

The thing is is we're very excited about what she's doing,

so anything that is missing from her project

is going to be a big disappointment.

Despite her long to-do list,

Daniela's in the final flurries of finessing...

Erm...

Her Tropicana Regency-themed room for Pippa.

Argh!

Go, just go! Yeah!

Yeah, there, perfect, perfect! Quick, quick, quick!

OK. OK, OK, OK, OK.

And Daniela's 48 hours are up.

Finished.

I'm just so satisfied, really.

You know, there could always be a little bit more

but that's cos I'm a perfectionist,

and I would've just liked that little bit more.

But it's my first time at doing this,

and, yeah, I'm proud of myself.

But has Daniela succeeded in adding that Californian vibe into the room?

Before, this was a typical girl's bedroom,

with safe, muted tones and florals.

Now it's a stylish space.

With more of a teenage attitude.

Personalised with Pippa's portrait.

And a cool chaise for hanging out

under the splattered-paint effect ceiling and Sputnik light.

The updated cupboard is now a practical work station,

with drop-down desk.

-Oh, goodness.

-Oh, my word.

Her styling ability is extraordinary!

I mean, this kind of LA-Palm Springs kind of look

that is just so perfect.

So, she's great with detail,

but I think she's great with detail which is to do with fabric.

Because I'm looking at these doors,

and I have to say they're just a little bit shoddy on the edges.

They could've done with a bit more sanding and just a bit more care.

Behind here is meant to be a little sewing cupboard.

That's right, I'd forgotten about that.

Well, it's there.

She's got this little flap that you open up for...

-DESK CLATTERS

-Ooh...

That's a bit difficult.

There should be supporting leg for the desk.

It really looks like they rushed out the door.

They've even left their coffee cup underneath there.

-It's feeling a little bit unloved.

-She's run out of time.

-Yeah.

-And that's the problem.

The homeowner's opinion will also be taken into consideration

when the judges make their final decision.

But will the Tropicana Regency-style design

be too grown-up for a 12-year-old?

Right, come on.

Wow, that's amazing, Pippa!

Make yourself at home.

-I love it!

-I love those cupboards.

-The same.

That's a mum thing to say - practicality and storage.

I know, I'm sorry. I love the photograph.

Have you seen the photograph of you?

PIPPA LAUGHS It's a beautiful photograph!

-It's lovely.

-Have you looked up there?

Oh, yeah! Oh, I really like it.

-You weren't quite sure to begin with.

-No.

I think it works with everything else, though, now.

-Yeah, I like it.

-So, we've got practicality.

-Yeah.

-We've got colour, we've got design.

Do you think this is a room that you can grow into?

Yeah, definitely.

With the end of the challenge in sight,

Katie's determined to squeeze in every aspect of her design...

And then maybe just go slightly higher.

Don't line it up with a radiator, just in a little bit.

Yeah, lovely.

..in the hope that she'll win over the homeowners and the judges,

despite altering the wardrobe door design

and using the peach paint on the ceiling they were so unsure of.

And maximising every single second, Katie has hit her 48-hour deadline.

Success. Feeling really happy.

Let's see what the judges think.

I know that I've worked the hardest that I can,

and I hope I've delivered absolutely everything that I wanted to.

But has Katie created that cornucopia of all things French

that her homeowner asked for?

48 hours ago, the room was bland, uninspiring,

and monopolised by magnolia.

Now it's a room that really makes a statement.

The rickety wardrobes now ooze French charm.

The bed has been restyled with a dramatic new headboard.

And the fireplace is now a bold focal point.

All finished off with gold and lace detailing.

Wow. There's just so much to take in.

I do love the colour and the wardrobes.

I love the little detail in the corner.

I like the way they're shaped. I think that's really nice.

That whole elevation works really well, doesn't it?

Bar the picture frame in the middle with the bits of lace -

that makes my toes curl.

But I actually rather like the stripes with the gold.

-It looks really effective.

-That whole wall really is effective.

She's a really good stylist, actually.

I like how she's put it all together.

But, you see, she's tried to bring the peach in...

Yeah.

-It matches perfectly.

-Yeah.

And, you know what, the peach goes really well with the grey.

It does.

It's just this and this and this, for me, just completely throws it.

I think we're both in agreement.

A bedroom should have a serene, calming feel about it,

and, yet, she's in fact clashing colours.

But I think she's put it together very well.

She's worked this brief, and it was a complicated brief,

when you have Versailles, the Riviera, Provencale

all thrown in one,

that is not easy, and she's actually pulled it off.

But has Katie managed to fulfil Jane, the homeowner's, brief?

-Wow.

-So, what do you think?

-It's busy.

-Is it too busy?

If I had been doing it by myself, I'd have made it less busy.

But, actually, I quite like it.

Not sure about the picture up there.

About the nature of the picture, or the picture being there?

Oh, no, just the nature of the picture.

-And then there's the peach.

-Then there's the peach.

I quite like it.

I do quite like it. I would never have put in my room myself.

There's just something appealing about it.

How about that kind of French feel you wanted?

-That Versailles, Provence feel?

-I think it's got a French feel.

It's definitely got a French feel to it. Yes.

In the basement of his home,

Oliver's design is coming together

to create his brief for bringing the outside in...

..with added chintz.

Little bit that way. Just a small amount.

-That's it, yeah. Perfect.

-Yeah?

-Absolutely spot on.

Happy with the bed, he turns his attention to the walls.

Just...cutting out some photocopies of lithographs,

just to fill up the frames.

One.

And ignores the homeowner's reluctance to have plants indoors.

It's a pot plant. Just a little bit of life.

And Oliver's 48 hours are up.

Not bad.

Most of all, I feel relieved, I feel relieved that it's done.

It was really, really pressurised.

Erm... Yeah.

I didn't realise quite how pressurised it would be.

It's not an easy walk in the park, that's for sure.

Oliver's chintz and pot plant

may have deviated from the homeowner's wishes,

but has he satisfied the brief of bringing the outside in?

48 hours ago, this was a dark basement room,

home to nothing but forgotten furniture.

Now it's a light and airy panelled guest bedroom.

Oliver's hanger artwork has pride of place on the wall.

The handmade headboard draws the eye to the outside.

And his hula-hooper light hangs majestically above the bed.

While the addition of lead to the mirrored cupboard

adds a botanical feel.

Wow.

This is a bit of a transformation, isn't it,

from when we first saw this room?

He's even managed to make some of the fabrics,

which neither of us were very happy about -

you certainly with that chintz,

me with those sort of brightly coloured velvets -

and he's made them look good.

I have to say I still hate the headboard.

Although the chintz is quite softening,

and part of the brief was to bring the garden into the room.

-And so it does reflect that...

-..but they didn't want chintz.

But this sofa is glorious.

That is just the perfect way to put cushions onto a sofa.

I know, and we didn't really like that when we saw it on the board,

but now it looks fantastic,

and it looks great against that beautiful grey panelling there.

And the reason it works, for me, is this room, being a basement room,

felt fairly cold,

and, yet, just putting another layer on it has warmed it all up.

Although I'm not happy with the way that Oliver has hung those pictures

because there's not enough tensions

-between them and the back of the sofa.

-Yeah.

For me, it should either be on the panelling or above

-and sort of closer together.

-Yeah. Not halfway.

-Yeah.

But will the homeowners fall for Oliver's little bit of chintz?

Ooh.

Wow. Wow!

And I don't see a household plant...

Oh, I do, yes!

-Put right in front of your nose!

-It survived.

Has he brought the outside in?

I think he's framed the windows really nicely

-so you get a sense of that view.

-Yes.

And what do you think of the mirrors?

I'm not sure about the leading.

I think I visualised it as a bit more like a garden gate.

Do you think it all melds together well?

I think it probably is a little bit chintzy for my taste, I guess.

I'm getting the sense it's kind of 50-50, you like some bits,

50-50, you don't like the other bits.

Yeah, perhaps.

Yeah.

With the judging over,

it's an anxious wait for our three amateur designers.

For the greater good,

I'm obviously more interested in what the homeowners think,

and how they feel about their room.

But for purely selfish reasons...

Of course I care what Dan and Kelly say.

That goes without saying.

I've enjoyed this process so much. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

There's nothing really I would change, either.

I would definitely love to go through.

I've slaved over this. I've put my heart and soul into it.

And, you know, I've put so much passion into it,

so, yeah, hopefully it'll be enough.

So, was Daniela organised to the very end?

Not the very end.

She was organised, but there were a few little bits missing,

which was slightly disappointing.

I mean, she had an incredible eye for design.

I think she captured a wonderful room

for a 12-year-old going on five years.

But where she really let herself down was on the build.

Both the homeowners, mother and daughter, well, they both loved it.

Mother loved the practicality.

The 12-year-old...well, she just loved every bit of it.

Including the spotted ceiling.

She wasn't quite so sure about the spotted ceiling to begin with,

but, yeah, she loved it.

Now, Katie had quite a tough brief.

Well, the problem with Katie is

that she took the brief too literally, I think,

and she didn't quite know how to edit it.

And I think that was her biggest mistake,

because if she'd done that,

it would've been a more pared-down feeling and look to the room.

-There was a lot going on in there, wasn't there?

-A huge amount.

I think there WAS a lot going on,

but what she did do was styled beautifully.

What did the client think?

Well...she liked it overall,

but I got the sense that perhaps she was being a bit polite.

Oliver had a difficult brief with a basement bedroom,

and, yet, he was asked to bring the outside in as well.

I mean, that's a tough room to design

because it's dark, it's underground,

and I think the thing is the room turned out really well.

I loved the panelling that was high up, with the lovely grey.

The way in which he had done the lead on the mirrored cupboards,

I thought that was really, really good.

The problem I had was the chintz on the headboard

because I think that was his interpretation

of bringing the garden inside,

and one of the things they had requested, of dislikes, was chintz.

What did they think?

-I would say they were kind of 50-50.

-Oh, really?

Loved it and disliked it.

So, three very creative people who have put their all into these rooms.

-Which one's going to go?

-Ooh.

Now, Regency architecture, particularly in a spa town,

is all about harmony and proportion

but with an added dash of fashion and frivolity.

I think that attitude ran through all three of your rooms.

Daniela, your presentation was phenomenal. I loved it.

Where you let yourself down, and the client down,

was in your production of joinery,

and that's something that you're going to have to learn

in the future.

Katie, I loved your passion and your energy.

It was boundless!

But, actually, you have a great desire to please, too,

so you wanted to get everything done in that brief in that room.

And in a room that small, in a room that should be quite serene,

it was maybe just a little bit too much.

Oliver, your ability to design with an eclectic style is really good,

but the one thing that lets you down

is asking the question with your client

and understanding what it is that they actually want.

And that's something that you can learn from this.

There's only room for two in the next round, I'm afraid.

So we have to say goodbye to one of the three.

The first designer going through is...

..Daniela.

Goodness. Thank you.

The second designer going through to the next round is...

-..Oliver.

-Oh, my God!

So, Katie, I'm afraid it's goodbye.

That's all right, that's all right.

I think the standard of competition was really high,

and I think that each and every one of them had brilliant qualities.

I'm so happy, so relieved as well.

-I got in.

-Yay! Well done.

-That's fantastic!

-Thank you.

Daniela had to go through because she's such a great stylist,

and the room looked fabulous as a result.

My concern, though, is that she thought joinery

was just one more thing to tick off her list,

and she didn't realise that it needs

a lot more work and thought than that.

You did a great job, Katie, honestly.

Don't give up. Don't give up.

I'm completely devastated.

You did a fantastic job. You really did.

I'm hoping that the fact that I'm really upset shows...

that it's a big thing for me and it's definitely...

it's definitely something I want to carry on doing

and I'm going to carry on doing.

And, yeah, I do see this as totally the beginning for me.

You all right? Do you like it?

-We do like it.

-You do, yes?

-Love it, love it.

Yeah?

Sadly, Katie is leaving the competition today

because one person has to go,

but mainly because her edit was just not good enough.

She took everything on board that the client wanted,

but she didn't know how to pare it down.

I'm absolutely flabbergasted.

I just can't believe!

I was convinced, I was so convinced

they were going to say Katie's name instead of mine.

I was convinced I was going home.

Well done.

-We're so pleased you got through.

-Congratulations.

'Oliver is so laid back.'

And quite rightly so because he's a very relaxed designer.

And it's very clear that he's creative,

and he's creative on his feet.

As a result, we saw a beautifully balanced room.

When the bed's there inviting you into it...

Exactly. It's got a lovely vibe.

My concern with Oliver is I really don't think

he was questioning the homeowner enough.

I think, going forward,

he's just got to be a little bit more curious and say,

"So what is it you're really wanting?

"What is it that you're meaning with that brief?"

What I'd like to do, maybe,

is take a little bit more of a risk for the second one.

I think I need to put a little bit of Oliver into what I've done.

I'm really going to up the ante now.

Think about how I can really surprise the judges next time.

Joseph Pitt's vision left Cheltenham

with some of the finest Regency architecture in the entire country.

And, by creating bespoke bedrooms for their homeowners,

our designers have added their own little touches of elegance

to this most refined of spa towns.

Next time, Victorian terraced living rooms.

-Wow.

-This is just so clever, actually.

But breathing new life into these small spaces

is fraught with challenges.

I'm feeling really panicked.

-Timing's an issue.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Up the creek without a paddle.