Model Village, Saltaire The Great Interior Design Challenge

Here in the UK, we are 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.

Work quicker, come on.

In our first heat, 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

that are 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 are in Saltaire, West Yorkshire,

a model village built for mill workers between 1851 and 1876.

This time, our amateur designers have been given the challenge of

transforming the living rooms of three former workers' cottages.

They'll have just 48 hours...

OK, oh!

It is going to look amazing. Yes.

£1,000.

Guys, are we going to be long with that door?

Let's get it hung.

..and a small team, including a builder and a decorator...

Work quicker, Jo, come on.

LAUGHTER

Oh! No!

..to complete their transformations.

Have we got any light green left?

Sugar!

I'm feeling really panicked.

Oh!

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

I'm really hopeful that I've ticked all the boxes.

I've done as much as I can do.

Competitive spirit is starting to kick in.

'..as only two can go through.'

Saltaire is situated on the banks of the River Aire

and named after its creator, Sir Titus Salt.

Born in 1803, Sir Titus Salt was a wealthy and successful businessman

who made his fortune through cloth.

An innovator of his time, he built this super-sized mill in 1840,

believed to be the biggest factory space in the entire world,

and at its height, they produced 30,000 metres of fabric a day.

Titus also built the village of Saltaire for his workforce,

which meant that he could control every aspect of their lives,

from where they lived, slept and ate to when they worked,

and even when and where they washed.

150 years later, it's now the turn of our competitors to take charge.

The first designer is 63-year-old Nicholas,

an actor and theatre director from south London.

I think it's just in my blood to actually see something and go,

"That will go with that, that will go with that."

Whether or not it's what's called having an eye, maybe I've got it,

maybe people will hate it.

When it comes to his own home,

Nicholas likes to reflect his flair for the dramatic.

My style is, I suppose modern Baroque,

it's curves and it's shapes and it's opulence.

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

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

Nicholas's task is to make over this shabby-chic living room

for homeowner Kelly.

It's very neutral, but doesn't really have much of a personality.

I've tried my best to add a few touches to it,

but I think that it could do with a lot more work.

High ceilings, which is nice.

I basically want to change it into a consulting and treatment room for me

to practise my hypnotherapy.

But because it is only a small house,

I also need it to double as a living room.

I want it to feel quite Zen and sort of Japanese teahouse.

That is enormous.

But I think I have worked out how we can compensate for that.

Judging his presentation will be industry experts

Daniel Hopwood and Kelly Hoppen.

They'll be assessing how well he puts forward his design,

and how adaptable he is to his client's needs.

This is your Japanese presented mood board.

-Wow.

-So, if you would like to undo it yourself.

How exciting.

-There we go.

-Wow.

So, Japanese tearoom and consultation room.

Slightly formal but relaxed and calming.

We have the Shoji screen with rice paper.

-Excellent.

-So that, in fact,

when the light is coming through it,

-it will look like that.

-Oh, fantastic.

Some bamboo, maybe a bonsai.

Barbara the fish will be in there with a new Oriental fish tank.

A diagonal design painted in contrasting greens is the backdrop

to Nicholas's theatrical Japanese room.

Is there anything that you see that you go, "Oh, my God, not that"?

Absolutely not, no, it's exceeded my expectations.

I'm very pleased.

-I can't wait.

-Let's see if it does in three days' time.

Here's hoping.

Nicholas's presentation...

-slightly concerns me.

-Really?

I think maybe he was creating a backdrop for her life rather than

her life being part of the environment she lives in.

And there is so much going on in that presentation.

This is a stage set for him and he's having a game with it. And he has

totally forgotten that this is someone's home.

She loved it, though, I think it's exactly what she wants

and she's going to be so thrilled with it.

But the judges might not be.

I know.

I think the balance...

With just 48 hours until curtains up, Nicholas is drawing on his

directorial experience and gets to work.

Guys, we've got a lot to do here.

We need to strip off curtains, blinds, the carpet needs to come up,

the sofa needs to go, and the moose needs to go upstairs somewhere.

That goes.

-Thank you.

-That is gone.

Good.

Our next designer is 44-year-old James,

a marketing assistant from Kent.

I like minimalistic approaches.

Geometric shapes.

Clean lines.

This is basically a stripy wallpaper.

I chose to hang it from side to side,

it gives me the straight lines which I'm so fond of.

I believe that everything has a place,

everything has to be in a certain place.

James will need his eye for design to bring a sense of calm to this

cluttered living room for homeowner Tracey.

The style at the moment is quite contemporary, I would say,

but the room feels quite dark, so many greys and blacks.

So, I kind of want it to be softer.

My dream living room would probably be, like, Scandinavian Nordic look.

Clean lines, lots of textures, but, again, quite a light space.

Smaller than I thought it would be.

I'd say it's quite a tough challenge,

making it look like a space that will work.

You asked for a tranquil, modern Scandi-style lounge.

This is a wood, a light wood laminate flooring to replace the carpet.

-Yeah, I like that.

-This is a textured wallpaper that's going to

run across sideways across the bottom of the walls.

That's just something that I tend to do.

Then you said that you like accents of dusky pink.

That, I don't particularly like that, that looks quite dull.

-I want, like, a pretty pink.

-Right, yeah, if you have a sample.

-I'll get you a sample.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Then I can remember that.

James's minimal Scandi design also has a few nifty creations,

like a foldout writing desk.

-Great.

-Cool.

-Thank you.

-DANIEL:

-James is about perfection.

That board that he created was absolutely stunning.

I think the presentation was beautifully done,

this immaculate 3-D model where you could open cupboards and everything

else. And I worry that practicality versus the experience and trying to

create something very new,

I think we could find that there is a bit of a problem.

With his 48 hours already ticking down, James gets to work.

OK, cool, we need to get the carpet up and get stuff out the way.

All right. Let's start.

Tracey didn't like my pink.

She felt that my dusky pink was a dirty pink.

-I found the pink.

-OK.

I think.

That kind of pink.

All right, OK, well, I wouldn't say that was dusky pink.

-I would say that was light pink.

-Powder pink.

-Light pink.

THEY LAUGH

OK. Oh!

You destroyed my plant.

Cut.

You might as well keep it now, put it in a little glass.

At least now I know which pink it is.

The last designer is 42-year-old Anna,

an events stylist from Lincolnshire

who doesn't shy away from daring design.

I would describe my style as bold, fun and homely.

I love colour. I absolutely adore a gallery wall.

I'm always looking to inject some interest.

So, minimalism, for me, just doesn't fit with that at all.

Anna's brief is to breathe new life into this lacklustre living room

for homeowner Joseph.

It's my first home and I'd like it to have a unique print on it.

I want my friends and family to come round and go, "Wow."

Right, well,

smaller than I expected it to be.

Joseph's brief is not only to squeeze a dining area into his grand

bachelor pad, but also to give it a modern, masculine makeover.

I'm feeling a bit...just overwhelmed, I hope that we can squeeze

everything in that we had planned originally.

My preferred style is something that's quite modern.

Nothing that's too ornate, or fussy.

I don't want to see anything that's pink or purple.

I like neutral colours, straight lines,

no shabby chic, nothing like that.

Right, Joseph, I tried to keep it nice and light.

So, I've used lots of greys and whites with some black accents.

I've chosen a wallpaper that I'll use on both the fireplace wall

and the wall opposite.

Anna's bachelor pad also includes a cocktail bar

and a compact dining area.

I've introduced some clear, acrylic chairs,

so when they're not in use they look as if they are not actually

there. We're going to be making a coffee table from some sleepers.

-Right.

-There will be a design on the top of it.

I'm going to make you some birdcage lampshades from wire with some birds

-sat on just for a bit of a fun element.

-That sounds great.

I did think it was nicely laid out.

I just feel that perhaps she's taken it a little bit too far with

the fun bit and the sort of birdcage light.

It'll be interesting.

Anna's 48 hours have begun.

OK, guys, I want to inject as much light as possible.

So we're going to wallpaper

a couple of walls in a wood-effect wallpaper.

The other two are going to be painted light grey.

-Cool.

-Right, let's go. OK.

If I could get some masking tape at some point,

just so we can pop that up.

And then there's the list of different jobs for people to do.

So we can all keep on track of what we need to do

throughout the process.

Such an important job. Is that OK? Thank you.

In 2001, Saltaire was added

to the list of World Heritage Sites by Unesco.

Its Grade II listed buildings

are a wonderful example of 19th-century workers' homes.

The whole area is immaculately preserved.

99% of the original buildings survive.

Interestingly, the streets of Saltaire were named after

Sir Titus's own family,

including his 11 children and his wife, Caroline.

Apparently some of the streets were named after his favourite maids,

or lovers, depending on who you ask.

Titus Street, named after the man himself,

is unsurprisingly one of the biggest and the best.

The houses here enjoy fine architectural detailing

and the extravagance of a front garden.

But even the cottages built for the lower-class workers

included little luxuries.

Titus provided small back yards for all of the homes,

something quite unusual at the time.

This extra space gave light and ventilation

for better living conditions.

Back in modern-day Saltaire, progress is slow going.

Bad news on the sander.

I thought it was going to be easier, but...

Nicholas has spent all morning trying to strip paint

from a salvaged table.

How long have we got?

Not long enough.

At home, Nicholas is a dab hand at turning trash into treasure.

This was found under the arches of Charing Cross

and it was literally going begging.

If I can find it cheaper or find it for free, or pick it off a skip,

I'll do it.

Unfortunately for Nicholas, there are no second-hand short cuts when

it comes to the sliding mechanism for his Japanese rice screen.

That has to be built from scratch.

By the end of today, I'd like to get the slider up on the ceiling

and get the ceiling painted.

I've not been to a Japanese tearoom.

You have to sit on the floor and if I sat on the floor I'd never get up

-again.

-You can sit on the floor, but I want a proper pillow.

Good old builder's tea you want, don't you?

I'm on Lapsang Souchong,

so I suppose I'm getting in the spirit of things.

Yeah. Yeah.

'Slider is up and we are very happy.'

I think it's just a copy of Japanese style.

It's come from his head but there is nothing from his heart.

I disagree. I think he's been inventive using the Japanese themes.

To give his living room a modern Scandi makeover,

James is sticking with a very muted, minimal scheme.

-This is the wallpaper that we're using.

-Where's the paper going?

It's going across sideways.

-OK.

-Across the bottom of the wall. Like that.

All the way round the room?

-Yeah.

-It looks great.

James may be brimming with imaginative ideas but when it comes

to assertiveness, he's in short supply.

I think that in order to be successfully creative,

you tend to have to have the opposite personality to what I have.

You have to be a little bit shouty, a little bit "look at me".

There's a part of me that wants to say, "Look at what I can do."

Then there's another part that's like,

"Shhh, no, I don't want the attention."

Part of the competition is me facing that fear head on.

Determined to prove his design capabilities,

James has come up with not only some shelving for the alcoves...

So basically, just put this cupboard onto the side of that.

..but also a cupboard door that transforms into a small desk.

-Be nice if it works.

-Yeah, if it works.

-If I get time to do it all.

-Right.

And if that wasn't enough of a workload,

James has an ambitious plan to fix his client's armchair.

I said to you, "Leave that there, don't touch anything."

And while I went to get my pinning gun, you ripped all the wood out.

I thought I was trying to help. I was trying to be helpful.

This is going to take me longer.

Sorry, I thought I was helping.

Things are running more smoothly over at Anna's.

It's going on really well, I'm really happy with that.

The faux wood wallpaper is already going up.

So Anna can start work on her pet project.

I'm making a birdcage lampshade to go on the ceiling.

So, lots of cutting and moulding of the wire.

I'm on schedule at the minute.

Happy with how things are going in terms of this,

that I want to be ready for when the electrician comes tomorrow.

When it comes to both her home and her work life,

Anna is a formidable planner.

I'm a great believer in a list.

I worked as a PA for many, many years,

so I had to manage not only my time but other people's time, as well,

and I'm quite good under pressure.

So when we're up against it, it's amazing what can be done.

Hello.

Hello.

What's going on here? You've got a stuffed budgie.

I have. I'm making a birdcage lamp to go on the ceiling.

I was quite surprised at that.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

Especially for a young 30-year-old bachelor.

Do you think that you have covered the brief?

-I hope so.

-Not hoping so, you've got to know so.

No, I know I have.

Kelly, I have done many apartments for young bachelors and, frankly,

I've never, ever heard one of them ask for a birdcage with stuffed

-budgerigars in.

-Listen, you never know,

you never know, time will tell.

He might walk in and go, "Oh, my God,

"I've always wanted stuffed fake birds in a cage to look at."

Our designers are almost at the end of day one.

But with less than two days to go there's still a lot of work to do

before those rooms are ready for the judges.

Wow, five past six?

Seriously? It doesn't feel like I've done very much at all.

I'm sure you wouldn't normally upholster a sofa with gaffer tape.

But I don't know, I don't know.

Today's gone quick.

-ANNA:

-Oh, wow, that looks great.

Yeah, it's coming along nicely now.

Hopefully that'll be done before we go home today.

I feel great. We've got two walls wallpapered.

Fitted cupboards nearly done in the alcoves.

Made a light fitting.

The team are all prepped and know what to do tomorrow morning,

so I'm feeling really positive.

-NICHOLAS:

-That is brilliant.

It works.

'End of day one, exhausted,'

competitive spirit is starting to kick in.

HE HUMS TO HIMSELF

Oh, it's that way.

It's the start of day two

and our designers are keen to get back to work

to try and earn themselves a place in the next round.

-Hello.

-Good morning.

Anna is starting the day with her list.

So, you're going to finish off the cupboard first of all,

-and then move on to the coffee table.

-Yeah.

-Brilliant.

Morning, men, morning, Johnny, morning, Dean.

Nicholas is waiting for his carpet to arrive.

The flooring is booked for as late as possible.

If they come earlier, that really is going to hold us up.

And perfectionist James is obsessing over details.

I would have just preferred it to be right in the centre.

That's just me being really picky.

Yeah, thank you.

OK, cool, thanks.

Top of Nicholas's to-do list this morning is to start building

his Japanese rice-paper screen.

I'm very happy, yes. This is... This is looking good.

This is looking Japanese at the moment.

-All right?

-Hello, there.

Well, I think I've got my wonderful carpet fitter here...

..who I wasn't expecting until this afternoon.

-Really?

-Yeah, the last job of the day, I was promised.

Well, that's the only job we've got today.

-So, it is your last job.

-Yeah.

So you've only got one job today,

I suppose then it's pretty accurate that they're here now.

Just put it out in the alleyway.

So, it's out with the Shoji screen and in with the new flooring.

It is better than I expected.

It's going to look amazing.

Yes.

The transformation of Anna's bachelor pad is well under way.

So, she's cracking on with the soft furnishings.

I've got that gorgeous, big sofa downstairs, plain grey,

that needs a bit of livening up, in my opinion.

Do you know, it is quite girlie.

It's quite feminine.

I just love a shot of pink in interiors.

I'm conscious that obviously the homeowner is a single gentleman,

so I didn't want to use too much of it.

So, plough on and just get his reaction when he sees it.

Downstairs, the first coat of grey paint is going up.

It looks a bit bluer than I thought it would, actually.

-We both said.

-It looks grey on the tin, doesn't it?

It looks a lot lighter.

It will dry back a bit.

Yeah, OK.

I'm hoping that it loses some of the blueness as it dries out.

-Hey.

-Hello.

-You've moved really quickly.

You've got the wallpaper on the walls.

Is that going on all the walls?

No, I've done grey on the other two walls.

Is that the undercoat for the corners?

-No. I am...

-Are you sure that's...?

..a little concerned that it's too blue.

The problem with paint is,

until you actually, physically get it and put it up,

depending on where the light's coming from,

it's going to change colour.

But the colour of that wall and that wall

-is going to make or break your wallpaper.

-Yeah.

That paint, it's not right, is it?

The paint is definitely not right.

Those walls are blue.

I don't care how you look at it, they are now blue.

The paint on Nicholas's table is also still causing trouble.

Up the creek without a paddle.

Bit like a G string, isn't it?

Even with the rougher sandpaper...

..it's still not smooth sailing.

Right, weary old person has to sit down.

And just to dampen Nicholas's spirit even further...

It's now raining. So, the famous coffee table is now soaking wet.

I just need ten more minutes of sunshine.

I have to find somewhere to paint under shelter.

Rain has also forced James indoors.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Busy?

-Very. Yes, trying to get the undercoat on this.

You've had an entire day now.

You've got a fireplace painted and you've got some of the walls done,

but I think the corners haven't been cut in yet.

There's still quite a lot to do.

By the end of today, we should be a lot further down the line, so,

-fingers crossed.

-Timing's an issue.

-Yeah.

-You've got to keep on top of it.

OK, I'll keep that in mind.

It is really clear now that James is on the pursuit of perfection.

But the result could mean huge delays.

-I'm really worried about him.

-I wish I was that laid-back.

I mean, life would just all seem so much better.

I would say that the judges are being overanxious on my behalf.

I have faith that it will come together

and everything will be on time.

LOUD CRASH

-Sugar.

-I think the fireplace decided to throw itself on the floor.

-How did it fall?

-It was freestanding.

You've not leaned it on the wall.

We now have minor damage to the edge

and a little bit here.

It's not the end of the world,

it just means that it needs to be painted again.

-Because there's plenty of time!

-HE LAUGHS

Although the judges are keeping an eye on the designers' ability to

juggle budget and timings,

they're also keen to test their imaginations.

You know what it is, don't you?

It's what's called a creative challenge.

So, the competitors are about to be given something surprising to

creatively incorporate into their scheme.

-You are in a mill town.

-Yes.

-So, of course,

I'm going to give you bobbins

for you to do something beautifully creative.

-How does that sound?

-Yeah, it sounds OK.

-You've got a lot to do.

-I'm sure I can come up with something.

And you've got three hours. Grab those.

So no deliberating. You've got to start this now, OK?

Good luck.

Thank you.

Bobbins.

I have no idea, no idea at all.

Wow, OK.

Unlike the men, Anna knows exactly what she wants to do.

Use these as handles on the alcove doors.

We've got three hours before the judges come back.

Anna's simple solution is to use the head of the bobbin as a handle

for her cupboard doors.

Love it.

With the challenge in hand, Anna moves on to another crafty project,

decorating a table she's made from sleepers with a butterfly motif.

I am applying some decoupage to the top of this coffee table.

I go over it with my finger with more glue.

The more coats that you do,

the better seal you'll have for protecting the piece.

James, meanwhile, has finally had a flash of inspiration

for his challenge.

I'm thinking about incorporating the bobbins into the lamp

I was going to do with the copper piping.

By using a copper light shade he'd already purchased,

James plans to run an electrical wire through the bobbins

so they stack together and form a lamp stand.

It has kind of pushed time back a little bit, so,

we'll get this out of the way and crack back on with the plan.

A few doors down,

Nicholas has cut the tops off his bobbins and flipped the top of his

table to create an homage to a Japanese board game.

It solved my problem of the table

that didn't want to be sanded on the top.

And it's used up my leftover flooring.

I think we could say I'm quietly confident.

To add to the pressure,

judges Kelly and Dan will be taking into account the winner of the

creative challenge in their final deliberations.

Guys, are we going to be long with that door? Let's get it hung.

Got one left, so I'm just displaying it in this nice dome.

-Hi.

-Hello.

Time's up. Three hours.

What have you got for the creative challenge?

Right, I've got some handles for my cupboards,

I've used the ends of the spools for those.

-So you've cut the ends off?

-Yes. We had one bobbin left.

So, because this house is of the Victorian era,

I brought a couple of glass domes with me.

I love that. I love this idea.

I think that's really good.

While Nicholas has a dress rehearsal

with his ever so slightly made-up Japanese game...

I'm going to go there.

I didn't see that coming, I've got to say.

..James is perfecting his lamp.

-Sugar.

-Don't keep twisting it, because you'll rip the wires out.

OK. Cool.

You've taken what you planned to do,

which was a copper light with a copper stand,

and put in the bobbins there instead.

I think it's inventive and creative.

-Hello, Nicholas.

-Good afternoon.

Too much.

It's a Japanese tea house mind strategy game,

and you have these counters.

That's East and that is West.

Very convincing if it isn't true.

I think this looks beautiful.

I think we should conclude on the creative challenge competition

and I have a feeling you're going to agree with me. Nicholas.

Definitely. 100%.

I mean, it was the most creative.

It's that great lateral thinking...

He's thinking outside of the box, and it was, it was impressive,

and it was refreshing.

Nicholas isn't the first man to spin a yarn

or bring a little ingenuity to Saltaire,

Titus Salt was determined to put his village at the forefront

of healthy living.

Good hygeine was paramount when designing these homes.

Boot scrapers were built into every house to stop the outside world from

coming inside and spreading disease.

The homes had the added bonus of a built-in outside privy

like this one here. To keep his model village looking at its best,

Sir Titus refused to allow washing to be hung in back yards.

He considered it to be unsightly.

To stop such bad behaviour, he built a washhouse that his workers had to

use twice a week.

Caring humanist, or a bit of a control freak?

Though not quite as commanding as Titus,

some of the designers are also marshalling their delegation skills.

Cut in there.

Nicholas has the decorator

putting up the first coat of light green paint.

That's the cover.

And the electrician's constructing the new light fitting.

Then you just put your live and your neutral...

HE LAUGHS

..into that, aren't you?

I think the delegating aspect of my nature has

grown in volume as I've got older and more incapacitated.

And I just love to not be in charge, but to get things done.

Just don't look at me like that, just get on.

-Hi, Nicholas.

-Hello.

Bit sticky hands from rubber gloves.

-Yeah, really.

-I can see that there is a hive of industry going on here.

You've got everybody delegated and working.

This is because you're in production and theatre, isn't it?

Nobody stands still, and if they do stand still I do want to know why.

-And you'll put a brush in their hands.

-Absolutely.

Well, you need to, because having looked at your presentation, there

is so much going on in there that, I have to say, I'm slightly concerned.

This is a very, very small room, and East meets West is very Zen,

minimalism, and then adding, you know, one amazing piece.

You like the stage, you like the show,

you like something that's one look.

And this is not East meets West, is it?

It's just East.

What is there to do?

We still need to do flooring, shelving.

At James', alarm bells are starting to ring.

-The beading.

-The sofa.

Oh, yeah, the beading, and with the doors and the pull-out table,

and they will all need several coats of primer before the final coat.

Work quicker, Jo, come on.

Already halfway through the 48 hours

and James hasn't got his wallpaper up or his flooring down.

And the shelving hasn't even started.

The shelving itself, minus the doors,

what kind of timescale are we talking on that?

-To get them all up?

-Yes.

-That's probably going to take me until

the end of the day. You probably should start prioritising things,

because there is a hell of a lot to do and not much time.

OK, all right.

-No need to panic.

-I'm not panicking, it's fine.

I've only got a little bit of time left. I do need to focus.

Things do need to come together a little bit quicker than they are

doing at present, so the pressure's building now,

and you might see me panic very soon.

It's not just James' delegation skills under pressure.

Basically, I don't think I have enough wood to put an entire strip

up the side here.

He also hasn't budgeted enough for materials.

We've got, like, two sets of sheet left

-and I haven't even started on that side.

-OK.

We're probably going to need some more.

If we run out of wood there's not a lot more you can do, is there?

It's nearly the end of day two

and there's still plenty for our designers to do

if they want to earn a place in the quarterfinals.

To stay on track, Nicholas needs to get his two-tone green

geometric design painted up as quick as possible.

Have we got any light green left at all?

I've got hardly any at all.

Unfortunately, Nicholas is all out of light green paint.

Right, OK.

-Can't be helped.

-It is what it is.

So that will get done tomorrow.

Too late in the day to order new paint,

it's a setback he could do without.

It's putting on a show. And the curtain is going to go up

and it's got to be ready.

Over at Anna's, it's the reverse story.

Her new grey paint has finally arrived.

That's a much nicer colour.

It's not blue. Let's get it on.

It's all hands on deck to get a coat on before the end of the day.

There's still really a lot to do.

Compared to yesterday, today has been quite stressful.

I think we're a little bit behind schedule.

Ideally, either the flooring or the shelving should have been finished

by the end of today.

Desperate to make up time,

James is in for a long night of upholstering back at the hotel.

I am panicking inside.

Tomorrow, you might see panicking on the outside.

You might see me actually running around screaming

and shouting and stuff.

It's the last day and with the prospect of a

place in the quarterfinals at stake, the pressure is on.

Today, the judges will have to decide which designer will be

leaving the competition.

-Morning, men.

-Morning.

A little bit tired today.

I was up until quarter to six in the morning

upholstering an armchair.

Still lots to do. So I'll have to find energy from somewhere.

It was a late night, but I did manage to get most things done.

So, I'm feeling OK, I'm feeling positive. Everybody,

hopefully, is on track. So,

yeah, it'll all soon be over.

Are we going to get through?

At Nicholas's, the furniture has arrived.

Sayonara.

And so has a delivery of green paint.

Gentlemen, I personally am not worrying. Is anyone worrying?

-No.

-I think we are absolutely on top of things.

Despite Nicholas's confidence, there's still plenty to do,

including using a laser level to draw a diagonal paint effect.

This is the most brilliant thing that I have ever seen.

My gob has never been so smacked.

Come on, chop chop.

That's Chinese.

Zhu zhong, zhu zhong!

With no time to wait for the paint to dry,

Nicholas pushes on with his fabric door hanging.

What does that look like at the bottom?

It looks good, it looks good, just get on with it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, here I am, holding the Oriental hanging,

because I have one craftsman on this side with a roller,

and I have one craftsman on this side with a varnish brush.

-ANNA:

-I'm at the bottom if you want to pass me one.

Unsurprisingly, at Anna's bachelor pad,

everything is running with military precision.

I think that would be great, and then the mirror will

come to about there, which I think is perfect.

-Doable, isn't it?

-Yeah.

We've got to get the blind up, we've got to get the pelmet up,

we've got to get the mirror finished and up.

We've just got to crack on and do as much as we can.

OK, lovely. Let's get this pelmet up.

Start at the centre, and the last bit is just popping the returns back.

Fabulous.

So, Anna's brief was to create a modern bachelor's pad.

What I'm worried about is that he's going to end up with something that

really doesn't suit him and is all about her.

Well, we're not sure, he might walk in and absolutely love it.

Do you know many men in this world that like a butterfly decoupage on

railway sleeper coffee tables?

In James' room, there's still much to do,

but two key features are under way.

The Scandi chic laminate floor is going down.

And the horizontal wallpaper is going up.

Do you not have any other wall?

-Yeah.

-There's a point.

Sorry, Stu. Yeah, Stu can just hold the other end.

-How kind of high do you want the paper?

-That's about right.

-Do you want it any higher than that?

-No, that's fine.

Can you just give a rough pencil mark? Perfect.

Top priority today is everything.

I want the room to look the way it should look.

We need to get the flooring down.

We need to finish the shelving, paint the shelving, wallpaper,

wallpaper trim, we're going to be up against the wire, but...

What's your priorities in terms of getting everything done in time?

I need to get this floor down.

We've got a lot to do, but I've got a lot of faith in you, Stuart,

so don't let me down.

I guess.

THEY LAUGH

While the builder and decorator prioritise the big tasks...

..James is distracted by some blinds.

It's the least of our worries just yet, isn't it?

So...

No, it's about the little details.

Well, you know, we've got to get the paper on and everything else, first.

With the flooring finished, the builder can move to his next task,

constructing James's flip-out desk.

We still need to paint the shelving but I want to wait.

-You can do that now if you want.

-I can do that now?

-Yeah.

I'm going to do that now.

This is the piece de resistance.

It's a lift-up desk.

So, basically it stores away

and saves taking up the space all the time,

so she can pull it out to write on it, it's a writing desk,

and when she doesn't want to, she can just put it away.

So, Tracey wanted a minimalist room?

Well, she just wanted a nice, simple, classic, Scandinavian look,

slightly washed out.

But his presentation was immaculate.

It was almost like a book and he had sort of drawn everything up,

and created these semi-models where you could open cupboards.

A man who likes detail, then?

-Oh.

-100%.

-It became very clear.

The problem is, he is so slow.

And he is just not getting worried about the time factor.

Guys, can you clean the floor

so I can put rice paper all over it, please?

Really would be grateful.

With time running out,

Nicholas still has his rice-paper screen to make.

We're very narrow.

So I'm just praying.

A very tight margin.

Oh, no.

Are you ready for a full erection?

-I'm ready for it.

-OK.

Well, I'm coming up.

So, how's Nick's Japanese room coming along?

He's a theatre guy. And he really has turned it into a production.

-Shoji screens.

-Is it the full Mikado?

-Yes, it's a full Mikado.

-100%.

We sort of loved the idea of seeing it,

but somebody's got to live with it.

Anna adds her final flourishes,

from floral cushions...

Butterflies facing that way.

..to her coffee table and birdcage lampshade.

I'm feeling really panicked,

because I want to get this last bird on here.

Her £1,000 budget is spent.

-If you could get this up for me, that would be amazing.

-OK.

Anna's 48 hours are now up.

We're done.

We managed to get most things done

and the room just looks absolutely fabulous.

I'm really, really pleased.

Anna's brief was to create a grey and green bachelor pad

with a dining area.

48 hours ago, the room was basic with very little decoration.

Now it's got a contemporary feel.

Anna's muted grey scheme is reflected in her feature wallpaper.

And is complemented with bursts of greens.

Her spatial planning has allowed her to add a place for Joseph to eat

and a cocktail bar for entertaining.

Finally, Anna's signature craft touches.

Her handmade cushions, butterfly coffee table

and birdcage light add a natural twist to her scheme.

Wow. The paint colour looks OK.

It does, actually, and it's dark enough to set this wallpaper off.

It works very well. I think, also, just looking at the dining table,

clever idea to use a small, round table

because it means she could squeeze it in.

And the bar in the corner works beautifully well, as well.

And, again, having it there stretches the eye.

Absolutely. I love that whole corner.

I think it works. It's very masculine with the bar.

Having said that, there are a lot of things that I'm not happy with.

I mean, I'm sort of speechless.

It's very feminine.

Kelly, she's glued decoupage butterflies on his coffee table.

I don't understand how that comes into the brief.

This... I mean, you know, I'm sorry, she's not thinking about him at all.

As a designer, she's got two things right.

On time and on budget.

But she's taken it too far.

She's not thought about her client and has given a young man

a very feminine room.

The homeowner's opinion will be taken into consideration by

the judges when they make their final decision.

It's a really good reflection of the mood board that I presented

to the homeowner,

so hopefully there are not too many surprises there for him.

Yeah, I'm sure he'll love it.

-Welcome to your bachelor pad.

-Wow.

It's amazing.

I'm slightly lost for words, as well, actually, yeah,

not what I expected at all.

So, what do you make of the, shall we call them, quirky features?

We've got the table here.

It wouldn't necessarily be something that I'd choose myself,

but it's quite a nice touch and it adds some colour.

And then above it? You can't avoid it.

No, it's very different, but...I really like it.

Nicholas's deadline is drawing close.

The paint has dried so the curtain, at last,

can be lifted on his theatrical Japanese room.

Who untied these?

Nicholas's 48 hours are up.

Seeing the room

complete, as I envisaged it,

was good.

Nicholas's homeowner asked for a Zen Japanese space to retreat to

and use as a therapy room.

Before, the room's style was cosy cottage.

Now, it's a heavenly homage to the Far East.

Nicholas has used a serene sage green on the walls

and a peaceful pale blue in the alcoves.

The large television has been hidden behind a draped kimono.

And the handmade Shoji screen filters the light from the window.

Touches of the Orient complete the look

from tied cushions to a water feature.

Wow.

There's so much to take in.

The cleverest thing for me that he's done is the Shoji panel,

because that just screams Japan.

Wow, wow, wow.

This is just so clever, actually.

I love that, because it's going to work as a curtain over the window,

and that slides out the way.

I also love this little short kimono we have here hiding the TV.

I love this, because it's very graphic and it's very modern.

And at the same time, by having it on an angle

it stretches the eye.

I certainly feel incredibly relaxed in here.

The only thing I really don't understand,

and it is a bit Chinese takeaway,

is this thing in the corner. What is it for?

And that tie-back at the top, it's just one bit too many.

In terms of a negative for me, the cushions, the colour doesn't work.

-It's too bright.

-And I think this is not necessary.

I think the simpler the better if it's Japanese in design.

The question remains, though,

will the homeowner feel that this Far East design has gone too far?

This encapsulates everything that the brief required.

I think Kelly will be pleased.

Right, come into your little patch of Tokyo in Saltaire.

Wow.

It's amazing.

It feels completely different.

It is literally like walking into a different house.

Even the cushions have been wrapped in the same way

that my dream board was. I love it.

You'll have to get busy with the Japanese tea serving.

-That's what I'm going to do this evening.

-Put the kettle on.

I will.

Now time is running out fast for James,

but the list of jobs hasn't.

The shelves and skirting boards still need painting,

the front door needs to go on, and the copper feature, the curtains

and floating shelves all still need to go up.

But for James, his 48 hours have finally run out.

It's not finished. So...

Yeah.

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

Bit disappointed we didn't finish, but we'll see.

James's brief was to create a calming, Scandi-chic living room.

Before, the space felt cramped by cluttered shelving

and dominated by dark sofas.

Now it feels light, airy and spacious.

The white wood laminate floor reflects light

and James' unusual horizontal wallpaper adds texture and interest.

The new seating and re-upholstered armchair

give a sense of calm and comfort.

And, finally, James has added hints of rose pink

and copper to the accessories,

with plenty of new shelving and a hidden writing desk.

Wow.

Isn't it extraordinary, actually, how much bigger this feels

to some of the other cottages?

Well, it's because it's lighter,

and he's made cupboards that are quite tall.

But the MDF's not painted.

I know, there is a lot that is not finished.

Door's missing.

It's not finished.

I know.

The wallpaper that he's done low down, that's really interesting.

Colours look great. I love the chair.

James has had a lot of really cool ideas.

A normal cupboard, but if you lift it up,

pull out the hinge...

I've got it, yeah.

This is the sort of innovation that we want from the designers,

not just dressing the space, but making it useful and practical.

It's very, very clever. Because it's a small space.

-I know.

-His vision, I think, has been quite good.

And I think that he has listened to the brief,

it's just that it's not finished.

Hopefully the homeowner will like it,

but I am a little bit disappointed that not everything was finished.

It would have been really cool if everything was completed.

But...hey ho.

Oh, my goodness.

-Wow.

-Well, you wanted something light and bright and it is light.

Yeah, it's definitely light, and it's definitely bright.

My God, it's a massive difference.

It feels bigger, as well.

Obviously, the elephant in the room is that it's not finished.

Yes. It's a shame,

because, obviously,

from that angle it's beautiful.

But, yeah, it's just a shame, from a time management point of view,

that hasn't been done.

So, have the designers wowed the judges?

What did you think of Anna's room?

She was very good with her spatial planning, I thought.

Plus she got a dining table and a bar in there.

It did feel cosy. And she had created a home.

And that is a hard thing to do.

But I just felt it was so feminine.

But I want to know, how did he like it when he walked in?

Medium-loved it. You know, the fact that he had a coffee table

with butterflies and caterpillars on it,

he said he could learn to like it.

What about Nicholas's room? You were both a little bit worried that it

might be a bit themey.

There were elements of it that I thought were overdone and it wasn't

-balanced enough.

-It was a contrast.

Some of it was superb, but some of it was edging on tacky.

But overall, the quality was very high.

So, did she love it?

Loved it.

James, did he deliver Scandi style?

I think James gave an incredible presentation.

But where he really fell down and disappointed

was actually finishing the project.

What I will say is he was inventive.

And I thought that he made the room seem bigger than any of the other

-cottages that I'd been in.

-Go on, what did she think?

She liked it, though she was obviously disappointed that it

wasn't finished, very disappointed it wasn't finished.

So, three really very different,

very imaginative schemes in three very small rooms.

Now all the designers can do is wait for the judges to decide who will be

leaving the competition.

I am quite nervous about what the judges will say.

I'm hoping they'll love it.

-NICHOLAS:

-After all this work...

I really don't want to fail.

-JAMES:

-Trying not to think about the outcome.

I wouldn't want to hazard a guess.

We'll just see what happens.

Sir Titus Salt built Saltaire

to improve the conditions for his workers.

I like to think you three have captured

just a little bit of his spirit.

Anna, I think you're brilliant at spatial planning.

I bet you didn't expect me to say that, actually,

but you absolutely are. You made that room work very well.

-Very impressed.

-James...

your presentation was extraordinary.

Your detail in the presentation was unbelievable.

Nicholas, you're extremely organised, but you know that,

but, actually, as a result,

you are able to make very elegant and cohesive schemes.

Only two designers can go through to the next round.

And the first designer going through is...

Nicholas.

The second designer going through...

..is James.

So, Anna, I'm afraid we won't be seeing you in the next round.

I'm gutted to be leaving the competition.

I really had not hoped to go out in the first stage.

And I'd like you to know that I've really, really loved it.

It's been great.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm all right, do you like it?

I do, it's great. Thank you so much.

I'm so glad that you like it.

-DANIEL:

-Anna's an extremely able designer.

And not only that, she got it on time and she got it on budget.

And it looks great.

But she was creating something that I've seen before.

And she was also designing for herself.

It was her sense of style.

Well done.

-JAMES:

-'It's a mixed bag of emotions'

right now. There's a kind of

a disbelief and shock.

'I really did think I was going home.'

I didn't think I would get through because we didn't finish the room,

but, hey, here I am, and I intend to fight another day.

People at home might think that because he failed to deliver on time

that we've made the wrong decision.

But I disagree, because

I think somebody who has great design ability, it's really rare.

And, for me, you can't learn that.

You can learn to be on time.

Hello.

-Do you like it?

-Yeah, I love it, I do, I really love it.

Shame... Shame it isn't finished.

-Yeah. I know, I know, I know.

-But, yeah, no, it looks lovely.

Really lovely.

Bit shellshocked about the whole thing.

It's been one hell of a day.

'I think going through probably knocked me speechless.'

I was thrilled.

Was it everything you expected?

Everything and more.

I just love it so much.

Nicholas delivers in budget

and he delivered an extraordinary design concept.

But what I hope going forward is that Nicholas can show that he's

not only capable of doing a theme type of design,

because that is not always reality.

Sir Titus Salt cemented his legacy when he built Saltaire.

And in taking on these small living spaces and creating something really

special for the modern-day residents,

our designers have left behind their own small legacy

in this patch of West Yorkshire.

Next time, guest bedrooms in Gothic revival cottages.

-Wow.

-What a serene space.

But reviving these bedchambers is beset with difficulties.

Ow!

I haven't actually done this before.

It sort of looks like a rather grand cat litter to me.