Episode 5 Your Home In Their Hands

Would you hand over your front door keys to complete strangers...

I can't believe what we've done.

Cooee!

..in exchange for a massive makeover?

Red sky at night.

I'm not sure I would.

Different people have different tastes.

I'm Celia Sawyer and I've been an interior designer for a decade.

In this series, I'll be introducing families at the end

of their decorating tether...

We just can't move forward. Everybody's ideas are so different.

..to interior designers who are desperate to help.

Yes!

The plug for the light.

But these designers are not professionals.

Let's just hope they like space films, eh?

In fact, they're complete amateurs.

-They've wrecked that room.

-That is different.

-What have we done?

-They may have passion...

I know about composition, dude.

..they might even have vision...

I like to create a temple of hope.

And lovely colours, lovely colours, lovely colours.

..but I'm giving them just five days to do the job.

You beauty.

My question is, will it be tears of joy...

-Wow.

-Oh, look at this.

Couldn't wish for anything better.

..or just plain tears?

I'm regretting it.

He's going to hate it.

People think interior design is easy, but it's not.

My career took off after I designed my own home and people sat up

and took notice.

Now I get to travel the world

and work with clients designing homes worth millions.

But whether you're an amateur or a professional,

the basic rules are exactly the same.

It's very, very important as an interior designer

that you don't just create a pretty room, that you actually

think about practicalities, get the technical side right.

These are all key elements for a good design.

Now, I'm exposing keen interior design amateurs

to the world of the professional.

Whilst my friends are out in the park playing football,

I was the one sat indoors watching interior design programmes.

Having only done up their places,

they're at the same point I was when I launched my career.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on someone else's home.

So I'm hooking them up with families stuck in design stalemates,

to see whether they've what it takes.

It's a brave experiment for all concerned, as the designers

and families won't meet until it's all over.

This week, I'm between Fareham on the south coast

and Harrow in northwest London, trying to breathe some

interior design life into the homes of two desperate families.

First, it's to Fareham, where just a short walk from the beach

live the Parkers.

Jo, Russell, and their two boys,

William and Tom, who are seven and ten.

But the look of their home has been causing some conflict.

We've been at the house now for six years and ever

since we've moved here, we've basically been at loggerheads

ever since, on how to decorate the house.

I've got my taste, Russ has got his taste

and it just doesn't seem to be working

when we come to making decisions on how to decorate the rooms.

I'm a florist, so I like to sort of create lovely things.

I love experimenting with colours.

Unfortunately, I'm married to Captain Sensible.

I like things simple, no fuss, just basic.

Creams or whites, that sort of thing.

I feel like I've spent my entire married life trying to persuade

Russell that we can do something creative in the house, we can inject

some colour and, unfortunately, Russ has just sort of

spent his entire...

My whole married life has been spent dodging that bullet.

So, it's obviously true that opposites attract.

I have a mantra that... "May there always be pebbles in your pocket

"and sand in your shoes" -

and I would love to bring the beach more into our home.

I don't know what that's all about.

We all love the beach, but the beach is fine where it is,

it's a short walk down the road, we can all go and enjoy it

when we want and come back and settle down to the house as it is.

Faced with the immovable object that is Captain Sensible,

Jo has decided to reach out for help.

This is a huge gamble -

inviting some amateur interior designers into the home,

but I just feel that if it's a way of getting Russ to see that it would

work, introducing more creativity, more colours, more textures.

If he's not going to trust me, then I'm hoping he's going to trust them.

Before these amateurs get here, I want to have a good

nose around and see the problems for myself.

-Hello.

-Hi, Jo, I'm Celia.

-Hi.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

This is our room.

Ah, it's quite neutral, isn't it?

-Yes, surprise, surprise.

-Nice and safe. That's how I like it.

So what is it you...? What doesn't work in here for you?

I've got this idea of a room with a view

and if it can be incorporated in this room, it would be fantastic.

So that's sort of, like,

bringing, preferably, a beach scene into the room.

I just think it would look lovely.

Let's push the boundaries a little bit, let's go for it.

He's sweating a bit, isn't he?

I can't... Yeah, you see, it's difficult to see...

I think I might get my way here definitely, I hope so, anyway.

I think a change, a change is needed now in this room, definitely.

OK, well, that's good.

You agree on something, so agree to disagree on the rest, I guess.

Yes, yeah.

A room with a view. That's a clear brief from Jo, at least,

but will they agree on the other room?

So, this is the kid's room.

They both sleep together,

they've got bunk beds which are, er...yeah, which are good.

Yeah, definitely. No, they use it a lot.

I mean, they do come downstairs a lot, but they do like their den and

I think that's what we'd like the interior designers to really let

their imaginations run wild, create something really special for them.

Want to bring their mates back and upstairs.

-So anything goes?

-Absolutely anything goes.

Oh, I do like a brave brief.

Let's hope they don't live to regret it.

Hand over those keys. Off you go.

-Cheers, thank you.

-Bye.

-Have fun.

Jo and Russell now have two nail-biting days

before returning to see the first two rooms.

Bye, see you.

Up until now, they've had no idea who they're

letting into their precious home.

So, I suppose I'd better show them.

First up is Sara,

an events producer who specialises in fashion catwalk shows.

My style is about glamour, but it's a kind of mix of all

different styles and then bringing them all together

into a huge melange.

Oh, my word. What is that?

One thing you won't get from me is beige.

En masse, I love bold statement colours.

You guys are really lucky to have me, cos I've got

so many ideas that I haven't even tried out in my house

and I can't wait to try them out in yours.

OK. My heart... I'm having slight heart palpitations now.

I think, "Bring back beige, it's all forgiven!"

That's nice.

We've solved the problem before the second designer's even got in.

And here he is - Zyg. He used to work in the movies.

In my previous life, I was a model-maker in the film industry,

so my style is based on familiar and famous films.

-Crikey.

-Oh, my gosh.

I cannot stand conventional.

Why live in a boring home when you can live in a movie set?

The one thing I can promise you is I'm going to surprise you.

Oh, my word!

I'm actually quite scared now.

Oh, my goodness, we could be coming back to something,

like, so way out there.

I know I was up for a change but, you know.

Aha! The bedroom.

The amateurs have had floor plans ahead of time,

but it's only fair they see what they're getting themselves into.

For big kid Zyg, there's a budget of £4,000 for the boys' room...

OK, no problem. Do something with this.

..and the same for Sara in the master bedroom.

I mean, it's quite pretty, but it's boring, isn't it?

I mean, the colour has just got to come in somehow.

They've been given info on the family and their design

dilemmas, but I need to make sure they totally understand the brief.

-Meet Sara.

-Oh, you're a man.

Not sure what to say about that, but hello.

-Hello to you too.

-Take a seat.

-Thank you.

-So it's the master bedroom that you're doing, Sara, isn't it?

-Yes.

And it is quite bland in there, isn't it?

And I know that Jo is really keen to bring in some

personality into the rooms.

I can definitely bring them something more exciting.

Zyg, how are you feeling about your room?

-Cos you're doing the children's room.

-I am.

-Yeah.

I'm interested, I'm definitely excited.

Jo and Russ said, "Let your imagination run wild."

How does that sound?

It's a blank canvas and my forte is to make things theatrical

and entertaining, so that's what I'm aiming for.

Sounds good. Sounds exciting.

This is going to be fun.

We've got Sara, who's really, really confident,

let's hope she can walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

And we've got Zyg, who's completely theatrical and creative.

Completely different people, two separate rooms, should be

really fun to watch.

As well as working on their individual rooms,

Sara and Zyg's talents will be tested further

when they have to collaborate on the beige living room later in the week.

80 miles away in Harrow, northwest London, this ground floor

Victorian flat is the cramped and cluttered home of our next couple,

newlywed teachers Zaheed and Ceri.

The flat's, um, yeah, it's messy, it's cramped.

The reason why it's not our own is

because most of the stuff, they're hand-me-downs from my mother-in-law.

The heart of their problem is that when Zaheed moved in,

Ceri was already sharing the flat with her mum.

She actually helped me in buying the place with a deposit.

A year later, we got married,

so a lot of our resources kind of went on those two big events.

Six months later, Zaheed's mother-in-law moved out,

but she kept a massive presence in their lives.

She kept her room.

Even though she's been gone all that time, we've never actually

touched the room, partly because of the lack of time

and not really being able to afford to do it ourselves,

but also because Mum still comes to visit and we don't really

want her to feel like we've pushed her out or anything like that.

-No.

-No.

It's like a wee kind of shrine to her almost, isn't it, that bedroom?

A shrine? I'd call it a waste of valuable space.

This smallish flat is already bursting at the seams with

second-hand furniture.

Basically, we're sort of stuck living in a hand-me-down hell.

There's certainly one thing that we'd probably want to throw

away quite quickly, er, it's the sofa.

The reason we haven't got rid of the sofa is

because it was something that we inherited from my mum

and she was a massive fan of the sofa, but, unfortunately,

the orange and yellow doesn't quite fit with what we're going for.

It sounds like these busy young schoolteachers need to make

this place their own.

But first, I need to give it the once-over

before the amateurs are set loose.

So, it's straight through hand-me-down hell into the shrine.

This is our spare room which we still call Mum's room.

It's nice, innit?

-And how often does she come here - Mum?

-About once a month.

It would be really sensible to try and use this space, wouldn't it?

So that you've got a bit more space, cos you're the ones living here

at the end of the day, not her any more.

I just don't want to get it wrong once it's changed.

-It's about respect?

-Yes, exactly what it is.

What would be the ideal scenario in here?

Well, we need somewhere to actually do our schoolwork,

cos we do teach and we do mark a lot, so it would be nice to actually

find the space away from the living room where we can do that.

What about style? Ceri?

I think it would be a shame to put any dark colours in this room,

as it is such a light and airy room as it is.

Thankfully, the issues in the next room have nothing to do with

Ceri's mum.

In fact, she might even struggle to get in.

And if you make your way past the fridge, which is

quite a feat in itself, you find yourself in the kitchen.

Gosh. It's very tight, isn't it?

You've got to be almost apologetic when there are more than two

people in here, because you want to apologise for lack of space.

So, it doesn't function very well as a kitchen, does it, for you both?

There's not really enough space to cook.

The kitchen is actually... was brand-new.

It's just that whoever put it in, I don't think

they really thought carefully about what a kitchen actually needs,

so they decided on this side to have a breakfast bar instead,

which in a kitchen this size you really need more cupboard space.

I don't think this was designed by a woman, actually.

I absolutely agree.

Or it wasn't designed by someone that likes cooking anyway,

or ever cooks.

You look scared.

I don't know what you're going to do with the place.

I'm not doing anything.

You've got two amateur designers coming in

and they're going to do it.

That fills my heart with glee. It really does.

Hand over your keys.

And off you go.

I really could not live with all this clutter around me,

it's chaotic.

It's not relaxing and they both need to relax, they're both busy people.

Sometimes, you just need to get someone else in

to sort out your problems.

And I guess they need to finally see who's coming in

to attempt to solve theirs.

Here we go.

First up, is Tracey, a 49-year-old B&B owner,

who thinks the very best shabby chic comes from the skip.

I think a home is a reflection of your personality and, for me,

having a car in my home is perfectly natural.

Oh, my God. That's horrendous.

I don't think you can categorise my style, I think

it's just a collection of objects and things that I like,

so who knows what could end up in your home?

Oh, Tracey.

Next in is aristocratic Zara, who believes

we all deserve the finer things in life.

I'm Zara Elizabeth Roberts.

I'm 22 and I'm an estate agent from Shropshire.

My design style is royal heraldry with added opulence,

luxury and glamour.

Oh, no, gold! I want to cry.

Very Asian.

My friends call me Her Royal Highness Duchess Tweedy

and I'm well known for my royal style.

Ceri and Zaheed, I believe one's home should be absolutely

divine and I'm going to give you my stately style.

Some would say I'm OTT, but you'll just have to wait and see.

Oh, dear.

It feels like there's a design taste-off brewing -

posh panache versus really shabby chic.

But before they begin, I want to make sure

they understand what the clients need.

-So, Tracey, the kitchen.

-The kitchen.

Ceri likes cooking, yet finds there's no space really

and you can see why.

We've got mother-in-law's room,

now, Zara, you're going to be working on that room.

They would like somewhere where they can work, as well as also having

mother-in-law to come and stay, still,

-cos that's very important to them.

-Absolutely.

I think it's important we need to get the balance

between practicality and also the physical appeal of the room.

Zara, you've got £4,000 for the bedroom.

Tracey, you've got £5,500 for the kitchen.

I'm going to leave you now and I'm going to come back in a few days

and see what you've managed to create.

And I'm going to bring the homeowners back. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-You're going to need it.

Zara seems very, very confident.

Let's hope she can deliver, let's hope she can please them,

let's hope she remembers the brief.

This is definitely going.

Tracey's got a hard task ahead. That kitchen is tiny.

She's going to have to try and create a very workable kitchen

and even for an expert like myself, I'd find it tough.

It's day two and at Jo and Russell's home on the south coast...

-Cooee!

-..amateur designers Sara and Zyg have begun

to let their creative juices flow.

I've left them with head builder Nathan

and his team to oversee the work.

He'll be helping the amateur designers

realise their visions in his own tactful way.

-Another blue.

-Another blue. Every blue imaginable, yeah.

Florist Jo likes colour

and the early indication is, she's going to get it.

More, more, more is in my mind.

Lots of colour, texture, bringing it all together, the blues,

the seas, the views, everything, maximal-ism.

Maximal-ism? That's a bold word.

And certainly not one Captain Sensible Russell

will want to hear.

He's already on edge.

Be careful, Tom.

Tom, just move away from where he is.

He almost hit you on the head with that.

In all honesty, when I first saw those designers, they are...

I know you wanted change and you wanted colour, but...

I know.

The thing that scares me the most is the fact that they are

so out there and, well, particularly Sara, she kept mentioning bold

and glamorous and I am so un-bold and glamorous, it's untrue.

I wanted to have a story,

I like having a story, something that I can really get my teeth into.

I suddenly thought about a glamorous Hollywood couple where

their sort of beach getaway home

and what would their bedroom be like?

And it would be something that was still luxurious and fabulous

and glamorous, but it would be slightly rustic.

So that is what I've decided to do.

And lovely colours, lovely colours, lovely colours.

I've aired that I am confident with colours and I like using colours.

She scares you.

She is scaring me and I didn't think I'd feel like this,

if I was to be honest with you.

I really thought that I'd... I'd sort of think, yeah, no,

it's going to be great, all the colours are going to be fine,

but her boldness and the blues and the reds

and everything that was going on in her own room was quite crazy.

But I've got a feeling that Captain Sensible's going to have

to have a couple of doses of courage this week.

Yeah, yeah, I agree.

I think maybe I might be swigging out the bottle as well.

Make mine a large one.

It sounds like both designers are going big.

Now, I mentioned the word "space" yesterday

because there wasn't enough space and then it dawned on me,

"Why not make it a space theme?" so I have done.

So, I'd like to make it into a spaceship for the two kids

and I want to put in some sort of view -

a space window.

And then I'm thinking, if I've got time, to put a control panel in

of some description so they can fly the room.

That's what I'm looking at.

So every time they come in here, it's another adventure.

80 miles away in Harrow and the adventure's begun

on Ceri and Zaheed's two-bedroom flat.

A skip has been delivered so all the unwanted hand-me-downs

can make way for Tracey and Zara's unique designs.

Helping each of them carry out the refit is builder Russell

and he's keen to know Tracey's plans for the kitchen.

It's going to be a social, cosy kind of kitchen, yeah?

You've made it look a lot bigger than it probably actually is.

Cunning move, Tracey, but trust me, it won't work.

But are Zara's posh designs a better fit?

So, I'm bringing sort of the early mid and late Renaissance

period into my room.

Renaissance for a flat in Harrow?

Very sort of muted tones, but then you've got the bold, gold statements

sort of dotted around and it's really impressive, really striking.

I'll be the judge of that.

Up the road, school's out and Zaheed and Ceri are heading to the local.

I think they're in need of some reassurance

from close friends Katie and Tom.

Wish you'd been in that car with us when we saw who the designers are.

-Why?

-The first one, she has a car in her living room.

Brilliant. Who was the other one, the other designer?

So, think gold. Think dark reds.

-A boudoir.

-Like Hampton Court Palace, yeah.

-Gold everywhere.

-Yeah, gold.

Terrific, innit?

I have a fascination with gold which has been quite a longstanding

thing, really. Let's face it, the Queen's got a gold state coach,

so if she can have it, why can't everyone else?

Let's be positive. It will be something special,

something that no-one else will have anything like it in the world.

She's right, you know.

Tracey's applying a technique I've certainly never

seen in kitchen design.

I think a lot of what I do is quite experimental,

so this is one of the experimental pieces, really.

Back on the south coast and Sara has a plan for Jo's room with a view.

It's a Muriel. I mean a mural.

And it is a view of the sky, the sea.

I think Russ is just going to be beside himself with anger.

No, I mean glee. I mean glee.

And theatrical Zyg's not going to be eclipsed.

There you go. As you can see, beautiful, it will be.

So, all I'm doing now, is working out the actual pattern

and getting me nebula sorted out.

Making me nebula in the right place.

I don't want anyone telling me I've got it upside down.

I was hoping there'd be an instruction booklet

but I don't see it.

How are you supposed to work it out?

Thankfully, Nathan's team of builders are on hand to help.

That's a job I'd recommend leaving to the professionals too.

Just like being in space, innit? Look at this panorama vista.

Let's just hope they like space films, eh?

GUN ZAPS

Back in Harrow and the teachers' flat is taking shape.

Reclamation loving Tracey is trying to make them feel at home

in their kitchen with school-like floor tiles and blackboard paint.

And her Royal Highness, Zara,

has plans to make the spare room comfortable for everyone.

I'm just putting together the day bed.

This is going to, obviously, act as somewhere that Ceri

and Zaheed can sit in the day and relax,

but also it's big enough, it's a single size for the mother-in-law.

Very multifunctional.

Day beds are brilliant design solutions for homes with

limited space.

Back on the south coast, it's nearly time to show Jo and Russell

what amateur designers Sara and Zyg have created in their home.

How much better does this look? And the blue's working.

The blue is working, it's working, it's working, it's working.

You can say it as many times as you like,

but it doesn't change the fact, you're not the judge.

How about that, then, guys and girls? Are we loving this?

This time tomorrow, Zyg and Sara will be working together

on a shared room and I don't want it turning into a war of words.

With regard to working together, I think

Zyg's stuck in a bit of a time warp.

His hair, definitely, and the way he dresses

and also he's going for this whole Star Wars thing.

Not ideal, considering I'm at the peak of, you know, fashion,

so, no, not brilliant, really.

If we can work together, we will.

If we can't work together, I won't.

Our tastes are obviously in different directions,

poles apart, I think.

I think we might have a... not a conflict, I don't think,

but we'll have a chat tomorrow.

We'll have a word tomorrow with each other and we'll see what happens.

But there's going to have to be a hell of a lot of compromise,

that is for sure. For sure.

Right, that's it, time's up.

And time for the amateurs to clear off,

so I can run my expert eye over what they've done.

Zyg used his £4,000 budget to turn the boy's room into a spaceship

complete with a full control panel.

The blind has been replaced with a projector screen

that the boys can use for gaming and movies.

He's certainly taken this room to infinity, and beyond.

I'm in space!

It's extremely creative.

I'm relieved that Zyg has actually created this

and pushed the limits, pushed the boundaries,

but in a really good way.

The space is much better, they've both got their own beds,

they've both got storage and it does look like a spaceship.

What child wouldn't love this?

I just hope Sara's been as creative in the grown-ups' room.

She used her £4,000 budget to deliver Jo's room with a view.

Built around the undeniable view is Sara's

interpretation of a glamorous Hollywood beach hut where

faded wood effect wallpaper sits side by side with decadent

light fixtures, plantation blinds and an ornate mirror.

It's very seaside-y.

Jo wanted a room with a view and she certainly got one.

I'm just going to have to sit and look at how this feels

when you're in bed, actually.

It's quite in-your-face.

I mean, it's... It's certainly a view.

So, she has created a really good room for Jo.

Not sure about Russ.

But we're about to find out.

-Hi.

-Welcome back. Hello, boys.

-Hi, hello.

-Are you excited

-to see your new room?

-Yeah.

-Come on, then.

-Can't wait.

Finger crossed the boys like spaceships.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my word.

Oh, wow!

Boys, what do you think?

Look at this. This is amazing.

It's like in a spaceship. What do you think?

My old bed used to be there.

Look at that. What's behind? It's like a big...

This is amazing. This is really good.

There's a little control panel on the left there.

-I was going to say, "Can I press it?"

-Yes.

Oh, oh-oh.

-Celia, this is unbelievable.

-This is amazing.

It's a blind which doubles up as a screen

so that you can play your gaming on it.

Who thinks that all your mates want to stay round here now all the time?

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

So, boys, if you had a message for Zyg, what would it be?

Thank you for a cool room.

What a resounding success?

I hope Jo and Russell are as enthusiastic about Sara's

blue-on-blue room with a view.

Oh, my word.

My word.

You can definitely... There's the room with a view, Jo.

-There's my room with a view.

-My word.

There's my room with a view. Oh, my gosh.

Yeah, I do love this, this is great, this is really great, really,

really great.

I love the blinds, blinds are awesome.

I suppose it's just the sort of the boldness of the other colours,

I suppose, which are going to take a little bit of getting used to.

But you wanted colour.

I did want colour, yeah, I did say I wanted colour.

I feel like I've got two different sort of styles.

You've got the sort of the driftwood-y walls

and the beach theme and I'm not quite sure how this is

marrying up then with the gold and the sort of brightness,

so it's almost like there's one room and there's another room.

Yeah, there's the room with a view, yeah, yeah.

If you've got a message, then, for Sara,

obviously, she's doing the room with Zyg, so what would be your message?

I love the creativity but, yeah, just definitely not so bold.

She's 100% got the room with a view, but with

the room with a view, in my mind, I had colour but softer colours.

Relaxing, tranquil colours.

But deep, deep, down, it's not quite what I expected and I suppose

if I'm to give an answer, it's... I would say I'm not sure.

-I don't quite like it.

-Yeah.

-Yep.

That's what I would call a mixed viewing,

but without feedback, how's an interior designer supposed to learn?

-So, Zyg.

-Yes.

-The children loved it.

-Thank you.

-And so did Russ and Jo.

-Glad to hear it.

-You did an excellent job, I'm very impressed.

-Thank you.

Sara, your bedroom, lots of colour in there, isn't there?

Very bright.

The walls were very neutral, though.

Some of them.

I think they felt the colours were quite strong

and a bit conflicting in places.

I actually think you both did a good job there.

You've got a joint room to do, obviously it's this room.

Sara, just cool the colours down a bit and don't over-theme.

This is not a kid's room now, this is a family room.

Are you going to be able to gel this together

and create something that they want?

Mmm.

OK. I will change my approach, to a limit.

I still feel I can give them

something that they will enjoy without being vanilla.

In Harrow, amateurs Tracey and Zara have nearly finished the individual

rooms they've been designing for homeowners Ceri and Zaheed.

This is the interior designer's first chance to impress me

before they join forces in the living room.

I'm really, really pleased with how it's gone.

I think it's all gone to plan, it's all gone really well.

I'm really, really confident they're going to like it.

To be honest, if they don't, I don't mind. I just love it.

I am feeling chuffed, actually.

I've put everything into this

and I just hope that they... they do like it.

In case there's any doubt about who did what,

Her Royal Highness has one final touch.

Classy.

Time for the ladies to make themselves scarce.

I need to inspect their rooms before the couple arrive back.

In the kitchen, Tracey had a budget of £5,500.

She downsized the massive fridge freezer for small separates

that could be hidden away.

She built a stable door to make the kitchen feel bigger...

..and created cabinets and a worktop from reclaimed wood.

Storage comes in the form of places to hang utensils,

shabby chic cupboards and reclaimed containers.

It feels quite dark in here.

We've lost a cupboard on the wall, but we've gained a shelf.

Got a slight storage issue, I think, still here.

I think I would prefer to see more storage.

All in all, it looks better than it did and much more updated

and much easier to get more than one person in.

So, they'll probably quite like it.

I've been looking forward to seeing this next room.

Zara's guest bedroom cost £4,000.

She transformed the plain mother-in-law's room into an opulent

Renaissance chamber fit for a queen.

By replacing the double for a day bed,

she created space for a dressing-table-cum-desk,

a throne chair and extra storage behind a mirrored wall.

She finished it with her signature gold, glamour and graffiti.

I just want to be taken back by something I hadn't thought of.

I mean, that's what's exciting me, going in there.

I just want to see something that I didn't...

I wouldn't ever have done it that way but it still works.

-That would be amazing.

-What is that?

And it's plastic.

Oh, that's so naff.

It's all a bit weird. Erm... So what have we got in here?

OK.

Got a kind of desk for somebody very, very small.

The day bed is a great idea.

That's a great idea, just not very nice to look at.

That's all I can say.

The moment of truth.

Will Ceri and Zaheed give the amateurs top marks?

Oh, my God.

Oh, wow! Now it's different.

OK.

The door is fantastic, I really like the door.

That's pretty cool.

I hate the floor. It looks like school.

I don't like what's right behind you.

Black. I realise it's a chalkboard that's kind of, yeah.

Another thing I can't help but notice is a wooden work surface,

which is what we hated before.

-That's a newer wooden worktop.

-Mmm.

The breakfast bar's gone to be replaced with another

pointless table, so it's...

It wasn't functional before and it's even less functional now.

You know what? It's better than it was before.

I'm taking that as a split decision.

But will Zara's attempt to combine class

and functionality to the mother-in-law's room unite them?

Wow! That's...

That's bright and we have a chandelier.

Oh, my God. What the hell?

Weird. It's really weird. Looks like a different world.

It's not something that I would choose to spend

any time in whatsoever.

-There's lots of gold there, as well.

-Do you like gold?

I hate gold.

-She's actually signed...

-Oh.

-..signed the wall for you.

-Lovely.

-That's nice.

There's a bit of a hidden secret if you open the doors.

Oh, really?

Oh, there's a...

-It's tiny.

-Yeah, it's not a teacher's desk.

I personally am going to use this room even less than

-I did before now.

-It's horrible.

I'd say they're pretty united.

Mum will hate this, no doubt.

She's going to walk in here and feel so unwelcome.

-Really? She might love it.

-No way.

But what about the day bed?

Yeah. I'm a bit disappointed that it's a single bed

as where are our friends going to stay when they come?

OK, well, you know the two amateur designers are coming back to

do a joint room. Any message you want to give to them?

Maybe don't think so much about trying to make it

all about image and maybe think more about function.

OK. Come on, then, time to leave.

I think my fear is, is that now they're obviously faced,

not only with the challenge of listening to our feedback,

but they're also faced with the challenge of working together

and I think that they are both incredibly different,

that I think, to be honest, they're actually going to forget us.

I think their biggest challenge is going to be working together

and I think, "So we're just going to get lost in the mix."

I feel really flat.

Neither of them loved the rooms and I'm sad.

I hope this one is bloomin' good. It needs to be.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Hi.

Just to start with you, Tracey, Ceri felt,

because she's the one that cooks, there's not enough storage for her.

Right, all right, OK interesting.

She felt there was less storage than before.

Zara, the bedroom.

There's a desk, although be it a little bit small

and that mum-in-law might not like such a small bed.

OK, that's interesting.

-Unfortunately, you're both in detentions.

-Yeah.

You're going to now work on the joint room together.

We want to see you work together as a team.

I don't know what you've got in mind, so maybe you can just

tell me what your initial thoughts are on this room.

Well, in terms of storage, for me, I've kind of got

an idea for a cupboard that is really quite contemporary, actually.

-Zara?

-I've got a lot of ideas for this room.

Practically, I've used a lot of clever storage ideas,

a lot of sort of space-saving furniture as well, so, yeah.

OK. You're now dismissed.

I shall see you in a few days and hopefully see a fantastic room.

-Off you go.

-Lovely, thank you.

-You certainly will.

-Bye.

I think it's going to be very difficult to combine

styles between myself and Tracey.

I made sure that my guest room is very practical,

a lot of storage and I aim to do the same within the lounge diner.

I'm hoping that, you know, like me, she's aware of the fact that

there's now going to be two of us working on this project.

We've both, you know... we've got to compromise,

we've both got to compromise, but we've both got to, hopefully,

bring out the best in each other, so...

and the best in the design that we can both sort of pull together.

Back at Jo and Russell's house on the south coast

and the new day is bringing a new challenge.

The joint room.

Professional designers often need to work as part of a team

and that is exactly what movie man Zyg

and the glamorously colourful Sara will have to do.

These two are poles apart, so this could be an odd coupling.

Yeah. I know, you see, you've gone very Caribbean.

Yeah, that's my theme.

I actually really liked what he did.

He did a beautiful model and he had some fantastic ideas and

he had this whole whitewash thing and actually it was very beautiful.

-Shuttering for the windows.

-I love those.

Got the shutters upstairs anyway,

so if we mimic it downstairs, the house will look good from outside.

Yeah. Plants, we've both got.

I've gone more kind of American, early '50s.

Doesn't matter, I think it'll all blend in.

Well, that went better than expected, which is

just as well, because they only have two days to complete the project.

I think we can work together, we've got no choice, really -

we have to work together.

I got 100% on my kids' room and she got knocked back a bit,

so I'll give her a bit of leaning towards her to make her shine

a little bit more and make it sound like it's all her wonderful work.

What a gentleman!

So, what exactly have these new best friends settled on?

The idea of the room is we've agreed on a colonial, Caribbean chic

with a few bright issues here and there

that Zara's dressing the room.

Colonial, Caribbean theme? Colour from Sara?

Exactly the things I warned them against.

-Nice colour.

-Very nice colour.

Up in Harrow and after failing miserably with their first

designs for teachers Ceri and Zaheed,

Tracey and Zara have a chance to make amends.

This time, their homework is a joint project - the living room.

I do hate having unhappy clients, so I suggest they try to design

this room around things that Ceri and Zaheed might actually like.

They're a young couple, they want to entertain,

-they're quite modern, they like film as well.

-Yeah.

So, my idea for the room is going to be themed within...on a film set.

I don't... I can't do it, I don't like themes.

I'm just not a theme-y person

and I have to say that, you know, to me, it's just so obvious, sort

of black and white, black and white, clapperboards.

I can guarantee you there's a small Oscar somewhere

that's going to come out of the box.

Sounds like the pressure's getting to them. And so it should.

Designing people's homes is a serious business,

with consequences for everyone involved,

like having to confess to your mum that the risk you took with

her room didn't pay off.

Will I like it? That's the first question.

-Do you like gold?

-No, I hate it.

Think like a stately home mixed with the '80s.

-Ghastly, then.

-Yeah.

-Eugh.

So, are you able to give some suggestions for the living room

to maybe make that a little bit...

Well, we passed on our concerns to Celia.

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if our DVDs

have been turned into some sort of sculpture to go

pointlessly in the middle of the living room.

I'm worried that they're so different,

that they're going to squabble and they're going to actually spend more

time worrying about getting their own identity

out there over the other designer, that they'll actually completely

forget us in the mix.

I think it's safe to say that we're both dreading going back tomorrow.

-Yeah.

-Well, it'll be interesting to see what they have to say

and, you know, why they did what they did and what made them

think that we would like it.

We? At the moment, I'm afraid even Ceri and Zaheed

don't seem to be getting what they like.

I'm, you know, totally opposing the point of putting

something in there that just doesn't work.

-I think it's totally absurd.

-Yours is purely aesthetics.

-It is purely aesthetics.

-Yes, yes.

I think it's interesting that you're not able to

adapt your style around a fireplace. Because, equally...

I'm a lot older than you, you know, maybe I'm a bit too

-long in the tooth to be...

-Exactly, and I'm a younger person,

this is for younger people here.

I think maybe I know what, you know, the younger client will need.

Oh, oh, oh.

I can strike a compromise.

OK, what are you prepared to compromise on?

I'm prepared that we use that one but we paint it black.

At the other house, at least the odd couple are showing their maturity.

It looks very nice, dear. Very nice.

Do you know when I say something's looking very nice, what do you say?

-Thank you very much, miss.

-There you go. Thank you.

It's a proper, proper collaboration.

We've got his floorboards that we couldn't use,

they're on the walls, which is brilliant.

His filigree, oh, he's hysterical about his filigree.

I mean, it's so granny, you know,

I couldn't believe this man was going mad for this granny filigree.

That's all up, which is brilliant.

It's my floor, which is great.

It's my furniture, because I know how to do that really well,

cos he is a bit kind of masculine in that front.

A painting by his wife is in over the mantelpiece.

I mean you can't get more Zygy than that.

My lovely wallpaper, my palm wallpaper, but that sets

the whole thing off and we did manage to totally compromise.

Totally compromise and the room is gorgeous.

Once more, Sara. You don't get to judge your own room.

Back in Harrow and work is progressing well, which is

fortunate, as I've got the daunting task of showing the room to

Ceri and Zaheed in just a few hours.

Hand-me-down hell has been eradicated

and is being whitewashed ready for Zara's black and white movie theme.

But Her Royal Highness hasn't managed to stop Tracey getting her

old salvage into the room.

Look what I found in the skip.

See, I think that's beautiful. I think that's so beautiful.

I love the colour of it.

Now you see it, Zara, in situ, do you prefer it or do you still...

I absolutely detest it...

She may not be getting her own way,

but at least she's agreed to compromise.

Neither of them wanted to let up with their design

on the fireplace and I thought it was going to go on all day.

I think this is going to be ideal for Ceri and Zaheed, obviously,

as it's a sofabed.

Since then, they've actually really been working together really well.

And they're bouncing off each other quite a lot now, which is

quite nice to see.

Oh, and Tracey was right, there's that Oscar.

I've really enjoyed working with Tracey.

I think we faced a lot of challenges because we're so different.

I think, you know, we're two ends of the spectrum with our design.

Obviously, I'm very high-end and Tracey, you know,

likes to get it out of a skip.

So, we have come across a few problems.

Normally what I'd throw out, Tracey was bringing back in, so...

The room is nearly done, the skip has gone

and the mother-in-law's old sofa is out on the street

and it looks like it's been bagsied by Tracey.

But lying down on the job isn't going to impress me, which is

what both these designers need to do right now.

I am dreading going into Zaheed and Ceri's house.

They're quite difficult to please,

they didn't like either of the rooms and it's going to be a complete

and utter disaster if this room also gets the thumbs down.

I need to get in there and see it for myself.

Between them, Tracey and Zara have turned

the hand-me-down hell living room

with its cluttered mismatched furniture...

..into a more minimal brighter space.

A Victorian fireplace is the room's new focal point.

A space-saving round table nestles in the bay window

and there's even storage in the form of retro trunks,

an open display cabinet and funky shelves.

A black and white movie theme is an attempt to add a personal

touch for the film-loving teachers.

But will it be enough to appease Ceri and Zaheed?

-Hi.

-Hello again.

-Hello.

Gosh.

I see, we've got the royal crown here.

Absolutely. Well, the sofa's actually a sofabed,

so we tried to cleverly incorporate some more space-saving features.

Whose idea was that?

It was quite important for me, cos practicality is key.

We've got extra storage and I see we've got the vintage cases.

I quite like that mix between sort of old and new, so...

so that's why they're there.

Tell me about this cupboard here, this display unit.

I think storage is one thing, but I also think being able to

display really nice items is important.

It's quite individual in design and taste.

It doesn't concern me but it may concern them.

Time for the amateur designers to eavesdrop from another room.

Ceri and Zaheed are outside

and they look like they're dressed for a premiere.

I think if they nail this room, there's a good chance that we

will forgive.

You know, as teachers, we kind of believe in the infinite

possibilities of human beings to actually achieve and do good

and I think this is... That's the expectation that I'm going

in there with and let's get... Let's see them get it right.

-Well, hello, Celia.

-Hello.

You're quiet, Ceri, for once.

Yeah, erm...

-I kind of like it. I do.

-Yeah, it's nice.

It's very nice. Ah, check that out.

-That's pretty cool.

-That's cool, yeah.

And we've won an Oscar, two.

Fire's awesome, that's really nice. Look, a new sofa.

-It's a sofabed.

-Oh, is it really?

Wow. I can see the different, erm, tastes of the two designers.

They've obviously worked really well together.

I'm very happy with this. Pleasantly surprised.

-We've got a result.

-For me, this is an A. It really is.

An A? Ceri?

Um, I think I'm going to have to agree, yeah.

What a great result. Would you like to meet the designers now?

-OK.

-Girls, come back in.

Hi. Hi, lovely to meet you.

Yeah, one A-graded room, you know, delighted,

delighted and I'm delighted that they loved the fireplace as well.

I'm pretty chuffed all the way round.

-It's lovely to see you.

-You too.

-So what do you think?

-This room is brilliant.

-This room is lovely.

-It's really pleasing to hear that you like it.

-Yeah.

-Working on the front room has certainly, you know,

shown my versatility within interior design.

Obviously, my favourite style is obviously very royal,

very luxurious, opulent.

That's just purely not them.

However, I feel maybe the, you know,

my clientele is that bit, you know, more high-end, I'm afraid.

The designer that's impressed me the most is Tracey.

I really liked her kitchen.

They both did well, but she just went a little bit further for me.

So, well done to her.

-Ceri and Zaheed, you took a risk.

-We did indeed.

You put your home in their hands. Was it worth it?

I think in the end, yeah.

Yeah, I would agree.

Good. You're not expelled.

-Thanks.

-Thank you.

I think it's really clear in this room that both Tracey

and Zara have, you know, really made a fantastic effort to

incorporate us into the design.

If you knew us well, if you were our friends, and you walked

into this room, you'd definitely say this is Ceri and Zaheed's place.

What a fab result! I'm so pleased. They love the room.

So, fabulous, well done, girls.

And it's not over yet.

Down on the south coast, the other house is

still in the hands of amateurs.

Homeowners Russell and Jo only liked one out of the two individual

rooms, so I'm hoping this joint one nails it.

Zyg and Sara worked well together to transform the plain old lounge

into a glamorous colonial Caribbean living room.

Sara's colourful wallpaper

and furnishings sit side by side with Zyg's plantation blinds,

his filigree work and the painting by his wife.

-Hello.

-Hello.

So, was it quite tough working together?

No, it was fun, actually.

We sort of, like, we bantered a lot, you know what I mean?

Sara hasn't got volume control.

I think the whole room works really nicely.

And it feels very homely in here and interesting.

I mean, obviously, I'm not going to live here and it's up to the

homeowners if they like it or not, so we have to hope they do.

I really like it.

I think you've done a really excellent job, both of you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

Here we go.

I just hope Jo and Russell agree. I'd say it's a fairly bold design.

-I'm nervous.

-Nervous excited, but very, very nervous

because I know they will have put their heart and souls into it.

I know they will have worked so hard to get it right for us,

but, obviously, they've got their tastes and we've got ours,

so, you know, it might not be right.

I've sent Zyg and Sara to hide in the kitchen to hear honest

feedback first-hand.

-Oh, my word. Hi, Celia.

-Hello.

-Hi Celia.

-Oh, my God.

I love it. I do absolutely love it.

Absolutely amazing, yeah. Stunning.

I feel like I'm going to cry.

Oh, bless you.

With relief, yeah. It's amazing.

Glad you're happy.

-Making me cry now.

-Oh, wow! Yeah, it's lovely.

Absolutely.

-Don't mind the colours?

-No, the colours are...

No, it all works, it all works, it really does work.

I mean, look, just the wood and, oh, yeah, definitely, definitely.

The detailing, the shelves, the textures.

It's bold. It's definitely got some boldness, but it's beautiful.

-And the paper as well.

-It's definitely beach-y, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-You love the paper?

-Yeah, I do.

-I love the paper.

-I love it.

-That paper's amazing.

But, Russ, where's your beige gone, then?

-Apart from the old...

-Are you upset?

You'll have to dress in beige now.

Dress in beige, yeah.

I don't miss the beige, you know, looking at this room now,

whereas, you know, Captain Sensible and Mr Safe,

it's kind of... the colours are amazing.

Because you like it so much, I think it's about time

you met the designers. Come on in.

-Hi. Hello.

-Thank you so much.

It's so nice to meet you, finally.

I feel like I've been through all your stuff.

The family absolutely loved the living room, which is just amazing.

So happy. What a great feeling.

-Hello, nice to meet you.

-Hi, Zyg, nice to meet you.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

I'm pleasantly surprised

and I'm very happy that both the bits I've done have been a result.

They both worked together really well on the joint room, so this

is tough, but it has to be Zyg this week that's impressed me the most,

because his children's room was amazing.

Halfway through the week I was beginning to doubt whether

I did like colour as much but I am fully back on loving colour.

What a result. They loved it and I'm so thrilled.

What a great way to end the day.

Come in.

Because, you know, I love that room, I thought both of them

worked really well as a team.

I could see both influences equally, which is really important.

But the best thing is, Russ and Jo loved it. Fabulous.