Interior design masters series 6 part two

[Chrysanthemum5]

Hello all
Have started a second thread in case the other one runs out

We did too

I had to look her up. In fairness a friend of mine’s sister is in Eastenders. I doesn’t really make much difference to her.

John's struck me as too themed. Italianate wallpaper etc. Tile stickers looked cheap and easily removable by picky guests. Getting wallpaper measurement wrong, cutting out the plates and pasting onto a white wall - ? Painting the bedroom window frames worked well - I'm always looking out of the window on holiday, and that view needed framing!
Rita's design was bland, don't know where her budget went. What did she spend the money on? Choosing wallpaper for one small room isn't 'designer'. Oddly, when they were running through Sophie's CV as judge one of the shots had either the same, or very very similar, wallpaper behind her. I've seen similar wallpaper just about everywhere, it didn't seem to be a fresh idea, whereas John's yellow repeat pattern worked well. Rita's wicker basket lampshades really looked rough, but her bookcase build was good. Painting a striped ceiling = why? And Rita's staircase was an abomination.

Truthfully, disappointing episode, didn't come away thinking - hum, good idea / well, interesting / wow, that's great. But I'll be back next year.

I thought John was a worthy winner of that last challenge, though for me Craig and Rita were the best all-rounders through the series. He developed a lot and I think both his last designs were really good (though still a few issues around scale). I liked the quirkiness and mix of colours and patterns in his Port Meirion cottage.

I also think his John Lewis range is quite appealing.

I'm going to agree with pp that Rita and Craig were the most consistent and best all rounders. I loved the way that Rita upscaled and recycled so much. That's real creativity. I didn't like John's stick on tiies because you could see the edges of the original tiles, so it just looked cheap to me. I thought Rita's cottage looked more relaxed and cosy.

So did we!

@Mandarinaduck I agree totally with your summing up. Me and DH liked his last couple of designs, particularly his Edinburgh space and his timekeeping definitely improved. I couldn’t get onboard with Rita’s cottage, particularly that orange staircase - gives me a migraine just thinking about it! Overall a good series I think.

I’ve just looked at the JL link for John’s design and I like it. I like the fabric and am tempted to have it as a roman blind in our back bedroom as it would fit well.

It’s almost like the brief is to get them ready for a photo shoot and that longevity and practicality doesn’t matter. Which is fine but it fails in the ‘giving viewers ideas’ box - maybe they think because there’s a COL crisis that they’re helping?

I suppose I don’t like that you can be rubbish every week but pull it out the bag the last week. To me a master is someone who also shows consistency

by the end of it I knew what Craig, bryony and Rita’s styles are but I couldn’t say the same for John

Yes, I would agree. Those three had clear styles and good vision. However, John is definitely more "John Lewis", so I wonder if that was a driving factor.

I felt that was such a flat final. Wrong people went far too early, and wrong people were left in for too long, and ended up winning. I wanted Rita to win out of them, though if it were between her and Craig then I'd have wanted him to win.

If she had only used some of her dining area wallpaper in ten kitchen then the kitchen wouldn't have looked so bland and as of it hadn't really been touched.
I hated her orange gloss hall. A more muted orange in a tone in keeping with the rest of her house would have been much better.

Was that why John had cut out the plates from his wallpaper as he didn't order enough to do the other wall? I then wonder if Craig made the suggestion to do that? I feel afraid won by proxy tbh.

I did like both houses in the end. I felt Johns would be great for a summer stay and Rita's for a wintery one.

I think Aisha and Holly went too soon, it was the mermaid references which Michelle thought were a bit silly, but John's flat was incomplete!
I was hoping for a Craig - Rita final, with Craig to win. He'd have absolutely nailed that cottage.

Was that why John had cut out the plates from his wallpaper as he didn't order enough to do the other wall? I then wonder if Craig made the suggestion to do that? I feel afraid won by proxy tbh.

There was a clip of the decorator telling John he'd run out of paper and wouldn't be able to do the plain white wall between the bedrooms. John did an um and an ah, and said how about cutting out the plates and pasting them on that wall. Wasn't Craig. Craig was on screen suggesting a small pelmet to hide the nasty plastic curtain rail in the second bedroom though, with that same chintzy fabric in the curtains / bedding.

I can't help but think the finish on that wall would look - odd. Like posters tacked to a teenagers wall. And the plate cut-outs would start to curl ... Putting a couple of bits of the wallpaper into cheap frames and hanging on the wall in between a mirror, or a few mirrors the same size, would have been a cleaner design finish.

Too many buggy bits in both designs for me, shame to see the series finish on a damp squid. Especially in such a glorious setting.

I agree that the whole thing seemed to be for the look at the moment rather than longevity. Those stick on tiles will start to peel after cleaning.

Thats the case with most of the weeks - they spend almost no time thinking about the practicalities of people actually using or working in the space

So agree about the stick on tiles !! They looked good from a distance but were so impractical .
It is difficult because earlier on and throughout other series , the competitors are criticised for cheap and tacky finishes . They are also criticised as John was ( until the final few weeks ) for being too elaborate and not finishing . Surely there must be a happy medium ??
It seems Michelle was so pleased that John had improved his time management skills that the finish was glossed over ( pun intended ) .

These aren’t stage set designs with a limited life span but spaces which need to be robust and practical .

What else can we watch to fill a IDM gap ? If you haven’t already watched it I loved your home made perfect on bbc . But this did also involve some of the building / renovation parts which I find boring.

Have given up watching Grand Designs etc , though do find myself watching half an episode if I switch the tv on and it is on .It has become a bit cliched and the people fall into 2 camps ; those who start an ambitious project with a small budget and an unrealistic time frame . They then finish years later and have also remarkably found an extra 500k down the back of the sofa !

Or the second camp , are those who are just incredibly gifted and driven and can turn their hands to anything and successfully complete crash courses in plastering , bricklaying etc within days / weeks . This is usually whilst the DW has given birth to a few babies in quick succession .

I highly recommend Chateau DIY on C4 if you’re having interiors withdrawal symptoms

There must be room for something in this slot which translates design ideas into practical solutions for normal homes and shows you variations on the theme.

eg want a maximimalist, minimimalist, victorian, mid century etc in your domestic home with a normal sized sitting room?

Here is the “template”, now consider these variations on colour/form for north facing, modern build, high ceilings etc.

Very few of the designs are really practical for the spaces which is presumably why the bulk of them are not used after the show.

Maybe like that Reno show Amanda and Alan do (which I can’t bear to watch tbh as it seems like a glorified holiday for them and they irritate me anyway) but in UK homes?

I've caught a couple of episodes of The Great House Revival, an Irish series with presenter Hugh Wallace. On BBC, 4 series available to view now. Seems quite realistic and has some lovely bits. It's an earlier time slot of 7pm on Wednesdays.

I've gone back and watched a couple of the old episodes of IDM with Banjo, and the difference between that series and this is noticeable. Very little fresh, new or innovative in this series.

I really like "Scotland's Home of the Year" on BBC iPlayer.

Very little fresh, new or innovative in this series.

Another show that has been dumbed down.

It would be more interesting and informative to see them planning their designs, choosing colours, considering aspect and light, putting patterns together, durability. Choice is hard.

Less rooms in the time allowed, or more time allowed.

I am sure previous series showed more contact with the client too. What did they want, need? Did the client like it and find it serviceable.

In previous series they had to pitch to the shop owners and explain their plans whereas this time they didn’t and I think that didn’t work as well

Yes, I remember that, it added to the competition.

Oddly, when they were running through Sophie's CV as judge one of the shots had either the same, or very very similar, wallpaper behind her.

It is the same wallpaper! Was bugging me ...

https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/decorate/home-office/a44838025/sophie-robinson-designing-workspace-creativity/

https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/decorate/a64919882/interior-design-masters-runner-up-rita-millat/ (sorry comes up with a discount link).