Interior Design Masters 2026 thread two

[Chrysanthemum5]

Hi all I’ve started a new thread for when number one is full.

Ffs , pronouncing it as zeebra (in my experience) is completely normal. It doesnt mean one is right and one is wrong. Both pronunciations are accepted and acceptable

If you want to try a “proper” interior design show/competition (and don’t mind it being set in sunnier climes of South Africa), have a look for “My Design Rules”. I stumbled upon 2 old series on Amazon Prime and have watched the first so far.

In series 1 (though I felt sure the presenter said it was the fifth), teams of two young designers are given a blank white apartment after first fix and have to fit out each room (fast fwd button comes in useful as there is a lot of repetition promoting the developers and judges). They each have a mentor and there are multiple judges (property developers/real estate etc).

The website isn’t liking my phone, but there was a series 3 last year:
https://mydesignrules.tv/what-is-my-design-rules/

Some/all episodes are on Youtube.

Maybe its a Gen Zee thing but Michelle is not that.

I'm in my 50s, so not a Gen Z thing!

I was joking because they say Gen Zee and I would say Gen Zed (actually I wouldn't say it at all because i dont go along with that crap Anyway https://youtube.com/shorts/rp9wGy0ZAq0?is=aZHalIY3G2TRPPn-

That sounds great. Thank you.

Yes. That’s what I meant.

That’s why I said ‘Michelle aside’.

I thought the final was a disappointing end to a rubbish series. Neither of the contestants did well IMO. Lia's was a lot better than Sophie's, but the bar was low. The sofas clashed horribly in her living room, the green walls with the patterned ceiling was oppressive, and the TV looked ridiculous. Almost bare cupboards. The spare room was incredibly basic. The hallway was dull and the pallets with dried flowers were totally out of place. The main bedroom and dining room were better, but it was hardly something you'd expect for a final. They need to up the budget (and time allowed), make the prize an interior design contract again, and get a new judge or have a panel of judges.

Except the UK often pronounce things differently in different areas 🤦🏼‍♀️

I've never heard someone from the UK say zeebra.

I don't like Lia's collection at all.

Great! Except I've already said I dont know anyone who doesn't pronounce it that way.
So u don't need to doubt it. Pron is acceptable both ways!

What?

The tone re this is that "the UK" don't say zeebra, and almost doubting ehat I'm saying - that's not my experience at all.

https://youtube.com/shorts/rp9wGy0ZAq0?is=aZHalIY3G2TRPPn-

I like the green bedding set, but at £65 quid, there needs to be something special about it quality wise.

Her collection is giving me 90s vibes. Not sure why. I wasn't that old in the 90s, but it's reminding me of that.

I remember Roisin's La Redoutte collection didn't seem that marketable when it came out, but I see similar stuff everywhere in shops now, particularly the beading on frames and the colours. I think it will make sense in a year, I'm already seeing Mediterranean styles on clothing.

I'm a cynic but I think Next already had the products/designs and said to Lia, "Pick 20 pieces for your "collection"".

There's no way MissDriedFlowers did an about turn to channel her Nonna's Italian heritage (as I read somewhere) and came up with that tomato vase monstosity.

I like the blue striped blanket.

What area of the U.K. pronounces it zee bra?

I'm west of scotland. Family are east of scotland , husband from north of scotland!

ahhh, that makes sense. In an English accent it is certainly zeb ra.

Just saw the full collection on Next . I liked some of the lamps - but not a big fan of green .

I really didn’t like the tomato vase . Agree quite pricey and think I would get rid, if someone gifted it to me .
Lia does look really different with her fringe . I also agree it is a slightly watered down version of Sophie Robinson’s Dunelm collection .
I think as someone suggested a panel of judges would be good, but obviously more costly . Love Sophie Robinson , LLB and Mary Portas

Used to also love Michelle’s outfits . Always think you she looks very beautiful and elegant - would kill for her figure and height . But even her outfits didn’t seem so interesting this season .

I think Alan Carr has grown on me . I wasn’t very sure when he took over from Ferne Cotton . Do think his sketches are a bit OTT at times . But I do think overall he has made a good addition to the programme and he seems to have come into his own more and is spot on with his design comments when they are on the sofas .
I think it was on an earlier version of this thread from a previous season that someone had also recommended the Alan and Amanda holiday makeover season on BBC . Amanda and Alan’s Italian job etc. I am not a big fan of Amanda generally , I think whilst she looks stunning, she can look a bit fake / false . But I persevered and do like them both . The idea is they buy a cheap holiday home , I think the series have been set in Greece , Spain, Italy so far . They then with the help of a builder do it up . They are best friends in real life so they have great chemistry and it is quite uplifting seeing the beautiful scenery . Amanda’s laugh does grate a bit , but she does come across as very likeable and they bicker like an old married couple . Would recommend giving it a watch if you haven’t already .

Also just caught up (finally). Sophie’s leopard print, snakes in wallpaper and hideous dark colours gave me the absolute heebie-jeebies, and I’m sure there’d genuinely be people who’d refuse to go anywhere near that bedroom with the snakes.

TBH I wasn’t that much more enamoured of Lia’s but it was the better of the two. I did like the tapestry wallpaper, surprisingly.

Actually I was most fascinated by the bizarre, enormous fur-covered (?) shoes Duran Duran was wearing at the end. She looked as though she’d slipped a couple of baby seals onto her feet 🤔

That tomato vase is something! I predict a glut of tomatoes in charity shops next year.

Next summer clothes have been covered in Italian-referenced tomatoes and lemons for the last couple of years though, to the extent even I’d noticed that summer = tomatoes at Next. Lia, from beach hut onwards, couldn’t be a better fit.

Agree about snakes, that would surely exclude at least 10% of potential bookings! Also the mismatch between colonial-era dead animal references, without thought to how distasteful some guests would find those and the plonked-in realistic photos. Make your mind up Sophie, are we hunting or on safari? (Or in a provincial nightclub).

I loved Lia’s tapestry wallpaper but was immediately concerned about uneven fading when she put the bed in front. Hoping that room is not too bright!

I enjoyed Emmely and her progression. Loved her eye for space and un-twee she was. I found her flat Midlands accent similarly un-frilly.

Did think they lost people earlier who should have gone further, like the woman from the homeless charity mezzanine. Always happens though.

I just finished watching S1 (the only season) of The Big Interior Battle, as was recommended on here. I really enjoyed it. The winner gets to keep the flat they designed, and I really liked who won.

But it got me thinking about the overall format of these elimination shows. I always feel bad for the people who go out first and second, as they don't get a chance to show what they're capable of, especially the first person out.

So I was wondering if they could change the format a bit to use a ranking system for the first half of the series. So if there are 10 contestants, they're ranked 1-10 (best to worst) for the first, say, five weeks - and no one leaves. Then, at the end of that time, the 6 people with the lowest overall scores advance to the elimination rounds. And then the show carries on as it does now.

Logistically I don't think it would be much harder. For some of the challenges, the beach huts and hotel rooms, for example, there would be enough for 10 people, and they can still double up as teams when there are fewer venues. And they obviously have enough crew to help out with the original 10, so they could the full crews for the first 5 weeks (granted, that would add to the budget).

@cordelia16 I enjoyed it too. I preferred the guy who came 2nd, the winners style was very busy for my taste. And she never moved in. They are both designers now from what I have seen.