BAROQUE MUSIC PLAYS
It's the final of Interior Design Masters,
and our designers are transforming two
holiday cottages here in the whimsical
village of Portmeirion in Wales.
And when we heard the locals were looking
for a new king and queen, we decided to step in, didn't we, Michelle?
Indeed. Where would you like us? In a palace?
Oh, I'd love a throne.
Between the two bishops, please.
MUSIC WINDS DOWN
Oh. You need to write a bigger cheque, mate.
Welcome to the final!
The search for this year's Interior Design Master is almost at an end.
Drum roll, please.
Drrrr!
Over the last seven weeks,
the designers have transformed everything...
OVERLAPPING SPEECH
..from hostel bunk rooms...
Says "YHA" - it's backwards.
..to spaces for rescue dogs...
I am putting some of the slogans
that Battersea uses onto these bones.
Oh, this is spectacular!
..to hospitality boxes.
Wow. Oh!
The Twickenham 1909 vinyls on the doors,
it's a small touch, but, gosh, how effective!
After their last performance in Edinburgh...Ta-da!
..Craig took a final bow.
To fall short at the last hurdle,
it hurts.
Oh, wow! Now Rita...Et voila.
..and John remain.
BELL RINGS Come on, come on!
The winner of Interior Design Masters is...
We're in the final! Well done. Well done, you!
I'm in the final! I mean, this is a dream come true!
Like... SHE SQUEALS
Off to Portmeirion. I know! Oh, my goodness,
being in the final is everything. My journey here has not been easy,
but it's going to be fun to be in the final with Rita.
She's going to be really tough competition.
So we have a design technology teacher
and a visual merchandiser in our final.
They couldn't have more different skills
so I am so excited to see what John and Rita do.
That's what I said - it looks like a hat.
Rita's consistently excelled with her rustic,
textural signature style.
What are you doing with this old bit of corrugated iron?
I'm cladding the wall with it.
And brilliant ability to visualise a room.
Super-sexy textures.
Winning her the first Standout Space.
Thank you! The gift that Rita has is that she's able
to take almost anything and make it into something extraordinary.
She really does turn trash into treasure.
Ta-da! We've got a light.
Your imagination is something else.
By week six, Rita had slightly lost her confidence a little.
It's all neutrals on neutrals.
So she ended up on the sofa because
I didn't see enough of her in the design.
The feedback then was, "Lean into you,"
which is exactly what we saw in the semifinal,
which is why she's in the final.
Winning Standout Space last week was actually the push I needed.
I'm going to go for it. It's going to be epic.
SANDER WHIRS
Keep going! You can see you're a teacher!
You're just the right side of patronising.
JOHN LAUGHS
John's DT background has been evident through
his expert use of materials.
All of this matchboarding has been done incredibly well.
John really showed me that he has an incredible attention to detail.
HE LAUGHS
It is exactly the right size to go in this frame.
But he's been on the sofa four times.
The words are "nice" and
"inoffensive" - and that's not good enough.
I'm worried that we're not going to get it all done.
One of the biggest lessons that
John's had to learn is time management.
He's bitten off too much, but I can feel that he went for it. Mm-hm.
By the quarterfinal, John turned a corner.
It reeks of class. Oh, I like that - "Reeks of class."
Along with Craig, his shop won Standout Space.
John, you finally did it!
THEY LAUGH
In his Fringe venue, it really all came together.
Oh, wow! Now I'm excited.
He created a design that will really stand the test of time.
I am going into the final feeling confident.
It's well within my ability to smash this.
So that's the plan.
Our final two designers!
Yeah. How are you feeling?
Very excited. Very excited, yeah. The prize is really amazing.
You'll be working
alongside John Lewis's design team to create your own homeware line.
That's incredible. Yeah. My mum...
THEY LAUGH ..will be very excited.
I think she'll sleep outside
of John Lewis!
The idea of John Cooper and John Lewis teaming up together
is quite exciting. The two Johns.I know!
But, before all that, for the final, you're heading to
the almost-mythical, mystical village of Portmeirion in Wales,
where you'll be transforming one of their cottages.
Portmeirion on the north-west coast of Wales
is a colourful masterpiece of eclectic buildings
and the brainchild of architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.
Over the last century,
it's inspired creatives from Noel Coward to the Beatles,
and was the location of '60s TV cult classic The Prisoner.
Today, anyone can stay in one of
its 13 quirky self-catering cottages,
and our finalists have one each to completely transform.
There's Battery - a cosy cottage with a kitchen-diner and a small,
separate living room.
And Toll House -
a higgledy-piggledy Grade II-listed
building with a more open-plan living-dining area.
Both have panoramic views of the estuary to the south
and the vibrant village to the north.
There's two keys in front of you - one for each cottage -
take your pick.OK.
Battery Cottage. Toll House.
Do you have any advice for our finalists?
Just remember the goal is to create a destination holiday cottage
that shows me who you are,
but also gives me that sense
of this incredible village of Portmeirion.
Now, if you thought Portmeirion was bright and vibrant,
wait till you see our guest judge.
The show-stopper Sophie Robinson is joining us in Wales.
That's very exciting.
She definitely loves colour.
Good luck...Thank you. ..and we'll see you in Wales.
Thank you. Thank you.Good luck.
I have been to Portmeirion many times.
It's such an inspirational and crazy kind of place,
so I am going all-out on this one.
I haven't been to Portmeirion before,
I've just seen it in pictures.
It's a beautiful place that inspires artists
and then, hopefully, it's going
to inspire me to do the best space ever.
It has to be, cos I want to win it.
After a week of planning their designs...
It's like a dream! It's amazing.
..our finalists arrive in Portmeirion...
It doesn't feel real.
I know, I know, it's magical.
..to take inspiration from the surreal surroundings.
Cos everything's so bright, I feel I'm in Alice in Wonderland.
Oh, yes! So I'm going to be Alice this week.
OK, OK. And the cottage is my Wonderland.
Does that make me the Queen of Hearts?
I don't know. Oh... Off with your head.
Oh, my goodness, that's scary.
Good luck. Come here. Yeah. Good luck to us. Come on, let's go see.
They have three days... Here we are! Yes!
THEY LAUGH
..and £6,500 to make over these cottages.
Hey! Hey, hey, hey, look who it isn't. Hello!
And they're getting a little help from their friends.
Oh, good to see you!
Rita's reuniting with super stylist Briony...
I'm so pleased to be back. It feels so special, doesn't it? Yeah.
Team Rita - I've got me badge. Team Rita.
..and John is back with the king of colour, Craig.
John's learned so much.
I'm happy to be here helping bring his vision to life.
Shall we have a look? Good! Come on, come on.
HUMS A TUNE, THEY LAUGH
Each cottage is unique.
Oh, look! OK.
John's living and dining area is open-plan...
We can really make something special out of it.
..while Rita's is divided into smaller and separate rooms.
Oh, this is so cute and small! Both have a kitchen...
Big plans for a very small kitchen.
..stairs and landing, as well as a single and master bedroom.
Look at the view. This is what you stay here for.
So, Portmeirion - it's designed by Clough Williams-Ellis,
who's this, like, amazing architect.
And the whole place is inspired by Portofino and the Mediterranean.
So that's the vibe I'm going for. Which I think is perfect.
I've got a lot of pattern and colour going on here. Yeah.
It's such an over-the-top place - that should be reflected in here.
Can't wait to get at it.
I know, I know, I'm excited to do it.
Here we go. Wow-ee!
I would like to bring the outside inside,
but more pastel rather than strong colours.
So it's more Rita? It's more Rita, yeah. Because I think,
when you're on holiday, you want to feel calm as well.
I'm designing a British cottage...
SHE CHUCKLES ..because back home in Lebanon,
we think all British people live in cottages like this.
Like, cute, little, cosy, romantic.
So I want to bring a countryside feel into the cottage.
Just like what I used to see in movies,
I'm bringing it to reality.
Et voila, this is the plan. Et voila.
To help bring their designs to life...
Morning! Hello! Hello!
..the finalists have two carpenters and three decorators each.
So the vibe I'm going for, really, in here is Mediterranean.
Lots of colour going in here,
lots of pattern.
In the living room, on the walls, it's going to be red.
And then there are going to be frames of gorgeous wallpaper.
John's framed wallpaper, featuring Amalfi lemons,
gargoyles and a chequerboard pattern, will sit on
his living room's cranberry-red walls.
He's echoing this red in his striped furniture and adding
a coffee table top
with his statement wallpaper.
In the separate kitchen,
he's painting the cabinets a rich Mediterranean blue
and the plain tiles will be covered with a blue patent vinyl.
In the dining area, he's adding a new table and chairs,
which will be painted yellow to match
a modernist geometric paper above the dado.
Below, he's adding shiplap panelling.
We're blessed with this gorgeous shiplap on these walls.
I want to add a little bit more in,
so up to a kind of dado height, wrapping it around this dining area,
cos, obviously, it just leads right through.
Maybe we should start. Yeah, make a start, yeah.
I've never done shiplap before.
So they're individual planks
and then they have a bit that kind of slots inside
the back of the other one.
And it adds a kind of layer of texture and interest.
While John uses shiplap to connect
his dining room to his living room...
Really pleased with that.
This looks amazing.
..Rita is going all out to separate hers from the kitchen.
I wanted to have a stud wall because I wanted
the dining area to feel a bit more special and separate.
What am I doing with this?
So my idea was to have this piece of timber going across between
the new stud wall and this corner here.
OK, so, like a beam? Yeah, like a beam.
Where I come from in Lebanon,
the design of houses does not involve beams.
So this is, for me, really exciting
cos it's, like, I can make all my dreams come true.
THEY SPEAK ARABIC
Rita and her family settled in the UK 18 years ago,
having lived in four other countries
after fleeing the war in her childhood home of Lebanon.
I feel it's the first time in my life I feel settled in a country.
It is in the UK where I express myself as a woman,
as an artist and now as a designer. I love it.
What are you thinking for your final design?
I just want to make it look nice and cosy.
So I owe a lot to my mum
because she wanted a better life for us.
I would like her to feel very proud of
all the sacrifices she had to do for me to be here and live my dream.
You are in the final now. I know! I'm so proud of you, daughter.
I see you, Rita, to be
the best interior design in the world.
I am her mum. I think that, and I hope that.
SHE LAUGHS
If I compare myself from Rita week one to Rita in the final,
I think I gained confidence, and fear is almost gone.
How are you feeling about the final?
It means everything
because I always wanted to be a designer.
Yes! So high five for this! Oh! THEY LAUGH
Interior design is like a therapy
that has art and creativity in it,
cos you can change somebody's mood by changing their space,
and that's what I would like to be known for.
This is my rustic dream come true because I love wood!
If I ever get married, I'm going to get married to a timber.
SHE LAUGHS
Rita's timber divider and stud wall will separate
the dining area from the kitchen,
which she is painting entirely pastel pink.
She's replacing the wall cabinets with wooden scaffolding boards,
and scaffold will also be used
in the living room to create an open-display wooden cabinet.
She's painting the walls a pale butter yellow,
complemented with grey-blue woodwork.
A huge bespoke floral artwork will cover one wall,
and the rich jewel colours seen in the new cosy furniture
are repeated in her dining room in a bold Jacobean-inspired wallpaper.
I love it. But you want that wall blanketed?
Please, yeah.
When I saw this wallpaper
and I looked at Portmeirion buildings,
I felt this wallpaper had every colour in Portmeirion,
and that was the starting point.
So, the dining area,
I just want it to be a place you remember.
And it's the only place I've got the wallpaper, cos
it's the centre of the cottage.
This is where I picked the blue in the doors,
the pinks in the kitchen.
My signature style has developed.
Because, when I started, it was like rustic texture,
and now, proudly, I can add to it colour.
I'm going for six colours this time,
but I think they will work really well together
cos they're all based on a pastel shade.
Oh, it's so good, Rita!
This is so gorgeous!
So, yellow is the theme in here. So, bright and sunny and joyful.
OK, lovely.
John's dining room wallpaper couldn't be more different.
It's a lovely print. Isn't it? So, it's really kind of geometric,
which I love. Yeah, yeah. Right, let's do it. We're going to nail it.
Well, actually, we'll paste it.
But his statement living room wallpaper...That's happening.
..which ties his scheme together... No, not yet with that.
..has yet to arrive.
It's coming from far away.
We just haven't had an update in a while as to where exactly it is.
Yeah. I'm going to keep thinking positive. It's going to be here.
MUSIC: It's Not Unusual by Tom Jones
# It's not unusual to be loved by anyone... #
Six hours. What a journey. I've got such a numb bum.
MUSIC WINDS DOWN
What the...?! CRASHING
HORN BEEPS
Oh!
Where the hell am I?
Is that a gnome petrol station?
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
I think I'm hallucinating!
Make it stop!
Oh! What is this place?
This makes Disney look dowdy!
What a trip!
That's the last time I have cheese before bed.
Phew!
Hi, boys!Oh, hello, Alan! Hello. Oh, Craig,
I thought I'd seen the last of those shorts and braces.
THEY LAUGH
Rock on, Tommy.
So how's he doing? He's doing amazingly, yeah.
When you look outside
in this amazing place, Portmeirion, you look inside,
it absolutely belongs here.
And, generally, within the whole space,
we're looking at just a Mediterranean feel in here.
Yeah, it IS Mediterranean. That could be, like, Greece, couldn't it?
Well, it could be, yeah, for sure! Which is in the Mediterranean.
Yeah, thank you for that little geography lesson.
THEY LAUGH
So is everything going to plan?
There's a key thing that hasn't quite gone to plan.
My, like, statement wallpaper hasn't arrived yet.
Oh, where's it coming from? Transylvania.
Who buys wallpaper from Transylvania?
Me, by mistake. Talk me through it.
"That's my wallpaper." "That's the one." Yeah.
"D Racula. Oh, he looks nice." Oh, dear!
It's all the colours that I've used throughout the whole cottage... OK.
..come together in that wallpaper. Let's hope you get that here,
if it's your statement wallpaper. I know, I know.
John's design is very Portmeirion.
He's got the Mediterranean colours, now all he needs is his wallpaper
from Transylvania.
And if that doesn't turn up, it's FANGS for nothing.
MUSIC: Ghost Town by The Specials
# This town is coming like a ghost town... #
SANDER WHIRS
# This town is coming like a ghost town... #
It is like a butter, makes you hungry.
In Rita's living room... There's a scone.
LAUGHS:Can you see?
..things are off to a sweet start.
Somebody left a scone!
Yeah. They're hungry. See, I told you,
it makes you hungry cos it's like butter!
The kitchen's going the colour of sugared almonds.
Hello. How's it going? All right, yeah.
Just putting a coat on these... Oh, wow, it's a nice pink.
It's nice and gentle. Yeah.
So I'm going for pastel pink because I want a bit of
a contrast to the outside,
rather than just literally copying what is outside inside.
When you're on holiday,
I want you to feel more relaxed as well.
It makes it look so cosy.
While Rita chooses muted tones...
Blue is the colour! It is!
..John's going bold.
I'm so pleased with these. These tile transfers are just a really
quick and easy way of changing up your tiles.
They're not permanent, so if
you change your mind again you can alter them.
You know, to do this space, it's 120 of these, and that's like £30.
A lot cheaper than your tiles. So I think they're great!
If it'd been me challenge one
doing that, I would be retiling the thing, which would
have taken ages and cost a fortune.
I've got sea view,
I've got my Mediterranean tiles, I've got beautiful blue units.
I'm getting a whole Mediterranean vibe in here.
DRILL WHIRS
These are just like scaffolding shelves,
but once you stain them with walnut, they look like sexy and expensive.
I'm showcasing my signature style while celebrating Portmeirion's
gorgeous environment by all the wood that I'm using.
So I'm removing the top kitchen units and replacing them with like
nice, chunky, rustic shelving.
Rita!Hi!
Look at this! So lovely and pink!Very pink!
It's VERY pink! And the wallpaper.
She's bringing all of your Rita-isms, aren't you?
Rita-isms, yeah. "Rita-isms," I love that!
So we built that stud wall. And then
I wanted a beam, couldn't afford that.
And you stole that from a park bench, yes?
THEY LAUGH
"What's that?" "Brenda, she loves sitting here." "What?"
That's lovely! What's this here?
Little Team Rita badges. Team Rita.
Oh!Would you like to wear a badge? This is mind games.
No. I've got to be impartial - I'm like Switzerland.
BOTH:Aw!
Give John Team Rita's budget. Yeah.
"Budget" - "badge it".
You're very tired.
THEY LAUGH
VOICE-OVER: And on that note...
Tired and emotional. Just leave it.
VOICE-OVER: ..it's time to call it a day.
End of day one,
I think we've done...good.
See you tomorrow, well done, guys!
I feel I'm more like a confident designer when it comes to colours.
It fits the brief,
it fits Portmeirion. I don't
have doubt, it's going to look really good.
Looking good.
So in terms of what I wanted to achieve today,
there's obviously issues with the wallpaper,
which still hasn't arrived.
Let's get out of here.
I know when to hit the panic button
and we're not there yet.
Good luck. Thank you.
Day two - how exciting! Well done.
Everyone just smashed it yesterday
so we need to do the same again today upstairs.
MOBILE PHONE RINGS
Hiya, love.
But John's living room wallpaper still hasn't arrived.
It is in a van driving around Manchester at the moment.
I think my wife is genuinely worried.
It's on its way to my house, which isn't ideal,
but I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that wallpaper gets here.
I'll see you later, love. Bye-bye. Love you.
What have we got? Oh, that's pretty.
My wife and kids, they mean the world to me.
Without them, I couldn't have done this.
Even when I'm struggling to come up with an idea for a challenge,
they're like, "No, come on, do it,"
and that's really encouraging.
Are you going to put other colours on it?
I'm going to go orange into pink into yellow. Ah.
I'm so proud of John.
It's really not been easy for him juggling work,
family and everything.
I've often wished him goodnight and he's been still tapping away,
designing and doing stuff.
So, yeah, he's definitely put his heart and soul into it.
So is this a dinosaur attacking Portmeirion?
Yes.
I've spent many fantastic years teaching
and they've gone on and done wonderful things.
But this would be me going on and doing a wonderful thing.
We're really proud of you. Keep going and doing your dream.
Oh, thank you, sweet pea.
I think winning the competition would give me the self-belief
that I can actually do this,
give me a platform on which to build and create an identity
as an interior designer.
Oh! look at these windows.
All of a sudden, they look completely sexy. Yeah.
And the view, like, you're really drawn to look at it.
So, predominantly white in the master bedroom.
And you don't think it's a bit risky using white in a final?
I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, you know, if you like white.
THEY LAUGH Well...
From a personal perspective, the one thing
that slightly worries me is all the white.
He's all about the Mediterranean vibes,
but I'd probably go for the full-colour option.
I think I'm using the white just because it's going to make
the colours pop.
John's brilliant white walls and turquoise frames
will be the backdrop for his showpiece blue bed
with matching bedside tables that are built into a headboard.
LED soft lighting will illuminate textured wall art.
And to add to the Mediterranean vibe,
he's building a Greek-inspired ceramics display cabinet.
The blue is repeated on the banisters
and in a trompe l'oeil wallpaper
depicting plates from Sorrento harbour.
In John's single bedroom, he's using floral soft furnishings,
from which he's picked a flamingo-pinky orange for the walls
and blue alcoves, which is the same blue
as his master bedroom bed frame.
I have a bed to paint. And a beautiful bed.
And is this in the cobalt blue? Yeah.
I imagine these are going to have to be brushed
and then everything else just rollered.
I'd better get cracking, then.
Wow, what a colour.
In Rita's master bedroom...
I love it.
..there'll be no white left in sight.
I'm going for like cosy, romantic vibe in the cottage.
Do you feel this is like cosy and romantic?
We're booked in next weekend, aren't we, Ian?
Oh! First booking, first booking!
Rita's romantic master bedroom walls have been half panelled
with a russet red tongue-and-groove cladding
and cocooned in warm pale pink.
She's adding hand-painted artwork
and upcycling second-hand finds into bedside lights.
But the main feature above the bed will be two pairs of rowing oars.
If you want to go kayaking, you're ready.
Hi, Alan. Hey.
Rita Oar-a!
Oh! That's a joke!Good one! That's a joke!I love it!
So where are these going?
We're going to try to put these oars through the hoops
as like a feature wall behind the bed. I love it.
All right.
So we need to find number one.
I wrote it on the end.
Is that one? That's three.
This would make a great Saturday night game show.
What's The Number Of My Oar?
I've got one. Quick, put it in the hoop!
Now, would you say this is repurposing?
So, yeah, repurposing, because the architect, Clough,
that built Portmeirion, he was all about sustainability
and reusing materials in his build.
So I thought oars would be a good way to remind you of the seaside.
Yes. Anything else you're repurposing?
I'm repurposing these two... What are they?
They used to use them for posts, as a bag,
but I'm repurposing them as bedside table in the single bedroom.
That's so clever.
I love Rita - she's the queen of repurposing,
which epitomises the whole ethos of Portmeirion.
She finds bits of rubbish and turns them into these
weird and wonderful objects
that make for a memorable stay for guests.
I'm sure she'll get five stars on TipAdvisor.
JOHN:Yeah, like that.
Oh, look at that, Ollie. Lovely.
The finalists both have stairwells and landings to transform...
John, so we've run out of paper to do that wall. Right.
..and John's using another statement wallpaper.
Have you got any good ideas? Erm...
I think in the past I've fallen into the trap of thinking everything
has to be absolutely perfect.
And, actually, sometimes, things can be good enough.
Why don't we just cut out the plates,
stick them on that wall over there.
Then we've got kind of continuity, at least,
from one space to the other. Yeah. Very good indeed.
That's why you're in the final. Aw.
Rita. Oh, here, in this box.
Wow! This is orange.
For her hallway, Rita's abandoned her pastel palette.
So, as you can tell, we've got this, like,
old-fashioned woodchip everywhere. Yeah.
I went for a gloss finish,
so not only bright, but shiny.
To give it this modern feel.
Rita, I love it.
It's bright, it's bold.
It is really reflecting orange, like a fake tan.
Good fake tan or...? Fake tan gone wrong, Briony, yeah.
It's very bold.
It's quite scary because everything else is so pastel.
I wanted it to feel like the staircase of curiosity.
So I hope it's exciting rather than,
"Uh! I'm not going upstairs."
It's the final, it's the time to go bold. Yeah, yeah.
Rita's gloss-orange staircase and landing
leads to her single bedroom,
which is half panelled and painted in a cheerful mustard yellow.
She's inserting a clothing rail, open shelving
and she's repurposing metal sailor bags
into a bedside table and flowerpot.
She's painting the ceiling with yellow and mushroom stripes
to match the walls.
Oh, wow. This is really dark and green.
It was meant to be like a mushroom colour.
Breathe.
Calm down.
BRIONY:It's green, but it's nice green.
I think sometimes Rita panics when she uses colour.
She always ends up with this amazing result,
but she can just forget that along the way.
So I'm just here to remind her how brilliant she is.
It matches what's going on outside.
Yeah, this is it, it's bringing it in.
You're meant to do it. Yeah. So aesthetic.
No, aesthetic is not the word. Ecs... Ecstatic.
E... That's it. Oh, you're ecstatic, not the aesthetic. Ecstatic.
I'm ecstatic about it, yeah. Good.
Hey. Oh, this is lovely.
Nice. Second coat. Fabulous.
John's also ecstatic about his single bedroom.
Very nice and poppy. JOHN CHUCKLES
I'm glad you're excited. I am excited.
That's a pelmet. You can make a piece of wood... Yeah.
..and we'll just cover that horrible plastic.
It'll be Velcroed onto a little... Oh, Craig!
While John admires Craig's handiwork...
Hello, knock, knock. Hello. Come on in.
..Rita's invited herself over for a peek.
Whoa!
Very different than mine. Is it?
Yes, because you went a bit brighter.
And I love this idea.
You took the plates from here, and it's just a bit there.
You are clever. Thank you.
This is bright. It's very bright in there.
Wow! I thought I was colourful.
This is a bedroom for a child.
We're going to have some florals in the curtains and the bedding.
It's so joyful and fun.
Well done, John.
I really loved what I've seen, but I didn't feel jealous,
just because what we've done is so different.
I'm going to stay focused and positive
because I've got a lot to do.
Hi, John.Hello, Alan.
I've come in here and I'm just gagging for taramasalata.
It feels very Greek. I feel like Meryl Streep.
# Mamma Mia! #
Yeah! Yes!
Tell me what you're doing here.
So, planning out a build at the moment, Alan.
Because you know I like a build. You love a build.I do.
So I've got two going on in here.
I've got a little build going on behind the bed.
Never seen so many knobs in the bedroom.
And that's going to give us some little floating shelves either side,
so you've got a bedside table then. Yeah.
And then I've got this, which is going to be a kind of
a fake wall with little alcoves in it. Ooh!
And then I've got all my kind of Mediterranean pots going in it.
This is so ambitious, John.
I think it's, you know, achievable, though.
Time management.Time management!
I've got there in the end.
Well, I don't want to offend you, but being on the sofa four times,
you're going to get a lot of advice. Exactly.
I'm way more confident now.
You'll get complete validation if you win.
To win this is the dream.
You could be Interior Design Master.
John Cooper, Interior Design Master. Yeah.I like that.
Get that as a tattoo.
On me arm. Maybe not.
It's halfway through day two.
Lovely.
John's bedside table-cum-concealed lighting headboard
is going in...
Ooh! Look at that.
DRILL WHIRS
Absolutely perfect.
The view from the master bedroom is actually the lighthouse,
which is really cute.
..and Rita's getting artistic inspiration from the landscape.
If you have an old frame,
stick it on the wall and draw on your physical wall.
Because if you don't like it,
you can put some paint and it's gone.
There we go.
So I've got some artwork here.
It's based around texture.
If I under-light it, it will showcase that texture.
So it's essentially just making a white wall
look a bit more interesting.
Et voila - Portmeirion artwork.
It's good for the time I've got.
Right. Those curtains look amazing.
Got the curtains up, got the lampshade up.
With John ahead of schedule - for once...
Tomorrow we can start dressing this very early.
..Craig's got time to check out next door.
Hi! Ladies.
This is cute. So it's all going well?
Yeah, I think so. There's a lot to paint still
because I haven't left anything white.
Sounds very busy up there. Yeah.
So can I go and have a look? Of course, yeah. Come on.
Gosh, this is very bold.
THEY LAUGH
Welcome to the...
..single bedroom. Lovely colour.
Stripey ceiling. Yeah. Not seen that before.
Yeah. Really nice. I have done it here so, yeah.
So I'm presuming you're putting this tongue-and-groove in? Yeah.
And it's a bit cottagey and seaside. It looks like it's always been here.
Oh, thank you. But I think you've got a lot to do, haven't you?
Yeah. You too.
We've actually managed to put some curtains up in one room.
RITA AND BRIONY:Ooh!
Yeah. So, erm...
All right, Craig!
Well, thank you for visiting us. Get out now, Craig!
I absolutely love the full-colour option,
but I think John's really hit the nail on the head.
He's really all about balancing what's going on outside
with what's going to go on inside.
Just been to have a look at Rita's cottage.
It's very different to this.
Colours everywhere. What? More colour than this?
I mean, she made a point of saying that there is nothing white.
Wow! But, yeah, they've got a lot to do.
They're still on painting walls.
OK. That's interesting. Yeah.
End of day two, I would have loved us to be a bit more ahead.
Now I'm feeling we're slightly behind
because I decided to paint every door,
every wall, every ceiling.
BELLS CHIME
Come on.
We have a lot to do.
Let's go.
So first thing tomorrow, I want all the carpentry work to be done
because after lunch is all about styling and hanging things.
What a day, mate.
But there's a lot been done.
Today's been such a good day, but
just got some bad news on the wallpaper.
It was out for delivery, and then they've decided
to not deliver it and return to the depot.
VOICE-OVER:The wallpaper will get here at some point.
Thanks, mate.
Even if it comes right at the last minute tomorrow,
it's going on then.
The final of the final!
Good luck.
Are you ready? TEAM:Yes!
Stevie, the bookcase to be built, please,
so then Briony could start with all the styling.
Decorators, guess what - more painting, yay!
Let's get going.
Hello? Hello?
Oh, my goodness. I got deliveries from Transylvania!
Better late than never.
Right, let's have a look.
John's wallpaper prayers have been answered.
Ooh! Oh, the suspense is just too much!
That's the one! Wow.
That is stunning.
We've finally got it. It's worth the wait.
John! Thank you. Woo!
It is amazing.
That wallpaper is the thing that unifies everything in there.
And so the fact that it's here now is incredibly exciting.
Where are you planning to put it?
We're going to create a framed area on there.
Around that window wall basically. Uh-huh.
Yeah, yeah. Awesome.
That's it.
First set of curtains in amongst the chaos.
That's cute.
Very cottage vibe.
So there's chaos everywhere, but I left them to it.
Rita is also using a frame to make a statement in her living room...
I like to draw when there's chaos.
..with an enormous flower.
Tip of the day - if you would like a giant frame
and you cannot afford, you can buy skirting boards
and, if you cut them to size,
you can have this beautiful chunky frame.
I wanted every time you turn around in the cottage
to see something exciting on a wall.
I love it.
Do we have more wood?
To add to the cottage vibe...
Got one more length and a few offcuts.
..Rita's designed a bookcase out of scaffold boards.
Do you think I have enough to have another small shelf on the bottom?
Oh, yeah.
I thought, instead of buying a bookcase,
I would like to bring rustic wood and turn it into a bookcase.
And that will make the space even warmer as well.
That's cute, innit?
It's very pretty.
It's here, at last!
Oh!
I was expecting fangs and blood and a cross.
No, it's far more joyful than that.
Yeah! And I'm loving it. Aw. Thanks, Alan.
Just move it over here for now.
All right? Yeah, perfect.
With just a few hours to go...
I'm thinking I'm going to push it right that way.
..it's time to get furnishing.
I'm de-bobbling all the bits and bobs.
I think they've been pre-loved by some cats.
So Clough was known to kind of repurpose old buildings
and I again want to pay homage to that
because I haven't bought a new sofa, same with my armchairs.
So there is sustainability playing a part in this still.
Oh!
Ah!
Are you OK? I banged my head on the leg.
My furniture is quite bright.
Phew! Wah.
Because I wanted it to be like cottagey but slash modern.
This feels really cosy.
Oops.
Pull that rug up.
I brought back some of the furniture that was here
because sometimes, if you don't need to buy something new,
for the sake of it, don't buy it.
SANDER HUMS
Rita's also keeping the existing dining table.
This is hard work, doing sanding,
but it will be worth it because it was quite yellowy with this varnish.
There we go.
Can we talk about that colour in there?
Do you like it?
It's like travelling through a packet of Wotsits.
THEY LAUGH
Come on, come on! One hour to go!
TEAM CHEERS
Oh, yes, this is my favourite part,
when you just throw it all up.
So this is the basket.
If you flip it around...
..it's a gorgeous light fitting.
Do you want me to pop a chocolate there? No?
Oh, I don't... Chocolate on bedding?
Well, that's what they do in hotels. I'm not that posh.
I'm going to get you a chocolate. Get one for myself.
Ooh!
Yeah. It's gorg, isn't it? Really nice.
Time's ticking, ladies.
Oh! John. Hey. Hey, Craig. I think we're done.
I love it.
We've done this. Well done.
Goodness. So, you really nailed it. Thanks, mate.
Thank you so much.
ALL:Team Rita!
The guest judge for the final
is interiors expert and colour queen Sophie Robinson.
Sophie, come on, this has got to be like Sophie Robinson's happy place.
Yes. This is literally the dream, isn't it?
Look at all this colour.
Sophie is known for her love of maximalism,
so no better judge for Portmeirion.
When I walk into these holiday cottages,
I want to feel completely transported.
This isn't home from home -
this is going somewhere really, really magical.
This is all about dreaming big, isn't it? I mean, what a vision.
So, come on, I want to see all the colour, all the pattern,
so it can match the energy and wonder of the rest of the village.
Being here in Portmeirion, it's like stepping into a dream world.
The challenge, of course, for our finalists is
how do you channel that magic?
And I've asked them to show me an element of their signature style.
This is not the time for holding back.
I'm so happy with the space that I've created.
I hope that when the judges walk in there,
that they're transported into the Mediterranean.
This is my chance to prove that I can be an interior designer.
HE SIGHS
So this is John's holiday cottage.
I'm just seeing real confidence here, Michelle.
We've got a very bold colour palette,
but he hasn't stopped there.
We've also got lots of pattern to delight the eye as well.
I love how he's framed that window and then put the pattern behind it.
And we've got all kinds of like
gargoyles and lemons and flowers
and like the chessboard.
So that's really connecting to what's going on outside,
which is really clever. I agree.
Putting the same pattern on the coffee table
is maybe overegging it a little bit.
I would like to have seen another pattern.
Really? Even with the stripes on all the chairs and the sofa? Yeah!
Ooh, interesting.
I quite like the fact that these are high-back armchairs
because, in an open-plan space,
it can be quite difficult to create a nice, cosy, intimate setting.
In the dining room, he's taken the language of the original shiplap,
but then used it just to frame this area,
and yet it just fits so seamlessly.
And yellow is just THE colour for creating a happy,
convivial, jolly feeling.
100%. Love it.
Oh, my goodness.
This blue is really zingy.
I'm transported to the Mediterranean.
How clever that he's done a minimal maximal makeover.
Minimal that he's painted cupboards and put stickers over the tiles.
No!
John has really now learnt that he can get the look that he wants
but it doesn't have to take him ages.
Or the money. I mean, this is a budget makeover,
but it looks really, really quality.
Oh, Sophie.
I haven't noticed the room yet, Michelle.
It's all about the view!
But framed in the turquoise,
which actually super lifts the whole thing.
Isn't this a lovely little move?
This is a nod to the architecture that we're seeing outside,
these little archways.
Look at this headboard with the integrated side tables.
That is a tour de force, is it not?
I don't think I've sort of seen something like this
because the bed has a headboard, but then he's added another headboard
and backlit it, which is actually quite a complex idea.
He's given us loads of texture. Yeah.
I love the idea that he's brought the texture even into the art,
but I find myself somehow wanting them either to be bigger
or that it's across the whole bed.
I think his choice of this pure brilliant white
is really working today.
We've got amazing sunshine.
The danger with this colour choice is, come autumn, winter,
this colour, white, is going to turn to grey
and I think this room will feel really chilly.
There is great bravery in not feeling compelled
to plaster every wall with pattern or colour.
Do you? I do. You think there's an argument for that, do you?
I'll arm wrestle you over it!
I know you're the true maximalist.
Just more, more, more. Layer, layer, layer.
I mean, he's really had some fun
sourcing some wallpapers for this project.
And what's clever is then I see echoes of it
as I look along the landing.
It's good to see repetition
because it makes the whole space feel coherent.
I am being absolutely hit with a dose of the feel-good vibes
with this lovely, sherbetty orange colour.
So happy!
I love this very cute little print that's on the curtains,
the bed, the cushion.
There's enough happening here, but this one coordinates perfectly.
I would love to bring friends and family here.
And, ultimately, I guess that proves the success.
Shall we dance our way back downstairs? Yes, let's.
I gave this cottage my everything.
I'm crying because I'm so happy.
It looks so good.
It feels so cosy and nice.
I hope Michelle will see that.
Wowzers. This is a lot more muted, isn't it?
It's very restful. Kitchen, the pale pinks.
There's a very quite light touch here
but then a contrast with the scaffold planks.
Well, it's quite rustic and vintagey.
Rita is the queen of finding new uses for things.
So I love the insertion of this huge piece of timber
to make the division between the kitchen and the dining room.
It just feels gorgeous.
I rather love the massive basket over the dining table.
Well, it's unexpected, and I think this brief to me
is yearning for the designers to be a bit unexpected.
You've got the wallpaper,
which is kind of exciting and vibrant,
and an absolutely exquisitely dressed table,
and all looking out across the nature.
It's perfect.
I feel a lot more energy and attention has gone down there,
and maybe she was right to do that,
cos that's the main focal point of this room, isn't it?
So this is just as important -
this is your first expression of what this cottage is about.
Bit underwhelming. Well, this half, a little bit,
but let's go check out the living area.
Oh, I think I'm going to sit myself down.
It's a beautiful space.
She's kept the original furniture in the dining room,
but then introduced the kind of much more jewel colours here.
It's really quite lovely.
In terms of an all-year-round,
cosy, cocooning, inviting feel,
I think she's absolutely nailed the colour palette.
I like the introduction of this almost like ticking fabric
for the curtains, because that's very country cottagey.
This! Framing you, Michelle,
is this incredible oversized piece of artwork
which I can tell she's made herself.
It's excellent and it makes a real statement.
It's extraordinary.
And this wall is broken up quite well with display.
It's nice to see that she's used the scaffold boards,
which continues from the kitchen.
Also, it does make a lovely tableau
that she's incredibly good at
out of this whole wall.
I love it!
You're on holiday, you want to exhale,
drop your bags and relax.
And this room, through its warm, cocooning colour palette,
the textures on the bed,
yeah, I can't wait to get in and curl up with a good book.
This whole statement is just kind of glorious.
She's not really looking towards Portmeirion village,
she's looking out to sea. We've got the fishing baskets, the oars.
There are some lovely, original ideas.
I mean, it's quirky, it's bonkers, but it really works.
From the beautifully framed picture that I imagine she's drawn herself,
so she's picked out a little bit of the iconic architecture.
It's quite witty, isn't it? Yeah.
And then she's actually kept, though, all the original furniture
on the other side of the room.
I think it's really good to re-use things.
Maybe just some lovely sheepskin over those armchairs to soften them.
I feel like the black kind of kills off
this lovely, cosy cottage vibe for me.
Oh, wow, this is pretty impactful.
It's a gorgeous colour and, look, it's gloss,
it's reflecting all the light.
And, actually, do you know what as well, really practical
because you've got lots of people bashing up with luggage,
it's much more durable.
What a happy room.
You look outside the window and this mustard yellow
is right there on the buildings.
She's panelled the whole of the room,
which is absolutely beautiful.
Just feels a little bit more unusual.
Some really interesting visual references and styling moments -
bold stripes on the ceiling -
so it's elevating your experience in here.
I think that's what I might have liked to have seen
a little bit more of downstairs, because that tells me,
"Oh, you're somewhere a little bit quirky."
I am super excited to meet the people
who've created these holiday cottages.
I feel John has been looking towards the village,
this kind of slightly quirky Mediterranean influence.
And yet Rita has looked to the
amazing coastal countryside view.
So one's looking that way, one's looking that way -
who's got it right?
It's the finalists' last chance to convince Michelle and Sophie
that they should be the winner.
Hi.Hello.
Oh.
Rita, congratulations.
What an amazing transformation. Thank you.
So tell us a little bit about your inspiration
for your holiday cottage.
I wanted to bring the outdoors indoors,
but I wanted it to be a bit more muted because I want people to feel
cosy, relaxed, a bit of romance,
because that's how I see British cottages.
Those lovely warm russets
absolutely delivered that feeling. Thank you.
So lovely use of repurposing.
I wanted people to remember one object at least in every room.
These were the moments of joy and intrigue
that I think Portmeirion is a real sort of part of
this destination... Yes, something unexpected. Yeah.
What would it mean to you if you won?
So winning for me will mean obviously a lot.
VOICE BREAKS:If you believe you want to do it,
it doesn't matter what age or where you're from.
Yeah, it would mean everything.
You are already a complete inspiration.
Thank you.
Right now to the feedback, I feel very emotional
because it's been the best eight weeks of my life.
This competition gave me this massive boost
to start to believe in myself
that I could create spaces that people will love.
This is the essence of what I always wanted.
Hi.Hello. Hey.
Hi.
John, how are you feeling?
I feel over the moon, actually.
The blossoming of your confidence
is just the most exhilarating thing to see.
I thought that kitchen makeover was a masterpiece.
Change the cupboard colour and those genius tile stickers.
We wanted to come from this magical village
into this magical holiday cottage and the narrative continued,
and you nailed it. Oh, thank you.
I know if I'd done that kind of challenge one,
I'd have been there like taking tiles off and putting new ones on.
I was going to say, because that was
your big learning curve, wasn't it? Yeah.
Because you weren't short of ambition,
but you just couldn't get the stuff done in the time.
Certainly the last two challenges, that's not been the case.
What would it mean to you if you won?
If I won, it would be every bit of validation I ever needed.
You know, I've spent such a long time now,
18 years, teaching children design
and following their dreams
and I think I'm exemplifying that now.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
Wow, that was amazing.
This sofa chat was different to the others.
This was the most lovely sofa chat.
I've grown. Yeah, I can call myself a designer now.
It blows my mind.
I have now got to get really nitty gritty about what was on the brief,
and that's the only thing that can determine the winner.
Hey! Hello. Hey, guys.
The previous designers have arrived in Portmeirion
to give their critique of the finalists' work.
GASPS
Oh, my God. I'm actually gobsmacked.
This is bold, isn't it?
Wow.
This is gorgeous. John could definitely win this.
You can see like the evolution of their design style.
It's amazing.
So this is Rita's cottage. Very nice.
Oh! Oh, wow!Isn't it?
Love the dining area. So cosy.
I love the wallpaper.
If I was a holiday-maker, I'd probably choose Rita's
because I found it slightly more restful.
Well done, girl. Yeah.
It feels very Tuscany in here.
Yeah, and that is obviously in keeping with Portmeirion. Exactly.
I think John could win.
The details with, like, the taste of Italy in the wallpaper,
it just felt perfect.
Ooh, that's a bit of lux, isn't it?
It's lovely. Yeah, I love it.
Love the oars. Aren't they cute? Oh!
I love it.
So clever.
Think Rita's got a really good chance of winning this.
It's so cosy. You just want to spend all day in her cottage.
Yeah, it's really nice.
It feels like someone's actual bedroom.
It's very comfy. Mmm.
Rita actually had very similar light fittings...
Yeah, very similar.
What a transformation John and Rita have done within those cottages.
They both should be so proud.
Ooh! Ooh!
Look, the orange!
Glossy. Isn't it stunning?
I really can't call who's going to win.
It's a tough one. I wouldn't want to be Michelle.
After eight weeks, the time has come to reveal the winner.
Hello.Hey.
So lovely to see you again.
So, what do you think of Portmeirion?
Amazing. It's like being in a dream, isn't it?It is.
Let's welcome back Rita and John.
LAUGHTER
I am so very proud of both of you.
And there's no doubt that you will both go on
to have extraordinary careers.
After much deliberation,
a decision has been made.
The winner of Interior Design Masters is...
..John!
APPLAUSE
Well done.
I've just won Interior Designer Masters!
Oh, my goodness!
Congratulations. You did it.
When my students see this, I hope, you know, it inspires them.
You know, my ambition is boundless right now.
There's so much I want to do
and this feels like that first step.
SOPHIE:You're incredible. What a talent. Thank you.
I feel amazing because I'm so proud of myself.
I'm proud of John.
Cheers to John and cheers to me for a great future.
I think this is just the beginning.
I loved it.
Woo!
Well done.
Two extremely talented creative designers.
But John clinched it.
His space really mirrored the magical eccentricity of Portmeirion,
and he's created a really special, uplifting, joyful space
for people to create happy memories.
Well done.
A key part of this brief was to capture the essence
of this incredible, magical, mystical place.
And John did that using colour, pattern, texture and design.
I'm so proud of you. You've done amazing.
I've actually done it.
I'm an interior designer.
HE LAUGHS
Oh, my goodness.
Cheers. Cheers.
This is life-changing.
Changes everything.
GROUP LAUGHS