AFRICAN-STYLE MUSIC TIGER ROARS
It's the final, and we're throwing our remaining two designers
into the lion's den, literally,
transforming cottages at Longleat.
Would you like to meet our residents? BOTH:Yes!
Oh! Oh!
Look, Alan, it's so beautiful!
I know! I love that mane, so much volume.
I wish I had that with my hair. No, not the lion.
Its lair.
Look at the use of colour, the natural textures.
There's not a fake plant in sight.
Oh, Michelle, you really are wild about interiors.
Welcome to the final!
BOTH SCREAM
Eight weeks ago, ten novice interior designers
put themselves forward to realise their dream,
to go pro and win a life-changing prize.
Wow, that is amazing!
They've put their design skills to the test
on everything from beach huts...
Come and get me juicy cockles! ..to shops...
Oh!
SHE LAUGHS I'm fine.
..even Royal Navy mess decks.
BOTH SCREAM EXCITEDLY
After tackling a Premier League football stadium last week...
Wow, this is a good view.
..Emily was given the red card.
I mean, I'm gutted, obviously, but what a ride.
Now, just Lia...Whoo-hoo!
..and Sophie remain.
..and the biggest design project yet.
The winner of Interior Design Masters is...
And then there were two. THEY SQUEAL
I can't believe it's just two of us walking down this hill.
It's the final! Featuring me!
SHE GIGGLES
The dream was always to be an interior designer,
to wake up every day and do something I love.
Being in the final, I feel like, maybe I could do this forever.
Are you excited or terrified for this?
I'm excited. I am.
A whole holiday cottage at Longleat is going to be so much fun.
Longleat Safari Park, I mean, it's animals.
I've got licence to do animal print, finally.
It's finally my time to shine.
Rock and roll maximalist Sophie has showcased her love
of animal prints since week one.
Who doesn't love a bit of zebra print?
And by week two, her limewash finish
and pattern clashing in the castle won her Stand Out Space.
EXHALES
A real strength that Sophie has brought to her challenges
is her beautiful, painterly eye for colour and texture.
She comes in with a background as a specialist painter.
We haven't got enough wood. I'm stressed. I'm so stressed.
The only thing holding Sophie back is her lack of confidence.
When she has a little bit of a wobble,
then everything slightly crashes down.
I honestly, I can't even direct you because I just don't know.
But when she can pick herself up and believe in herself,
I think she's capable of amazing things.
In Shops Week she pulled it together to win Stand Out Space with Lia.
And in the semi-final... Sophie's back!
..achieved her goal.
Hiya, kid, I'm a finalist.
ON PHONE:Get out of town!
I'm hoping to see that Sophie just leans in
to the amazing designer that she has the capacity to be.
I mean, we're going to Longleat. She's surrounded by animals.
This has got to be her happy place.
Lia is also a maximalist.
Oh, my God, it looks so nice.
And from week one has gone big with botanicals.
Oh, look, like an authentic lemon tree.
She's used dried flowers in all her schemes...
Very distracted by the whole frou-frou thing.
..but has learnt to edit.
We've made a big decision to take the flowers down.
Lia's work has been strongest
when she really does lean into her roots,
that sense of conviviality and family.
The whole kitchen are will be here with a massive island.
You're so Italian. SHE LAUGHS
And that helped her win her first Stand Out Space.
Ah!
I've always wanted to hear Michelle shout my name and I heard it.
Lia's ambitious designs
have pushed her trades to the max.
I'm not happy with the bar.
I've adapted the design about 60 times today.
But in the end, it paid off and won her a place in the final.
This, to me, is a real triumph of a space.
Both Lia and Sophie have an enormous amount of talent,
so I just hope they bring all the lessons
that they've learned over all the previous challenges
and just go for it.
Here are our finalists. Come and sit down on the sofa.
I've even plumped the cushions for you.
Lovely service. How are you feeling?
BOTH LAUGH Pinch-me moment?Yeah.
Up for grabs is a game-changing prize.
The winner will be working with Next
to create their own line of homeware.
How amazing is that?
Yeah, incredible.
Imagine having your name next to that.
All that stands between you and the prize is one challenge,
32 lions, five rhinos, three gazelle and a pack of wolves.
You're off to Longleat to transform two holiday cottages.
Magnificent Longleat House in Wiltshire
is a stately home surrounded by 9,000 acres,
including the famous safari park.
There are many period rental properties on the estate.
The finalists will transform two of them,
either the Grade II Georgian cottage called The Island
or the Victorian Stalls Farmhouse.
Pick a key.
I've got The Island. OK. And you must have...
The Stalls farmhouse. The Stalls farmhouse.
So do you have any advice for them to clinch that win?
You just have to believe in yourself
and know that you deserve to be here
and go do your thing.
The guest judge this week is a designer
who is at one with wildlife.
He dresses like a peacock
and can talk the hind legs off a hyena.
It's Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
Good luck.
See you at Longleat.See you there.
There's definitely two angles that can be taken,
the beautiful architecture and the gardens
or you take inspiration from the animals in the park.
This is just my dream brief.
If I can believe in myself
and trust myself,
I could potentially have the edge.
But I know Lia is full of surprises.
After a week of prepping designs,
our finalists arrive at Longleat..
I mean, this is giving final vibes. It's a fitting setting. Very grand.
..to soak up the historic estate and gardens...
Look, there's the house. Wow. Oh, my God, it's stunning!
I love all the hedges! Botanicals, dude.
..and meet the exotic residents.
The monkeys!
BOTH:Zebras!
All the prints! All the prints!
Now they have just three days
and £7,000 to create a winning holiday cottage...
Battle of the maximalists.
..with the help of two familiar cheeky monkeys.
Fellow designer Ben is back to lend Sophie his upcycling expertise.
I'm going to be trying to keep Sophie calm as possible,
do all the jobs that she needs me to do
and work as hard as I possibly can.
And sewing whizz Jonni is reuniting with Lia.
Oh, I'm so excited to be back with Lia.
I'm so proud of her and I will do anything to help her win it.
Should we go and check the cottage out?
Yeah, come on. Got your breakfast.
Each holiday let is a unique period property.
Sophie's cottage is a residential rental.
It looks big. Yeah, it looks big.
While Lia's is a former farmhouse.
Let's see.
Inside, both designers must totally transform
a hallway and a landing...
We're painting over that. Absolutely! Begone, white!
..a twin bedroom and a master bedroom...
Oh.
We don't have time for that, Sophie. Get up!
..a dining room...
It's a bit smaller than I thought.
..and a living room.
Far too beige for my liking.
These are holiday lets,
and I want this place to be so fully booked
that people can't even get in because it's that busy.
I'm making it enticing by hoping to create a wild escape.
So... Oh wow, that is exciting.
Imagine...
..all the ceiling in the leopard print.
Crazy and amazing. All the way through,
upstairs, landing, everything. 100%.
Safari-madness style. That's what you need here.
My whole concept of this cottage
is not to the safari side of Longleat,
but the gardens at Longleat.
All the nature and all the trees will just come to life.
Hopefully they come to life.
To realise their contrasting concepts,
Sophie and Lia will each get two carpenters
and three decorators.
Welcome, welcome. ALL:Whoo!
Final time. I know! Final time.
How are you feeling? I'm excited.
We're going big. We're going bold.
We're going botanical.
But yeah, the big change in this room is...
Big mic drop moment.
I'm switching around the configuration
just to confuse things. Yeah. THEY LAUGH
Lia plans to swap around her downstairs rooms,
making the largest space the social heart of the home.
The current living room
will be transformed into a dining space with a cocktail nook,
and she's building a large, structural arch
to divide the areas.
The dining area will be a dusky olive green
with a built-in bar and alcove unit,
plus upcycled dining set and dried flowers on the mantel.
The den will have botanical-print paper
with inky blue ceiling and panels, plus terracotta velvet chairs.
Her new, smaller living room will be painted
in a paler olive green,
with more inky blue on the skirting and picture rail,
plus botanical paper on the ceiling.
The fireplace will be painted terracotta pink
and clad with geometric tiles,
flanked by two new arched alcove units.
Comfy velvet sofas and an armchair
will give guests generous seating to lounge upon.
The big swap of the dining room and the living room,
it's quite a big risk.
I reckon we're ready to get started. Let's do it!
But I love hosting,
and that's been such an important part of all of my designs.
Hello! How are you? Good.
I grew up in Glasgow. We are Scottish-Italian.
So there was never, never a quiet moment.
Would you like a coffee? Espresso, please.
Growing up, I loved going on holiday with my parents
and still do with my friends and family.
We all make dinner
and we always love socialising together.
I think what's really important is making large, open spaces.
Where you can all sit together
but somewhere to make a nice drink as well.
Lia has always been very creative from a very, very early age
and it definitely comes from her dad.
Happy with that? Yeah. Right, OK.
My dad is my main inspiration.
He is the biggest DIY person you'll ever meet.
Keep your saw flat. That's it.
Lia would always watch everything that I did
and ask questions on, "Why this screw, why that nail?"
"why are you doing it that way, Dad?"
I think she has now far surpassed my ability of doing any DIY.
I think there should be a stronger word than proud.
I think that's spot on. Perfect.
I would love to win just to make them that one inch prouder.
ALL:Yay!
Good luck.
Going to need it. Oh, no you're not.
To me. To you. To me.
With the teams out of the starting blocks...
Ugh! Why am I so small? Oh, God.
..Lia's first job is to get her giant room divider underway.
So I'd like to build an arch
to kind of separate these two spaces.
Straight up on both sides, but then carving into a flat.
OK. It's definitely risky to task a carpenter
pretty much his whole time to make the arch.
After last week's sofa, I need to be able to finish
in a reasonable time and not panic at the end.
How many lengths of this timber have you got?
Ten. You need more?
I'm going to need at least another 10 or 15.
Across the estate, Sophie's got simpler constructions...
So plan for this alcove is a tall log store,
a shelf for the TV,
and then shelf on top for board games,
blankets, that kind of thing.
..leaving her free to prioritise paint.
Gorgeous colour, that is. Oh, guys!
Oh, it's giving opulence.
I will be demonstrating my signature style in full-fat effect.
There's going to be lots of rich colour.
Oh, yes!
It does make me want a glass of Merlot, though.
THEY LAUGH
Each of the rooms will be different,
but those colours together are going to clash beautifully.
Sophie's inspiration for her clashing colours and prints
is from the safari park, to create a wild escape.
Her living room will be covered
in an exotic animal-embellished wallpaper
sitting above panelling painted avocado green.
The colour will continue on the window frames and mantle
and the ceiling painted rich burgundy.
She's adding a log store and TV unit in the corner,
plus two large fringed lights
to illuminate her furniture, adorned with faux-fur throws.
Her hallway is going a bold peacock teal with gold stairs,
fake animal decor and leopard-print wallpaper
across the entire ceiling, leading through to the dining room,
where she sourced
a second-hand dining table and chairs,
which Ben will upholster.
The alcoves are going stripy, and a corner bar will be built in.
She'll showcase her signature limewash walls
before embellishing them
with hand-painted black and gold maps of African countries.
Oh-la-la.
This is a beautiful warm stone colour.
Couldn't resist doing some limewash for the final.
I'm feeling quite positive. I'm trying to stay calm.
Not going to panic. And yeah, see what happens.
While Sophie is using different colours in every room,
Lia has another game plan when it comes to her paint palette.
So I'm using a green-tones blue
and a kind of terracotta colour in every single room.
I think all of the colours are just so complementary.
Plus, in each room she will add a botanical element using print...
That's it.
..as well as her dried flowers.
This is going to go on top of the mantel in the new dining room.
I incorporate dry flowers into a lot of things and I always like to add.
But what I have learned is to edit.
But that's much harder to do than it sounds.
I mean, right now it's a bit of a mess,
but once I'm finished with it, it'll be lovely.
When I heard Longleat had a cruise,
I couldn't wait to dust off my cravat.
What a sophisticated way to check on the designers.
Fingers crossed, I'll be invited
to the captain's table for a bit of supper.
Excuse me. What's on the menu today?
Sprats.
But I'm a prawn cocktail kind of guy.
They're for the sea lions. Sea lions?
SEA LIONS GROWL AND HONK
All right, all right! It's coming, it's coming!
You'll get indigestion.
You're not chewing it. SEA LION HONKS
Oh, you're a right chatty Cathy!
Oh, I bet Jane McDonald didn't have to do this.
Can you swim me to the designers, please?
Hi, Lia.Hey, Alan! Hi, Jonni.Hi, Alan.
I've got a bucket of omega three. Who wants a bit of sprat?
Um...I'm going to pass. I'll wait for lunch.
Well, don't come to me when you're hungry later.
Lia, you seem quite zen.
Last week you were stressed.
So how are you feeling? Are you stressed now?
No. I'm feeling really calm this week.
She's been channelling her inner giraffe.
Very calm. I thought your neck had got longer.
THEY LAUGH
So you're a maximalist.
Sophie's also a maximalist.
I don't think Longleat's going to know what's hit it.
THEY LAUGH What's happening?
So there's definitely some elements of my signature style.
Dried flowers. Love it.
But then there's lots of kind of new elements that I've learned.
So this used to be the living room,
and next door was the dining room.
But I decided to switch them around.
I wanted this to be like the hub where everyone would enjoy a meal.
I think where you excel at it's the communal spaces.
It's making everyone feel, "Come round the table!
"Let's eat like a big, hearty meal."
Well, hopefully this room will be a addition to that as well.
Well, good luck with everything. It's looking great.
Lovely to see you again.
I'm going to take me bucket of sprat.
You might want to get some room spray.
Still smells of fish. THEY LAUGH
Sorry about that!
What other countries are you doing? Kenya. Kenya's going over there.
I might have Tanzania somewhere.
Hi, guys.Hi, Alan! Hi. Hello.
Sophie and Ben, you're back!
I've returned.
So listen, for someone who loves animal print
to then get a job in a safari park.
Yeah. I mean, it's like, "Hello!" I'm having the best time.
I know, I can see, I can see! And I see you've got limewash.
Yeah. I think it's really timeless and elegant.
And actually it's creating a really good canvas for all my crazy stuff.
So what's this then? It's not dry rot, is it?No, no. Good.
So it's actually the outline of Namibia.
Oh, oh, I see.Yeah.
I did want to kind of pay respects to
the African countries that are famous for safaris as well.
So there's going to be African countries everywhere all around here.
There'll be two or three. All right.
Can you show me the door?
Did you get it?Just that way.
I'll Serengeti my coat.Bye. Bye.
Both finalists are using mainly second-hand furniture,
which the boys are upcycling.
Jonni's smoothing things down...
I've sanded the dining chairs. I'm sanding this dining table.
I'm in the zone on sanding.
..whilst Ben's tarting things up.
Sophie wants me to use these curtains as the cushion cover.
It's got like a nice little, like, giraffe pattern feel to it.
Curtains you can find in charity shops
and the fabric works out so much cheaper.
It's a nice little hack, actually.
The first day is drawing to a close.
Paper's here. That's nice.
Looks like you're wearing it. THEY LAUGH
Look, look, look.
Oh, yeah. End of day one, I am really happy with progress.
Those guys are quick.
We have a lot of paint on the walls.
We have one of the carpentry builds complete.
We have some upholstery already done.
Yeah, I'm feeling good.
Let's get a pint. THEY LAUGH
Day one done and dusted.
I really wanted to be started in the den.
But we can't wallpaper the den until the arch is done.
So that bit will need to kind of hang fire.
Obviously that's quite a big build.
So yeah, tomorrow I'll get more things done.
Right then, day two. Oh, here we go again.
Another day. Another day with you.
With both cottages taking shape downstairs...
Begone, horrible fireplace. Yeah.
..Lia and Sophie turn their attentions to the bedrooms upstairs.
The plan for the master bedroom is completely colour drenched
in a really sort of dark greige colour.
It's super calming.
And then I'm going to bring the prints in through soft furnishings.
But I'm making it so that both of my bedrooms
are that amazing,
that people aren't going to be fighting over the master
because the twin is also awesome.
Sophie's twin bedroom
will also be colour drenched but in a punchy coral pink.
She's dressing the room with mismatching antique furniture
and giving the beds cheetah-print headboards
to clash against snake and insect wallpaper.
I'm using the most amazing wallpaper I've ever seen.
It just adds to that maximalism.
Snakes and grasshoppers.
My signature style is very much the same
as when I started the competition.
A lot of things have developed.
I can put together a space much better,
but fundamentally,
my signature style is still rock and roll maximalism.
My mum inspired me to get into interior design.
She qualified as an interior designer
herself a few years ago.
I like that.
My style is more classic, traditional,
but with a French twist,
and obviously Sophie's a maximalist.
Beige and boring are not Sophie at all.
She's never been like that.
She's always had this colourful way about her, really.
That lamp's mega. I love that. Yeah. I like that as well.
She makes my heart sing. She's just... She's...
I wish I could be like her, put it that way.
I feel like this experience has brought us closer together,
because we really do share a huge passion for interior design.
Having my mum's support's...
..the best.
You know how proud I am of you.
You've astounded me every step of the way.
Oh, you'll make me cry.
Oh. Love you. Love you.
SHE GASPS
SHE SQUEALS
That is amazing. I love it.
It's mad because it's so pretty, even though it's full of snakes.
Ta-da! CHEERING
Love it. Very stripy.
In Lia's farmhouse, her twin room vibe is more subtle.
It's going all on that wall and all on this wall. OK.
Twin rooms are normally maybe for kids,
so it's quite a neutral palette.
When I started the competition, I hated white.
But I have learned that sometimes it is OK to use it.
So we're growing. We're learning.
Lia's twin room will have light taupe walls
as well as sage green stripy wallpaper
and headboards upholstered in mottled pink,
furnished with a blue teal chest of drawers,
a clothes rail and botanical prints.
Her master bedroom will be colour drenched in a muddy green,
which she's contrasting with muted pink curtains,
headboard and cushions.
The centrepiece will be a show-stopping mural
of a bucolic scene.
We'll just go up to that break line there.
I really love this paper. It looks so good.
Mm! It's gorgeous.
Have you seen your naked woman in there as well?
Oh, yeah! In the trees. SHE LAUGHS
Looks a bit like you. Cheeky. THEY LAUGH
I've left them a little memory of me.
THEY LAUGH
The master bedroom wallpaper
has been a firm favourite of mine for years,
but I could never afford it. SHE LAUGHS
So when we got this challenge,
I was like, "I'm ordering that paper.
"I don't care how much it costs." SHE LAUGHS
Hi, Lia.Hey, Alan!
This looks expensive.
Good, cos it was. Oh. SHE LAUGHS
Dare I ask how much?
Just this wall was around £500.
The paper is the showstopper here.
It does look like those tapestries you get
in stately homes like Longleat House.
Yeah, that's kind of where the inspiration came from.
And also, the drive down to Longleat House
has very similar trees.
And then you've got the beautiful lake.
Why don't you draw a hippo, so it looks really authentic?
SHE LAUGHS Do you want me to go and get my biro?
So what would it mean to you if you did win?
Honestly, I have always wanted to do interior design,
but it's hard to get a job in interior design
when you have no experience.
So to be the winner and be one of those people who says,
"I love my job
"and every day I get to do something I love"
would just be unbelievable.
Sophie. Yeah.
When it comes to wild wallpaper...
Oh! Yes!
..Sophie's hallway is a whole new level.
All my dreams are coming true right now.
Says Team Sophie, doesn't it? Yeah, it does.
Not Kat Slater? Maybe. Maybe Kat Slater.
And Lia also wants guests to see her signature style
as soon as they walk in the door.
I'm going to put a bunch of dried flowers inside wooden crates.
I'll use that as artwork for the hallway when you come in.
So, botanical feels.
Designers, we're halfway through day two.
Not that she cares.
Oh-ho-ho!
Now, Sophie, look at this! Wow.
This has got to be your dream hallway.
I mean, yeah, it's very me.
And it's the final. This isn't the time to be meek and mild, is it?
No, no, no, I've gone... No.I've gone all out.
If it is, you're in trouble.
SHE LAUGHS
I suppose when people come through the door,
it's setting up your stall, isn't it? This is fun, this is wild...
Don't take it the wrong way, but you deserve to be in a zoo.
THEY LAUGH
Thanks, Alan, sweetie-cake. That comes from a really good place.
Any worries at the minute?
I am still waiting for a couple of deliveries.
Oh, gawd...Yeah, I'm waiting for cheetah print fabric
to upholster some headboards with,
which I'm now starting to get a bit anxious about.
Oh, gawd...I know.
Up a wee bit more. Yes.
So the lighting is currently going up.
They're all slightly different, but they will all give the same feeling.
These ones are quite expensive, so yeah.
THEY LAUGH No pressure, Liam. Don't drop them.
Right. We've got some fun light shades.
OK. OK.
I'd like one lower than the other, sort of on the diagonal,
but lounge vibes.
On the diagonal? On the diagonal. HE LAUGHS
Basically, just go...and see where it lands. That'll do. OK.
SHE LAUGHS
Woo!
With house lights up... Yes!
..and Lia's arch getting set... I'm coming.
It's like it grew there, mate.
..drama teacher Jonni is enjoying a curtain call.
Lia was quite inspired by the mazes at Longleat House,
and so when you look at this curtain fabric, it is maze-like.
But in Sophie's master bedroom...
So, I'm just thinking about the curtains that I've got for here.
..she's drawing a blank.
I didn't realise the beams run straight either side of that window,
which means that if I put a curtain rail across,
it would have to be lower and it would cut the top of
the window off, which I just can't do.
Ooh...! Yeah. OK.
What have you got? What about...
She's got a brainwave. I've had a brainwave.
HE LAUGHS
What about we hang the curtains behind the bed?
So, the windows have shutters we're going to leave as-is.
Instead, we're going to get a brass curtain rail
and put that behind the bed and hang the curtains behind the bed.
Oh-ho-ho!
Oh, see, that looks really nice, actually, that does.
It blends in really nicely with that colour on the wall.
So all of that will then soften that bed area
and make it really inviting.
Ye-e-es!
That's going to be mint.
After nearly two days, Lia's arch divider is finally installed.
The arch was definitely a risk in terms of timing.
I think it's been crowned as the biggest build in any final,
so, I mean, I'll take the title.
This looks so good. I love it. Epic. Yeah. Love it.
A whole false wall wood archway.
LIA LAUGHS
It is the final. Yep. Got to give it my all.
It was definitely risky, but I think the arch looks incredible.
And it looks like it was always meant to be there,
and that's exactly how you want a build like that to look.
I'm so happy with how that's come out.
Oh, look at that!
As the trades down tools for the day...
Just done.
Simple as that.
..Sophie decides to take a peek at the competition.
Lia! Hello! Hey, pal. How are you doing? Hi.
Oh-h-h... Ooh!
So what's... What is this room?
So this room used to be the living room with no arch.
Yeah. And then we are making it into the dining room and a den.
Oh, cute! Like a little snug. A little snug. Oh-h-h! Yeah.
And then this is going to be the new living room.
Ooh, yes! This ceiling is amazing. It's a magical ceiling.
Oh, no, it's too good! No! Stop it!
I have just seen Lia's house, and I think Lia's idea to do
the snug at the end of the dining room and to switch
the spaces over is genius.
So I'm panicking a little bit.
Ugh...! SHE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY
Yeah.
Let's get 'em, come on. Yeah, let's go.
We made so much progress today.
The arch is done, so tomorrow I've made enough time to actually do
all the finishing touches with plenty of time...
..maybe.
Dude, thank you. Not a problem. Right. Let's go. Come on.
End of day two. STRAINED INHALATION
Yeah. Very overwhelmed. Got a lot of emotions.
Tomorrow's the last day to finish the design, so there is a lot to do.
I feel concerned at the minute cos it's just hitting me like
how huge a job this is.
When you actually think about it, it's just a stupid amount to do
in a couple of days.
SHE LAUGHS
It's the final day of the final challenge.
Morning! TEAM:Good morning! Last day! Yeah! Woo!
Ready to go? TEAM:Yeah! Yeah?
Ready to win?! TEAM:Yes! YES!
In just a few hours, the judges will arrive
to pick their winning rental cottage.
So the plan of action today is to crack on with the den.
We had to sort of take a step back on it yesterday
whilst we finished off the arch, so we really need to
focus on getting that sorted ASAP.
But whilst in Lia's den things are going up...
Yeah. Perfect.
..in Sophie's dining room, things are coming down.
I tried something new, doing those outlines of the African countries.
It didn't work.
I just couldn't get it to look the way I wanted to,
so I made the decision - we've scrapped it.
Mid-morning, and all final builds are being installed...
Sophie? Oh, yes! Yeah? Oh, God. This looks great. Yeah.
..plus, the hallways are getting some finishing touches...
These are the dado rails that will go in the entrance hall.
I'm painting the bottom half of these steps all in gold,
to throw a bit more of an opulent look.
..and Jonni is getting a-head...board.
I'm making two headboards for the twin bedroom.
This is my absolute happy place.
Urgh...!
Ta-da!
Sophie's headboards, however, are giving her a headache.
Nervously waiting for some fabric for my headboards in the twin.
SHE EXHALES SHARPLY That has to arrive.
If it doesn't, I don't know what I'm going to do.
I'm losing my mind.
I don't think this fabric is going to come.
OK. We literally have hours left. Stop stressing.
You're going to be fine. It's not fine, Ben.
I don't know how you can be so calm. It's not fine. It WILL be.
Soph's biggest stress at the moment is the fabric for the headboards,
and she's just in that moment now where she sees the finish line
and she's... And she's also seeing what's not done and then she panics.
So yeah, I've just got to make sure I keep supporting Soph,
make sure she's calm and just keep her a clear head
so she can get this done properly.
We're halfway through the final day - a little birdie told me.
BIRD SQUAWKS
Here we go...
I'm just currently trying to fit the bed base together.
Sophie's gone for this bed because it's got that nice
antique kind of look.
Makes a really nice statement in this room.
We do the armchair... Yeah? Do we put that there?
Do we just do the armchair and the sofa?
So for the living room, we've got a second-hand blue sofa
and an orange sofa, which will just highlight
the terracotta colour within the paper and the fireplace.
Best seat in the house. Cosy.
My concern in this room is that the furniture looks mental.
Well, to be fair, right now we're all over the place.
I'm worrying, to have antique furniture, the colour's not right.
It should be a jewel tone.
Stop doubting yourself. This is doubt.
You chose right, because remember when you first
walked into this room, you saw it and you went,
"Wow, that is an amazing room."
Put that back in your head, yeah? Yeah.
Cool? Thank you.
With just a few hours to go...
Designers, you haven't got long!
Have you been on the telly? Did you sell me insurance once?!
..both finalists start to style.
Styling is not my calling, I think it's safe to say.
But that... Whereas, I think Lee is great at styling.
That's why I'm panicking.
Just trying to think how to make this shelf look a bit fuller.
Normally I'm the one going around making stressful decisions
and they've ended up being the wrong decisions.
Especially after last week when I was panicking
and I was running out of time.
This week I've really gone into every room
in a calm state and thought about everything in it.
Hi, guys. BOTH:Hi, Alan. Got your cushions!
Oh, thank you so much! What a great help.
Where do you want to put them?
Pass them to my qualified assistant, I think. You don't trust me?!
LIA LAUGHS
She does... But I will take them.
THEY LAUGH
This is the final, so we've got to make sure that
karate chop cushion is perfect.
Oh, are you sure I can't just put one...?Go on, do it.
This is going to kill you, isn't it? SHE LAUGHS
There you go. HI-YAH!
As the judges approach the estate, Sophie's cheetah print delivery
has arrived.
So the fabric finally turned up. Literally, minutes to spare.
So I've managed to get that quickly on the headboards
and I'm really happy now.
It was worth the stress, I think.
Ta-da!
Where do you want it?
LIA LAUGHS NERVOUSLY Don't rush me, Piers!
That has to go on there...
Last minute addition - I'm making a pair of curtains out of duvet cover.
I think it needs to come down. It's too...too high up, isn't it?
Can't have the fabric all bunched up like that.
Curtain coming through.
Miaow!Oh, my God...! SOPHIE LAUGHS
Where's Africa gone?
I thought I was coming home as a lion!
I scrapped it and I've gone back to limewash.
You got rid of Namibia!I did.
Oh, it's the circle of life, innit?
I love them! Just little wooden trays and then I've just
turned them into artwork.
OK, just... Just lift it up a little bit. Yeah. Like that.
Voila, a curtain.
A little bit of dressing... Oop!
Time is up.
Well done. Proud of you. Thank you so much.
I mean, I couldn't have done that without you, mate. You smashed it.
You did it! I can't believe it.
I'm going to cry. Honestly, thank you so much.
This has been, like, the most mad, surreal experience.
And to think that it's coming to an end now is, um...
Yeah, I'm quite sad, but I've just had the best time.
Like, the best time.
I want it so bad. Like, so bad that it's...
Yeah, it's all very emotional now.
To help Michelle judge the winning rental cottage
is Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen,
a fellow maximalist designer renowned for his wild style.
Laurence, somehow I imagine that you're very at home
here at Longleat.
Well, this is a building that was built by the Elizabethans,
basically to just show off.
So that, combined with the fact you've got some gorgeously
furry apex predators wandering around in the countryside,
yes, I feel as if I've come to my spiritual home.
One of the things the finalists have to give me is impact.
Because people are going to be paying money to stay in them,
you want to walk in and go, "Wow!"
"Nice" is a word I hope never to use.
Really, when I walk into those spaces,
I just hope that they have believed in themselves to say,
"I'm here in the final. I am an Interior Design Master."
Sophie's wild escape cottage is the first to be pored over.
Oh, pretty. Isn't this super pretty? It's like a little tea caddy.
Every room in that cottage looks exactly how I wanted it to.
I honestly could burst, I'm so proud.
Oh, heavens.
Can you tell that Sophie loves an animal print?
HE GROWLS
We've got the leopard on the ceiling,
faux leopard underneath us and feathers on the lights.
There's a lot of, kind of, anti-good taste, in here.
And I actually rather love that. I rather love the passion.
Also, I love this colour. This kind of peacocky, greeny blue.
Feels very precious.
I feel like I've walked into the inside of a jewellery box.
If this is the way we're going with,
then let's buckle ourselves in and shout, "Huzza!" for the ride.
Ooh!
Sophie really is taking every opportunity
to remind us that we're in a safari park.
Mmm. It's writ large over the wallpaper, it's in the imagery.
In the context of a holiday let, I think people would love this.
I think people would come and go,
"Oh, yes, we saw one of those, didn't we?"
And there's something so joyful
about all of this maximalist confidence.
This is someone that's so good at colour.
There's so much lovely detail with the pair of lampshades,
so not just one, but two, and their fringing detail.
But then she's plonked this huge unit in the corner.
If those shelves were full of very thoughtfully curated objects,
then I'd get it.
But we've got two kind of furled-up blankets and a box of matches.
Wow.
We've really changed beat, now.
Her genius moment is obviously the walls.
There's this lime-washed stone effect sort of finish.
Almost looks like onyx.
And in candlelight, I think it would feel very romantic.
I love the upholstery on the chairs and the stripes.
That friction, it's a bit unexpected.
But I feel as if we're missing something, here.
I think this is crying out for some kind of pattern
or some kind of motif.
Apparently she was going to draw on the wall a sort of map,
but then she changed her mind and decided to paint over it.
I think the map might be a bit too literal.
And then, like in the living room,
I am missing all of the little styling touches.
Oh, wow. I'm warming to the leopard print on the ceiling
as I see it all the way up. You're being seduced.
And I love how I'm seeing the upholstery
from the dining chairs suddenly reappear here,
making that gorgeous little window seat.
Ah! Yes.
How fabulous are those headboards
against that totally bonkers wallpaper?
That is absolute textbook. This is what maximalism does.
It throws snakes and lemons and spiders, and then suddenly,
leopard print looks like it's quite well-behaved next to it.
And let's absolutely revel and roll
in the gorgeousness of this Percy Pig pink.
I love the little details, like, the introduction of this round table
with the two little chairs.
There is something that really sings in this room.
You almost sang that. I did. I'm happy!
I love it. It's her.
Aha!
This is, like, the grown-up bedroom, isn't it?
We've had the fun one next door, and then this is looking strong.
The lion sleeps tonight, in here. I can imagine a very, very lovely
and very comfortable night's rest in here.
We've got the zebra print, different version of it behind the bed,
which is quite a fun way of doing softness
behind the metallic headboard.
It just hangs together.
It is very elegant and I think very commercial.
People who are going to put money towards a couple of nights,
this is absolutely the sort of the boutique hotel experience
that they would be longing for.
Next, Lia's floral-inspired farmhouse.
The big swap of the dining room
and the living room was quite a big risk.
Hopefully that paid off.
So the transformation starts in the hallway.
Yeah, it's very elegant.
We've got a sense of one of Lia's signatures, the dried flowers.
And I rather like that she's housed them in these sort of
wooden containers.
It's a clever way of framing the flowers, don't you think?
Oh!
Oh, this is beautiful.
This, originally, was the living room and she's switched it.
So she's given the bigger, more generous room over to dining.
In the context of a holiday cottage,
you are more likely to want to have these sprawling meals
than sit around and watch television.
So, in fact, she has been quite clever.
And who knew that several shades of Kermit could look quite so chic?
But the thing I'm most excited about is,
in this large room, she's architecturally divided it
to make this little pre-cocktail seating booth.
I love the conversational snug.
I'll be pinching that idea. Oh, yes.
So there must be another space that has now become the living room.
We need to go on a sofa safari, come on.
Here be the sofas.
Oh, look at that ceiling. I love the ceiling.
Why bother with telly?
It's like a whole box-set going on up there.
It could have been a horrible compromise,
forced to sort of lounge in this teeny, teeny room.
But in fact, I think, here, you're going to snuggle.
I'm finding the furniture a little squeezed in.
I think I would have chosen more streamlined pieces,
but these arched-top niches
are exactly the sort of thing that you'd see in a Victorian cottage.
It's where you put your posh front-room china, really.
And again, she's used this blue and the green
and then this terracotta colour.
It's got a lot of personality to it.
Shall we see whether there is more green to be seen?
Well, shall we?
Quite simple, up here.
Yeah, but that's nice, though, isn't it? Yes.
Having the wooden chest below the window,
it's a lovely way of giving this landing a point.
Oh.
This is pretty. Isn't it? It's the same hues as downstairs,
but everything's just toned itself down.
I like the stripey wallpaper against the headboards.
That's a nice sort of pattern clash.
I do love the evolution of her palette,
the fact that it's becoming so much more kind of gentle
as we go further and further up the house.
I think she's a very empathic designer,
and I think she understands what rooms feel like,
what people would like to feel in that room.
This would be a real seller, I think, for a holiday cottage.
After you, this time.
I'm going to take the first bullet, for a change. Yes.
Ah! I was hoping for a grand finale.
And I'm going to say this, I love it.
This feels like a real evolution of her design style,
into something that now fits totally perfectly with this space.
And again, it's this pinky, greeny colour palette.
Yes. She's connecting us back to the main room downstairs.
And the wallpaper behind the headboard,
the fact that it looks like a tapestry is quite wonderful.
It's clever. There are tapestries in Longleat.
So actually, as a paying guest, that is such a wonderful
way of giving a real sense of, you know,
they are staying in the Longleat estate.
Teeny tiny thing, though,
would you have taken the tapestry paper
just up that piece of the ceiling?
I mean, it would have given a really beautiful feeling of enclosure.
I think this feels very accomplished.
I think this feels very confident.
She has created somewhere that she would want to stay,
but also she's created somewhere that people coming
to visit Longleat would want to stay.
Before the judges pick their winner,
they want one last sofa chat with the finalists.
So, Lia, welcome.
We walked into your dining room and were just knocked away.
It was a big decision to make the biggest room into
the dining room and then by adding the arch, I loved that.
I mean, that's beyond decorating.
Oh, she was skipping around that room.
I've seen that as a little bit of
a theme through some of your designs,
where you create this kind of wonderful, convivial atmosphere.
Yeah, they're always so welcoming. You just want to...
Just want to sit in the seat and just enjoy it, soak it up.
The overwhelming sense that I got was
that this was someone who felt very in control of what they were doing.
So there were a lot of colours that were similar,
but the way that the colours gradually kind
of got a bit paler the further up you went.
I thought it was so clever.
It was so enjoyable to connect them all.
The colours were similar, but they
all had a slightly different tone and I think I now know
how to use that much better than I did at the start.
So what is next?
Do you actually want to become a professional interior designer?
Absolutely. I want to wake up every single day being able to say,
"I am an interior designer."
And it makes me have goose bumps because that is my dream job.
You've found your purpose. Mmm.
Thank you.
I feel like a massive weight has just been lifted off my shoulders,
and I can just go, "Ah!"
Now I have found what I love, and I know exactly what I want to do,
it would mean everything to win.
But I am really proud of myself.
And if that doesn't happen, I still need to remember
that my dad would still tell me I was a winner.
Next up is Sophie.
I got the feeling that you really enjoyed this project.
Yeah, I've had a blast, I really have.
Your sorcery of colour was just so empowering, that...
Are you calling her a witch? Kind of, but in a good way.
I'm calling you a colour witch. Is that all right?
But that hit of peacock in the hallway
was so unbelievably invigorating.
My concept was wild escapism, and I wanted impact.
You never, ever, ever lose that bravura.
How do you feel that you've changed from week one to now, in the final?
Because I feel like I've seen a lot of evolution.
I feel that there is a lot I've learned,
but especially in the last two weeks,
a lot has clicked and I've... Yeah.
I feel that that confidence has really come, now.
I've been my own worst enemy and really, really doubted myself
and my own abilities.
But, yeah, I can do it. There we go.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I'm going to be confident from now on.
I have to be, because I've done something really good this week.
I've just designed an entire cottage at Longleat.
What? It's crazy.
I want to win. I want it to be me.
Hopefully, I've done enough.
As if Longleat didn't already have plenty of wild animals...
Hi, guys! Nice to see you. Nice to see you, as well.
..the previous designers have arrived to explore the cottages.
Wow. Who did this house?
A I inside Sophie's head, right now?
It's so cosy. Look at this wallpaper.
I would definitely be at Sophie's for holiday
because it feels like an experience.
It's honestly, like, going into a dream.
I'm firmly team Sophie, today.
Look at this. Whoa!
That arch is just a stroke of genius.
Oh, it's making me really emotional because it's so pretty.
I absolutely love Lia's cottage.
The judges have got a difficult decision,
but I feel like Lia's is slightly there.
Oh, wow. Those headboards! This feels so joyful.
I couldn't possibly choose,
but maybe Lia might just have a slight edge.
Just superbly styled and very elegant.
This is bonkers. Wow. That wallpaper is crazy.
I personally enjoyed Sophie's more. I want that snake wallpaper.
I want it as, like, an outfit. It's so cool.
Leopard print or florals? Pick your fighter.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
There's some faces I recognise. Oh!
And what an honour to meet Noddy Holder.
Made my day!
Let's meet our two finalists, Lia and Sophie.
So a decision has been made.
After eight weeks of designing and transforming
the most incredible spaces,
the winner of Interior Design Masters is...
..Lia.
Well done.
I just won Interior Design Masters! What on earth is going on?
Yeah, I just won. Just won. Oh, my God.
Yes!
I'm literally going to change my life.
And that's what I wanted to do.
Now I can fully go into interior design
and I can wake up every day doing a job I love.
Yeah, my dream has just come true.
Ah!
I'm really proud of myself and I couldn't be happier for Lia.
Genuinely, she's kick-ass.
It's been a dream come true to design that holiday cottage
and to be able to completely unleash Sophie on the world.
So, yeah, I'm leaving really happy and excited for the future.
Cheers to Lia and cheers to me.
What an absolutely extraordinary final.
With Lia's scheme, it was the fact that she stuck
to this extremely sophisticated colour palette.
And I think that that sort of was the thing
that kind of just nudged it a little bit, for me.
There was something so magical about Lia's holiday cottage,
from the moment you walked into that dining room.
I mean, I just stepped into it,
as a world, and I immediately wanted to stay there.
My dad, I totally have him to thank, for this.
I always just wanted to do what he could do.
Yeah. Oh, my God, I can't wait to tell him.
Hello?
I won, I won!
BLEEP.Absolutely brilliant. Absolutely BLEEPbrilliant.
That's one of the moments of your life, darling.
Enjoy every second of it. You've earned it really well.
Just shows you what you can achieve.
It's the best news I've had since your wedding. Since you were born.
You're number one. There you are, number one.
Oh, thanks, Dad. Oh, BLEEP,that's just stunning.
Bye. OK, bye.
Sorry, for the swearing.