IDM7 Episode 1 Decoded

What really worked, and why. Because it's never just about the way it looks.

Some observations about the designs from my perspective as Head Judge. I may not post for every episode. Only when I feel the need to extend the conversation!

Most people watch a show like Interior Design Masters and comment on what they see. You describe the colours, comment on the pizazz (or not), and pick a fave. It makes sense. What else do you have to go on via the medium of television. We also automatically filter everything we see through our personal preferences for colour (brights or more muted), style (maxi or minimal), era (retro to modern), vibe (calm vs chaotic!) etc.

But liking something — and it actually working — are not the same thing. As such good design is never just about the way something looks. Also, it’s not Interior Decoration Masters!

This is why I absolutely love a challenge like our opener: design a beach hut in your signature style. Ten identical spaces. Ten completely different outcomes. If design were purely visual, how could you meaningfully judge them beyond taste? For example, on paper, the idea of channelling the royal family in a beach hut sounds ridiculous. And yet, done well, it absolutely works.

Ben managed to combine his love for vintage pieces and regal knick knacks, with a seaside vibe, comfort and joy. The surfboard adapted pew, for example, was absolutely made by his wonderful assortment of cushions — colour meets texture.

Because here’s the thing, in reality, if you were physically in the room, before you’ve formed an opinion, your nervous system would have already responded, assessing the space for clarity, coherence, ease, comfort. It has decided whether it can relax into it — or subtly resist, based on how it feels. And in a challenge like this — small space, tight timeline, high pressure — that effect is the maker or breaker. These are the three key design pointers that when combined, made the truly winning designs.

1. The power of one clear idea

What stood out most for me in this first episode was who made a design decision — and stuck to it (remembering too that the brief was show me your signature style). In a space this small, there simply isn’t room for multiple directions. Every additional idea competes for attention. Every extra gesture adds noise.

The beach huts that worked best all shared one thing in common: They had a single, legible concept — and everything in the space reinforced it.

Whether it was the rhythm of colour carried across ceiling panels, or a defined palette that moved consistently from wall to furniture to object, there was no hesitation. No second-guessing. No attempt to hedge bets. Just a clear point of view, followed through with confidence from inside to out. This is what enables us to be transported to the Amalfi coast, and not be troubled by the geographical dislocation.

An instant dose of Lia's Italian heritage informed her signature look, one that worked consistently from inside to out with her choice of joyously uplifting colours, patterns and materials.

2. Coherence matters more than impact

There’s a common misconception, especially under pressure, that impact comes from contrast. From adding more. From pushing harder. But the rooms that hold your attention aren’t the ones shouting the loudest. They’re the ones where everything is in conversation.

In the strongest spaces here, colour wasn’t used as a series of moments. It was used as a system. Repeated, echoed, resolved. Nothing felt accidental. And that’s the difference between a room that merely looks “interesting” in a photograph, and one that actually feels great to be in.

Duran's beach hut took symmetry and calm colours as her strong holding gesture but then deliberately introduced a vibrant ceiling and a "heroic squiggle" outlined in the same colour to ensure it could never be thought predictable.

Frankie took a signature love of graphic brights but restrained herself to a tight palette to make a space that was big on personality with no loss of comfort.

3. Layout is not secondary — it is the design

Another pattern that emerged — and often determines success more than anything else — is layout. You can decorate beautifully, but if the space doesn’t function, the body registers that friction immediately. In small spaces especially, every decision about placement matters.

Where you sit.
What you face.
How you move.

The strongest designs understood this. They built in storage without making it visible. They integrated seating rather than placing it. They allowed the space to open up, rather than closing it down. They remembered that the view was the thing.

Ajeet kept both his material and colour palette tight, but used it expressively, added a dose of fun with the stripes, and made a daring design decision with his oversize table on castors.

Sophie had done her research on the area which gave her the pirate theme, which she mixed with animal prints using her skill as a specialist painter. She was also the only one to introduce a change of level, creating sneaky storage under the floor. This might cause access issues, but for this design it was a refreshing change from the default of putting it under seating.

Jonni's hut was rather spare, but the colours were lovely and inside and out were smartly united. A bit more depth, squish and softness inside would have elevated his game, especially on the built-in seating.

So what are you really responding to?

And how do you take this home.

When you find yourself saying you “like” a room, it’s worth asking why. Is it the colour? The objects? The styling? Or is it something quieter — a sense that the space just makes sense? Because the truth is, and this is what’s important when it comes to doing your own home, the rooms that work are the ones where nothing is fighting for for more attention than anything else. This absolutely doesn’t mean it all has to be bland and beige, rather it’s about cohesion. It’s the rooms where everything feels intentional. The ones where your body, not just your eye, can settle.

Remembering that design isn’t a purely visual exercise. It’s a behavioural one.

Or to put it another way, your home is not just something you look at. It’s something that shapes how you feel, how you move, and ultimately, how you live and who you become. You can read more about this here. #homeishealth

Ben, winner of this week’s Stand Out Space because he nailed the brief with a strong, coherent, clever, fun design. He gave us something unexpected, but also delivered on layout, with privacy for changing, and comfort for seating.