IDM4 Episode One
What went well, not so well, and the all important wardrobe notes! But don't worry, no spoilers.
New season, new designers means a whole new batch of inspiration. And Episode one sees them hit the ground in storming style as they made over an identical series of luxury show flats in London’s Elephant & Castle. Upping the ante some, they also had to work in pairs, with one designer taking the main living/kitchen space, and the other, two bedrooms.
We also gave each couple a quite specific brief about who might be the intended occupier, from a young couple with a 5yo to two post graduate friends sharing a flat to an older couple plus pet — this was designed to reflect the potential clientele of this up-market rental development. You know the sort, all concierge desk and landscaped community wellbeing gardens!
Key words from the brief…
aspirational
bold
innovative
sustainability
On the latter, I asked that each designer include at least one item created with a sustainable ethos. Why? Because it’s the red thread that needs to weave through all good design today, so let’s get it onto the game card right away!
And who better to kick off the series in style than the king of American glamour himself, Jonathan Adler. A longtime friend, champion of colour, genius potter and all-round super smart dude. He was huge fun to stroll through the spaces with. He also introduced me to the word schotchke. #respect
So what happened…?!
At the beginning of the competition, the designers routinely get over-eager to show off what they can do. The ones who define themselves as quirky go full-on alternative, others who love to ‘do’ colour can become too rainbow happy. And I get it. It’s the beginning of a journey they’ve been dreaming of starting forever, they’re full of energy and they want to go for it!
Besides, it’s a competition, so why not start all guns blazing? At least that way, if you get knocked out early you’ll have shown the viewers what you were made of. Alternatively, play it safe and aim to slide through. Both risky, but possible ‘strategies’.
Except I can see right through all that.
“Bits and bobs are great online but in a real space they need to be grander.” Jonathan Adler
Thankfully, it seemed that the memo about the brief and the intended user being priority, pretty well got through! We saw some amazing ideas — coloured grout (a small but significant detail); woodland feature wall scenery bringing the outdoors in; paint cornices (“Adding architecture where there is none.”); stripy carnivalesque ceilings; clever paint’n’wallpaper tricks; and even some superior upholstery involving touchy feely bouclé (the fabric “du jour” according to Mr Adler).
“The power of upholstery: it changes everything about the way a room feels.” Jonathan Adler
But, inevitably, some had mistaken what can be mapped out in 2D for what makes you feel good in 3D, as well as what can be achieved in reality using real people to make things — 2 decorators and 1 carpenter per pair this episode. Which is hard, because you have to applaud ambition, ideas and the desire to try something new.
“It’s the graciousness of scale that makes it so inviting.” Jonathan Adler
Collaboration was also a key part of the brief. And being asked to work in teams is certainly one of the hardest challenges for our designers. They want to shine as individuals, but teamwork is everything in the real world. Crucially here, although there were two of them, there was only one apartment, and it needed to feel like it all knitted together — and that doesn't mean just sharing some of the same paint colours.
“It needs to feel like different chapters in the same story” Jonathan Adler
It’s the same for you at home. All rooms can be different but they need to speak to each other, and be united by a shared palette— not that this means every room is coloured the same. You start with a common goal (to make an inviting, comfortable, [insert all key words from brief here] space and a shared perspective (quite simply, who is your home for?). It can be interpreted in many different ways but an agreement on the story must be reached before you start.
Wardrobe notes
I get so many questions about my clothes! To answer a few straight off the bat.. most of what you see are things from my magazine editrice days, and many items will have already popped up in previous seasons. Just like my home mantra, buy well, buy once! Besides, from a sustainability point of view, I don't want anything that I might be 'over' in a season — this year (see my January Non-Resolution Resolutions post) I set myself the target of buying NO new clothes at all! The intention is to re-work or borrow everything for next season’s shooting.
Usually though, I love a canny snoop around the outlet stores, online or IRL, for discount bargains — items might be a few seasons old but if you find something you love, who cares. And, this year I was lucky enough to be generously supported by Yoox who lent me loads of gorgeous pieces, which were absolutely thrilling to wear, and even better to be able to send back.
Episode One
Briefing: Alice + Olivia sequinned jumpsuit (bought via The Outnet) worn with an ancient yet trusty pair of gold Manolo Blaniks (I think these were from Selfridges, snapped up when my ELLE Deco office was practically next door! #dangerous).
Viewing: Denim jumpsuit worn with turquoise silk shirt, both also from Alice + Olivia, from my personal wardrobe and worn several times previously on the show! Both originally from The Outset too. Shoes: my fave cork wedges bought eons ago from a resale store in Milan, perfect for when I need height to drape those hems!
Judging: Continuing the sequin theme, navy top gifted from un-nye; floral stretch cotton trousers, Erdem via Yoox; my own white loafers by Malone Souliers.
Interior Design Masters Episode One on iPlayer now.
Wonderful first episode and so great to see so many different ideas already...SO looking forward to the next episode and to watching their learning arcs! The time pressure seems SO intense - great reminder of how much we can get done when we’re focused! I have 1 question and 1 question/comment, as a new interior design student, exploring a new field in midlife :-):
1. How long do the participants have to plan the spaces, from the time they’re told the brief to the time they begin on site?
2. I understand the need for rooms to speak to each in a show home or design project. However, I really question whether that’s helpful if one is designing one’s own home. For example, my husband and I can come together to create a unified look to our home’s living room and dining area. However, for our child’s bedroom, my office, and his music studio, ie our individual spaces, it feels like it would just unnecessarily stunt our individual expression to have to take into account the design of the more public shared rooms. Even for our shared bedroom, I think the aesthetic there can be very different than the rest of the house. I get that it might feel jarring to a certain extent, but I do think that certain rooms function more importantly in and of themselves, rather than in relation to the rest of the house. I would love to hear your thoughts! Thank you!