IDM5 The Final!
Can it really be over? Two amazing designers got the chance to redesign holiday lodges in the grounds of Blenheim Palace! But only one could win...
What makes a winning designer? The ones who fail the fastest are usually the ones who think they know it all and therefore feel they have little to learn from their fellow contestants. Sometimes it can be the ones you think have the most experience. They become too constrained by the ‘right’ way to do things and lose the ability to think freely on their feet, and go with their gut.
Also, many of the designers who join us on this rollercoaster journey only have experience in doing up their own spaces (or in Roisin’s case, that of her parents). The reality jump of working to someone else’s brief, to a budget, and a very fixed deadline, can be tricky.
But as I’ve said before, anyone who gets even to the Quarter final is already a winner. This is a long haul trek and it demands a huge amount from our contestants. We’ve seen brilliantly talented designers stumble at a final furlong. But the nature of the game is a knock-out competition so it does no good to wonder what if so-and-so had stayed. They didn't but rest assured, the authentic good-uns will be able to use this exposure as a brilliant launch pad. Onwards and upwards!
So into the final we went with a former travel advisor and a bathroom designer. Stylistically they were poles apart. Roisin is full-on colour and pattern extraordinaire; Matt is all about the pared-back with clever Japanese influences.
What makes a winning design? I don’t have ‘Interior Design Masters Golden Rules’, I’m not sure I believe in rules per se. Every space is different, thus every space calls for a different approach. But in contemplating this final, I think it’s helpful to consider three ways to frame any potential design…
Is it contextual? By this I mean, is it of its location? Whether that’s via direct representation (stylistically copying what’s around it), or by responding to where it’s sited, the view, the surroundings etc. After all, in this particular case — holiday lodges on the Blenheim Estate — anyone renting one has done so because they want to rent a lodge on the Blenheim Estate.
Is it appropriate? What does the brief say? Who is this project aimed at? What are they coming here for? What might they want? And yet, how can I then exceed their expectations? Deliver what’s required but go over and beyond. When I was a magazine editor, my mantra was to give people what they didn't;t know they wanted from a magazine. It’s the same in interiors.
Does it make the heart sing? This is the fairy dust. The interiors magic. The unquantifiable touch of ‘otherness’ that just makes a space special. Unhelpfully, there’s no formula for this. Over the course of this series, we’ve seen many different versions of wonderful — the window desk in Anthony’s apartment; Ben’s incredible nun’s cell as train carriage; Francesca’s sky blue Ascot box; Hannah’s lily-pad floor cushions, Jess’s exquisite upholstery. All so different, but all so good. So, does a space uplift because it’s considered every need? Is it escapist, allowing you to truly be transported on holiday? Does it encapsulate a sense of joy? Is it simply fun? Excellence can come in many forms, but the desire to elevate is a constant.
Behind the Scenes/Wardrobe Notes
First, the Bridgerton skit, literally the most fun I’ve had on a TV set ever! So not fair