Interior Design Masters // My Behind-the-Scenes role on the New Interiors TV show

This week we’re delving in to episode 4 of the new interior design TV show Interior Design Masters, and guess what? I totally worked behind the scenes on that show! Find out more about my role on the new show and who I worked with…

My behind the scenes role on Interior Design Masters

Last year I had the pleasure of working behind the scenes on a new interior design makeover show, and can now finally say that it has officially hit our screens!

It was an amazing experience working as part of the design team, and to this day I’m still missing my TV family. I worked with them for 6 months, so it’s safe to say we all became quite close. I’m so excited to relive it all, and watch the journey again from the beginning.

Interior Design Masters is presented by the fabulous Fearne Cotton, judged by Michelle Ogundehin and joined by inspiring guest judges such as Matthew Williamson, Sophie Robinson and Mary Portas (to name a few!). You can now tune in every Wednesday at 8pm on BBC 2, and follow the journey of 10 budding interior designers all take on challenging design projects each week… It’s deffo not a show to miss!

Over the past few weeks I have often been asked questions about my role on the new interiors TV show. So I thought it best to answer your queries here on my blog…

What was my role in the show?

I worked behind the scenes on the design team/ art department, under talented designers Edward Robinson, Kate McPhee and Sarah Hubacher. My role was Assistant Art Director alongside Rosie Jenkins and we helped to mentor the contributors throughout the show.

I was commissioned to work on the show mid-May in 2018, and finished 6 months later towards the end of October. It was such a great experience and something very new to me! We were filming in different areas of the UK for each episode, so we were literally living out of a suitcase throughout the whole production.

It was such a whirlwind 6 months, but it was great fun to be involved with!

Interior Design Masters - Design team — Design Team – Interior Design Master

What did we have to do in our roles?

We were in no way allowed to influence the contributors design ideas as the BBC are super hot on a fair competition, so we was more of a mentor to them and helped determine if their design ideas were feasible & functional. For example, on one episode a contributor was keen to use lino flooring in a commercial environment, which is of course not recommended for wear and tear reasons. This is when we had to step in with our little red flag and lead them on to an alternative route.

We also had the monumental task of monitoring their spendings and making sure they didn’t exceed their budget. Again, the BBC was hot on fairness so we had to make sure they were playing a fair game.

Acting as accountants on Interior Design Masters

On the design team, we also had to recce locations, liaise with the owners of the properties that were being designed, then write and present the brief to the contributors.

Before filming began, we had a great task of designing the ‘design hub’ which is the space you can see when the contributors are briefed and judged. We created the meeting zones where they they liaise on their designs to each other, and also created Michele Ogundehin’s office space with the dreaded sofa that none of them wanted to have to sit on!

I remember going out on a shopping spree just two days after being commissioned on the job to purchase all of the props and accessories to fill these spaces – to say I was nervous was an understatement! Being trusted with such a huge task was indeed a little nerve racking but I was working under the good guidance of Edward Robinson who came up with the main concept and design. I had three shop assistants helping me with all the shopping!

Each episode we had to dress and de-rig the ‘design hub’ from scratch, so by the final episode we knew the set like the back of our hands…

What was my stand out moment throughout the whole process?

I absolutely loved the busy hustle and bustle of being here, there and everywhere. Even the long days didn’t matter because we were all part of a great team. Every morning we’d all race to get coffee before being on location for 7am, and even that is a great memory to look back on!

Meeting Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen was definitely a highlight for me, and I did have a rather out-of-universe experience whilst sitting next to Mary Portas in the Directors office as she belted out the lyrics of Gold by Spandau Ballet… You know, as you do!

How many people were on the crew?

There was many more people on the crew at the beginning of the show, purely because there was more contributors that each needed a set builder and decorator. I think (don’t hold me to this) I remember the production team saying that they had to book a hotel for 50-60 people on the first couple of episodes.

There was the contributors, the design team, set builders, decorators, production crew and talent to look after – so there was quite a few of us!

Crew behind the scenes on interior design masters — Production & Design Team on Interior Design Masters

How did I get the job as Assistant Art Director on the show?

It is so so true when they say ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. I was very lucky to be working regularly with talented set designer Kate McPhee when the production company was recruiting for it. Kate had previously worked on The Great Interior Design Challenge with the same team, and was approached to work on Interior Design Masters. Kate kindly put my name forward for it, and I happily obliged!

I’d like to think I can give myself a little bit of credit as I know she trusted I was capable of the role before putting my name forward for it – but yes, without her I wouldn’t have been part of the experience… Thanks Kate!

And finally, a question that everyone seems to ask…

Is the person who wins the person you expected to?

Every time I answer this question I have to be very careful with how to word it! All I will say is the person who wins is very deserving of it. Yes, I’m being vague – but I have to be!