Well, that’s the semi-finals over for Interior Design Masters, and this week the designers were in Yorkshire for their latest challenge. Following Michelle’s shock decision last week to save all four, read on to find out who made it into the final - warning, spoiler alert!
Week 7 - The Brief: Semi-final restaurants
This week, Michelle revealed the designers would be working in pairs to transform two restaurants in the market town of Hebden Bridge. Described as the fourth funkiest town in the world, Hebden Bridge’s high street is completely devoid of chain stores and here, you’ll only find a welcome array of independent shops.
With each designer responsible for a single floor, they each had 2 days to transform the Chapter 17 Restaurant and Square One Coffee Co Café. The brief was to form a cohesive new scheme with their own distinctive designs and link the downstairs space through to upstairs.
Firing on all cylinders, the designers gave it one final push in an attempt to make it into next week’s final. There were tears all round as we said goodbye to Micaela and Paul - here’s what we learnt from last night’s show:
The importance of ‘The Red Thread’
One interesting idea we heard was the red thread, a wonderful Scandinavian expression that means ‘follow a theme’. The concept involves decorating your house by interlinking the scheme rather than your home being a series of rooms linked by a passage.
Being flexible really does pay off
We live in a world of strict guidelines, and design flexibility is so very important. Paul and Micaela could have easily agreed on some common elements to link their two spaces, but they didn’t, and ultimately, this was their downfall. Siobhan and Lynsey, however, showed us how to do this yet still enjoy their distinctive styles in two different areas. A gorgeous floral fabric subtly united the two, and to me, it highlighted the value in letting go a bit.
Soft furnishings soundproof and elevate a room
A peaceful home is a happy home, and soft furnishings can play a big part. Like we saw in Lynsey’s luxury bistro theme, her use of textures lifted the space and additionally helped with sound-proofing.
Every inch counts
When space is at a premium, every inch counts. In Siobhan’s bar, the table for two in the corner felt a little forgotten about. Make sure you consider the room as a whole, but also each individual part too, and you’ll make it feel really special.
You can’t beat a good mural
Wall murals can add the wow-factor and make any interior look stunning - Siobhan’s ‘Ey Up’ artwork was so cool! I also loved Lynsey's use of a local artist's creation, printed onto a mural which really set off her scheme. Not to be confused with wallpaper, a mural is an image that covers your wall, and it can add depth and interest to a single paint colour.
A huge well done to all four semi-finalists, and I’ve got to admit, I got quite emotional watching Michelle choose who went home. There’s everything to play for now, so good luck to both Lynsey and Siobhan - in the meantime, as soon as I can I’m booking a weekend in Hebden Bridge!
Thanks so much for reading!
-Jess x
You can follow the designers on Instagram here:
Interior Curve (Siobhan)
Moneypenny Interiors (Paul)