Latest news with #InteriorDesignMasters
Times
11-06-2025
- General
- Times
Jack Kinsey: Why I ripped out my new £15,000 kitchen
Decorator's remorse is a common affliction: many of us have fallen for a rug that looks comically small once in situ, or chosen a paint we wished we'd tested more thoroughly. But kitchen regret is a much costlier mistake to put right. The content creator Jack Kinsey admits he 'followed the norms' when putting a kitchen into his home four years ago. His once-derelict Edwardian chapel in the Norfolk countryside is anything but ordinary, yet the white Howdens units he chose — with a curved island and dark granite worktops — were the definition of it. 'It was just way too modern for the building and it didn't have any real warmth or personality to it,' Kinsey says. When the 29-year-old finished as a runner-up in the 2023 series of the BBC show Interior Design Masters, he returned home wanting to apply all that he had learnt to the space he shares with his partner, Alex. 'My creativity was really sculpted from being on the show and I wanted to embrace talking points around my home,' he says. • Read more expert advice on property, interiors and home improvement Another driver for starting again was a wish to reinstate a fireplace that the couple had naively covered up when renovating. 'Being an old chapel, it gets really cold in winter, so we wanted to move the kitchen to another wall,' he explains. Kinsey dreamt of a handmade kitchen by DeVol, but quickly surmised that was out of his budget (the brand helpfully publishes costings alongside case studies on its website). So he turned to eBay and found a pair of handsome wardrobes and sideboards in solid reclaimed oak. 'We pushed it to be a bit more of a challenge than just buying a new kitchen,' he says. The oak set cost £3,500 — less than 10 per cent of what the DeVol cabinets might have set him back. To recoup the cost of new appliances, Kinsey advertised the Howdens suite — appliances included — for £2,000 on Facebook Marketplace. Within two days it had been snapped up. 'We photographed it really nicely. I always think if you're going to put something on Marketplace, make it stand out from everything else. I think everyone should be doing this — it's a really good way to upcycle and reuse,' he says. Of the dozen messages of interest Kinsey received, it was a couple renovating a rectory elsewhere in Norfolk who bagged themselves a bargain (Kinsey estimates the original kitchen to have cost about £15,000). He and his partner spent two days dismantling the units and shrink-wrapping them for protection, then delivered them to their new home. Surprisingly there were no casualties. 'They sent us a picture of it afterwards and it looked great,' he says. He sounds just as unfazed about installing his own second-hand treasure. Roping in his dad to help, they had to add 20cm of depth to the 40cm-deep units in order to accommodate appliances. Sawn-off bits of skirting board and coving were rejigged to make the units fit for purpose. The ovens are hidden behind a pair of louvered doors, which ingeniously help with ventilation; a second pair open to reveal a Mediterranean-inspired drinks station wrapped in Spanish tiles, and exuberant appliances from Dolce & Gabbana's collaboration with Smeg, including a set of mini fridges and gadgets, ranging from a toaster to a milk frother, totalling several thousands of pounds. Kinsey says it was a justified splurge: 'Because we'd saved a lot of money on the cost of the kitchen, I wanted to treat myself. When we open the doors, everyone always feels transported somewhere cool.' • What I wish I'd done differently renovating my kitchen For the worktops, Kinsey turned to Neolith. He was drawn to marble but put off by its fragility and porosity. By contrast, Neolith's sintered stone, 'is the best thing, because we can cut on it and put hot pans on it', he says. Wrapping the material up the sides of the tall cabinets disguises any gaps and joins. Granted, the drawers of his sideboards don't have the soft closures found in a modern kitchen, but Kinsey is thrilled with his new space. His advice to others needing to pivot on a budget is as follows: 'Try to think outside of the box — you can get some beautiful freestanding furniture and upcycle it into a kitchen. We were so desperate to do it all ourselves, but it'd be a lot easier if you got a joiner. It can save you so much money.'
Wales Online
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Interior Design Masters fans shocked as series underdog takes title with stunning Welsh design
BBC Interior Design Masters fans shocked as series underdog takes title with stunning Welsh design Viewers and celebrities on social media shocked at the winning decision in the final of this popular programme John Cooper's design perfectly captured the essence of Portmeirion and now he hopes his unexpected win on Interior Design Masters 2025 will inspire his pupils (Image: BBC / Banijay ) With the latest series of popular BBC property programme, Interior Design Masters, over viewers were surprised by the outcome after a finale that saw contestants make over a Welsh property. Hosted by comedian Alan Carr and judged by Michelle Ogundehin, plus a famous guest judge every week, Interiror Design Masters features 10 novice designers tackling various 'real world' commercial and residential design challenges, with one being awarded 'outstanding space' and one being sent home at the end of each episode. In the latest series, as well as the chance to learn and grow in confidence, showcase their talent and increase their profile, the designers were fighting it out to be crowned Interior Design Master 2025 for the prize of creating their own John Lewis homeware collection, due to launched Friday, May 30 2025. For more home and property content sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here READ MORE: This is the best kitchen in Wales YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Inside the amazing colourful house named one of the best in Wales Head judge Michelle Ogundehin, finalist John Cooper, comedian and presenter Alan Carr, and finalist Rita Millat (Image: BBC / Banijay ) The 10 became two - Rita Millat and John Cooper - who were each given the brief in the grand final of transforming a holiday cottage in the enchanting north Wales village of Portmeirion, a magical place designed by legendary architect Clough Williams-Ellis as a slice of Italy on the Welsh coast that has become a popular destination for tourists as well as known as the backdrop for the cult 1960s TV show The Prisoner. Two cottages in Portmeirion were about to get a transformation (Image: BBC / Banijay ) Four times on the sofa of shame - reserved for the two lesser designs with the designer deemed to have the worst scheme booted off the show - John was surely the underdog with most viewers settling down on their own sofas with a brew to watch the final. His time management was called into question on numerous occasions with rooms left unfinished. But still, over the course of the series John was seen developing his skills and his creative thinking and epic stand-out features were beginning to break through. The living space in John's cottage is full of colour (Image: BBC / Banijay ) In the final Rita's design for her cottage was muted, calm and cocooning, looking out towards the landscape of mountains and water, but John's looked towards the colour, pattern and quirkiness of Portmeirion that is truly unique and visually distinctive. John explained the design for his cottage was all about referencing the colours and vibrancy of the village. Having learnt from his mistakes about time and budget management through the series, the 47-year-old DT teacher from Stockport, Greater Manchester, planned to paint the kitchen units and use stick on transfers over the dated tiles, as the maximum spend for this make-over was only £6,500. Sunny yellow dining room (Image: BBC / Banijay ) His design combined a palette of sunny yellow, fresh cobalt blue and striking red on the ground floor of the cottage, with John cleverly using the blue as an accent in every room to visually tie the spaces together, creating a relationship between the rooms and a seamless visual flow. Upstairs the main bedroom became calmer, with the cobalt blue the accent to a mostly white space and a gorgeous shade of aqua chosen for the window frames, creating the perfect way to frame the incredible waterside view without distracting from it. Makeover of kitchen in John's cottage low on cost but high on impact (Image: BBC / Banijay ) The second bedroom was memorable for its delicious combination of a warm shade of pink-toned terracotta with the cobalt blue as an accent, and visually lifted by the use of a cute ditsy print. Time could have killed John's design yet again, as the wallpaper from company Mind The Gap was coming from Transylvania, which kind of seemed perfectly quirky for a project at this most unusual location. Luckily for John, it arrived on the final day and was the visual key that unlocked the overall cohesion of his design. The wallpaper almost didn't make it on time but was key as it ties the whole colour palette in John's cottage together (Image: BBC / Banijay ) Guest judge for the final was the queen of minimalism, colour and pattern, Sophie Robinson who said: "I want to feel completely transported,' she told the finalists. 'This isn't home from home; this is about going somewhere magical. It's all about dreaming big. I want to see all the colour, all the passion, that can match the energy and wonder of the rest of the village." Michelle decided each week who goes home based on the particular project and fulfilment of the brief for that episode and not on the bank of designs already created through the series, and on that point John was felt to have perfectly encapsulated the essence of the village and was announced the winner. The bedroom is fresh and restful to let the view be the main feature (Image: BBC / Banijay ) Michelle explained the winning choice, she said: "The key of this brief was to capture the essence of this incredible, magical, mystical place and John did that using colour, pattern and texture and design." Viewers on social media had a mixed reaction with many shocked that the underdog had secured the win. Even celebrity viewers were caught out, with popular comedian and actress Jenny Eclair saying, 'Not who I had my money on, but definitely who I thought should win tonight - excellent job'. Terracotta and cobalt blue is a winning Mediterranean inspired combination in John's second bedroom (Image: BBC / Banijay ) Some expressed annoyance that Rita had been more consistent through the series with designs that had impressed, with one saying, 'Gutted Rita didn't win Interior Design Masters. She was consistently head & shoulders above everyone else week after week'. John chose past contestant Craig to help him in the final (Image: BBC / Banijay ) Some viewers thought that Craig, who wasn't even in the final, should have been the overall winner, with one saying, 'Still disagree Craig wasn't in the final ! Did great through out the series! Craig winner of this series!' But in the end the majority of viewers on X agreed with Michelle, that John had nailed the Portmeirion brief, with one saying, 'Yeah Johns design was perfect for that location, Rita's was nice but it was totally wrong for Portmeirion' and another commenting, ' Having stayed in a few of the cottages at Portmeirion over the past 16 years, I can say that John's cottage is exactly what I would expect to see. It was really bl**dy good'. Rita and John wait to find out who is announced the winner (Image: BBC / Banijay ) On winning Interior Design Masters 2025 John said: "My ambition is boundless right now, there's so much that I want to do and this feels like the first step. I've actually done it, I'm an interior designer, oh my goodness! This is life-changing, it changes everything." He went on to tell House Beautiful: "Every week after the show, my sixth-form students would give me a mini-breakdown of my performance, including what they liked and what they didn't. My form, Year Eight, would tease me and say, 'You were on the sofa again.' Article continues below DT teacher John hopes his win will inspire his pupils (Image: BBC / Banijay ) "What's been most surprising, though, is that some of the school's more challenging kids have clearly got wind of it [Interior Design Masters]. They'd be like, 'nice one, sir, I watched that programme you were on.' Hopefully it's helped them see that whatever the setbacks, if you really want to do something, go ahead and do it." For more home content, including products, join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here.
Metro
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Interior Design Masters fans fume after favourite loses to 'ugly' house in final
Interior Design Masters just cranked up the heat tonight in a shock final, as underdog John Cooper won over Rita Millat, leaving some fans fuming. The popular series sees comedian Alan Carr and interiors guru Michelle Ogundehin pit a group of designers against one another in various challenges over seven weeks. Tasked with transforming two holiday cottages in the village of Portmeirion in Wales for tonight's final, DT teacher John, 46, went for a Mediterranean-inspired finish, while visual merchandiser Rita, 42, opted for a cosy pastel-coloured vibe. For background: while Rita won the first challenge in the series, John was left in the bottom cohort on the sofa on four occasions. Some viewers weren't happy, as they felt Rita had been more consistent throughout the competition and it was sheer luck John pulled it out the bag at the last minute. 'Feel like I've just watched a terrible episode of changing rooms! That was awful – Rita had an amazing eye for design and this program ruined it. Rita if you're listening don't change who you are, you're amazing!' commented @cookiesam50 on X. 'I think that John was very lucky to be in the final but I preferred his house tonight. Rita's kitchen was underwhelming and that stairway was horrendous,' reasoned @BurghillGirl. However, @alemonsqueeze raged: 'My goodness, Rita was robbed! John has been at the bottom 4 times, his transformation was ugly and tasteless.' @Claret40 said: 'Gutted Rita didn't win Interior Design Masters. She was consistently head & shoulders above everyone else week after week. I wish her well in the future.' Others were very much team John though, as @TheSilverZebra said: 'Congratulations to John, the colours & design were spot on. That pop of blue throughout really brought it together, another great series.' @Alligatoruk1975 said: 'Yay John!!! Well deserved win on #InteriorDesignMasters. His confidence and style has grown throughout the series. His final room was very stylish and classy.' At one point throughout the series, Rita slightly lost her confidence, but brought it back when she injected her personality into her designs again. Meanwhile, John has been praised for his attention to detail, with time management an issue throughout the contest. In the seven weeks, contestants have transformed everything from hostel bunkrooms to hospitality boxes in the hope of going home with a major homeware range contract with John Lewis, which (the aptly named) John bagged tonight. Last year, host Alan Carr admitted on The Rest is Entertainment podcast that sometimes clients aren't happy with the show's design makeovers. 'Sometimes the people who own the shop or hairdressers or the hotel room really hate what they've done,' Alan said. 'What we do is we go back and paint it back to how it originally was so no one is offended.' View More » Interior Design Masters is streaming on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: New BBC drama smashes records despite viewers 'switching off' after 5 minutes MORE: Here's why fans think Arabella Stanton as new Hermione is 'perfect casting' MORE: Doctor Who boss promises finale will address 'controversial' Time Lord change
Scotsman
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
What time is Interior Design Masters final on TV?
BBC's Interior Design Masters will hold its series 6 final tonight 🚨 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Interior Design Masters series six final will take place tonight. The two remaining designers will go head-to-head to win a contract with John Lewis. But what time exactly will the final be on TV? The winner of Interior Design Masters series six will be crowned in just a matter of hours. Just two designers remain in the competition and will face one final challenge this evening. Head judge Michelle Ogundehin will be casting her eye over their creations for one last time - before picking who will win the 2025 season of the BBC show. However before that there will be a trip to Wales for the competitors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But when is the final on today and what can you expect from it? Here's all you need to know: What time is Interior Design Masters on TV? Cast of Interior Design Masters series six | Interior Design Masters / DSP / BBC One After seven weeks of fierce competition, the final of series 6 of the beloved BBC show is set to take place tonight (May 29). It is due to begin at 8pm and the final will last for approximately an hour. It will be live on BBC One/ HD and also iPlayer. Viewers who can't watch it as it airs will be able to find it on demand via the Beeb's streaming platform. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Interior Design Masters will be followed by the latest episode of Ambulance. Who are the Interior Design Masters finalists? The show was rocked by the departure of a fan favourite last week - as Craig Mason didn't quite make the grade in the semi-final. He bowed out of the competition in week seven and it leaves only John Cooper and Rita Millat. The two finalists will face one last task and will have to impress Michelle as well as this week's guest judge Sophie Robinson. The winner will secure a major contract with retail giant John Lewis. What can you expect from the Interior Design Masters final? For the last task of series 6, the two remaining designers will be heading to the storybook village of Portmeirion in Gwynedd and face the challenge of redesigning a quirky cottage each. The Welsh attraction was used during the filming of the iconic 1960s show The Prisoner. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The preview for the final, via Radio Times , reads: 'Taking inspiration from colourful buildings and spectacular scenery, they show Michelle Ogundehin and guest judge Sophie Robinson everything they have learned over the last eight weeks before one of them wins the contest, thereby securing a major collaboration contract for a range with retailer John Lewis.' Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at . It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Interior Design Masters 2025: when is the final of series 6?
Interior Design Masters will soon crown its winner for series six - but when? 🖌 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Interior Design Masters will soon crown a winner for 2025. The series 6 champion wins a contract with John Lewis. But when exactly will the final take place? It is almost time for the BBC to crown its Interior Design Masters winner for 2025. The show is now in its sixth series and continues to be a fan favourite. Alan Carr is on hosting duties once again for the popular competition series. Just three designers remain in the competition ahead of the semi-final. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But when exactly will the final take place on the BBC? Here's all you need to know: Who is in the Interior Design Masters semi-final? Cast of Interior Design Masters series six | Interior Design Masters / DSP / BBC One After weeks of charming but fierce competition just three competitors remain as the BBC show reaches the semi-final stage. The semi-finalists are: Craig Mason - 58 - Giftware Designer John Cooper - 46 - Design Technology Teacher Rita Millat - 42 - Visual Merchandising Consultant What to expect from the Interior Design Masters semi-final? The penultimate episode of the sixth series will be on TV today (May 22). It is due to start at 8pm and will last for an hour, finishing at approximately 9pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The preview for Interior Design Master's semi-final, via Radio Times , reads: 'The three semi-finalists need to put on their best performance as they head to Edinburgh to transform Festival Fringe venues - the iconic Monkey Barrel, Summerhall's Royal Dick and Home Bar. They need to dazzle Michelle Ogundehin and guest judge Shayne Brady with a revamped bar, stage and seating area for a place in the final.' When is the Interior Design Masters final? The Alan Carr-fronted show will bring the curtain down on its sixth series in a mere seven days' time. The BBC has set the date for Interior Design Masters final and it will take place next Thursday (May 29). It is set to start at 8pm and will run for an hour - like the rest of the season. The finalists, who are yet to be confirmed, will be heading to the village of Portmeirion in Gwynedd. Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at . It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
