Week three of Interior Design Masters brought the dreaded double elimination round, with the eight remaining contestants sent to Portsmouth to work in pairs for the first time, styling show homes for retirement apartments in a former naval base turned NHS hospital.
With a budget of £4,500, each pair set about kitting out an open-plan kitchen/diner/living room, plus a bedroom, guest room and hallway, with head judge Michelle Ogundehin warning that retirement can be fun and exciting and should have a luxurious space to match.
Michelle’s guest judge was veteran interior designer Sue Timney, whose high-end clients include Issey Miyake, Ralph Lauren and Kew Gardens.
After a fierce grilling on the sofa, model-turned-interior-design student Ayisha Onuorah, and her project partner, fabric designer and upholsterer Holly Ramsay, failed to impress with their mermaid/sailor-based retirement romance scheme.
House Beautiful caught up with Ayisha following her exit…
Pearl and Jack, the retired mermaid and sailor, didn’t impress Michelle. Was she too harsh?
AO: You know what, I was a little bit taken aback by that; at the final, she pulled us to the side and apologised. That drew a line under it; it kind of legitimised the criticism.
We chose neutral colours for the majority of the walls, but we didn’t want to make it boring; we wanted to give it a little something. I personally feel that the mermaid idea was just a concept; we wouldn’t be like, ‘Hi, welcome to your mermaid house.’ I was surprised they took it so literally. If we were to do it again, I think maybe we would keep the concept to ourselves.
Michelle said, ‘Glitter on the ceiling? It can be fun, but where’s the fine line between fun and don’t be silly?’ What’s your response to that?
AO: I have to say, the glitter was taken not in the way it was intended. It was only an iridescent sheen; it was only supposed to catch the light. It wasn’t like really childish glitter or anything.
Tell us one thing that goes on behind the scenes that viewers don’t know about
AO: I’d never watched the show before. When I did get on the show, I tried to watch previous series, but it was making me so anxious, so I didn’t have any idea about all the preparation that goes on the week before each challenge.
There’s so much you need to do. You get your van, and then you’re driving around, looking in skips. I was really an amateur. I said it was like work experience on steroids.
What’s the most surprising thing you found yourself doing?
AO: I guess the whole climbing into skips thing – I got a bit feral with it. Driving around in the dead of night in a van. I’m sure my neighbours thought, ‘Why has she even got a van?’ But that said, Hove is very good for skips. Almost every house on my road is doing a renovation.
The whole experience of being on the show makes you very resourceful; it stretches your brain. But it’s not what I was used to. I’m not a tradesperson; I’ve never painted or done any of that hands-on stuff before.
What does interior design mean to you?
AO: Interior design has changed my life. The principles I’ve learnt about design, testing things, changing things, iterations of design – I didn’t know that this was the direction I was going to go in. I was in fashion before. But this means a lot to me; it really is my passion.
Time to manifest… Tell us, where do you hope to be this time next year?
AO: I’m launching my own rug collection. I did a design and it was in a competition; my tagline is ‘bold romantic’. I’m also hoping to do more work with the design studio I’ve set up with a friend in Hove. We do a lot of work in London, but I’d love to be able to work in Barbados and Jamaica, where my husband, who works in digital marketing, is from.
Being on the show took me away from my family a lot, and in a way, there was a sense of relief when I was sent home. I’d like to spend more time with my children, who are 13 and five, a girl and a boy. My daughter is getting into interior design. I’ve designed a table I’m having made, and I like to take her with me as a work experience.
Follow Ayisha on Instagram @ayishaayishaa
Follow House Beautiful on TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest
The Colour Edit
Riviera Stripe Yellow Ceramic Vase
Now 41% Off
Dunelm Milo Scallop Blue Wool Rug
Now 77% Off
Habitat Studio Side Table – Green
Now 32% Off
Lacquer Scalloped Tray
Calle Glass Taper Candle Holder
Checkerboard Cushion, Lava
Jayne specialises in features for Country Living and House Beautiful, writing about a wide range of topics, from gardening and DIY to decluttering and mindfulness. Based in Yorkshire, she has recently renovated a 1920s house, where she lives with her family.
link