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Tissington. Round 1 and initiation by fire...
Tissington. Round 1 and initiation by fire...
...I still love the green in this room.
...I still love the green in this room.
Walthamstow. Round 2.
Walthamstow. Round 2.
Marlow. Round 3.
Marlow. Round 3.
Marlow. Round 3.
Marlow. Round 3.
Fisherman’s Cottage. Round 4. My favourite round, just the most amazingly generous homeowners.
Fisherman’s Cottage. Round 4. My favourite round, just the most amazingly generous homeowners.
Making oversized furniture with shibori fabric.
Making oversized furniture with shibori fabric.
Behind the scenes.
Behind the scenes.
A rare relaxed moment.
A rare relaxed moment.
Concepts for the orange room Round 6, semi finals.
Concepts for the orange room Round 6, semi finals.
My Landover got me all over the country stuffed to the gills with everything I needed.
My Landover got me all over the country stuffed to the gills with everything I needed.
Finals, Dining room.
Finals, Dining room.
Finals, Bedroom.
Finals, Bedroom.
Finals, Lounge.
Finals, Lounge.
Because I must have needed to add a cheese plant!
Because I must have needed to add a cheese plant!
Friends made on the journey, couldn’t have done it without you.
Friends made on the journey, couldn’t have done it without you.
Filming - amazing how you get used to it and even enjoy it in the end!
Filming - amazing how you get used to it and even enjoy it in the end!
The final evening, sunshine, exhaustion, and wearing a dress I made as a shout out to a good friend I made on the journey but couldn’t be there.
The final evening, sunshine, exhaustion, and wearing a dress I made as a shout out to a good friend I made on the journey but couldn’t be there.

Winning the Great Interior Design Challenge

I hate to think of how many people have seen me cry and wail on telly!

I had never done anything like that before. I’d obsessed over my own home of course. And then, a bit bored one winter evening, I applied for the Great Interior Design Challenge and the next thing I knew I was through.

Every step of the way I kept saying to myself, I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to be on telly. But I knew I needed a challenge. And once I decided to say yes to it I just threw myself into it. Once I commit to something I’m 100% in!

My aim was just to take it as far as I could possibly take it and be happy with that. So I was stunned when I won.

Once I decided to say yes to it I just threw myself into it. Once I commit to something I’m 100% in!

So what was it like? I had years of experience as a landscape designer under my belt, but I had no idea what to expect. I was used to the pressure and working with clients, the design process, but not to being filmed while doing it.

But I’m very practical, happy to skip-dive, load my car up and trundle off on an adventure, so I was really tooled up for the challenge. Perhaps that’s why I won?

Being on the programme wasn’t the same as real-life designing, but it was a fantastic initiation by fire and a great introduction to the interior design world. And I met some great people.

It was after the Great Interior Design Challenge was over that I really felt the difference. It led me to design a boutique hotel in Mallorca, and other jobs that allowed me to cut my teeth as in interior designer. When the series went out on Netflix, I had people approach me from abroad, leading me into the world of remote design. It gave me the opportunity to build trade relationships and collaborations, working entirely on interiors for a while, building up my little black book of resources.

As seen in & on:
World of InteriorsElle DecorationSophie RobinsonThe Great Interior Design ChallengeThe Great Interior Design Challenge on BBCThe Great Interior Design Challenge on Netflix
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