Hey y’all hey!! Can I just tell you that everyone having to spend more time at home has birthed a move to spend more time online and binge-watching stuff you didn’t previously have time for. And since we all are so locked in to exploring every edge that Netflix has to offer, you guys have been clicking into shows that have been around for a while, namely Interior Design Masters. Since this show is getting it’s second wind, I decided to give you my second wind review on a great show.

In case you didn’t know, Interior Design Masters is a UK-based reality competition that brought together 10 professionals with different backgrounds (not all interior related btw). The designers compete in commercial design challenges that lead to a career-changing interior contract with a popular brand. For designers and design lovers, this show promises to be a dream of inspiring proportions. So, let’s dive in to my first impressions and a recap of Episode 1.

The Show: First off, can we celebrate the primary judge and sole decision maker, Michelle Ogundehin, being a black woman?! It may not be a big deal for some, but it’s definitely big deal for me and many others in the industry who want to see more of themselves. Her presence alone, and the fact that she spent 13 years at Elle Decor UK as the Editor-at-large, gives me life and desire to see more. The host, Fearn Cotton, is nice sweet and straight to the point. Her presence, while important, has yet to strike me as significant. But there’s still time to see.

The Contestants: I gotta tell you, the contestants on this show are very intriguing. Since it’s a show focused on entry-level designers, I love that everyone has different backgrounds. Of course we have the more traditional occupations, like Frank the Interior Stylist and Ju, the Interiors Consultant, but there’s also Terian, the Solicitor, and Verity, the Retired Army Officer. It makes for great TV to have all these different backgrounds together, but I wonder how some of them will stack up over time. Interior design, while seemingly light and pleasant, is a very competitive business. At any rate, the other contestants are Nicki-Graphic Designer, Trish- Social Worker, Cassie- Antiques Dealer, Jim- Design Writer, Kyle- Design Graduate, and Jerome-Restaurant Manager.

Recap: It’s Episode 1 and as per typical, everyone meets to size each other up. (I mean, who wouldn’t be scoping the competition when you’re trying to win your dream job?) While everyone looks around and makes nice, Fearn Cotton enters and leads the designers to their standing judge, Michelle Ogundehin, who describes the new challenge. The contestants are tasked with transforming a model home and staging it for resale. Everyone is split into two teams, and each person on each team is given a room to update. The winning team is safe from elimination, however, one person from the losing team will be sent home. Team A is Verity, Kyle, Frank, Ju, and Trish. Team B is Jim, Nicki, Jerome, Terian, and Cassie.

First of all, Frank is a character! He’s the youngest so it’s understandable, but that boy right there has everything you need to stay entertained. The little mini beef between him and Ju about switching the design was a moment. He wasn’t wrong, though. When working as a team, you have to find ways to make things cohesive. Ju was not going to do well with all that color and pattern. Moving on to Team B, things were sweeter on the surface but rumbling underneath. The majority really thought that no one needed to change their designs. All except Jerome, who knew there was something that the others didn’t understand about making sure the space was cohesive. That’s a sign of impending disaster if I’ve ever seen it. On top of that, Jim was blowing my mind. He designed that space to be so drastically different just for the sake of it, and didn’t see why it was problematic. It made me curious to see what the judges would think.

Guest judge, Matthew Williamson, came in to add a second set of eyes on this episode. I was glad when they came to many of the same conclusions I did. The one piece of feedback that stood out hugely for me was when Michelle said that good shopping is not the same as good design. Matthew had the same sentiment later on in the episode. It’s true. Buying great pieces does not mean the space is designed. There’s much more that goes into it than that.

At the end, Team A won and Team B was on the chopping block. Cassie and Terian did well. They made some great designs and got through to the next round, but Jerome, Jim and Nicki were on the bottom. That decision wasn’t surprising at all. Jim’s design was just bad to me. Nicki was so stuck in her own world and making the space her own (and monopolizing the contractors to boot). Jerome’s design wasn’t that bad. It just didn’t do anything special, and that’s because he focused on shopping and less adding the special moments. When it was all said and done, Jim got the ax. He seemed really shocked and surprised, and not at all remorseful of his design. I’m sure he didn’t fancy being the first one gone, but someone had to be.

So Who Might Win?: So here’s where I am with it: Frank could definitely take the cake on this. He’s just cocky enough to make it through to the end. His biggest challenge is going to be learning to toot his horn a bit less, though, because bigger projects aren’t as simple as painting walls and putting together furniture pieces. Kyle is also on my list to make it to the end. Although I wasn’t hugely impressed by his design, the man created paneling and architectural details by hand and got it all done on time. He’s a quiet storm with great skill that needs to be recognized. My third possibility is Cassie. That office space was very well done, with the right touch of detail and color. She’s got some spice in her that I look forward to seeing come out.

Got some thoughts on the show? Leave a comment and let me know. Also, don’t forget to like and follow so you know when the next review drops. See ya next week!