A new interior design show is airing on Channel 4 tonight (April 21) with some familiar faces set to feature in the programme. The Big Interiors Battle is a competitive series which sees eight budding interior designers battle it out to win the ultimate prize - their own mortgage-free apartment worth £250,000.
The weekly property TV show will see the contestants each get assigned their own empty apartment which they will transform in a bid to showcase their talent and prove themselves as the UK’s next best interior designer. The eight hopefuls will take on a series of tasks inside their apartment and elsewhere whilst under the watchful eye of the judges.
Hosted by TV presenter and former Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Odudu, the contestant's work will be judged by award-winning architect and entrepreneur Dara Huang with an input from Capital & Centric co-founders Tim Heatley and Adam Higgins.
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The renowned Manchester-based developers, who are behind Crusader Mill, Phoenix and Kampus, will feature on the programme as filming takes place inside their Eyewitness Works building in Sheffield.
The Grade II listed former factory, which was recently restored into 97 modern apartments and townhouses by Capital & Centric, is where the contestants will undergo their tasks each week.
The owners of the building will be keeping a close eye on the designers’ work and help architect Dara decide who deserves to win.
Each week the contestants will be challenged to transform a different room in the flat by following a brief - but when they return to their apartment, their electronic key card will show their fate.
If the light on their door goes green, they stay in the competition, but if it turns red they are locked out of the residence and must leave the contest.
After a process of elimination one winner will then eventually be able to call the Eyewitness Works building 'home' as they will walk away with the keys to their own dream two-bed loft apartment.
Adam Higgins, co-founder at Capital&Centric, said: "When we were first approached by the production company and Channel 4 we knew we wanted to be involved. We said that if we were going to give away an apartment – a life-changing prize to get someone on the housing ladder – we wanted to be really hands-on and follow the design challenges week on week.
“Part of the challenge was finding a building that was progressed enough so filming could take place, but still provided blank canvas apartments for the contestants to put their own spin on. Our Eyewitness Works restoration in Sheffield, similar to the communities we’ve delivered in Manchester where old meets new, really fit the bill.
“We were involved from day one when the concept was being discussed and it was a rollercoaster ride from there … working with host AJ Odudu and judge Dara Huang was a dream, as well as the brilliant contestants. We got to see the weird, wonderful and really varied interpretations of each brief.
“Everything we do is design-led, whether it’s new builds or restorations, therefore this was the right fit for us. It’s always weird watching yourself back on TV, but we're in each episode as the building’s owners, telling the back-story of the historic setting and then checking out what each designer has done with the place.
Adam added: “Manchester will always be our first love, it’s where we’re based, where we made a name for ourselves and we’ve got more in the pipeline here. But it’s a privilege to be able to shine the spotlight on a northern neighbour like Sheffield that’s seeing a real resurgence at the moment.”
A Bolton-based interior design firm was also pulled in to help develop the design concept for the show apartment featured on the programme, including living and dining room spaces, kitchen and two bedrooms and bathrooms.
Courteney Kiely, 27, who runs Scene said: “We were thrilled to be appointed on such an exciting, high profile and design-led scheme. The development raises the bar for apartment living in Sheffield so the interior scheme of the show apartment was key, not least as it was being filmed and will be broadcast to millions of viewers. We can’t wait to see the final scheme hit screens tonight.”
The first episode of The Big Interiors Battle airs on Channel 4 on Friday, April 21 at 8pm.
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