The winners of episode three of the current series of Interior Design Masters, which aired on 24th April, have been invited back to style a brand-new show apartment in the next phase of homes at Solent-side Royal Haslar waterfront village, in Alverstoke in Hampshire.

The exciting offer has been made to Briony and Craig, after the latest episode featured the later living residential market for the first time, a reflection of the exponential growth in this market sector. With Royal Haslar chosen as the coveted location for the third episode of the series, eight budding British interior designers (whittled down from the original ten) were paired up and tasked to transform four unfurnished luxury retirement apartments, using their design and home staging skills to attract baby boomers into buying their forever home.

Alan Carr and his co-host, the interiors guru and former Elle Decoration editor-in-chief Michelle Ogundehin, pitted the four design duos against each other, calling in guest judge Sue Timney, the celebrated designer and co-founder of iconic interiors brand Timney-Fowler, to help Michelle give the final verdict.

While the ultimate winner of the sixth series, and this year’s Interior Design Master, will be awarded a collaboration contract to design and curate a collection of homewares for John Lewis, Briony and Craig’s interior vision and adherence to the brief not only impressed the show’s judges, who awarded them the win for the ‘Standout Space’ challenge, but also the developers of Royal Haslar, who are inviting them back to design a brand new show home in the next phase of homes released for sale.

In the nail-biting episode, each duo was given a budget of £4,500 (£2,250 per designer) to style a nearly identical two-bedroom two-bathroom apartment in Trinity House, the magnificent Grade II Listed Georgian Quadrangle building that is the architectural centrepiece of former naval hospital Royal Haslar. Built between 1745 and 1762, and named for its architect, Theodore Jacobsen, who also masterminded Dublin’s Trinity College, Trinity House is one of a series of extraordinary buildings at the South Hampshire landmark, currently being transformed into a new residential waterfront village.

With each apartment providing a high-ceilinged entrance hall and flowing light-filled living spaces, including an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, each pair of contestants was also given the services of two carpenters and two decorators to facilitate their designs.

Their challenge was to design a high-end show apartment to demonstrate how retirement can be a truly exciting chapter in life, with the spaces providing a place to live, relax, socialise, as well as indulge in hobbies. While collaboration was key, each individual contestant was set the personal project of designing a bedroom on their own. While all came with very different backgrounds and signature styles, the contestants’ skills, flair and ability to meet a budget were tested to the max.

All were clearly inspired by Royal Haslar’s dramatic waterfront setting, elegant parkland and important heritage. Between 1753 and 2007, the former hospital was used for convalescing sick and wounded sailors and marines of the Royal Navy and armed forces. Today, set in 62 acres of landscaped grounds fronting the Solent, it is being restored and converted into a community of 550 market sale and senior living homes, within a range of beautifully restored and converted Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian and newly constructed buildings.

The latest chapter in its transformation is Trinity House, now being restored to provide one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with the first phase of 38 homes released to market, ready to move into.

Several of the Interior Design Masters contestants drew on common themes of fresh blues, greens and statement stripes in wallpaper, linens and headboards referencing Royal Haslar’s parkland setting and nautical history. While every contestant had access to home staging firm David Phillips catalogue, various new and second-hand outlets, and items held by furniture charity Hub4Stuff, which has its own storage facility at Royal Haslar, the four schemes were completely unique.

‘Standout Space’ winners Briony and Craig took the elegant period motifs found throughout Trinity House as their guide, and used vibrant yellow with sage green accents to enliven the entrance hall. Beading was added to the walls in the open-plan living space to create a panel affect, with a plush green velvet upholstered sofa, saffron drapes at the sash windows, an ebony dresser and large gilt mirror creating the feel of a salon. Black and white photography throughout the apartment provides a contemporary edge.

The kitchen features a pastel pink wall, providing the perfect backdrop to an eclectic collection of blue and white plates. Subtle zoning of the reception provides task/function areas, while keeping the space fluid. A wooden chandelier, painted white, provides a focal point for the dining area, connecting perfectly with the white rattan dining chairs and table setting.
Colours to chime with the parkland setting and coastal location of the apartment were used in the bedrooms. Bold green and cream stripes, accent reds and floral prints in custom faux bamboo gold picture frames, set against a warm pale cream background, bring a welcoming sense of calm to the principal bedroom.

The cream and pale blue colour scheme of the second bedroom is enhanced by further use of beading, creating wall panels and dado. The use of a two-tone wall treatment, a style which dates back to the Georgian period, with pale blue up to the dado and cream above, connects perfectly to the wider period building. Soft furnishings, also in shades of blue and cream, were in harmony with the wall treatment, while reproduction upcycled period side and half-moon tables added warm wood tones, with a painted spindle back chair adding a contrasting splash of bright yellow.

Briony said: “It was fantastic to be paired with Craig for this Interior Design Masters challenge, and we learned a lot from each other. We both hugely enjoyed spending time at Royal Haslar, with its stunning architecture and parkland grounds a true inspiration.”

Craig said: “Being paired with Briony really was the winning combination, and we were thrilled to have won the ‘Standout Space’ challenge together. We are delighted to have been invited back to Royal Haslar to interior design another apartment and can’t wait to return.”

Pat Power, Director of Haslar Developments, says: “It was a pleasure to have the team from the sixth series of Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr at Royal Haslar, to share the beauty of the site and showcase what an inspiring place it is to live in. It’s a testament to this new waterfront community that it was chosen by the production team as the first retirement development to be featured in the show.

“We were excited by the differing styles presented by contestants, each duo bringing something new to Trinity House. However, overall, we felt that Briony and Craig created not only a ‘standout space’, that was consistent throughout the apartment, but one that connected with the building and will, I am sure, resonate with many potential buyers. They understood the brief and the uniqueness of the location, which is the reason we are inviting them back to Royal Haslar to create a further one-bedroom show apartment in the next phase of Royal Haslar. It will be exciting to see how their further experience in the competition evolves their style and we are very much looking forward to seeing and sharing their design.”

The apartments created by the contestants are available to view by house hunters and the curious at Trinity House Royal Haslar, alongside a professionally interior designed two-bedroom show apartment by Hampshire-based Studio Macnamara.

Once complete, Royal Haslar will provide over 550 converted and newly built residential houses and apartments, including market sale and senior living homes, convenience retail, pub/restaurant and leisure facilities, plus over 50,000sq.ft. of business premises and a new Royal Haslar heritage museum, set in landscaped grounds, fronting onto the sea. A range of apartments are available at Royal Haslar for immediate occupation. Prices start from £220,000.