Interior Design Masters: S6/Ep2 - Shipping Container Offices

INTERIOR DESIGN MASTERS

Series 6; Episode 2: Shipping Container Offices

This week’s episode saw our nine remaining contenders despatched to Bristol, with the challenge to convert shipping containers into office spaces for creative companies.  Who would get promotion, and who would get the sack?

Head Judge Michelle Ogundehin – sporting a rather nice Statement Sleeve - wanted the designers to use sustainable materials and upcycled furniture (remember this, it will come back to bite someone in the bottom later in the show).  Michelle also wanted the spaces to tempt people away from their homes (where there’s no commute, a nice view out of the window, a well stocked fridge and a handy toilet) and back to the office (which in this case was in the middle of a building site, with no discernible toilet facilities and a rent of upwards of £400 a week).  The designs were going to have to be REALLY good.

The 'before' photo

I’m not sure how many of the designers have ever worked in an office, but those of us who have know that key elements must include a reasonably sized desk, a comfy office chair, and access to a kettle.  Bad chairs = bad backs, as anyone who worked at their kitchen table over lockdown will tell you.  Victoria thought that this task would suit her skills as she has already designed a commercial space, whereas Holly (who would much rather be designing the interior of a caravan) reckoned that watching The Office was adequate preparation.

Each container was long, narrow, and clad in OSB, and the designers were given £1300, two days, with a decorator and carpenter each to realise their dreams.

Rita (winner of last week’s Standout Space) designed a lamp made from a plastic 'wet floor' sign, and a large curved desk which would be held up by old staircase spindles.  It also looked to me like it blocked one of the windows, but no-one else seemed bothered.

Rita's upcycling project

Emma imagined an arts charity was using her space so she wanted an art gallery theme.  She also wanted to reflect the fact that the containers were on the site of the old Concorde development site….oh, and also have a nod to the Bristol Air Balloon Festival.  All in quite a small space.  It also turned out (not for the first time) that trying to do something for the first time whilst on the show – in Emma’s case upholstery – doesn’t always work out for the best.

Turns out upholstery isn't quite as easy as it looks

Bradley started off by explaining that his office was ‘ship themed’ as they were in a shipping container, but then confusingly designed some (very small) desks that looked more like airplanes.  He had also not googled ‘what is MDF made from?’ before buying lots of it to make his desks and to cut out random shapes to paint like the set of a kids tv show.  I didn’t like his design very much, but he was one of the few who used proper office chairs (not that he got one iota of credit for it).

Bradley's MDF palace (but with comfy office chairs)

Craig was one of the few to realise that not everyone wants to face a wall when working, and designed his desks to sit at a diagonal angle.  He chose bright colours for the walls and desks, and incorporated a record player so that everyone could get up and dance at regular intervals (has anyone worked anywhere where this happens?).

Craig's diagonal desking

Briony didn’t like the finish of the OSB and decided to paint over all of it in a bid to make the container feel like the inside of a Concorde.  Egged on by carpenter Rob, she also incorporated a swing in her ‘breakout’ zone for people to use when they needed a rest.  Did anyone else notice that every so often Briony slips from ‘quite posh, a bit Amandaland’ to ‘cor-blimey/Essex’ and back again during the course of the show?  I blame carpenter Rob – he’s a regular on Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out and I think Briony just wanted him to feel at home.

Briony's office - no OBS to be seen

Holly controversially decided not to paint the walls of her container, and to leave the OSB in its natural state.  She did, however, decide to paint the ceiling – giving us this series’ first ‘I didn’t order enough paint!’ moment.  Another one to tick off the Interior Design Masters bingo card.  Holly was the only designer to incorporate a sink and kettle into her office, as she thought that workers might like the opportunity to make a Pot Noodle if they were stuck for inspiration.

Alan gets that sinking feeling

At this point host Alan Carr did a Dolly Parton sketch that wasn’t very funny, but presumably gives any foreign broadcaster who buys the show something to cut out and show commercials instead.

Victoria's music-inspired office

Victoria had bought a drum kit with her, and was determined to use all of it in her design - the drums became tables and the cymbals became lights.  She had also bought some banquette seating (another IDM perennial) for the desks – which looked nice but I’m not at all sure how comfortable it would be.

John's space

John bought a big dolly with him.  Not a reference to Alan’s earlier sketch, but a huge metal rectangle on wheels which he wanted to turn into a table for his imaginary architect client.  It was a good idea assuming architects still look at big plans…if not they could all sit round it to play Monopoly or something.

Ayisha attached lights to these tubes.  Yes, really.

Ayisha heavily bought into the ‘recycling’ element of the task, using an old oil drum to make a mosaic table.  She also won my unofficial ‘Health & Safety Hazard of the Week’ award for making lighting out of old cardboard tubes – but again this didn’t seem worthy of comment from the judges so maybe I’m just being over-cautious.

The last hour was a major rush for Briony - the huge amount of painting had left her with little time to finish her scheme.  At the other end of the scale Holly was finished in plenty of time and was able to enjoy a cuppa (not a Pot Noodle?) with Alan.

For the judging, Michelle was joined by Max McMurdo – recycling guru and shipping container dweller – and they once again stressed the sustainability aspect of the brief before setting out to view the finished offices.  I wonder why?

Michelle didn't find Emma's seating very comfortable

Both judges loved Victoria’s booth banquettes and musical theme, and they also liked John’s use of reclaimed wood (although thought his dolly table was a bit big).  In Emma’s office Michelle criticised the confusion of ideas and the uncomfortable seating, but did like the light fitting.   Holly’s was loved by both Max and Michelle – who waxed lyrically about the ‘generosity of space’.  They loved the sink area (but didn’t feel the urge to make a Pot Noodle).  Ayisha’s design was also praised (Michelle loved the cardboard lights), but Bradley’s was not as popular.  Max thought the desks were too small…..and at that point he spotted the dreaded MDF, and it seemed that Bradley's place on the Sofa of Doom was a given.

Note to Bradley: just writing 'Razzle Dazzle' does not make this office razzle.  Or dazzle.

Holly's OSB paradise

In Craig’s office they loved the arrangement of the desks, and also the ‘coherent colourway’.  The gush level dropped a little upon inspection of Briony’s space as Michelle seemed to take personally Briony’s decision to paint over all the OSB.  The mix of a swing and two different types of chair in the breakout zone also garnered some criticism.  The smiles were back on their faces once they’d entered Rita’s office, where they liked the use of black, the upcycled staircase spindles, and the large desk. 

Rita's office

Back to Ogundehin’s Design HQ, and Holly was awarded ‘Standout Space’ for ‘embracing the authenticity of the container’.  Maybe they did have a sneaky Pot Noodle after all?  The best of the rest were Victoria, Ayisha, Craig, Rita and John….leaving Bradley, Briony and Emma to sit on the Sofa of Doom.  Bradley and Briony didn’t seem surprised at this, but Emma was disappointed as she couldn’t understand why Michelle didn’t love her 70s space ship/art gallery/hot air balloon mash-up.

Ayisha's office.  Can anyone see a fire extinguisher?

Once on the Sofa of Doom Bradley realised that he’d missed the sustainability brief when Michelle informed him that MDF was not an eco-friendly material (he had no idea).  Emma was told that she needed to pare down her ideas as she had too many influences in too small a space, and Briony admitted that she had got it wrong by painting over every square inch of OSB.  So – which was the greatest crime?  Who would leave the show?  My money was on Bradley, but Michelle went for Emma, who became the second designer to depart – leaving eight for next week’s luxury retirement apartments.  Fingers crossed for some comfier chairs.

Emma's spaceship art gallery/hot air balloon office

Do you agree with Michelle?  Did the right designer leave the show?  Let us know what you think!