Yorkshire's Lynsey Ford was a worthy winner of BBC2’s Interior Design Masters challenge. While her training as an architect gave her the edge in understanding use of light and space, it was her natural talent for interiors, fearless use of colour, gift for creative upcycling and her remarkable talent for DIY that wowed the hard to please judges. Her prize was a commission to redesign Willow Cottage, a dated, two-bedroom annexe at the fashionable Another Place, The Lake hotel on the shore of Ullswater, though she also deserved a medal for working while pregnant for four months without a single day off to secure her place in the show’s final. The dated, self-contained two-bedroom suite with views over the lake didn’t make the most of the outlook so that was Lynsey's starting point for change.
The project saw her make good use of trusted Yorkshire craftspeople and suppliers while indulging her love of upcycling vintage furniture. The circular mirror on the back wall reflects the view and is bespoke by Sowerby Bridge Glass and the lights above are from Andy Thornton Interiors and Antiques in Elland, while all the lights and switches in the property, along with the gold shower and taps in the bathroom, are from Leeds-based emporium Dowsing & Reynolds. The old kitchenette was replaced by new cabinets made from recycled materials by Slaithwaite-based Daval. The mural os the view is by Hebden Bridge artist Julia Ogden.
A new series of Interior Design Masters starts on BBC2 in March. Lynsey's architecture, interiors and furniture design business is www.lynseyforddesign.co.uk
1. The social sofa
The semi-circular orange sofa was made bespoke to her design and is positioned to make the most of the amazing outlook and to help conversation flow as the curve allows everyone to see each other without leaning over the person next to them. Lynsey has named it the “social sofa”.
2. Worthy winner
There are many reasons why Lynsey Ford was a worthy winner of BBC2’s Interior Design Masters challenge. While her training as an architect gave her the edge in understanding use of light and space, it was her natural talent for interiors, fearless use of colour, gift for creative upcycling and her remarkable talent for DIY that wowed the hard to please judges, Photo: Another Place
3. Mural of the view
To prevent the fireplace from fighting for attention, she painted it and the cream walls in Farrow and Ball’s blue-black Railings. “Before, your eye went straight to the fireplace but painting that and the walls in Railings has made it recede. Plus the views really pop against the dark colour,” says Lynsey, who also commissioned Hebden Bridge artist Julia Ogden to create a mural for the main living space, which has a sitting, dining and kitchenette area. Photo: Another Place
4. Creative kitchenette
The old kitchenette was replaced by new cabinets made from recycled materials by Slaithwaite based Daval. They make better use of the space and allowed Lynsey to use the extra square footage to build a wall that hides a boot room area Photo: Another Place