Northern Ireland Design Duo will be among those revealing the ups and downs of various interior updates in the new indoor lounge that will hit our screens Monday night.
In the BBC New Northern Ireland series, leading interior designers pull the curtains to reveal the most challenging and ambitious design projects at home and abroad.
Beautiful Interiors Northern Ireland’s six-part series features real estate alterations across North America and beyond, from pricey renovations to beautifully decorated spaces, with many useful design tips and tricks to suit all budgets.
Customer expectations are high for the wow factor as homeowners hand over their budgets and homes to designers and a happy homeowner is the ultimate goal.
Each episode follows the personal stories of the homeowners and shows the challenges design teams face in making this dream home improvement project a reality.
In the first episode, Chris Turnbull and partner Christoph Artsen renovate a Portuguese vacation home as the owners want to make the most of their sunny location in the Algarve.
The couple are part of the multi-million dollar interior design industry in Northern Ireland and have been transforming homes into luxury homes for over 20 years.
Chris opened KT Studios in Belfast in 2008 and the firm has grown into an acclaimed luxury architecture and design firm, both here on the island of Ireland and internationally.
His first studio was on Ravenhill Road in Belfast, but in 2013 Chris acquired his current design base, a stunning Grade II chapel on Lisburn Street, which he has beautifully renovated and reconstructed.
As Chris points out, when people hire interior designers, it “creates something really special for their home” and “an emotional decision, not a financial one.”
“In a business, it’s the spreadsheet and the business decision to get the final concept,” Chris told Belfast Live ahead of the new series.
By living and creating a personal space for a person, you are trying to understand personalities and family relationships and translate their list of fantasies and wishes into reality.
“It is very important to get the right design and concept and to understand the personality of the customer in what we offer,” he explained.
“You quickly realize what clothes and jewelry you want to wear, where you like and what type of vacation you like, so you almost create a client profile and set their style direction.
“You get very close to people when you work in their house, because you define how they live, where they sleep, so you stick with them a lot.
“Sometimes you have to be diplomatic because people can pick out the good, but the beautiful combination of things makes it better or it is stressful, so you have to find that balance.
“These clients trust so much in their project and the personal responsibility you feel you have to take on is not widespread,” Chris added.
“I always like it when you walk in and you see an empty space and then you go with a new interior,” Kristof adds.
“Project deadlines may vary and depend on the amount of work. If it’s just decoration, which usually takes three to four months, but when you plan and arrange a space with masons, erectors and solids, it can be. It can be from a year to 18 months. “.
The Algarve repair project required a high head when Chris and Kristoff were commissioned to put intricate pieces of glass on the entryway chandelier. The team also completed the task when a marble device, slightly larger than expected, arrived on the scene.
“The owners didn’t want to go home after the project was completed,” Chris said.
“They liked it so much that they left for four weeks, but they stayed for about four months, which is a very good thing.”
“We started this project in October 2020 and returned the keys the following July, but they didn’t come to visit any sites or anything, so it was a complete surprise for them in the end,” Kristof said.
In Episode Two, Chris and his team are on a rampage to help Clint Francis, who is moving home with his late wife, start a new chapter on a newly developed estate built for his entire family.
Meanwhile, with more than 30 years of design experience, Stephen Black and Stephen Sharp have become old fashioned when it comes to design dilemmas and revealing how to use upholstered furniture to create visual interest and connect spaces.
In the series, Stephen Blakely is given a blank canvas to create a cozy sun deck in Co Down, but will homeowner Amanda appreciate the blue look she chose?
Later, the couple converted the property from a construction site in Jordanstown to a new home. Other projects featured in the series include remodeling a traditional home in Moira, creating an outdoor living space in a Surrey cottage, and transforming a unique Dublin apartment.
Elsewhere, fellow designer Shelley Hollywood and her husband Eddie Creative move into a new building with elegant floating stairs in Helen’s Bay and decorate a Belfast apartment with bright colors and modern shutters.
Northern Ireland’s Beautiful Interior kicks off Monday, March 7 at 8pm on BBC One NI.
The full series will be available on BBC iPlayer after the premiere airs on Monday.
Source: Belfastlive
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