u/West-Simple-4895

One thing I've started noticing after watching several seasons of Race Across the World is that the race isn't really about countries, trains or budgets.

It's about relationships.

The travelling strips away normal life. No phones. No routine. No escape. You're together 24/7 making hundreds of stressful decisions with very little sleep or money.

At first you see the cracks. People argue over maps, planning, money and who should take the lead.

But if they stick with it, something usually changes.

Parents start seeing their adult children differently. Siblings stop falling into childhood roles. Couples become genuine teammates instead of just partners. Friends discover strengths in each other they never realised were there.

Some relationships become softer. Others become more equal. A few completely transform.

The destinations are memorable, but the emotional journey is often the real story.

That's why I think Race Across the World works so well. It's one of the few reality shows where the biggest prize isn't the £20,000—it's often the relationship people take home afterwards.

After watching every series from 2 to 7, I'm starting to think Interior Design Masters isn't just a design competition.

It's a time management competition disguised as a design competition.

Contestants rarely talk about lacking ideas. They talk about lacking time. In Series 4, Monika admits, "I do struggle a little bit with... the time management," before later confessing, "I am very stressed that I will run out of time." She survives, adapts and eventually wins the series.

Series 6 tells a similar story. John's biggest weakness isn't creativity—it's trying to do too much. Along the way he admits, "I'm worried that we're not going to get it all done." Alan even jokes, "Can we talk about your time management problem?" By the final, Michelle sums up his journey perfectly: "One of the biggest lessons that John's had to learn is time management." He goes on to become Interior Design Master.

What's interesting is that Michelle rarely criticises time management directly. Instead she talks about unfinished execution, missing atmosphere, rooms that haven't quite come together, or ideas that have been compromised. They're all different symptoms of the same problem: the clock won.

The contestants who do best seem to learn one crucial lesson. They stop trying to do everything. They edit their ideas, prioritise what really matters and leave themselves enough time for the finishing touches.

Because on Interior Design Masters, a brilliant idea only counts if you can finish it.

Another thing I've noticed watching Interior Design Masters is that the guest judges don't really contradict Michelle Ogundehin's approach – they sort of complete it.

Michelle is usually the one asking the hard questions. Who is this space for? Does it work? Is there a clear story? Have you edited your ideas properly? She keeps bringing designers back to purpose, cohesion and the needs of the client.

Then along comes Abigail Ahern and suddenly the conversation shifts towards atmosphere. She talks about spaces feeling "calm" and "restorative", and she's often looking for emotional impact rather than just good planning.

Sophie Robinson pushes in another direction entirely. She wants colour, pattern, joy and a sense of transportive escapism. Her challenge to designers is often: don't hold back, dream bigger.

And then there's Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Laurence seems obsessed with impact. He wants spaces that make people say "wow", not "nice". He champions confidence, theatricality and bold personality.

Put them together and it almost feels like four parts of the same judging system:

Michelle = purpose.
Abigail = atmosphere.
Sophie = colour and personality.
Laurence = drama and confidence.

The contestants who tend to do best are usually the ones who can satisfy all four at the same time. A room can be bold, colourful and full of character, but if it doesn't work for the client Michelle will spot it. Equally, a perfectly functional room won't win many fans if it lacks atmosphere, joy or impact.

That's probably why the judging works so well, when it works well. They're all not looking for the same thing – they're looking at the same room from four different design perspectives.

Just reading the comments to my post yesterday and... Well, I enjoyed reading them.

Think everyone has some dead good points, they all make a lot of sense and it's just interesting reading other points of view - even the ones that think I'm nothing but ChatGPT.

I'm not a designer and I'm not much of an interior decorator. I have been a creative in another life but not within the field of interior design. I totally get that in the end 'judging' something like this as largely if not wholly subjective in the end and there's not absolutely right answer - despite how clearly everyone lays down the principles or coding systems for the sake of fairness it's subjective and the paradigm an aesthetic one.

Hey, I'll own it. I never totally got the Torvill and Dean thing and couldn't figure out why Bestemianova and Bukin weren't better and didn't win much more. That doesn't mean I don't admire Ms Torvill and Mr Dean any less - just saying, if I was Michelle and they decorated a room, I maybe wouldn't say it was a standout space. I definitely wouldn't have them, on the couch, though.

What I do like about Interior Design Masters though - and this might be naive, could be escapism and could be because there's a lot in the world that frightens the Hell out of me right now - that that there's no naked malevolence in it or cruelty.

It's genuinely creative - some earnest, conscientious and thoughtful people with some paint, point of view and passion making rooms look nice - and I love that.

And... Call it Michelle's design principles or just a moment when 1,000 monkeys randomly curating design elements in a cosmically chaotic colour pallet kind of way... When it does come together it just feels 'darned good'. Whatever that is or how it got there.

Peace, kindness and tolerance.

After watching multiple seasons of Interior Design Masters, I think Michelle Ogundehin's design philosophy is actually pretty consistent.

First: design for the client, not yourself. Time and again, contestants get criticised when they create a beautiful room that doesn't suit the people using it. For Michelle, function always comes before personal taste.

Second: every idea needs a purpose. She loves creativity, originality and bold thinking, but only when it solves a problem or improves the experience of the space.

Third: cohesion matters. Michelle constantly looks for a clear story, harmony of colour, and spaces that feel connected rather than a collection of unrelated ideas.

Fourth: sustainability should be built in, not bolted on. Reclaimed materials, upcycling and thoughtful choices are strongest when they're fundamental to the design.

Finally: show your personality, but fulfil the brief. The contestants who do best balance originality with practicality, confidence with restraint, and creativity with real-world usability.

That's Michelle's formula: beautiful, purposeful, client-focused design.