25th June 2026
BBC One Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr - Episode 2 - Hotel Rooms at Peckforton Castle
For this challenge head judge Michelle Ogundehin asked to design our version of a romantic retreat.

My design took shape from my own idea of what romance is. Each morning my husband and I walk our dog, Duchess, over Cannock Chase, and it's the most romantic hour of the day as we wander through the forest, chatting, and often encountering deer and other wildlife.
The surroundings of Peckforton Castle are beautiful - thick forest, wandering peacocks and views of surrounding fields. The castle itself is mock medieval, so when designing for this challenge I also took that into account.
I wanted to create a room that could be enjoyed by not only couples, but wedding guests - including bridesmaids who will beed ample room to get ready.

In the interest of sustainability I wanted to keep as much of the furniture as possible. I loved the headboard so I kept that as is, I also kept the bedside tables.
The desk and wardrobe were bulky eyesores so I decided to combine them and upcycle them to create a brand new piece of furniture.
I slotted the wardrobe into the centre of the desk which then created a small bar area at one end and an additional dressing table space at the other. The wardrobe still functioned properly and was not reduced in size.

I then painted the whole thing in a pillar box red to contrast the muted greens of the rest of the room.
I limewashed all the walls in a beautiful moss green colour, and had the decorator paint the ceiling in a gorgeous bronze-mustard colour. He also wallpapered the wall behind the bed and the opposite wall where the fireplace was. This created grandeur and interest as well as complementing the textured paint effect.
I dropped the enormous ceiling by adding a picture rail all the way around which helped colour cap this gorgeous room.
I designed a window seat with storage for suitcases and paid homage to the architecture of the building by mimicking the window arches in the wooden frame.

To finish the design I used heavily patterned bedding and cushions, added antique style mirror tiles to the bar, reupholstered the chair and introduced a walnut dresser to give even more storage space.
Lastly I added fringed lightshades to the bedsides and the main light to bring a contemporary twist to this beautiful old room.
I was absolutely thrilled to win this week's challenge and receive brilliant feedback from both head judge Michelle Ogundehin and guest judge Linda Boronkay.

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