Bring on colour, patterns, textures and imagination… Minimalism begone! Changing Rooms is back and it’s bringing interior design legend Laurence Llewelyn Bowen with it.
Channel 4, in partnership with Dulux, has commissioned Shine TV (part of Banjay UK) to make a new version of the legendary ‘90s and ‘00s home-DIY series, giving it a fresh lick of paint for an era of pinspiration and insta-interiors.
Presented by Davina McCall, Changing Rooms sees two sets of homeowners from the same neighbourhood work against the clock to renovate a room in each other’s houses. They might not share the same tastes, but they are completely in charge of creating a new look for the chosen room – and anything goes.
The homeowners will be making all the decisions about the makeovers, and as a nation of interiors and style obsessives, expectations are higher than ever. In true Changing Rooms style, the transformations will be spectacular, innovative and, quite possibly, unexpected.
Along the way, our bold and creative homeowners will be supported by two handy teams of DIY experts and decorators, captained by LLB and a second interior designer who has an opposing style to that of the original Changing Rooms star. The show will be packed full of design and DIY hints and tips, teaching us how to be crafty on a budget by upscaling and adding sparkle to unloved or outdated corners of our homes.
Davina McCall said: “I’m so excited to be presenting Changing Rooms. It’s a classic! It’s the perfect time to bring it back, everyone is going DIY and decor mad! I can’t wait to see all the amazing transformations – I might even get stuck in myself if I’m allowed to be let loose with a paint brush!”
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen added: “There’s no room for beige in our homes and, just as it was in the 90s, Changing Rooms is once more the homestyle antidote to Britain’s blues (and greys and taupes, and even Magnolia). It’s taken quite a lot of coaxing to get me under the Changing Rooms banner once more, but nothing like as much coaxing as it’s going to take for me to squeeze those leather trousers back on.”
Jonny Rothery, commissioning editor for Channel 4, said: “With us all spending so long staring at our own four walls, there’s never been a better time to see the return of the nation’s favourite interiors show. Let the house swapping begin!”
Mark Sammon, Director of Entertainment, Shine TV, said: “I’m delighted we’re bringing the Godfather of home makeover back to the UK. Changing Rooms is bigger, brighter and better than ever, and on a mission to bring colour to the walls of the nation.”
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director of Dulux, said: “The nation has got its decorating mojo back which makes it the perfect time for Changing Rooms to return to TV. It will inspire a new generation to discover the power of colour, to get creative and improve the spaces they live and work in.”
Changing Rooms is a 6 x 60’ primetime series. It was commissioned for Channel 4 by Jonny Rothery, commissioning editor, Formats and Features with Sarah Lazenby, Head of Formats and Features. It will be made by Shine TV and executive produced by Mark Sammon and Katie Brosnan, and the series producer is James Kane.