J'AIME OCTOBER 2019

F E AT U R E
Design master
FRESH FROM A STINT IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS ONE OF THE STANDOUT CONTESTANTS ON BBC2’S
INTERIOR DESIGN MASTERS, SUTTON COLDFIELD DESIGNER KYLE BROUGHTON-FREW CHATS
TO GARY PHELPS ABOUT LIVING A LIFE MORE STYLISH
THE INTERIOR DESIGN
MASTERS CAST, WITH
KYLE SECOND RIGHT
Interior designer Kyle Broughton-Frew is in demand.
More and more homes across the Midlands bear the
stylish hallmark of the Little Aston-based designer’s
creative process – cultured interiors which are both
functional and highly personal.
But even if your own home hasn’t benefited from
Kyle’s design skills you may have already welcomed
him into your living room – via his appearances
on BBC2’s popular reality show Interior Design
Masters. Following in the tradition of hits like the
Great British Bake-off, the programme set a handful
of up-and-coming designers weekly challenges,
from fitting out shops in Nottingham to re-inventing
student digs in Leicester.
And while 30-year-old Kyle wasn’t crowned the
winner, he turned enough heads as one of the more
accomplished contestants with his keen eye for detail,
a level-headed approach to project management and
simple, impeccable taste. It has helped establish him
as a designer worth watching.
“It was a fantastic experience,” Kyle said. “I would
recommend it to anyone.
“It was a frantic and chaotic few months - we were
often on set for 12 hours per day. We would finish
filming about 7pm on Thursday wherever we were
in the country and then jump on a train straight
to London, to film the judging scenes on Friday
morning.
“Then we had to change our clothes to immediately
film the briefing for the next episode’s challenge - and
in between all that, you would have to design your
project for the following week. It was mind boggling
to try and get that all done!”
Host Fearne Cotton and head judge Michelle
Ogundehin were joined by the likes of Mary Portas,
Jade Jagger and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, who ran
a critical eye over the designers’ efforts each week.
However, while tensions were often high, Kyle said
the team behind the show worked hard to protect the
contestants from the overexposure often associated
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