Laura Ewart

vaulted beamed ceiling in farmhouse living room Their house search was four years in the making. But one rainy October afternoon, this couple walked into the charming farmhouse of their dreams. Nestled in the Somerset countryside and with sweeping views, the property is a five-bedroom 280-year-old farmhouse, complete with an annex. Previously a small farmhouse cottage with outbuildings, it has now all been sympathetically merged together to create one home.

With the final of the BBC's Interior Design Masters coming ever closer, it's no surprise that the stakes – and standards – are higher than ever. Our remaining five aspiring designers were tasked with giving traditional shepherd's huts in Wales a glamping makeover, with each given a separate brief. The teamwork was over – this time, the contestants worked alone, with only their ideas and a small set of tradespeople for company.

Shop week. Two words that can send fear into even the most confident of contestants on BBC's Interior Design Masters. And after last week's shock double elimination, who could blame them for feeling extra nervous? And that's before they found out Mary Portas, the self-proclaimed Queen of Shops would be judging alongside Michelle Ogundehin. Our six remaining designers were put into pairs and sent to Salisbury to spruce up bridal, homewares and lingerie stores in just two days.