What was happening in our lives 11 years ago?
Well, we rushed to buy the latest I-phone 6, skinny jeans were still serving us well and Pharrel was making us all “Happy” in the UK charts.
Also, in 2014, my team and I were invited to created something really special right in the middle of the Trafford Centre.
To launch the annual Ideal Home Show event in Manchester, we designed two opposing room sets to represent Manchester’s ever-long Blue and Red football feud.
The catch…? We could only use decor and furniture items chosen from retailers in the Trafford Centre itself.
Shoppers were invited to vote which room they preferred, enter their details and a winner was chosen at random to receive a whole host of shopping goodies, free tickets to the Ideal Home Show, as well as a free interior design chat with me! The winning room set was then to be re-installed at the Ideal Home Show itself.
Not my typical interior design project of course, but I’m always up for a challenge and this one was no exception.
So overnight… literally into through the night (imagine a zombie-movie in an empty mall-atmosphere) we installed two huge living room sets to represent Blue v Red.
My designs went one step further, by giving each room an imaginary family to live in it.
In my mind, the red room belonged to a Beckham-esque couple living in a cool, contemporary Manchester apartment with sleek furniture, personalised mugs and a gorgeous red leather sofa.
In contrast, the blue room belonged to a family, living in a multi-functional space for dining, relaxing and children and their toys.
Both rooms felt and looked very different, and featured items currently for sale in the Trafford Centre itself.
Some details in the Red Room included local artwork framed in red on a delicately textured white wall, to contrast against the bold red sofa. Notice the UTD mugs, champagne glasses and can you spot the sparkly pair of heels suggesting this couple have just come home from a night out in the city centre. (click each image to enlarge)
The blue room feels more casual and lived in – a little more family focused. Spot the weekly calendar of junior football matches on the blackboard, quirky artwork spelling CITY, the exposed brick wall for an urban texture, and the splashes of yellow to brighten the cool colour palette.
One of my favourite details in this space is the metal chain curtain used to divide the two room sets – inspired by the visitors lounge booths at the Etihad stadium at the time.
I also deliberately placed one red item in the blue room, and a blue item in the red room, to suggest a combined British love of the game….can you spot them?
What a fantastic project to run. There’s so many details I’d change to bring these designs up to date for 2025 of course (no more faux silk draped curtains or red LED lights please) and I still prefer to help homeowners understand their home’s potential with spaces families love for many years… but creating a room set at 3am in the Trafford Centre, is up there as one of my professional highlights!
