A Lake District youth hostel has taken centre stage in BBC show Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr.
The BBC One series visited the YHA’s Windermere hostel for 10 budding interior designers to transform 10 of its rooms.
It kicked off the show’s sixth series and aired last night.
James Blake, chief executive of YHA (England & Wales), said: “Getting involved with Interior Design Masters was an opportunity for us to put YHA in the spotlight in its 95th anniversary year.
“We are incredibly proud that YHA Windermere has been featured on Interior Design Masters. The opportunity has allowed us to reach new audiences and show that our hostels offer more than just a place to stay – they provide unique and memorable experiences.”
The 90-year-old Windermere youth hostel – one of the oldest in the YHA network – was the first property to be featured in the series.
During the episode, the 10 contestants take over the youth hostel and its grounds, which features alternative glamping accommodation including vintage Airstreams, Landpods, and Safari tents.
YHA’s brief to the Interior Design Masters’ contestants was to create a space inspired by the stunning setting while considering the practicalities of the many different types of guests, from school children, individuals, families, and groups.
Contestants brought the outside in, using natural materials from the hostel’s grounds to create artwork, including pictures, slate bookends and fabric stencils.
Judges Michelle Ogundehin and Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen had to decide who won Stand Out Space and which designer would be the first to go home.
Filming took place in June last year and YHA Windermere has kept a number of the contestants’ design features in the rooms.
Rhys Morris, YHA Windermere hostel manager, said: “There is evidence throughout the hostel that Interior Design Masters was here. A lot of the contestants’ soft furnishings and artwork have since been repurposed in the social spaces throughout the hostel and are proving a real talking point amongst guests.
“We were all sworn to secrecy, so it has made it really tricky to keep under our hats.”
YHA Windermere has 16 bedrooms, including private en suite rooms. Stays at the hostel cost from £18 per night in a shared room, or from £45 per night in a private room. Camping and cabins accommodation can be booked for just £12 per night.
Windermere youth hostel is one of 18 youth hostels in the Lake District National Park operated by YHA (England & Wales).
The episode of Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr featuring the Windermere hostel will be repeated on BBC Two tomorrow, Saturday April 12 at 12.30pm and is available on the iPlayer.
