Transforming my mates’ homes got me ready for Alan Carr’s Interior Design Masters

Bradley Dreha is the youngest contestant on the new series of Alan Carr’s Interior Design Masters, and he reckons transforming the Liverpool homes of his friends and family was the perfect practice.

The 25-year-old from Walton says: “I still live at home with my mum and dad, so after I’d redesigned our home I took over my sister’s, and then did murals for all my friends and family’s houses.

“I haven’t got the space to do it – so I took over everyone else’s!

“They’d be like, get the paints out Brad and come over, and they love it.  Its a bit of a brag,” smiles Bradley, “and I feel like it was great practice for the show. They’d give me a little brief and then I’d put my own stamp on it and say if you don’t like it, we can adjust it.

“It was like having a real life client.”

The sixth series of the popular BBC One design programme launches again this Thursday (April 10) and Bradley is one of 10 novice designers who’ll be looking for their big break in the world of interior design.

Over eight weeks they’ll compete for the chance to win a contract with John Lewis to design their own range of homewares.

But Bradley reckons he’s already won just by being on the show.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to be on the show, never mind winning, and so to land on it as amazing,” he says.

“I’m the youngest contestant and this was the year I thought why not?!

“I haven’t really had the chance to show what I can do before and so, whatever happens, I hope this will give me a bit of a boost.”

There are some in the city – and in fact around the world – who will recognise the talented Scouser who’s already shared some of his ‘playful’ style and designs on TikTok.

Bradley, who studied art, graphic design, photography and later fashion communication at John Moores University, has got 31,000 followers on the interiors and DIY TikTok platform he started around four years ago.

He says:

“I have always been creative – I think I get it from my mum who’s always making things and is good on the sewing machine – but when I was at John Moores my focus was on set design for fashion shoots.  Then when Covid hit we all had to come home.

“I was sitting in my bedroom and looked around and thought, this isn’t me, so I set about changing it and, because TikTok was on the rise then (around 2021) I decided to document the process, and it went on from there.

“I’d only done a few videos when a magazine called Dwell in San Francisco reached out and I thought, oh eh, I can actually do this. It gave me the motivation.

“For my bedroom I chose a tropical theme.  I love being on holiday and so it’s about bringing the outside in. I love having a joyful and colourful space.”

Bradley’s TikTok videos focus on showing his skills as well as demonstrating how you can get the best interior look for less, so he’s all about the hacks: “It might sound ridiculous turning salad bowls into pendant lights, but it will come together and look just like the real thing. You don’t need a big budget to get the look.”

He works as a social media executive, having helped build the profiles of paint companies and interior brands, as well as his own.

And his appearance on Interior Design Masters will hopefully take him a step nearer to his ambition of having his own design studio to offer his talents to individuals as well as commercial clients.

He says:

“I love interior design, so this is what I’d love to go into full time.

“I’d love my own brand of wallpapers with maybe palm designs and the like on.

“People are becoming more interested in their homes and the design, showing their style and developing it with videos on social media. And why not? We spend a lot of time in our homes, and they have a huge impact on our mental health, so why not enjoy your space and where you live?”

While Bradley has already filmed the show he’s keeping tight-lipped about the result, but one thing he will admit to is getting on famously with its comedian host Alan Carr. 

“We are quite similar because we both love a good joke.  He gives it – and I take it,” he laughs.

Being from Liverpool has influenced Bradley’s fun sense of humour, and it has also helped shape the creativity that looks set to make his dream career come true.

“I love being from Liverpool – I’m proud of it.

“It’s such a creative place. There’s so much going on, so much art, and culture – you see it walking around from places like the Tate to Superlambananas on the street. 

“The city has definitely inspired me.”

Interior Design Masters is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Thursday, April 10 at 8pm.

Find out more on Bradley’s Instagram Page.

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