Poland is the third country, after the Netherlands and Austria, to implement the TV program "Design Dream. Duel for Interiors", and IKEA has become a strategic partner of the venture. Who is the program aimed at and what is its purpose? Is it actually about design?
interior-dream
"Let Poland see that renovation is not as scary as they paint it". - says at the beginning of the premiere episode of the program, one of the jurors - Jakub Szczęsny. And these words probably best reflect the message behind "Design Dream. Duel for Interiors". Polsat's latest program is first and foremost a show that aims to popularize interior design, renovation, better solutions. But is the title "design dream" an interior-dream possible for everyone?
trailer | Polsat YouTube
A very long commercial for IKEA?
"Design dream. Duel for interiors" is a program adapted to Polish television under a foreign license. The goal of each episode is to design the most functional and visually attractive rooms for the protagonists - the "clients" of the episode. The transformed interiors are supposed to symbolize changes in the lives of the people taking part in the program. The effects of the work will be evaluated by the heroes themselves, commenting on the process, and a two-person jury. In each episode one participant will be eliminated, and in the final episode the two best designers will fight each other. The designers work with limited time, arranging model "cubicles" sized to match real rooms.
In fact, it is IKEA furniture that fills the competing interiors, and fact - they are forcefully differentiated to show as many items from the catalog as possible, but the producers of the program made sure that the product placement in the perception of the viewer remains extremely subtle, and at times it can be forgotten. Who among us does not have at least one item from a Swedish manufacturer at home? Of all the mass producers of home furnishings, it is IKEA that is associated with timeless design and quality.
photo: press mat. Telewizja Polsat
who are the jurors?
Who is the hostess of the program "Design Dream. Duel for Interiors"? Yes, Anna Wyszkoni is a singer, but....
I think not many people know this yet, but interior design is my great passion. I have been studying in this direction since September. So the topic of the program is very close to me," assures the hostess, singer Anna Wyszkoni in Polsat press materials.
The opinion of the jurors does not decide whether the participants win or lose, which actually gives a fantastic reflection of how the choices of experienced architects can differ from those of clients guided by their own taste. Who are the program's jurors? They are Ania Cybulska, that is, an IKEA expert, and Jakub Szczęsny, an architect and designer appreciated in Poland and around the world.
photo: press mat. Telewizja Polsat
A better home translates into a better life. Many people want to change something in their homes, but don't really know where to start or simply lack the concept. I am a big advocate of clever, often low-budget changes and sustainable solutions and products that are tailored to the specific requirements and style of specific people able to serve them for many years. Each episode of the program is a mine of new, creative ideas, and that's something we're very proud of," says Anna Cybulska, juror of the program "Design Dream. Duel for Interiors" and Home Furnishing Direction Leader IKEA Retail, interior designer, furniture designer.
I will be a strict, but also sometimes understanding juror, because I know that everyone, including designers, on the one hand need motivation, and on the other hand sometimes make mistakes and need to be treated humanely," announces architect Jakub Szczęsny in IKEA partner press materials.
who is the program for?
The format is not just about design and definitely does not depict the real world of interior designers. It interweaves threads that introduce viewers to the personalities of designers, but also selected "typical" problems we encounter in Polish homes and apartments. The competition and time pressure with which the participants struggle keeps the viewer in suspense.
What might interest experienced architects and female architects? In addition to valuable comments from the judges, the opportunity to innocently (because not on their own mistakes) observe the behavior of clients, who, although often have no idea about practical interior design, have real feelings and expectations. An example (from the first episode) is that customers liked the non-functionally designed interior (criticized by the juror, Jakub Szczęsny), thanks to the eye-appealing green walls. Similar mechanisms work in the real world.
photo: press mat. Telewizja Polsat
renovation not terrible
Maybe Polsat's newest interior design program won't necessarily appeal to architects and female architects, which, after all, is no surprise to anyone (professional chefs don't watch Masterchef either). But let's face it - not many Poles take advice from designers when going shopping at IKEA or doing a simple renovation in the bedroom. However, the interior design problems approximated in this program, their potential solutions, the interesting remarks of the experienced jurors and the reactions of the "customers" will certainly reach the viewers and contribute to the fact, as Jakub Szczęsny mentioned - that they will believe that the renovation is not as terrible as it is painted.
The program envisages another 5 episodes, which will be broadcast on Sundays. More information can be found on the Polsat Television website .
