Design guru Banjo Beale will be Designing The Hebrides in a new BBC series

By Scott Begbie

March 1 2023, 12:01 am

Banjo Beale will present new BBC series, Designing The Hebrides. Image: Supplied by BBC Scotland

Leading interior design guru Banjo Beale will be Designing The Hebrides in a new BBC series billed as “warm and characterful”.

The six-parter will see Mull-based expert work his magic on makeovers, ranging from a family-owned fish shop in Tobermory to a bothy on the remote island of Ulva.

Banjo – who won the BBC’s Interior Design Masters in 2022 – and his friendly team of tradespeople travel across the Scottish islands using their craft skills, energy and creativity to bring his Hebridean design dreams to life.

He said: “My hometown of Tobermory is one of the most colourful in the UK but on the inside, some of the spaces are crying out for character.

Banjo Beale won the BBC series Interior Design Masters in 2022. Image: BBC Picture Publicity

Brave Hebridean locals handed Banjo Beale keys to their places

“Thankfully, some brave locals are handing me the keys to their places, from a bothy two hours walk from the nearest road to a remote lighthouse, castle turret and beloved community rugby club.

“They’re dream properties to design but logistical nightmares to deliver.”

Each week Australian-born Banjo and his design team embrace a unique interior design project, fulfilling the client’s brief on a limited budget and a fast turnaround in the series, co-commissioned by BBC Scotland and BBC Two.

Set against stunning Scottish landscapes and amidst the challenges of hard-to-reach locations and extreme conditions, Designing The Hebrides showcases distinctive makeovers, encapsulating Banjo’s irrepressible enthusiasm, ingenuity and design flair.

Banjo Beale with his fellow Scotland’s Home Of The Year judges, Anna Campbell-Jones and Michael Angus. Image: Image: BBC Picture Publicity

Banjo Beale needed to be resourceful for Designing The Hebrides

Banjo, who is also a judge on Scotland’s Home Of The Year for BBC Scotland, added: “The weather is unpredictable, the locals are straight talking, the budgets are lean and you can’t just run to the shops to buy supplies – you have to be resourceful!”

Since taking home the crown on the BBC’s Interior Design Masters in 2022, Australian-born Banjo launched his own interior design business from the Isle of Mull, his home with husband Ro for the past eight years.

Steve Allen, commissioning editor at BBC Scotland, said: “Banjo’s passion for design, and his love of island life really does shine through in Designing The Hebrides, as he breathes new life into properties across the Islands.”

Designing The Hebrides with Banjo Beale will be aired later this year.