Interior Design Masters judge Michelle Ogundehin sent home Duran Abdullah in the quarter-final after saying her shop redesign lacked an ‘unexpected bit’. Despite an ambitious concept for a Welsh guitar shop, guest judge Ross Bailey said it felt like ‘all the effort has gone into the shop window’, sealing her fate on the sofa for a fourth — and final — time.
In the long-awaited shops week, the remaining contestants travelled to Hay-on-Wye to transform independent stores on a £4,000 budget, battling it out for a place in the semi-final. Duran and Emmely were tasked with designing guitar shop Wye Fret, adding a stage, sound booth, sofa and oversized ‘axe’ display.
Following her exit from the competition, we spoke to Duran about her journey on the show.
Read more: Interior Design Masters 2026 contestants – full cast and latest eliminations
You’re responsible for giving Alan Carr a whole new catchphrase aren’t you?
DA: Ha ha. Yes, Alan was loving ‘Shway’ which made me so proud to have it mentioned on television. I loved it every time he bought it up. Shway is an underground street dance style that I teach, and was created by my mentor, Adolfo ‘Shabba-Doo’ Quiñones in the 1970s.
Is it true you’d had no previous interior design experience at all?
DA: Yes, the only experience I’d had was helping my mum with her Airbnb and doing my own flat. I grew up playing The Sims and I loved designing on there so when I moved into my own flat, I felt like I was living my Sims dream in real life! I’d also grown up around my mum being really houseproud and always rearranging furniture, painting and styling the home. Seeing her inspired me to care about the environment I live in. We are both perfectionists and impatient!
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The shop owner cried – were they happy tears?
DA: Chris was so happy, it made us all emotional to see his reaction because we could feel how much it meant to him. It was the first time we were given a brief where we could speak to the client and that made me feel the pressure to really get it right. This shop was his baby! And even though it was said we listened to his requests ‘too much’, we did also say 'no' to a few things and made some last-minute changes. He wanted his motorbike to be staged in the middle of the shop but we decided it would be best to use that space for the seating area and I know he loved that we did that.
It was your fourth time on the sofa, how did that feel?
DA: I was previously pulled up for not considering the client as much as I should and then when I really believed I had managed to do that, I was sent home! So it did feel a little like there was no pleasing Michelle. But I left with my head held high and I’m so proud to leave on a challenge me and Emmely loved so much. I think I was ready to go by that point.
Tell us one thing that goes on behind the scenes viewers don’t know about
DA: Stephen, one of the decorators, uses poo bags to put wet paintbrushes in which I found so genius and funny. They stay wet for ages and you can just pick up your brush again when you’re ready to go if you like to take breaks like me. I also really want to shout-out the trades. They are incredible and work so hard to bring our visions to life in just two days. I was so inspired working with them.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve found yourself doing?
DA: I really surprised myself at how quickly I can make decisions under pressure. Nothing prepares you for the intensity that comes with being in the competition, but I really learned to trust my gut. You must have the design locked in within two or three days to have enough time to buy your materials so it definitely built my confidence and stretched my capacity to be productive – I’m so much more aware of how much I can fit into a day now!
What does interior design mean to you?
AD: Interior design has changed my life. I believe I have manifested so much goodness in my life from the power of design. It can connect you deeper to yourself, build safety and confidence and inspire your imagination.
Time to manifest... Tell us, where do you hope to be this time next year?
AD: Next year, I’m excited to see where I’ll be with my new brand, YUCKY (Planet of Movement + Design) bringing together my two worlds of movement, choreography and design objects. I work with plaster and mixed materials to transform objects, inspired by ‘Shway’ movement and I’ve got my first exhibition coming up on 30th May at Das Art Department in Hackney. I have an obsession with unique objects and how they speak to each other when put into a space so it’s really exciting to now have created my first collection. I’m super proud of it.
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