Wild Isle Style: Resourceful And Sustainable Interior Design Ideas

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As part of our interview series, My Happy Home , we talk to Banjo Beale about his worst decor trend, life on the Isle of Mull and why his yellow kitchen is his 'little bit of sunshine'. Another challenge faced by Banjo and the team is the arrival of a sudden storm, which causes the roof to leak, adding to the work. The poor weather also means all of the furniture must be kept inside the bothy during the renovation, leading to cramped working conditions. In Designing The Hebrides, interior designer Banjo Beale and his friendly team of tradespeople travel across the Scottish islands using their craft skills, energy and creativity to bring Banjo’s Hebridean design dreams to life. Interior design guru, Banjo Beale, sets his sights on the Scottish isles in Designing The Hebrides, a new six-part series (6x30), co-commission for BBC Scotland and BBC Two produced by DSP production (a Banijay UK company).

Banjo Beale fronts new six-part series Interior designer Banjo Beale fronts new six-part series

From a family-owned fish shop in Tobermory, a bothy on the remote island of Ulva to a bookshop and café on Skye, Banjo and the team rise to the Hebridean make-over challenge.

Where it all started

In this warm and characterful new series, Banjo and his friendly team of tradespeople travel across the Scottish islands using their craft skills, energy and creativity to bring Banjo’s Hebridean design dreams to life. Designing the Hebrides will air on BBC Scotland, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer later in 2023. Banjo combines unique finds with clever design to create sustainable, characterful and collected spaces for his interior design clients and TV projects. I can’t wait for everyone to meet the collectors, thinkers and tinkerers, from the Hebrides to Antipodes, who have opened up their world to share how we can all create cool, calm and collected interiors.” I think it’s just such a special place,’ says Banjo. ‘I live in Tobermory, which I don’t know if you ever saw watched Balamory [the children’s TV show], but it’s the most colourful town in Scotland. But all the houses really are quite greyish inside. And I thought, it’s a bit crazy to start my business here, but I can do it. And the locals, they’re all my mates. Even in the show, they’re my mates.’ Well, at the time, it was the most terrifying thing in the entire world. But I think that’s for all of us because it means so much to us. And genuinely, you know, that Michelle just wants you to do the best. And she knows our potential. So, it’s her job to make it uncomfortable and for us to stretch ourselves.

Crumbling bothy on tiny Scots island with no power

Long-time fans of this column (Anyone? Come on there must be one of you) will know that I have a peculiar aversion to wholesome TV. This is, simply, because I am quite a nasty person. You can’t say that these days, can you? We all have to try to maintain the artifice that we’re all good and moral and true. Well, I’m not. I’m horrible. So fuzzy-sided, warm-hearted television that has absolutely no scenes where someone’s head explodes very rarely does it for me. Sophie Allen, senior commissioning editor, acquired world rights from Ben Clark at the Soho Agency. Wild Isle Style will publish on 12th October 2023. The publisher says: “Living on the remote island of Mull has inspired Banjo to be resourceful and inventive in his design outlook. With sustainability and budget in mind, he combines vintage finds with clever design and re-purposes the old, re-imagining it into something new. Originally from Australia, he now resides on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, where he lives with his partner and dog. What makes you happiest at home?Left: Banjo Beale on Designing the Hebrides. Right. Rubha nan Gall lighthouse, north of Tobermory, is one of Banjo’s projects. Photos: DSP/ BBC Scotland / BBC Two Becoming a judge A new television series following Banjo as he launches his design career in the Hebrides is set to air in summer 2023. The series follows Banjo as he renovates incredible properties in remote locations including a lighthouse, castle and bothy two hours walk from the nearest road. Banjo battles wild weather, straight talking locals and tiny budgets to create characterful spaces in spectacular places. 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!”