Discover 6 imaginative room sets to inspire your box room design.

Returning to London’s ExCeL from 2-10 May, Grand Designs Live welcomes over 500 self-build and home improvement companies, free expert advice and a range of live talks for anyone taking on a home project, however big or small.

New for the 2020 event, aiming to inspire visitors with a range of interior concepts is The Great British Box Room Competition. Easily identifiable as smaller than the rest of the bedrooms in the home, the Box Room, traditionally seen in British suburban homes, is often left unused, forgotten, or as dumping ground for stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else.

The event welcomes 6 interior design finalists who will compete to come up with the best concept and way to utilise this space. They'll be hoping to take home one of the two prizes on offer; the visitors choice award, or another prize selected by a panel of judges.

This year’s competition will be selected by Kevin McCloud, presenter of Grand Designs. He is joined by well as Jenny Gibbs from the KLC School of Design and Harriet Forde from the British Institute of Interior Design. The winner will be announced on Friday 8^th May, on the show’s Grand Theatre stage.

The challenge for the interior designers started with coming up an exciting and inspiring mood board on which their concept is based. From this the finalists were chosen, who now have the opportunity to bring their ideas to life in the form of a room set at the show. Using colour, materials and patterns, the designers will feature products which can be easily sourced from current retailers, manufacturers or online, so that visitors can easily take away supplier contacts, to re-create the rooms at home.

Check out the finalists here:

Edward Humphrey-Davies

A multifunctional room with an industrial feel, using fold away furniture and a contemporary monotone pallet, evoking the illusion of space in this “think outside of the box” design.

Anna Barber

A cosy home library where both adults and children can enjoy time together, away from screens and away from their busy lives. The concept of this Box Room with pull-out bed and handy storage options is to allow families to sit, listen and reconnect with their imaginations.

Penny Johnson

Taking on board the Great British theme of the competition, this Box Room is inspired by the 1965 “British Invasion” of popular British rock and pop music to America. The room will provide an escape from the mundane and gives a chance to relive the vibrant freedom of the 1960s post war era.

Chetna Balla

An inviting leisure spaces where life’s little pleasures are welcome. Using a blue pallet, inspired by the Great British flag, the room lends itself to create a sense of calm and a relaxed atmosphere.

Amy Arnold

A Box Room should not be restricted in its possibilities and this room set uses the concept of dreaming big in small spaces. The serene home office use a soft colour palette, raw materials and textures reminiscent of nature.

Madeleine Tapp

Inspired by British buildings, the Box Room is an exercise haven with contrasting chillout zone. The multifunctional space includes both gym equipment and relaxing features to create a sense of calm, beauty, along with an element of surprise.