Makeover madness

Some prime time TV viewers might think they’ve had their fill of home makeover shows, but not the programme-makers – though now, at least, they are trying to move the genre on.

UKTV thinks it has pulled this off with The Wow Factor, by turning the camera lens from the hapless punter to the designer and the client-creative relationship. The show’s savvy designer comes in the form of Tara Bernerd, co-founder of Target Living.

Formerly with Philippe Starck’s property company Yoo, Bernerd now boasts clients ranging from B&Q to penthouse developers. What’s more, she appeared on Channel 4’s modern-day apprentice show, Bricking It. The first show (of ten) follows a couple of lads in a Thames-side flat being given a living room that’s more in keeping with their lifestyle. The process is accompanied by whizzy camera work and funky lounge music. Bernerd, with her soft, Transatlantic ‘t’, confidently breezes through all this, producing a string of pretty convincing off-the-cuff remarks. ‘The curtains are screaming “Mummy”,’ is one of her gems.

The Wow Factor is obviously not aimed at design professionals (the explanations of ‘the mood board’ and ‘the pitch’ make that clear) and the finale is still a ‘reveal’, so not much has changed structure-wise. But the layman may just learn something useful this time.

The Wow Factor starts on 30 May at 7pm on UKTV Style