‘Are you asking Linda Barker what’s wrong with magnolia?’

As part of Changing Rooms and 60 Minute Makeover, Linda Barker has been serving cost-effective interior design realness since ’94. But Linda’s taking on her biggest challenge yet in new Channel 5 series Brand New House for 5K, which sees the so-called “darling of daring design” given just one week to transform a client’s home with £5000 of their own money.

Intrigued, I gave L-Barks a call to find out how she coped with the pressure – and also took the opportunity to ask her about her love for Nelly Furtado, her hatred of magnolia, and whether there’s any beef between her and Sarah Beeny…

So what can you tell us about Brand New House for 5K?
“Oh, quite a lot of things! I think it’s really exciting because it moves decorating and design shows on a bit. It’s about delivering amazing design on a budget which is made up of peoples’ actual money. £5000 is a lot of money for people to fork out upfront and it’s their hard-earned cash so I have to be very thoughtful about how I used it.”

Does that add a lot of pressure?
“It did! I didn’t think it would when I went into the programme – I thought, ‘Oh I’ll just do what I always do,’ but actually the homeowners very much wanted to know how every pound was spent! Usually the money isn’t the be-all and end-all but for this, if a wallpaper is £25 instead of £14.99 I cannot have the £25 wallpaper! It’s been so real. But I want to show off! People see a Linda Barker programme and they go, ‘Oh she’s gonna do this and this, it’s going to be amazing and colourful and bright’ and if I can’t deliver that I get a bit like ‘What do you mean all my money’s gone on a new gas fitter?! I want to do beautiful things!’ It’s not been without its stresses.”

Do you have any tips and tricks for renovating your home on a budget?
“Well, we’re showing people exactly how to get a new house for 5K and so we empower our homeowners to do a lot themselves. So, for example, we’ll show them how to mend their parquet flooring if it’s broken up; or we’ll show them how to brick-lay. We’re actually giving tips for viewers on DIY skills that have been long-forgotten – but we’re doing it with meaning! It’s been really amazing, actually.”

You also have a passion for salvaging items and reusing them…
“I do have a passion for that, yes.”

How often do you go rummaging through other peoples’ bins?
“Well, it’s not rummaging through peoples’ bins! But I do often skip-raid. You know, we got two doors out of a skip and made a beautiful headboard the other day. I actually caught some guys on the show throwing away a door without taking off the handles! It’s like, ‘Guys, take off the handles, take of the hinges, they’re valuable!’ Education is constant, really.”

I have to ask you this, as I know you’re very much against it… what’s wrong with magnolia?
“Are you seriously asking Linda Barker what’s wrong with magnolia?”

Yes.
“Magnolia is not a colour choice; it’s a tree as far as I’m concerned! I never want to deliver something that’s boring. The programmes I work on are not about neutralising a space. Yes, if a room needs to be cream, I’ll paint it cream, but in my mind not many rooms need to be cream – they are few and far between. I want to encourage people to be bold in their choices! There are so many prejudices about colour.”

Is it a myth that gay guys are good at interiors design?
“I think a sense of style is not God-given. You can learn it and I think we’re encouraging all our home-owners to learn something whoever they are, that’s what I hope.”

Have you ever told a friend that they really need some home improvement?
“No, I’m always careful about those things. I’m not too precious, I don’t have a big enough ego to go in and say, ‘Oh darling, you really need to do this!’ I let people be. If they want my advice I’m all for delivering a mood board, but if I’m not asked, I don’t tinker.”

Of course you also work as a designer on Peter Andre’s 60 Minute Makeover. Have you listened to his new album?
“Hahahaha!”

How would you describe your relationship with him?
“Oh, I love him of course. He’s hugely entertaining and I love him dearly. All the team went to the launch of his new album. He’s great, he’s just a very genuine and lovely guy.”

You mentioned in an interview in 2003 that you were a huge Nelly Furtado fan – is this still the case?
“Oh I am! I love Nelly Furtado!”

Do you feel like she sold out a bit with Maneater?
“Oh, she did a little bit. She did a little bit. But I still listen to the old stuff. I just love her voice. I mean, what a strong female vocal. I love Maneater anyway though.”

You caused a splash in every sense of the word last year when you appeared on Splash!…
“I did.”

What’s your secret to looking so great?
“Well, it was very flattering but very embarrassing. But I mean, um, what can I say… I do work out quite a lot – you can only cut out carbohydrates for so long! I eat quite healthy and I’m lucky in that I enjoy running and going to the gym. I just keep at it really. There are no massive shortcuts.”

Well it paid off as you made an appearance in FHM’s 100 sexiest list last year. Were you pleased?
“Are you kidding?! I was delighted! I loved it! I think it was my husband that rang me to tell me, and I was just like ‘What?!’ I’m still glowing in the memory of that.”

Moving onto your TV roots, would you say that Changing Rooms really opened the door for the home interiors shows of today?
“I think it did, yeah. You know, we started that programme in ’94 I think, and it was just iconic. It just hit the ground running and it was just thrilling to be part of it. But things have really changed in terms of the sophistication of the programmes.”

Are there plans to mark the ten-year anniversary of Changing Rooms ending in 2004?
“Not that I’ve heard! I don’t think so.”

Do you lie awake at night thinking about Teapotgate – the time you accidentally smashed that lady’s prized teapot collection?
“It doesn’t keep me awake at night. Do you know what, I’ve never watched that episode, I could never watch it. I’ve never seen it since. Never. Ever. I’ve never even seen clips of it – oh actually maybe I have, when someone really cruel has sent me a link to try and remind me about it. But no, I’ve never watched it, it was an episode I was quite happy to forget! I’ve just pushed it to the back of my mind, but thank you for bringing it up!”

It’s my pleasure. I imagine there’s fierce competition within the home TV sector though: is there an intense rivalry between you and Colin and Justin?
“Aww, I love Colin and Justin! They’re just lovely. I don’t know why they’ve run away to Canada – well actually I do, they’re probably making their millions. But no, I think there’s space for all of us, there really is!”

So there’s no beef with Beeny?
“Nooooooooo! I love Sarah Beeny! I love them all, I really do.”

Have you ever run into Kirstie Allsopp on one of your skip raids?
“Hahaha! I dream about running into Kirstie Allsopp on a skip raid and fighting over an old picture frame. ‘I’m having it!’ ‘No, I’m having it!'”

Who would you snog, marry and avoid out of Carol Smillie, Anna Ryder-Richardson and Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen?
“Well I couldn’t avoid any of them, could I?! I couldn’t possibly. I’d probably snog or marry any of them – all of them! We’d all live one happy life together.”

That’s very modern.
“Communal living! You can just imagine the house – it would be gorgeous, wouldn’t it?”

I should hope so! Now, I had a look on Twitter and there seemed to be some confusion a couple of months ago when you didn’t turn up to the Chingford Antiques Fair.
“Oh yeah I remember that – I was working!”

Do you have a message for the people of Chingford?
“Well, I really like Chingford and I certainly wouldn’t dream of not turning up somewhere and just lying in bed going, ‘Oh I’ve got one over on the people of Chingford’. I’d think that was enormously crass. I don’t know why they ever thought I was turning up because I didn’t know I was turning up! If I could be there I would be there. I was actually working that day so I could do nothing about it whatsoever. But very upsetting. You know, we were in Chingford doing one of these programmes actually…”

So you feel like you’ve made it up to them?
“I hope so. I will fly the flag of Chingford when I’m next driving through.”

Brand New Home for 5K begins on Channel 5 next Wednesday (June 25) at 8pm.