We meet interior design supremo Max McMurdo, award-winning designer, TV personality and
manufacturer of upcycled products, who shares with us his design inspirations. Max has just written his first book, UPCYCLING, which creatively demonstrates how to create beautiful and innovative furniture, lights and storage for the home.
He takes a break from a variety of exciting TV projects including ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’, ‘Fill Your House For Free’ with Kirstie Allsopp and Channel 4’s ‘Shed of the Year’, to discuss his design motivations and inspirations.
Name your top three design inspirations...
I think James Dyson has done a lot for the British design industry and I have always been a fan of Wayne Hemingway’s work and as a car designer, Alex Issigonis who designed the original Mini and revolutionised automotive design.
Any interior design heros / heroines?
I am really lucky to have worked with all my TV design heroes, George Clarke, Kirsty Allsopp, Kevin McCloud, Phil Spencer, Gok Wan and Sarah Beeny.
Tell us about the project of which you are proudest?
We recently upcycled an entire Beetle for charity which was hugely challenging but rewarding, upcycling an entire A320 airbus was an incredible opportunity but the ultimate was creating my own upcycled floating home out of a 40 foot shipping container.
What are you top five tips for the autumn / winter?
Autumn is the most beautiful time of year for me, try introducing those autumnal colours into your home.
Long autumn walks lead to mucky wellie boots, what a great opportunity to make an upcycled boot rack or boot pull.
Embrace the autumn palette by combining metallics to fit with the industrial look which is popular at the moment within interiors.
I’ve already lit the log burner this year as I love the ambient light and atmosphere it creates, it is sure to sort out those winter blues.
Log storage doesn’t have to be purely practical, you can create some wonderful decorative pieces through storing wood both inside and out.
Would you encourage more people to give DIY a go?
Yes absolutely that is the sole purpose of writing my book ‘Upcycling’.
What are the three basics to bear in mind before starting a DIY project?
Sourcing the right materials is important.
Just because your item is made from junk doesn’t mean the finish can’t be high end.
Enjoy the process and have fun, it won’t go right the first time but learning is part of the process.
Any exciting projects on the horizon?
We are currently filming a new channel 4 show following the success of the houseboat that featured on amazing spaces, about people building incredible homes to become mortgage free.
UPCYCLING: 20 Creative Projects Made from Reclaimed Materials by Max McMurdo is published in hardback at £20 by Jacqui Small.
To find out more about Max, visit his website at www.maxmcmurdo.co.uk