Colin & Justin Interview

Fast becoming national treasures, this design twosome are well-known for their flamboyant flair and endless energy. Lynda Clark meets Colin and Justin to find out what makes them tick

They look glamorous, work amazingly well as a team, are highly successful all over the world and never take a day off. Yet Colin and Justin have their feet firmly planted on the ground and have not let fame and good fortune go to their heads. They vividly remember their Glaswegian roots and although they work hard making numerous TV series both in the UK and Canada, writing and designing their collection for Matalan they look back to a time when life wasn't quite so exciting.

Colin and Justin have been together for a lifetime and recently got married in secret. They knew each other when Colin worked in local government and Justin, who has a degree from Glasgow University, had a part-time job in a theatre restaurant in Glasgow. Both knew that the life they were leading was not for them but little did they imagine that they would end up as celebrities. Both Colin and Justin had always been interested in interior design and around 17 years ago they decided to buy their first home together. "We found this amazing one bedroom apartment right in Glasgow's city centre which was in a refurbished warehouse. It was actually repossession and the only thing we could afford at the time. We paid £26,500 for it and we turned it into our own special place. Then, we realised we needed an extra bedroom and more space so we decided to sell. It was extraordinary - we sold for £50,000 and doubled our money in two years. We have a saying you only have to kill once to be a murderer! We bought another place for £40,000 and the same thing happened again as we sold for £80,000. We never spent a lot of money on the interior as we didn't have it, but we found old furniture in skips and junk shops. We renovated it and asked friends to come in and help paint in return for a crate of beer. It's all about using your imagination and using what money you have effectively. We really did get lucky and we always seemed to make the move at exactly the right time."

Their luck carried on as by sheer chance they got into television in a most unusual way. Colin tells the story, "When we were in the process of selling our first property it was advertised in the estate agent's window. A guy from a local TV station was looking to feature a home for sale and happened to pass by and see ours. We had a surprise call from the agent asking us if we were interested. It seemed the perfect way to get exposure to sell the flat so we agreed. Then six months later we had a call asking us to do another show. Apparently they had shown the first show to a focus group and all the women had said they thought we were the best so that's how it came to be. We were on local TV all that summer and that's how we got going. It was really by default but we loved it and felt very natural and at ease. We were also writing for an interiors magazine and the BBC asked them for our details. We have never looked back."

Colin and Justin have very practical and sound advice for first time buyers, having been through the process themselves. "Go to as many estate agents as you can and analyse the market. Read every article you can on what is happening and don't get carried away with the first thing you see in a desperate bid to get something. It is very important to think before you buy and it's highly unlikely you will stay in the first home you buy so always consider the re-sale value. If you buy a two bedroom terrace house in a family area and you gut it and turn it into a very contemporary loft style home it will probably be difficult to sale as it's not going to be in the appropriate market. When you do get a property, live in it for a month and see what the light is like in the morning and in the evening as it will make a huge difference to what colours you use. Paint charts are very deceiving as you get a tiny square of the colour which doesn't really give you any idea of what it will look like. The best way is to buy lots of tester pots and paint a large piece of MDF or card and place them all around the room so you see how they look during the day and night."

"It's a horrible time for buying anything at the moment but in an odd way it's also a lucky time. Prices have been going up and up for a long time and something which was complete rubbish could be sold for a fortune. We see this as a market correction. Prices will even out and be far more realistic and it will sort out the good from the bad. For first time buyers it's a time to relax and look at the market trends rather than being forced into an area you don't want to live in. "

Colin and Justin are frantically busy and spend their time between Glasgow, London and Toronto. They have a highly successful show in Canada and have done 52 episodes of Colin and Justin's Home Heist. Their new show The 60 Minute Makeover starts this month on ITV1 and with 20 episodes to film the duo are very busy. Over the years they have met some fascinating people and Colin recalls, "We've had some very funny moments. We had a bath fall through the ceiling when we were filming which could have been dangerous but was in fact, very amusing. We had a marriage proposal on live TV and one of the homeowners we filmed ended up marrying one of our researchers, which was lovely."

Apart from their busy TV schedule the couple now have their  own design range at Matalan. "We had been approached by many leading brands to design for them but we never felt comfortable with it. When Matalan asked us we really liked the way they approached interiors and although things are inexpensive, they don't lack quality or style. We believe that if you have a neutral backdrop you can add colour and texture with accessories. Think of it like fashion and change with the seasons and with Matalan it really doesn't cost a fortune to buy a few new cushions, a vase or some fresh bedding."  

Both Colin and Justin obviously adore what they do, even if their life is a whirlwind and they're constantly crossing the Atlantic to film in Canada or run around the UK. The advice they offer is practical and down to earth but they are inspired and their enthusiasm is certainly catching. Before they leave to catch a train they impart a final observation. "When you move into your first home take a long hard look at the rooms before you put the furniture in place. It's often just too easy to put the TV near the socket in the wall which is exactly where the previous owners would have put it. Basically you are being dictated to by a plastic box which isn't too clever. Look at the space and if the TV works somewhere else then put it there. It's all about creating the best design and interior that works for you, so don't be afraid to experiment and play with the space. You'll get there in the end."