Laurence of Suburbia

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen brings his design dome to one of England's most attractive towns and home of William Shakespeare, Stratford Upon Avon. He asks the locals to share design disasters and triumphs before choosing one home that he feels most deserves the magic touch of the maestro.

Laurence is on the Isle of Man, a jewel of an island in the middle of the Irish Sea. He explores fascinating corners of the island and finds out about its maritime history. Can Laurence bring his ambitious design ideas and the region's history together, and also please the homeowners? He's got just a few days to find out!

Today's stop on designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's tour is the suburbs of Leeds. Here he looks for inspiration from the architecture and local design influences from the Edwardian glamour of Lotherton Hall to innovative artist Damien Hirst while stopping off to check out some of Leeds' most aspirational city destinations including a cutting edge barber shop.

Laurence lands in Birmingham and asks the locals to "bring out their rooms." The suburbs blossomed with a housing boom in the 19th & 20th centuries and Laurence finds both villas built for wealthy industrialists as well as smaller workers' homes. After looking at rooms that are crying out for Laurences magic, he chooses just one to transform, drawing on the history of the local area.

Laurence continues to explore the Isle of Man, considering which local room is most deserving of the Laurence makeover magic. Once chosen, he tasks builder Graham and his team to begin stripping back the room for the transformation. As well as its maritime history, the Isle of Man has strong Celtic influences and Laurence wants to tap into those for his design inspiration.

Laurence is in the vibrant city of Leeds exploring the suburbs as well as using design inspirations from the city itself. He casts a critical eye over the highs and lows of the locals' room designs before choosing one room to work his magic upon. Looking for inspiration, Laurence visits landmarks like the stylish Queens Hotel and explores the history of the city in the 1920s and 30s.