Michelle Ogundehin is one of the most influential figures in British interior design, making her mark as a journalist, stylist and editor before launching a successful TV career - most recently, you might have seen her a judge on BBC One's Interior Design Masters.
Whether you're a new fan of Michelle's through her TV appearances or a design devotee who's been following her work for years, here's what you need to know about the on-screen design queen...
Who is Michelle Ogundehin?
Ogundehin was born in Manchester to a Nigerian father and British mother.
She grew up in Manchester and studied at Bartlett School of Architecture, part of University College London, earning first an undergraduate degree and then a diploma in architecture.
How did Michelle become famous?
Michelle began her career on the Tate Art Magazine and influential design magazine Blueprint, before joining Elle Decoration in 1997 as Features Director. Over the following years, she wrote features and styled photoshoots for a number of high-profile publications, as well as starting her own creative consultancy agency, MO:Studio.
In 2004, she was named Elle Decoration UK's editor-in-chief, a position she held for 13 years. She later making her first forays into television, joining Kevin McCloud as co-host of Grand Designs: House of the Year in 2015.
However, it is her role as a judge on the BBC's Interior Design Masters which has turned her into a household name. Alongside a rotating series of guest judges, she puts each season's aspiring designers through a series of briefs to test their creativity, vision and ingenuity.
Since then, she has released her first book - Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness, published in April 2020, shares her ideas on how interior design can influence our wellbeing.
Michelle was a trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum for 8 years, and currently serves as a truster for London's Design Museum.
Where does Michelle Ogundehin live?
Michelle is a long-time resident of Brighton, where she lives in a Georgian period cottage with her son and two basset hounds, Stanley and Henry.
In 2021, Michelle explained the 'happy inside' principles which guide her design of the home's decor in an interview with Architectural Digest: 'Choose well, choose once, choose sustainably, choose that which will last, choose that which makes you happy, that which makes you smile, that which lifts your soul. Because it makes a difference.'
