Celebrity interior designer Celia Sawyer has accused Netflix of copying her idea for an erotic home makeover show, claiming the streaming giant’s How to Build a Sex Room mimics a concept she previously pitched — and was told would be “deleted”.
Sawyer, best known for Channel 4’s Four Rooms and frequently dubbed the “Queen of bling” for her lavish designs, alleges that her proposal for a series titled Kinky Rooms was sent to Netflix — only for a near-identical format to appear a year later.
“It was exactly the same idea, exactly the same format,” the 58-year-old tells The Daily Mail. “They said they were going to delete it, and then a year later it popped up as a Netflix show.”
Sawyer says her pitch included a proposed episode about designing a space for a polyamorous couple — which she notes was replicated in the Netflix series, with an episode focused on creating “a swanky dungeon” for a polyamorous family. Other episodes in the eight-part US series included a “rock ’n’ roll sex basement” and a “five-star spa” themed retreat for couples.
“You put a lot of work into this stuff and then that happens,” says Sawyer. “I was really upset. It was awful.”
Sawyer, who runs a luxury design studio in Mayfair and has fitted out everything from yachts to private jets — including a 24-carat gold and platinum bath — says she contacted Netflix after the show aired, only to receive a formal legal letter denying any connection.
“They sent a stroppy legal letter from their lawyer telling me they didn’t take the idea,” she recalls.
While Netflix has declined to comment, Sawyer’s frustration reflects wider tensions in the entertainment industry over the protection of intellectual property and the difficulties individuals face when pitching to large studios.
Sawyer, who left school at 15 and built a career designing for ultra-high-net-worth clients, now splits her time between her home in Barbados and a £4 million property in Sandbanks, Dorset, which she shares with her husband Nick, a food commercials director. The couple recently became embroiled in a separate dispute with a neighbour over privacy concerns after a neighbouring renovation overlooked their garden.
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Netflix accused of copying show idea by ‘Queen of bling’ Celia Sawyer