Is ANYONE out there watching Design Star?

[missypie]

First we chose our three finishes from our three vendors - flooring, countertops and cabinetry - we had three different options for each one.

AMAZING! The teams could be just as creative as they wanted...as long as they chose one of the three floors, one of the three countertops and one of the three cabinets finishes...oh yes, and used the appliances Sears brought in.

 

[daughtersrus]

I think the lady judge (Genive ???) let the cat out of the bag last night. She made a comment to one of the women about how their appearance could attract more men to HGTV.

I think they are looking for a "look" and somebody who can do halfway decent at hosting. They want a pretty woman to win, NOT a good designer. They can have staffers to the actual design work.

This season is a big joke.

Well, then it can't be Emily. Her hair looks like it hasn't been brushed/styled at all during the entire competition. I can understand messy hair while they're working but when she's hosting or in front of the judges, it just looks so 'fly-away'.

 

[missypie]

Thanks so much for the link to Emily's blog. So much inside info.

Clive always talked about their budget for each challenge. This season, no mention of the budget, but it's still there. Emily mentioned being taken to shop at an expensive store, going over budget, so they had to not buy all the accessories. It would be nice to have a little snippet of that, instead of it just appearing that they forgot the accessories.

Another time she said, "this time there were lots of rugs to choose from", inplying that other times there weren't. It's hard to criticize them for choices they make when they actually get very few choices!

She also mentioned on the prior challenges (before the last) that all the furniture had to go back to the store right afterward, so they couldn't reconstuct, re-do, etc.

She also said that Tom has a terrrific job and a terrific life and that we shouldn't feel sorry for him in the least because he did the show as an adventure, not to get a job.

 

[southernbohemian]

eta: Sorry - didn't see Missypie's post - we noticed a few of the same things.

Here's another blog that features interviews with the booted cast

http://roomfu.com/blog/

I like how she refers to Courtland "outting" himself as a straight man. Her interview with Nina was luckily over the phone - for two people who never met, they really really hate each other.

I think because the show is doing such a horrible job of showing the people and what they can do (choosing instead to be a long commercial) - I've been drawn to find out a little bit more about them. They all seem like fairly interesting people.

I've really come to regret my old complaints that the show was just about handing the designers a lot of money and having them go shopping. I still stand by the idea that shopping is not designing (and David Bromstad backs me up - his vlog is pretty funny, although he tries to be nice to everyone). However, this season has been completely hindered by the "you can only shop at 2 stores" idea. The contestants are constantly complaining that they didn't have supplies. I don't miss the days of "Here's $20,000 to spend in one room" - it was obnoxious. But at least they had options. Now they can't even do anything to their purchases because it all has to go back at the end of taping.

I hope HGTV is paying attention to the negative reviews this season is getting. I still routinely watch Design Star (and obviously spend too much of my time reading about it online), but it is with a certain amount of "this show could be so GOOD - why is it always so BAD? - maybe this week..."

 

[Robinrs]

I think the lady judge (Genive ???) let the cat out of the bag last night. She made a comment to one of the women about how their appearance could attract more men to HGTV.

I think they are looking for a "look" and somebody who can do halfway decent at hosting. They want a pretty woman to win, NOT a good designer. They can have staffers to the actual design work.

This season is a big joke.

Yes, that was Candice and I found it a bit EYE opening!

I'm sure the PTB at HGTV might have hinted to that but are they KIDDING? I found it insulting to their viewing demographic.

Those two bland blondes and that David clone Michael are boring and I haven't seen anything interesting they've put out. This season is the worse EVER.

I checked out the minute Courtland did.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I just don't get it. The designers used to talk to people, find out what they wanted, then design the room(s). This year it's all about "take this inanimate object and use it to 'inspire' you in designing a room'." Sounds like some kind of semester test in design school. I found it really interesting when they'd design for a person's style,favorite color, etc. Why the change? The mixed fruit this week was the final straw!

 

[missypie]

I just don't get it. The designers used to talk to people, find out what they wanted, then design the room(s). This year it's all about "take this inanimate object and use it to 'inspire' you in designing a room'." Sounds like some kind of semester test in design school. I found it really interesting when they'd design for a person's style,favorite color, etc. Why the change? The mixed fruit this week was the final straw!

Right. In the early HGTV shows, there would be designers where I'd think "oh, they did such a good job with what the family wanted, I wish I could hire them." HGTV obviously wants to do some craft-y, inanimate object show this time around.

 

[southernbohemian]

Final 3 Challenge!

For some reason, I actually thought this was the finale. It's about time they let the designers actually design - and individually at that. It was interesting to hear what their show ideas were. I thought Casey's sounded a lot like another show they already have (if it's still on - Re-Design or something like that - they would try to redo the room with just what the person had, and they of course always had a basement full of fabulous finds). I think I liked Michael's idea the best. Emily's idea sounded kind of "wha?" when she said it - but I loved how she dissected all the elements of her dress and created the room.

I was SHOCKED by the judges' decision. I thought Michael's room was ugly - really ugly. The murphy bed was a good idea - but his execution was basically a hinged board with a sliding door lock on it - I think I could build that in an hour. The wall decals looked tacky - one would have been kind of cute (the coat rack) but he put them all over. The way he painted his murphy bed looked like a backdrop at a Six Flags concert. And the coffee table was not only ugly, but incredibly ill-conceived - it was only like 10 inches off of the ground and in the middle of the floor - people would constantly be tripping over it.

I thought Casey's room was nice but hardly blew me away. She didn't seem to have a lot of stuff in there and I agreed with the judges' comment about the little vignettes. I didn't think her frame wall was a new or inspired idea - that's been around for ages. And I actually kind of liked the frames better before she spray painted them. She does have a nice aesthetic and design-sense, but her show seemed like it would be called "Spray Painting with Casey"

I LOVED Emily's room. I was so worried that she was going to get kicked out because of her hosting video. When they said Michael was in the final two, I thought she was going home because I really believed they had already picked Casey to win. So relieved. Definitely the best show of the season (not that that is an accomplishment).

 

[Shelton123]

I actually liked Michael's room. As for his personality? Yeah, not so much. It's funny, because I typically like the reality show villain, but he isn't THAT villainous, he's just kinda nasty. Needless to say, I want Emily to win. But I don't know about her hosting skills, and her designs are either HUGE hits, or pretty big misses, while Michael is fairly consistent... come to think of it, neither have shown great hosting abilities so far, any time either of them have been in the bottom two, in my opinion.

I'm thinking Emily will win, because her win would make for a heroic victory, which a reality show like this should have. I don't know how many people would watch Michael's show. Even though his show idea is better, I'm pretty sure "that mean guy" is NOT a good tag to have when hosting a TV show.

As for the "good looking" aspect, you could argue that everyone at least in the final 5 was good looking.

I think Alex (the guy in 5th) should've won. His reason for elimination was not good. He actually took a RISK with the challenge, and he had improved so much from the start, and I thought his hosting presentation was very good. He's very likable, young, and hip, yet he is sophisticated enough to appeal to a very wide audience. All of the rest of them would have a narrow audience in my opinion. I guess what was working against him was that he was the youngest one there, and I could see how the judges may have thought that someone so young wouldn't be ready for their own TV show.

 

[jackemail]

Did not like Michael's room at all.

 

[luvmy3]

I loved Emily's room although not so crazy about the concept, but its new. HGTV has had a ton of decorating on a budget shows, or decorating with what you have already shows in the past, before all the House Hunters and Real Estate shows. Not only do I think that the concepts of the other shows aren't really new or exciting, I think the other two rooms looked horrible. They should have declared Emily the winner last night so we wouldn't have to suffer another week of this show.

 

[missypie]

Emily has to win because that's what they've been pushing the designers to do every week - be inspired by an inantimate object - like a dress. It's a perfect fit.

 

[luvmy3]

Emily has to win because that's what they've been pushing the designers to do every week - be inspired by an inantimate object - like a dress. It's a perfect fit.

I didn't even think of that but I bet you are right.

 

[southernbohemian]

So what are everyone's thoughts on the finale? I was super excited about the outcome. I actually liked how they changed the format of the finale from previous years - making them do a mini-version of their show was genius.

I was very surprised with how the teams got picked - except for Courtland, it seemed like Michael chose the worst contestants. How Nina wasn't the last one picked, I have no idea. Though he did a good job of standing up to her when she tried to start telling him what to do.

I burst out laughing every time Michael said "Transitioning" because it the word reminds me of transgendered people - "I'm a female transitioning to a male." (Not that being transgendered is funny - I was more laughing at myself for constantly making that connection.)

His room turned out really nicely. I loved the Ikat pillow and headboard. I thought the shadow boxes were a neat idea. I especially liked the curved wall and curtains idea.

Loved Emily's room. I loved that she took a chance by designing for Tom instead of Dan so that she could show her range. Since her show is going to be called "Secrets of a Stylist" I don't know if they are keeping with her original concept. She might have gotten in trouble because she hadn't heard or seen "Dress My Nest" which is supposedly the same idea.

 

[missypie]

I was utterly indifferent to the outcome. I would not watch either of their shows.

 

[Shmily1]

I was happy that Emily won. I think Michael was totally annoying and glad I don't have to flip through and see him constantly. I liked Courtland too so I hated that he wasn't the other one in the finale with Emily.

 

[Just_Trish]

I was really rooting for Courtland. But of the two who were left, I'll watch Emily. My TV is always on either HGTV, Food Network, or Disney Channel.

 

[Robinrs]

I was happy that Emily won. I think Michael was totally annoying and glad I don't have to flip through and see him constantly. I liked Courtland too so I hated that he wasn't the other one in the finale with Emily.

I DVR'd it but checked here before I watched it. I cannot STAND Michael and am SOOOOO glad Emily won. His voice makes me cringe.

I miss Courtland and was glad to hear he's on the last show. I hope they give him and Dan an online show or something on TV. Eye Candy galore!