Top DesignRoom of the Future
Original Air Date: Oct 15, 2008
PMB - TwoCents Reviewer
pmb@thetwocentscorp.com
What happens if none of the designers do a challenge really well? You get this episode of Top Design.
That’s not to say it didn’t boast a lot of drama and on-the-edge-of-yours-seat design tension. Just no memorable design work. In fact, the finished rooms looked as tired as the contestants did.
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[photo: Isabella Vosmikova]
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What happens if none of the designers do a challenge really well? You get this episode of Top Design.
ReplyDeleteThat’s not to say it didn’t boast a lot of drama and on-the-edge-of-yours-seat design tension. Just no memorable design work. In fact, the finished rooms looked as tired as the contestants did.
The Challenge: In a 12’ by 16’ white space, create a room for the year 2108. The contestants each were given a carpenter and an allotted $7,000 to spend during several shopping trips. And so the games began.
Nathan took himself basically out of the competition by winning a Pop Design immunity challenge that amounted to a version of Design Jeopardy, facing off on the last question with Natalie. As the questions were rather vague, it felt like more luck than talent to win it.
Still, even as they did the challenge, that didn’t stop Nathan from remarking that Preston was always copying him. It true that Nathan had almost finished painting his walls black when Preston said he had chosen the same color. Oooo…Queens with claws. Love that drama.
Nathan’s room was one of the better ones, but still didn’t really look inspired. And if indeed Preston had copied him, he also took it up several notches, creating an interesting hotel room with one wall made of crown molding stacked one on top of another, as well as a wall made of glass and light.
While I’ve never thought Preston as a very imaginative designer, and his finished room continued that impression, he deserved to win this episode’s Top Design. Slowly and quietly, Preston is proving he may be a real force to be reckoned with.
For weeks, the judges have complained about Andrea’s lack of confidence and to be frank, I never really saw it until now. But in this episode Mrs. Ricky Schroder kept saying that she’d be the one going home and she was going to make a pink room because she’d always wanted to. That’s no way to try to win and as a result, her design just squeaked by.
Eddie created a cloning company’s reception room. His use of bright colors was a welcome change from the doom and gloom of the other contestants. And for once, he had every right to bitch, but refrained from doing so (at least, on camera) when Ondine spilled black paint down the back of his white couch. Luckily, the judges overlooked the spill — and Eddie’s “thrown together” design style.
Ondine’s room also looked thrown together, but with a little more style. But there was so much more she could have done and often the execution lacked quite a bit. Lucky for Ondine, someone else’s execution was much worse.
Natalie, who the judges continue to call the “young” contestant, has always had one big Achilles heel — execution. While she started out with fun colors and a great idea for adjustable platforms to configure for different types of rooms, bad measurements led to repositioning a bookcase so that it blocked the room’s view. Plus, bad furniture choices keep her space from being livable.
And in an overdue decision, Natalie made her exit. Did you notice that the bottom three were all women? What does that say about them or the men on the show or even the judging? I’m picking Andrea to go next (which will make me sad, as she’s my favorite) and Nathan to win. What are your predictions?
And am I the only pissed off to hear a recap of last week’s show with Wisit singing!!!! Just when I thought my earplugs could be put away…