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This challenge was particularly difficult because each contestant needed to represent a cover of Elle Decor magazine without imitating it. I think being able to pick up the nuances and essence of each cover -- which of which were very graphic -- was the key to success. It is so much easier to look at a picture and copy it, but this challenge was to go a step further without recreating the cover.
In addition to creativity, I was looking particularly at how designers set up juxtapositions between objects and shapes. Certain designers really know how to put the old and new together and find a fresh point of view. I’m constantly looking at the balance in a space.
Andrea’s space was very nice but it had a flatness to it. There was a void in the room because everything was at one level. There needs to be...]]>
Let me say that I have tremendous respect for all the people involved in “Top Design”. All of the judges are friends or colleagues and they are all talented, consummate professionals, all tremendously respected in their fields. And how brave are the contestants for putting themselves in the line of fire where they had to conceptualize, design and execute room settings in the blink of an eye? That’s a daunting challenge for a seasoned pro let alone a novice.
I’ve produced, styled and art directed interior design stories for magazines and books for more years than I can remember and I know that a still photograph of a room can be easily achieved with smoke and mirrors. A still photograph portrays and isolates a moment that may not be truly representative of an overall project. A moving camera is more brutal – it can’t deceive in the same way so all of the...]]>
Mr. Colicchio was the surprise guest judge on "Top Design," and the challenge was a perfect fit for the culinary star: design a chef's table. Unfortunately for us in the Guest Judge Blog realm, Mr. Colicchio is busy prepping for "Top Chef 3" which will return to Bravo later this summer.
So for fans of "Top Design," check out the other blogs. (The Assistant's is hilarious, and Margaret's is always so insightful.)
And for fans of "Top Chef," check back at BravoTV.com often for announcements regarding the premier of "Top Chef 3."
]]>I’m plugging in today – the day after the show -- because I was in Las Vegas throwing a big event. We did the launch of the new movie of Hairspray for about 3000 people. It was really fun and exciting. It’s going to be a big summer movie.
For this challenge, we didn’t know any of the criteria until afterwards. We arrived at the parties as just a guest and not an event professional. We didn’t know what they had tried to do.
One of the tents was very clearly together and the other sort of fell apart. But with their budgets and time restraints, I understand. Plus, it was a collaborative effort and that really is difficult.
The bouncer was a good idea. Was it clever? No, not really because you see it all the time. But it was...]]>
It was great being the guest judge for this week's episode of "Top Design." Being able to see the energy of the talented contestants and being among friends with great style and wit like Kelly, Margaret, Jonathan and Todd.
It's always tough to agree on design. It's even tougher to take a bunch of competitive, talented designers, put them all together and expect them to pull off a design that really hangs together. The results for some were to do their own thing, while others struggled to work together and be true to the big idea.
The hits for me were the inventive use of the space, particularly the stage area with reversible curtains and all the things the kids would need to put on a show. The color and the storage ideas fell short due to lack of time and not getting it all together.
The best designer we saw...]]>
The job designing the set came from my relationship with Scott Stone, one of the producers of Top Design. We’ve known each other for a very long time. In fact, we made Jane Fonda videos together. The truth is everybody in town did them. There were 17, I think. And I did the last four. Scott and I also worked on a game show called, “Shop Till You Drop.” So he called me up...]]>
Being a guest judge on "Top Design" was really fun to do. I had such a good time doing it. Last year, I had done my own reality show in England, “Design Wars,” so I really felt for the contestants under so much pressure. On our show, we had only one month to makeover a house. I was representing the UK against five different countries. The UK did not win; the Indians won. There are more Indians doing nothing at 5 o’clock in the afternoon than Italians or Scandinavians. I was neck and neck with them, but the Indians won. It was a telephone-voting thing; we all lived in trailers. It was very “Big Brother.”
But back to “Top Design,” when I first came on the scene I arrived at the beach. I’ll admit that at first I was thinking: ‘Oh, uhm...What are they all doing?’ But then I found out they could only...]]>
When they asked me to be a judge for “Top Design,” I was excited because I'm such a fan of Bravo, of “Project Runway” and “Top Chef.” As a viewer, I understood how these shows work. I also knew that the challenge going in would surround children’s rooms which is appropriate given what I do. But I certainly didn’t know -- being previously just a viewer -- what it would be like to walk onto the set. I’ve been on TV before but I’ve never done something like this. For Target, I've helped make a few commercials so I wasn’t completely shocked by the scale of the production. But I was surprised by how big a production "Top Design" -- and how big the set is -- the entire Pacific Design Center.
I was also surprised byhow much separation there is between the judges and the contestants. Just...]]>
All I knew when I arrived on set was that the show was called Top Design and that it was very Top Secret. I knew I was only going to learn as much as they needed to tell me. In the end, it was fun to be involved in this show. I love Top Chef and Project Runway, and all of those. And I love design. I love furniture and interiors. When people come to my house, they can tell.
I was surprised when I arrived on set to see that this was still the beginning of the series. There were so many designers, and I thought it would be overwhelming until I saw the rooms and that they were paired up for the challenge. During the judging, now I look back and think I could have been a little more candid, but I didn’t want to hurt anybody’s...]]>
