Here's a before shot from Challenge 4 that featured garage transformations.
This week's
Design Star episode on HGTV focused on improving one's home and expanding the "living" areas. In this case - the garage. The 2 teams tackled the 2-day garage transformations while integrating the requests of each home owner, a $10,000 budget and the threat of a double elimination. Plus we'll be chatting every Monday with a Design Star judge to get tips and advice just for Apartment Therapy readers. Let's see how the teams did and hear what judge Vern Yip had to say about "text book" design and tips for making murals work.
The team that tackled the Caswell garage attempted a "Hamptons-chic" vibe that included the client's request for a writing area and elliptical machine. Lacking the "wow" factor, the team's garage-turned-room was nice but was predictable and called "text book designing" by the judges. While in this case of a competition, the judges are looking for an original designer to helm a new show. We thought this idea was relevant for viewers as well since people often pick up a design idea or two from catalogs and encounter challenges for including their own original design style. When we spoke with the lovely Vern Yip, we asked him his advice for breaking the "text book designing" mold.
- Vern's advice: Be truthful and be honest with yourself. You are multi-faceted and your space should be you. If you find yourself buying something just to fill up space in a room, then you should question why you are really buying it. This often happens with accessories. Instead of filling an empty bookshelf, buy things that have meaning to you, like city-decor that reminds you of a great vacation you enjoyed, etc.
The next team worked on the Lang garage and created an eclectic entertaining space with Spanish design influences. While the couple seemed happy with the interior, they were not happy with the team not listening to their request for incorporating natural light into the dark space. The team also decided to paint a mural on the wall and the judges were not liking it, citing it as "cheapening" the look of the space. We've posted about murals on Apartment Therapy before and asked Vern what his tips for incorporating one into a room.
- Vern's tips: Think of longevity and things that stir the imagination or are engaging. Consider the spirit of the mural vs being literal. In the case of Lang room, the mural could have been more abstract, using the curves and lines of Spanish design. Another tip is to consider the scale of your room and the scale of the mural. Make sure it works overall in the space.
For more information on this episode, click here to enjoy the Design Star blog. And although the judges are choosing the winner, you still have a voice by voting for the next online design star. Click here for details.
Check out previous recaps featured on Apartment Therapy:
Images: HGTV
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view Harpa's profile
I didn't really like either garage. I thought the first one look like it fell out of the Crate & Barrel catalogue and I didn't get the second room at all.
I agree that it was Tashica's time to go but, I didn't like the way Vern whispered to the other judges and then to Clive while she was standing there. Why not just say, "We've had enough, you have to got" or something like that. The whispering seemed very junior high and disrespectful. Even if she wasn't on the same skill level as some of the others.
Last week's white room challenge showed a much more interesting design aesthetic.
view modernguy's profile
I've had a few issues with this season of D.S.
I LOVE Olson, but it's kind of unfair to pair her judgment to these wannabes, plus in her shows she's got a lighting, carpenter, painter and sewing pros, PLUS all the movers she needs and a HUGE catalog of furniture she's designed... all these bring forth awesome designs, but it's very formulaic (glossy surfaces, fabrics lots of dramatic overhead lighting and contrasting colors). With that said, I think her standards should be lowered to fit the "design stars"; but again... that defeats the purpose of the show.
Yip really strikes me as an a**hole in this series. I can still remember the time when all he did was paint a room dark blue and had wooden floors installed because that's all the budget allowed. That's all he did in 2 DAYS; if one of these "stars" pulled that on them they would've gone home. Sorry, but someone who worked in Trading Spaces (or Design on a Dime [barf]) REALLY shouldn't be a design judge, period... yeah, later on he sorta redeemed himself, but yeah... for him to say something's not "out of the box"-enough... just look at his damn website; hell, even the website design's a template. C'mon...
Gorder, just blah.
I personally think the only ones that might have a shot in the real world are Antonio (maybe...maybe as a builder and a great painter) and Dan... but he even copied the apple "orchard" design from their waiting room so... not the highest hope for any of them. The rest is just filler, and the more they keep putting them in groups (like they did with Top Design), the less any of them actually stand out. IF any of them actually make a watchable show, then I'll be really surprised; but most likely it'll be just like the color show... um... Color Splash or Miles of Style... where quality and livability take second or even third seat, and shock factor steals the show.
view Djluckyonline's profile
if you noticed, the judges are far meaner this season and less warm and fuzzy like before... I think the directive from the producers was to be meaner (like S. Cowell on Idol) and create drama (make contestants break down and cry on camera) which translates to ratings. noticed how quickly the team mates started to turn on each other when asked VERY DIRECT questions about their contributions...
the fact that Tashika was saved last week was an obvious set up for her eventual, and dramatic downfall later on; you could see the eventual train wreck a mile away... you knew no one wanted to work with her and that whichever team had her would try to neutralize her input which would make her unhappy, etc., etc.... you could tell that's why the producers kept her even after 3! failed designs in a row, to create friction. her dramatic dismissal right then and there must have also been scripted or at least suggested by the producers for shock value.
overall, the designs were uninspired... still, I'd be very surprised if Dan and Antonio are not in the final 3. who'll be the third?
view chris_94131's profile
Vern hated both rooms because neither had multiple black and white pictures of zoomed in details of inanimate objects.
The thing that irks me about this show it that it is not formatted to create good design, it is formatted to create drama. This season, they addressed the budgeting issues that the previous seasons lacked, but they still have the time issue, which I feel is more critical. If you think a room is generic, it's because it probably is, because they didn't have time to really design a space. They are too busy trying to finish the space rather than design something unique. Give them 4 days to work on it and you might see some amazing work- 2 days is just a joke.
view tallguylehigh's profile
Seriously, the before of #4 looks good to me...considering my own garage which has never and will never hold a car.
view muirwoods08's profile
The most interesting highlight of this week's episode is Tashica being kicked off BEFORE.
About time. deliberation
view gingerpop's profile
that turned out odd.
meant to say:
The most interesting highlight of this week's episode is Tashica being kicked off BEFORE deliberation.
About time.
view gingerpop's profile
All three judges do great work and are quite qualified to judge design. But how can a designer be expected to produced a well-designed and finished room in that short length of time? The judges' comments about time management and finished details are irksome and insulting because they are so unrealistic. It takes weeks, sometimes months to finish a kitchen, and certainly more than 2 days to convert a garage. Is it a design show or a circus?
Tashica probably needed to go. But the judges and her colleagues should have treated her more respectfully. They all fell a couple of notches in my book.
view manders's profile
manders,
When I spoke with Vern I asked him about time management as well. The reality for these TV shows is to complete the projects in a specific time period, which is often accelerate like most of the HGTV shows (30 min, 2-days, etc). The winner and new host of their own HGTV show will have to make it work "in time" on TV as well. These challenges are set up to see who can achieve this, among other things.
Rebecca
view RebeccaATLA's profile
Rebecca, if you are saying, or Vern is saying that the time limits and resources (money, staff, whatever) allowed the competitors are comparable to what the judges and other HGTV designers have at their disposal, then it's not unfair as I thought. Thanks for enlightening me.
manders
view manders's profile
"The reality for these TV shows is to complete the projects in a specific time period, which is often accelerate like most of the HGTV shows (30 min, 2-days, etc). The winner and new host of their own HGTV show will have to make it work "in time" on TV as well."
If that's true, then no wonder why HGTV has gone downhill... Hell, Bravo's making better design shows nowadays... that's just sad; and even sadder that they keep defending that concept. I go back to Oslon, if she didn't have her crew her show wouldn't exist... can't believe that a Canadian show has more brains and higher quality (probably in a smaller budget) than this; which is a "flagship show".
view Djluckyonline's profile