apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I really thought Todd should have gotten the boot this time around. His first challenge was a mess, he seems to rub people the wrong way, and Clive was right, he crackled and fauxed that kitchen to death.

I dunno, part of me thinks sometimes they just want to keep the villain around for ratings.

I think you meant Robb, no?

Nice job, P2. I'm digging these little interviews. They add a whole new layer to the show--seeing all the alliances and non-alliances, etc. And I like Josh much better than I did on the show, him being associated with bad pillows and the car door and whatnot.... It really is too bad green design won't be an element in the show anymore, even as a mention....

he may have been "nice and crunchy" but
1) has time management issues for projects
2) can't manage people
3) thinks fake ferns are "Tuscan". What the #$@%?!

the first two one can forgive to inexperience but the third... no self-respecting "designer" would ever use the word "theme" in a room let alone use fake foliage and insult a much older culture with it. As an Italian with family in Tuscany I'm offended any time someone uses the buzz word "Tuscan" to describe cheap looking faux finishes, grape leaf stencils and the likes.... travel to Italy and go to a local's home; they don't have anything remotely like that. Most likely, you'll see lots of family heirlooms mixed in with contempory furnishings...

Oh Chris, relax on the Tuscan faux pas. This show is conducted under such odd resource restraints and is developed purely for entertainment. If you were given a few bucks and dropped into an unrealistic setting with limited time and resources to decorate in a Tuscan style, others would probably find some ridiculous flaws in your design aesthetic too. Who knew there was actual protocal to Tuscan design - it's TV man, you are way too enveloped in faux reality.

chris--

Why do you saddle Josh solely with the Tuscan faux pas? It was a team effort, remember? Not defending, just curious.

In all fairness (and now I *am* defending!) I don't think they get a lot of time to research what makes up a look.. then they are sent packing to Home Depot to make it happen, clock ticking.

Shame, perhaps, that the whole team didn't have a better graps on what composed the trend/look. And, personally insulted or not, Tuscan *is* a trend/look.

And the theme request, itself, came from the homeowners.

oops, *grasp*

I know you just didn't type "Mother Earth, that is..." Outrageous.

Thanks for the interviews!

I was pretty proud of that one, bryan! :)

my peeve is simple, if you're going to go on National TV and call yourself a "designer", you should know what you are talking about, no?
Specially, if there is a chance of having your own TV show in the end, right?

At the store where he picked that fake plant he said like, "this is very Tuscan". Clearly he is not clear as to what Tuscan is... (and, by Tuscan I mean the gimmicky "theme" people call Tuscan.)

The owners, BTW, requested "old worldly type" if you look back at the show... that could mean neo-classical, gothic, etc, etc.

Anyhow, this does not detract from the entertainment value of the show; we luv to watch it...
But it WAS his time to go; there are more talented people still in the running.

I've been pleasantly surprised by Sparkle... he did a very good job in that dining room. Good sense of color, scale and style without any gimmicks.... and, as far as I'm concerned, good design brings style to a room and leaves "themes" for children's bedrooms.

I guess I'll have to go to slo-mo replay.

I watched that episode several times, but would not be able to attribute the "This is Tuscan" line about the fern to him (and if he did say it, I thought it was about the faux grapevine), but I am pretty positive the word (and theme) originated with the homeowners, even if the moment was not shown on the show. Anywho...

But yes, I agree, there are ways to represent a homeowner's requested theme and not have it be "themey," which is, as designers, they could have brought to the party.

I think "group design" is usually a train wreck in all but the rarest examples.

lol i don't think i'd bring anying "home to mother" w/ pants that tight. lol ehhem! :P

Lord, you think those pants are tight? Deargod.

Well, at least the image is "office friendly" per your frequent request! And we kept that "racy" pic after the jump!

:P

chris--
I'll split the difference with you!

A rerun was just on, and while I can't tell at all where the Tuscan actually came from, "This is so Tuscan!" *was* uttered by Josh. But he was talking grape vines, not Boston ferns.

Truce? ;)

Chris -- Producers also more-or-less order participants in reality shows to deliver certain lines for the camera. There's no easy way to distinguish what the designer really thinks from the character he's boxed into portraying for the cameras.

If these are narrow pants, i dread to think what constitutes wide ones for you, LOL
Great post-wish we could see the show here in Greece too!

patrick

ha i just mean in the um junk area.

& what's wrong w/ my office friendly request? i don't care if it's posted. i just want a "nsfw" warning. that's all. most sites do that.

"nsfw" is a VERY slippery slope, and I find the request as it pertains to some of the fine art photography you've objected to to be a VERY tricky area that seems (sometimes) EXTREMELY prudish and puritanical. Just my net opinion, sorry.

But as Beavis would say, "You said 'junk' ".

Josh was so sexy.