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you know, i increasingly feel like the judges are just totally disconnected from any of the process. you'd think that todd oldham would act as some kind of intermediary and fill them in on what was really going on, especially if they're going to judge on the process as well....
i also thought it was unfair to send elizabeth home - there are far weaker members of the group who could go first...

while, the colors chosen by elizabeth were wrong, taking into account her past two challenges, she should have stayed.
beside, the challenges i enjoy watching for other details, like ; how many pairs of glasses does goil own, they look great on him, kelly, a mother of two managed to pull off an outfit that included knee socks and sandals, and jonathan, long an izod wearer, sported a penguin polo on the beach.

Of course there is a disconnect with the judging and the process. The judging has nothing to do with the process, just the end product. Duh.

I've officially lost interest in Top Design. I miss project runway. Bravo has proven that this format really only works for fashion, not food and interior design. It's a totally different diva with interiors and not half as entertaining.

Patrick— I noticed the Penguin thing too...Todd was also sporting a Penguin polo on the beach.

Despite my declaring this show dead-in-the-water upon viewing the first episode, I caught the tail-end of episode 2 and the full episode 3 last night. And I have to tell you, this show is a shining example of everything that’s wrong with this type of reality programming. Basically, it reeks of a marketing reach-around. I found myself getting pissed off because it felt like I was watching one hour-long commercial. Too much product placement within the program itself. Too many commercial tags directing viewers to show-related content via their mobile devices, the after-show Q&A, the website, the Bravo exec’s blog, etc. All of it served to overshadow and overwhelm the actual content of the show—which itself was underwhelming.

It seems as if the producers and Bravo had been betting on Top Design being a bigger phenomenon that it actually is. The sponsor list during the end-credits roll reads longer than the actual cast of contestants. Really, there is so much product placement actually present in the program that the sponsors deserve a place in the opening credits as an additional cast member.

And don’t get me started on Bravo trying to create synergies between the show and its website—as well as cultivate a gay audience—via the emergence of Bravo’s hottie Sr VP of Production and Programming Andy Cohen. Between the blog and the Watch What Happens feature, the captive gay audience gets to revel in all his Andy hotness: twinkling eyes, nice teeth, broad shoulders, and a nice ass. I’m sure that he has many female fans since programming like Top Design, Project Runway and Top Chef are primarily female-targetted, but there’s no denying overt pandering to the queer eyes tuning in. All so very calculated. Why else would last week’s Watch What Happens feature Todd Oldham and PR winner Daniel V; and this week’s feature Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan.

Guys, stop it already. YouÂ’ve taken the template created by the Queer Eye and blown it up to the point that the marketing now outweighs the content. With all the sponsorships and cross-promotions, IÂ’m guessing that youÂ’ve probably come close to making your nut before the first episode even aired.

At the end of the day, the content will have to carry the show. And, in this case, it is un-engaging. Perhaps the premise of building a competition around home design challenges is inherently dull. Why else would producers feel it necessary to throw in a curve ball every episode to up the tension factor (i.e. surprise, your client is a trannie; surprise, your client is a child; surprise, you have 8 hours construct/deconstruct a cabana structure). There’s only so much editing can do when you have such wretched raw material to work with. Apart from the annoying contestants who seem to be playing it up for the camera and the lone standout of Goil (who seems be both charming and one who knows his shit), the contestants are really quite interchangeable and dull. The judges are completely wasted on this program. Design fanatics know who they are; and we all respect their talent. But their talents don’t shine in “the white room” as they are reduced to making simplistic judgement calls in the name of competition: “bad color choice”; “too theme-y”; etc. Jonathan Adler and Kelly Wearstler seem to be making the best of the situation. JA by actually having an interesting, non-cliched perspective; and KW by rocking all of her paparazzi-ready LA chick fashion statements. [A clip for next week’s episode showed KW rocking crazy crimped hair. I may tune at the end of the show for that. And for that alone… and possibly for the shirtless carpenters. Nah…]

Perhaps the sponsored-provided grand prizes of a hundred grand (by an online lending company) and a car (by an American car company) are un-sexy to the viewer who would rather watch a bald comedian and 40 hot chicks with briefcases make instant millionaires several times a week. Perhaps the other grand prize of designing a room at the (Elle Décor-sponsored) Dining by Design event is “too inside” and means nothing to the average viewer. Perhaps Bravo and the Top Design producers should have thought it out a little more.

Potential viewers like those of us who visit sites like Apartment Therapy are a savvy bunch. If you are going to market to us, give us something more than this. We deserve better.

What Enrique said.

Enrique, I couldn't have said it better myself.
The only place my opinion differs from yours is on Kelly Wearstler. Her overly botoxed expression and outfits that would work better on Lindsay Lohan (turquoise knee-high socks and strappy shoes, fingerless gloves) may be amusing, but they do nothing for her professional image.
Other than that I agree - too contrived, too much sponsor presence and just trying too hard in general while missing the mark on reaching a very savvy audience.
Goil (and his collection of eyeglasses) are a standout.

Amen, Enrique.

Word Up Enrique!


The show is BUNK!

God, I love Kelly Wearstler's stuff but will she just PLEASE STOP WITH THE CARRIE BRADSHAW OF INTERIOR DESIGN CRAP. I get it. Does she know her children will one day know that she wore fingerless gloves on TV?!

Did anyone else notice how comical (and yes, awesome) it was that the cameramen can't resist the carpenters and that the carpenters, are really, in fact, merely waxed-chested male models?

I agree with just about everything Enrique said. And what a shame: a sad waste of a good idea. I don't think the idea is inherently dull--look at the popularity of other home design shows. Considering the talent involved, it could have been much, much better. Maybe it'll still find its way, but I may not be watching! Last night was just dull and depressing.

And eliminating Elizabeth? How random! She clearly has talent and the courage to innovate. I'm just baffled by that decision.

Why is an indoor-outdoor space commendable on a cabana? Isn't the beach the "outdoor" space? The editing of the show is great. Especially last night, to show Ryan and Crista ragging on each other then it all gets turned around and the judges point out the shortcoming they were blaming each other for. I love it. That project showed the weakness of so many of the designers. Goil is the man!

If I hear Jonathan Adler say 'see you later, decorator' I'm going to scream. I'm a huge fan of Project Runway but I have to say that Top Design is just a waste. All the judges are rigid and give weak assessments of the work these 'designers' do. And can someone please explain to me when a installation artist is put on the same level as a architect?!And, is it a requirement that all tv personalities have to have botox!?
BTW, I hope they show more of the shirtless carpenters. It'll make tuning in worth the time.

I thought eliminating someone because of her color choice was odd. The challenges haven't made sense to me either - the point of not meeting your client?
I thought Design Star on HGTV was a better show.

Clearly Ryan should have been booted before Elizabeth in terms of design talent. But most people who watch the show aren't especially design-savvy and they want to see drama. The judges don't make their final decision until meeting with the producers -- note the small print at the end of the show, common to all "reality" TV shows -- and Ryan makes for more interesting (i.e., tension-filled) interpersonal dynamics.

It sounds ridiculous, but then, I'm not a cook and I've watched episodes of shows like Top Chef that I would never have watched if the drama wasn't so much fun...