apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I did see have of the episode last night, but then it was time to get off the elliptical and go home before the gym closed. I kind of mad at them for not making this something that I would feel more compelled to schedule my life around, because I love this kind of stuff.

I thought the overall look was neat-and-clean, but if didn't hang together in any cohesive way that made it look "designed" at all. I realize it's still a garage, but it really should have been better.

However, yes... the entire premise of the challenge was really pushed in an awkward direction by the product placement, just to start with.

Again, I was more satisfied with whom they got rid of than with whom they kept. And, again, I didn't like the "top design", but did not that the panel seemed to feel the same way. The design is what the clients liked. I don't think purging unnecessary items is a stretch -- editing is part of good design -- but given the time frame, I wasn't bothered by it. The design itself was fine for what it was: a two-day design build.

Out of curiosity, does anyone else get the idea that the designer -- Matt? (I'm bad with names) -- the one who did low-rent Armani and was such a work horse in this episode -- being the favorite or front runner?

Also is anyone else bothered by the fact that while something like 80% of all interior design projects are not residential, all the test projects have been residential?

Great points, JonathanB. And yes, in my opinion, Matt is the front runner.

who wants to put on a play with a giant stinky suv two feet away? they didn't do much to separate 'garage' from 'play'. it was uninspiring, really. the best part was the organization matt did. he's a twitchy fella, but definitely on top.

this show is a snooze... but i do kind of enjoy how terrible the judges are. margaret russell looks like susan sarandon + a toy poodle. jonathan adler is like a gay mr. rogers. and kelly wearstler has one, maybe two brain cells. what i wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall in their dressing rooms.

I'm disappointed that it doesn't seem to actually permit people to "design". Has any designer in the real world ever actually been told "and you can only purchase items from Pier 1"? !!! That made sense for the HGTV version of the show, where they were basically developing a new show (inherently more theme-y), but it seems like they should be highlighting actual design in Top Design rather than forcing drama by giving them irrational constraints. I'll continue watching it, but I won't be distressed if I have something better to do on a Wednesday evening.

I stopped watching after the cabana episode. SO awful.

the silliest *twist* was the unairconditioned shed (presumably without electricity) that the homeowner of that stunning, HUGE house in was going to use as her office. cheesey.

Project Runway this is not!
Not even Top Chef!

I have been somewhat disapointed with the show overall. I still watch it, but my interest is waning.

Last nights episode was just awful. I get the concept of designing functional space in a garage, but it felt like the whole purpose of the entire episode was about the SUV, of which I can't remember which one it was (like it matters). That shows how effective the overbearing product placement was, it was so heavily pushed, that I shut out details other than it was a gas guzzling SUV.

The producers had to know this was a snoozer. The episodes where they design their own rooms are better, and actually allow them to show off their talent. I will try again next week, hopefully it will be better.

this show sucks. i think that design doesnt translate into copetitive reality. hgtv's show was awful as well. but strangely, top chef and project runway are compelling. i cant figure it out.

of course, the completely unprincipled and irrational judging, the awkwardness of todd and the jusdges, and generally annoying casting dont help.

You guys hit the nail on the head. It was one big GMC commercial (did the family get the car in exchange for doing the show, or was it on loan?) Who wants their kids playing in the garage? Who hangs on to "stuffed animals soaked in squirrel urine?"

Ryan was right on - this family needed to go on "Clean House" or "Mission Organization," and the design result looked like it came from one of those shows. Now, I don't know that I would call his take "a socio-political statement," but he was right, and he seemed to work hard. His artsy take keeps getting slammed, and I think he was simply respecting Andrea's design and pitching in.

What does Michael do besides creep me out and pick out inappropriate purple fabrics and bad Simply Shabby Chic pillows?

I think they had to pimp the GMC because Target seemed to have dropped out of the product placement game - on the LIz Lange episode they kept referring to Target as "a department store."

Becky

I have been pretty 'meh' about this show from the start, and although I didnt watch the episode last night (DVR-ed it for later) it seems that they get very little accomplished.

In my mind, HGTV's design star was a much better show.

While it was obvious to all that the family needed to get rid of a lot of the crap in their garage, Ryan didn't do the cause of minimalist living any favors by being such a self-righteous prig about everything. He could have suggested to the family that they pare down without coming off like a disapproving minister. His babbling about "socio-political statements" was nonsensical and made him sound grumpy and dumb.

Somewhat relatedly, Kelly Whatshername's constant standing up for Ryan's "point of view" suggests to me that they're having a torrid affair.

Of course the family loved it! Didn't they get that massive truck for FREE for doing the show? Then again, i was only half watching, but that was my impression.

I don't see this show on next year...

I really kind of expected this show to be better than Design Star, but THIS show doesn't offer design stardom as one of the prizes, and the winner of that show is, in fact, actually about to star in his own show.

It seems to me that most of these people seem to already have their own business, the prizes don't seem quite as helpful as being given your own show would. So, I think that the fact that the cast of the other show was even selecet with the idea of future television productions gave it an automatically more slightly watchable quality.

The show is awful on all fronts. The only reason to watch is to witness the inevitable smack down of Margaret Russell by Kelly Wearstler.

it's a train wreck, i love it! and by love, i mean hate.
i'm on tenterhooks... next week, will it be a design *challenge* based on sear's new line of convenient no vent washer dryers... or, a nursery, designed to accomodate bristol meyer's new line of ultra absorbent pampers, available at cvs, duane reed and.....
ok, i'll stop now.

Is this shit still on? I'm laughing because I actually watched for three weeks and then when it wasn't new last week or two weeks ago I assumed the plug had been appropriately pulled.
I'll admit I watched Design Star on HGTV. I thought it was pretty bad at the time and kept thinking "this show would be so much better if it were produced for the Bravo network." Boy was I ever wrong, and Design Star is a beacon of light and hope compared to the train wreck that is Top Design.
The only good thing about Top Design - dishing about it with everybody else on AT whose high hopes for this show were dashed against the rocks and then drowned (and then dried in a no-vent dryer from Sears).

Last night's show was terrible. The owners had a humongous and no doubt gorgeous house in which surely they could find some office space for the wife and some play space for the kids. Are they really going to make the kids play in the garage and I can't see the wife working in that shed?

They should have just got them to design some good storage space but perhaps they thought that would be too dull to watch? The best part of the show is the clear hatred between Margaret and Kelly. I can't wait for them to flip out. I'm also a little surprised at how much Mr. Adler seems to agree with Margaret. Ooooh, I can't stand her.

After numerous episodes showcased Carisa's lazy arse slackness, how is she still there? Ryan was much more entertaining but I think he just pissed them off by clearly having little respect for interior design.

It's really a little unclear to me exactly why Ryan is even there. It's true -- he really seems to have complete disdain for everything about the profession except for painting stuff.

My major in college was art, but I look at things through a slightly different lens. I really have enormous respect for design. But design isn't just pattern and paint. It's really about literally thinking about how how to make spaces work functionally and beautifully, because when either of those spins off and leaves the other in the dust, you end up with either a prosaic boredom with what seems to be functional but actually isn't or something that would be difficult to live with in a different way because it's not even trying to be functional and simply cannot be maintained.

This episode was abusive; it took advantage of the designers in ways that were just disrespectful. To have to clean out that filthy garage and then have to repack everything was horrible. The family's reluctance to get rid of anything showed me that the garage is going to return to its state in a very short time. Also the judge who said the storage wasn't "designed" was a jerk. The stuff in the garage was garbage: gigo. I think the team should be commended for actually putting that junk in boxes which were both accessible and visual. Hey, judges, it's a GARAGE. Please tell me what's the "appropriate" color for a GARAGE. bleh.

Last nights show was Boring! But I am hopeful since they actually had a "real" space to transform. HGTV's Design Star was a much better show, because they actually worked with "clients" and they had to do the work. Top Design for some reason has unrealistic time frames and the use of "carpenters" seems fishy. Talking fishy, did it not seem as though the garage sale was loaded! There were so many designer knock-off chairs, etc. It was suspect, unless that is really what a California garage sale is like!

I was predisposed to hate her as soon as I saw her but Kelly Wearstler is the only judge who ever says anything worthwhile. Adler is a snarky prig without being witty or insightful; Russell is unbelievably negative and appears to have no concept of the constraints that the contestants face. And to bag on Andrea for her design when she was redesigning a garage overnight exactly how the clients wanted it is insane.

Ryan wouldn't understand sociopolitical commentary if he were stuck in a time machine and it opened up on a Eugene V. Debs rally. Glad to see him go. Up next? Michael, please.

The show is dreadful. The designers function at a high school
'home economics' level and the judges are equally challenged.

It would be more interesting to watch Russell and Wearstler
mud wrestle.

ehh i watched this show twice and it's not interesting. too many group projects. todd is too stiff. the judges don't impress me with thier insight....just not grabbing me enough. which is too bad because i loooooove project runway and top chef (both bravo). i even liked the hgtv design star show.

Bearing in mind that the best way to make yourself foolish is to try to predict the future, my guess is that Michael and Clarissa will be the next to go and the final showdown will be between Armani Matt and architectonic Goil.

The garage was simply horrible, it looks like an "after". i think the short chubby girl (forgot her name) was unnecessarily bagged on. Her task was to make that nasty shed into an office and it looked like she worked very hard on it even though if I had a huge house, and only 2 kids I would find room for a desk and computer!! That garage will be a freaking mess in a few weeks. I think it was terrible that they had to spend so much time cleaning out someone else's garage! Did anyone notice how gross it was before they started!! That family should be ashamed of themselves! I'm also going to guess that they have 2 cars, so they blocked access of the garage for the second car! How impractical!

"The only reason to watch is to witness the inevitable smack down of Margaret Russell by Kelly Wearstler." - OH this cracks me UP! Cause it's so true. I didn't notice it until last night, when Margaret mentioned the whole "Kelly, you're always putting up for Ryan, where was the art this time? Huh?" and Kelly was just GLARING. If looks could kill. I swear she was erked the entire rest of the judging, as she said nothing until the end. Oh OH too much. Next weeks show looks more interesting, but just in the fact as there seems to be a lot of drama going on. I usually HATE the "faux" drama the producers of Project Runway/Top Chef/Top Design create, but this show is so boring, I'm begging for it. The timelines are also definitely played around with. I mean, they're always "Designers, you have five minutes" and then they show them painting eighteen walls, building a deck, and sipping wine coolers. In five minutes?? Right. It's all about editing. And I agree, also, the product placement in these shows is getting ridiculous. All three have gone overboard I think. I hope they tone it down a bit. I have to also say, I'm with everyone else in the "why does Project and Chef work, but this show doesn't?" It should be an automatic hit? And Todd, oh, I love some Todd, but he is not a great host (and I'm the LAST person that would EVER say this, but Todd, you have like, a ton of money, please get those front teeth fixed! I used to think you were so hot!) But I'm betting this show will be back, if not majorly retooled. I mean, Bravo ran three seasons of Blow Out. THREE.

I think this is the only show of this type (Project Runway, Top Chef, etc) where it seems obvious no one wants to be there. I feel like the contestants are miserable, not enjoying any of the challenges as a thrill or an achievement. And the judges have such open disdain. You never hear the P.R. judges tell a designer that they were flat out wrong, it's always an issue of style or judgment. But on Top Design, every week the designers are corrected on nearly every point as if there was one right choice for each element when everything they say is the most arbitrary crap. (What's up with this deep rooted right vs. wrong color idea that comes up every week??) And everyone's general weariness and low energy is truly contagious through the television.

I justify watching because I use my eliptical at the same time. The garage episode made me feel like I was STILL wasting my time.

"margaret russell looks like susan sarandon + a toy poodle...." Last Wednesday, I was kinda thinking she looked like a really, really uptight Elvira.

I was hoping to be inspired by this show. The behavior of the judges, and the boring projects are so uninspiring; I feel like going to Wal-mart.

Margaret Russell and Kelly Wearstler look hungry. Russell has a particularly hungry look which makes me think of a small animal. Rodents? Foxes? hmmmm. not sure which one but it's definitely there.

ebrown, that's it exactly! Kelly and Mags are STARVING. And missing too many meals makes you incredibly cranky. Feed those gals some doughnuts!

Wow. Why are you guys so mean-spirited? Calling people rodentlike and skinny? A gay Mr. Rogers? Looking like a toy poodle? Having two brain cells? How exactly does that relate to do design, and why is that kind of ugly behavior more and more evident on what I used to think was a cool blog?