Ellen's Design Challenge - General Discussion

[WildPlum]

I actually liked the tire swing, I thought the design was whimsical and fun and I liked the use of materials and colors. Sure, it was more kid-sized than adult, but it was a great concept. What I like about her is that she is an industrial designer, not a furniture designer and is coming from a different direction. She won't make it to the end, as I think her design aesthetic will lead her seriously wrong at some point, but while the field is still this large she shows well.

 

Bradley's bench was nicely made, but I think his fatal mistake was showing a sketch of 5 of them and finishing only one - which made the photo of the piece in its setting pretty sad, one small bench next to a huge fire pit.

 

I preferred the original design for the bar stools, which made them look light and airy, rather than the final design - maybe with the use of steel framing the flexibility could have been minimized. Pretty sure the steel could have been cut out and not lost any structural integrity. There is a sameness to the two of his designs that I think will bite him in the end - if you look at the  four ends of the earthquake bed and the original bar stool design, you can see similar proportion and use of materials.

 

Didn't care for the daybed at all - heavy, clunky and right out of the 70s, the exterior shingling didn't help the ponderous design. The table was nice - nice lines, materials, well executed.

 

Liked the look of the wire bench (although why didn't the judges sit in it to see if it was comfortable?) although I think she came close to not being able to finish it at all. She is my favorite of the designers, what we've seen of her makes her seem nice and I loved the way she stood up to the judge in the first show.

 

The concrete couch should have been the loser - too low, badly made (the concrete form was good but the concrete mix and pour was very bad) and despite the slurry layer that would have been very rough and scratchy - also incredibly hot in the sun.

 

Although I suspected Bradley was on his way out when they showed him being catty in the "green" room.

 

What I like about this season, compared to last, is that the designers are all hands-on, you see them forming and making things. In general they are as competent, if not more so, than their "helpers" - I liked the little bit where Chip said something like "are you going to let her talk to you like that?" in a mostly joking manner to the other minion (I can't remember the names of all the designers, much less the minions) and his reply was "Dude, yes."

 

The other difference from last season is that I think the designers have been able to draw out the upholstered bits that they need and someone else makes them offs creen, rather than seeing them struggle with that - the big yellow upholstered base for the day bed, the pillows for the tire swing, the single cushion for the concrete couch.

Edited January 26, 2016 by WildPlum

[AwesomO4000]

The daybed with the anteater shingles was big and a little clunky, but it fit nicely into the space... and the judges admitted that it was very comfortable. If I were judging, it wouldn't have been in the bottom two. That concrete monstrosity would've been. As others have said above - not innovative and not comfortable. And with only one, likely frustrating. It's not as if you could move it to take advantage of different sunny - or shady if the weather was hot - areas or even angles (since the sun moves). Also in my opinion, in the words of another design show judge... "It was not aesthetically pleasing."

[leighdear]

leighdear, I looked at the HGTV schedule (because I love you!) and they don't list this episode as repeating any time this week, so I don't know what to tell you. My On-Demand doesn't list it either and didn't all last season.

Love you too, fine!!!   Thanks for checking.  I even sent HGTV an email about it and of course nobody ever replied back. 

 

So I'll just pretend the first episode never happened and start with this one.  

 

Not bad, though the concrete lounger looked hideously uncomfortable to me.   You might as well just slap a mattress pad on the pool deck. 

 

I loved the mesh couch thing.  And I even more love them liberating extra materials from the walls.  Excellent skills!

[AwesomO4000]

My On-Demand doesn't list it either and didn't all last season.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure how they decide which shows to put on OnDemand for HGTV. HGTV (along with GSN and/or Buzzer) has become one of my "put it on in the background" channels, but every once in a while they have a show I really like, including this show and Flea Market Flip (which I maybe inexplicably adore, probably because it's also designing/creating interesting furniture), and those often are not available on OnDemand.

 

What is it about the furniture shows that they don't include them on On Demand?

[carrps]

Everything everyone has said about the concrete daybed I was saying last night. But also -- being of a certain age with older joints the only way I could get in and out of that thing was by getting on the ground and rolling in and out. It would also be hella cold on an overcast day. The construction was very poor. You already see it crumbling. Water will get in all the gaps, and it'll fall apart in no time.

 

I love Peter Dunham! He's a genius mostly with textiles, so this wasn't a challenge in his wheelhouse, but I thought he was a fine judge here. His shop, Hollywood at Home, is awesome.

 

I didn't like the daybed either. First, I hate canary yellow. Second, it looked like an old hippy hot tub. Too clunky, and I thought it was a smidge too big for the space.

 

I really like the wire "wicker" bench. I really appreciated that her bench had back support, but I would have used thicker cushions for both the seat and the back. I hope Matt gets to work with wood next week! Loved her showing all the guys how to properly work the acetylene torch. I really like her attitude.

 

Yeah, Bradly was shown throwing a LOT of shade in the green room, and although I liked the aesthetic of his seat, I can't imagine why he thought it would be o.k. making only one. Plus, the seat was just a flat slab of wood -- that wouldn't be comfortable for very long -- certainly not for a couple of hour sitting and chatting with friends.

 

I liked the orgami style of the barstools, but they'd be super heavy to move around, wouldn't they? Once you're sitting in one how do you scooch it up to the bar?

 

Melissa's didn't bug me that much, but it didn't really do much for me either.

 

Sef surprised me with that table. It was really nice and well thought out. Not my style, but it looked good and was very practical.

Yeah, I'm not sure how they decide which shows to put on OnDemand for HGTV. HGTV (along with GSN and/or Buzzer) has become one of my "put it on in the background" channels, but every once in a while they have a show I really like, including this show and Flea Market Flip (which I maybe inexplicably adore, probably because it's also designing/creating interesting furniture), and those often are not available on OnDemand.

 

What is it about the furniture shows that they don't include them on On Demand?

TWC doesn't have much at all for HGTV OnDemand. I don't know if it's the cable company or the network that decides, but our OnDemand for HGTV usually only has the real estate shows (booooooooring). I don't even check OnDemand anymore for HGTV. I know they'll never have what I'm looking for.

Edited January 27, 2016 by carrps

[RemoteControlFreak]

Alexis (concrete chaise) had the best portfolio outside of EDC, but she hasn't been able to really bring it on either of the challenges. Her gold leaf embellished bed was merely meh and the concrete chaise missed its mark by a mile.  The surface was way too rough. If it were polished concrete it might have been a winner.  And it seemed a little low.  

[DownTheShore]

Colored and polished concrete would have probably been striking.

Colored and polished concrete would have probably been striking.

[Wings]

Colored and polished concrete would have probably been striking.

Colored and polished concrete would have probably been striking.

 

 

You can say that again.  ***sly grin***

[Wings]

I was sorry to see Bradley go;  he has more potential than Melissa given her portfolio pieces.  The old fashioned tire swing is about sitting with your legs through it and your arms on top, not about getting in it unless you are a very tiny kid.  I thought it just as impractical as the concrete lounge chair.   It was cool to look at, though.  

 

Vivian is going to be a finalist if not win it based on her bed.  I did like her bench and it was practical but not a stunner. Sef is right behind her, his table was a beauty. .  

 

I think Bradley could have escaped elimination had he made that one bench to scale.  I think that bothered them more.  It did not work with the fire pit bowl.  

 

The judges have not been to Florida to view the concrete lounges on many beaches.  It was not a new idea and they didn't know that.  

Edited January 28, 2016 by wings707

[WildPlum]

I think Bradley could have escaped elimination had he made that one bench to scale.  I think that bothered them more.  It did not work with the fire pit bowl. 

 

Do you mean if he had just made the single bench larger? Then the blond judge would have complained that her feet didn't touch the ground, instead of the way she could tuck her feet under the bench.

 

I do think the firebowl was oversized - if you take the height the bench had to be (around 20") and guesstimate, based on the photo of the bench in-situ, the firebowl was probably at least 3' high and about 4-5' across. A big outdoor feature and it needed a larger scale treatment

[Madding crowd]

I think the judges are kind of humorless, which takes some of the enjoyment out of the show for me. They also seem to regard more industrial type looks  higher than classic, craftsman, or even general modern. I thought the cement chaise looked uncomfortable and really boring in its setting. I didn't really have a problem with the day bed, it looked comfortable and bright yellow looks nice outside among greenery.

 

Bradley's bench was too small, uncomfortable looking and didn't fit in with the fire pit. I do think he put a lot of effort into the design and if he could have executed five of them, out would have looked nice. The winning table was lovely, and the wire bench was just ok to me-I don't particularly like industrial type pieces, but I guess they look very "New York" which is what the judges want. I could see the wire bench in a trendy condo courtyard, but probably not at my house. 

[auntjess]

Hated to see Bradley go, but yes, when he saw how much it was taking, he should have gone with a plan B.  And it didn't look good with the fire pit they had.

 

On the the concrete chaises at beaches, do you put your towel on them?  I'd think they could get really hot.

Since this concrete bench was poorly made, it and the tire swing should have been at the bottom.

 

The old fashioned tire swing is about sitting with your legs through it and your arms on top, not about getting in it unless you are a very tiny kid.

Yes!  We never curled up inside of them, and I can't think of sitting like that for very long.

How would you propel yourself?

[mlp]

Just got around to watching.  The tire swing would be great for a very small child or the family cat but was otherwise basically a decoration, not useful.  Even so, it was worlds better than that concrete chaise which was ugly and all the negative things everyone has already observed.  The metal bench looked a lot better but it also looked very uncomfortable with those small cushions.  I didn't care for the look of the bar stools but I did appreciate the craftsmanship.  

 

I understand why they eliminated Bradley but I hated to see him go.  I liked him and I thought his piece, even with its faults, was way better than the concrete thing.

 

I like Sef so I hope he can keep up the good work.  Loved his table.

[GaT]

I don't know who the guest judge was (Wendy Goodwin?) but boy she was annoying. Every time they showed a table, she looked at the other judges like she was waiting to see how she should feel about it.

[biakbiak]

I liked Vivians table though I think she should have made the legs polished metalk and a silver accent on the top. I didn't mind Sef's but other than the mirror reflection it was basically the table he did last week in different materials.

I thought the right person went home because of the whitewash (WTF) and everyone kept saying they were supposed to directly reflect their China pattern, admittedly a stupid notion, and hers didn't even hint at the color and shapes that of the ugly ass pattern she voluntarily selected.

[RemoteControlFreak]

Complement does not mean match.

 

This is the first problem with this episode.  The designers were told to create a table that "complemented" the china design, but some of the designers, notably Sef, and, most importantly,  judge Cliff Fong thought this meant "match."

 

Worst of all, Fong rewarded designers for creating a table that matched the design of the china.  Alexis had the right idea in trying to echo the stripe design in the plates in the table legs. But the overall design was too simple and whitewashing the inside of the legs didn't work, at least not on TV. In person it might have been stunning.

 

Best design was Kyle's.  His was the light wood table with rods on the ends that gave the illusion of going through the table top. He was robbed because Cliff couldn't understand the concept of complementing.

Edited February 2, 2016 by RemoteControlFreak

[jumper sage]

I thought the winning table last night was way too 70s.  I thought the raised lazy susan was just a reformulation of a 70s lazy susan.  You have to keep your table plugged in?  The wood, the shape and the mechanical center was way to much for me.  It looked to much like the fake wood tables of the 70s.  Jef's table was nice but I think he might be a one note stylist.

[Miracle Maxie]

The winning table would have been in my bottom two. It looked very clunky. I continue to root for Vivian, though I wish she hadn't done metal legs on her table; they did look like they belonged to a different table than the tabletop did. I suppose if she hadn't done metal the judges would have dinged her for not being true to her asthetic. (And could the judges kindly remember that that word has a "TH" sound and not keep pronouncing it "as-tetic"? Arrgh!)

 

As a Bath Crashers devotee I was glad to see Matt M come back to work with Kyle (? yellow daybed guy from last week; I have no recollection of his table this week).  I wonder if bringing him back has anything to do with him having probably the biggest show on DIY Network that any of these carpenters are associated with. I don't think any of the others have current DIY or HGTV shows, though the other Matt may at least still have one in production.

[FineWashables]

The winning table was clever, maybe even ingenious, but was it a beautiful design?  I really don't think so.  

 

I had a problem with the legs on the bottom two.  For once, I agreed with the judges that the legs belonged on different table tops.  

 

I'm surprised nobody went industrial with this challenge.  

[qtpye]

I'm surprised nobody went industrial with this challenge.

 

 

Probably because they went with very traditional China patterns.  The one who did not, went home (though the pattern was ugly).

[backgroundnoise]

Alexis had the right idea in trying to echo the stripe design in the plates in the table legs.

I didn't see a stripe in the table legs, I saw a checkerboard.  I don't like checkerboards as a decor pattern in general, so I didn't really like her table.  I also didn't see anything connecting it to the china. 

 

This design show is one of the few where I'm usually in total agreement with the judges.  I would have given Miles the win last week and Sef this week, though.   I know "complement" doesn't mean "exactly match", but Sef really used the design on the plate to make a beautiful table.    The huge legs on Vivian's and Melissa's detracted from the tops  (sorry, I kept seeing giant bug legs from Starship Troopers from those things).

 

I also liked Kyle's, but not his dissing of Sef's.  Did he really call it terrible? 

 

The editing looked like Vivian only had 4 hours left to complete 3 legs, but all of a sudden it was done and painted.

 

I wish the designers had not picked such boring china, though, ('cept Sef and Alexis).

[biakbiak]

Complement does not mean match.

On all of these shows they get more in depth instructions and at least Kyle said "we were told to perfectly match our china," and all the judges nodded.

Alexis design did not complement, reflect, match, or even look like it would be purchased by the same people who bought the China she selected so the right person went home.

Edited February 2, 2016 by biakbiak

[RemoteControlFreak]

On all of these shows they get more in depth instructions and at least Kyle said "we were told to perfectly match our china," and all the judges nodded.

Alexis design did not complement, reflect, match, or even look like it would be purchased by the same people who bought the China she selected so the right person went home.

I'm suspect of this.  There was nowhere in the show where we saw judges giving this instruction, either at the intro of the challenge or during the round where plans were critiqued. I think Kyle heard wrong.

 

We did hear them say "complement" many times.  If they meant "perfectly match," why did they say "complement?"

 

More importantly, why would anyone want to perfectly match a china pattern to a dining room table? What kind of aesthetic value is there in this and what kind of furniture design challenge is that?

Edited February 3, 2016 by RemoteControlFreak

[AwesomO4000]

Alexis design did not complement, reflect, match, or even look like it would be purchased by the same people who bought the China she selected so the right person went home.

 

 And I might have been seeing it incorrectly, but it looked like the front leg on the right of my screen was not really matched up properly with the top of the table. I thought I saw a gap, and I was thinking "How could you have such a simply shaped leg and not have it square with the top surface?" I would think that that would be much more important to get correct than bothering with the whitewash - which admittedly I didn't understand (and I don't think Alexis' builder did either, since he tried to talk her out of it.) The overall shape reminded me of some melamine dollhouse furniture I used to have when I was a kid.

 

I probably shouldn't just be saying negative things about Alexis' design, but the only thing positive I can think of was that the different types of wood on the legs did match up nicely to give a smooth surface. But in general, her aesthetic and mine did not appear to be similar from what I saw of her pieces. Like I am not even sure I would've understood her vision even if she had executed it exactly as she had wanted to. (In my mind, with those very square legs, maybe the table top could've been oval, or the top of the legs thicker and a little rounded melding into a rounded corner and then go into the thin square leg? *shrug*)

 

It might've been a little reminiscent of his piece last week, but I did think that the top of Sef's table was beautiful. I also liked the top of the table with the metal inserts (Vivian's?), but I may have loved it even more had there somehow been another type of wood in there in a contrasting color, maybe with a metal outline. Probably really hard to pull off though.

 

I also liked Kyle's, but not his dissing of Sef's.  Did he really call it terrible?

 

I think I heard "clunky" and/or "ugly." Definitely something pretty derogatory, because he mentioned something about the table looking like it was wearing diapers*, and I was thinking, "But I like Sef's table, so does that mean my taste is awful?" Which I suppose I could live with,  but still... ; )

 

* That part I remember more clearly, but it kind of overtook whatever else he said in my memory, because yikes.

 

   The huge legs on Vivian's and Melissa's detracted from the tops  (sorry, I kept seeing giant bug legs from Starship Troopers from those things).

 

Hee, which explains why I kind of liked the legs (but not necessarily on those table tops). Bugs is what I do. (For a job that is).

[leighdear]

I truly appreciate the lack of drama between the participants.  They seem to get along well, and for a reality show, that's a nice thing to watch. 

 

Contestant Alexis sounds a lot like Ellen to me.  I was looking elsewhere when she was speaking & I thought Ellen had joined them in the workshop....*LOL*  That said, I didn't like her table at all.  Bad proportions.  And as I also found her very condescending, I'm glad she was eliminated.   

 

I agreed with the judges in I adored Melissa's table top.  I thought the steel scroll work was lovely.  But if those legs had been matching wooden scrolls, they would have worked. 

 

Sef annoys me for no good reason.  He just seems "above it all", though I can't pinpoint why.  His table is so convoluted and excessively complicated with about 47 things going on.  Just.Too.Much.  

 

I liked Matt's table a lot, just enough stuff and nice lines.  Good job. 

 

I hated Miles' "elevator" table.  Just an unnecessary gadget looking for a "wow" from the judges. Anytime your table has to have an electric cord, I think you've gone too far.  Who the hell is going to fix it if it jams?  Idiots.  I totally disagree with the judges. 

 

Vivian's white thing was really weird to me, I didn't like it at all.  It looked like it was squatting.  

 

Judge Wendy Goodman looked just like an older version of actress Melissa Gilbert to me.  Hey, Half-Pint!  

[RemoteControlFreak]

I liked Matt's table a lot, just enough stuff and nice lines.  Good job. 

Matt?  There's no designer named Matt.

[leighdear]

Sorry, I meant Kyle.  The light wood table with the steel rods inserted.  I think it's his carpenter that's named Matt.   Or they were talking about the place mat? *LOL*

[DownTheShore]

I didn't like Sef's table at all. I thought it looked clunky and on my TV I couldn't even see the mirrored reflection of the pattern. There seemed to have been no point inscribing the pattern across the complete underside of the table; no one can see it and it added no function. I also thought the china pattern got lost on the dark wood of the tablefop.

Miles' pop-up table was a one note wonder; once your guests have seen the trick the novelty is lost. Also, imagine the mechanism breaking down and a perishable foodstuff getting stuck inside.

Alexis' table legs didn't seem to be joined tightly to the tabletop. The inner whitewashing didn't work. I didn't mind the checkerboard effect, by since she had a playful china set, the wood choices should have been a bit more contrasting. She should have either chromed the inner legs or else painted them one of the colors from the plates.

Vivian should have used a glass or lucite top or insert to show off the table legs, instead of that solid, white, old-fashioned top that completely hid the most interesting part of them.

I liked Kyle's table, don't know that it really complemented his china pattern, but it did look like the most professional piece.

Melissa's tabletop was lovely, and though I didn't really mind the shape of the legs, I could see where the judges suggestions had merit.

[FineWashables]

 

Sef annoys me for no good reason.

There's at least one good reason: his name is Sef. Might as well just skip straight ahead to naming your child (or yourself?) Pretentious.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I was glad to see Matt M come back to work with Kyle (? yellow daybed guy from last week; I have no recollection of his table this week).  I wonder if bringing him back has anything to do with him having probably the biggest show on DIY Network that any of these carpenters are associated with. I don't think any of the others have current DIY or HGTV shows, though the other Matt may at least still have one in production.

I just stumbled on a new HGTV show called Wise Buys that features carpenter Chip Wade (on this show he's billed as a contractor/designer) and his wife. It seems to be basically a Fixer Upper/Property Brothers knockoff type of show set in Atlanta. I thought it was pretty boring, and I had to stop watching when the big design brilliant idea was an "open concept" master suite. Yes, that means the sinks, tub, shower, toilet etc. lining one wall of the master bedroom. I thought it was hideous. HGTV goes far enough with the "everyone wants an open concept" crap in the main living areas, they can't convince me that people want an open concept master suite, too.

Anyway, back to EDC . . . I wasn't crazy about any of the tables this week. And as much I liked Alexis's portfolio of pre-show work, I thought her table was crappy and she deserved to go. It still made me sad because she was my eye candy on this show /shallow.

I thought the winning table was just awful -- it looked cheap and tacky.

[Lola16]

I just stumbled on a new HGTV show called Wise Buys that features carpenter Chip Wade (on this show he's billed as a contractor/designer) and his wife. It seems to be basically a Fixer Upper/Property Brothers knockoff type of show set in Atlanta. I thought it was pretty boring, and I had to stop watching when the big design brilliant idea was an "open concept" master suite. Yes, that means the sinks, tub, shower, toilet etc. lining one wall of the master bedroom. I thought it was hideous. HGTV goes far enough with the "everyone wants an open concept" crap in the main living areas, they can't convince me that people want an open concept master suite, too.

 

 

Saw that too and was appalled.  It looked like it was built for handicap accessible which is admirable but no reason for everything so open!

 

 

Didn't like the gimmicky table either or the checkerboard design.  Felt Sef's table was too insider and not really practical, decorative or necessary.  At least this season, there's no seriously annoying designer...

[DownTheShore]

The excitable girl who got eliminated first had the most potential to be annoying, so we got a quick save on that.

I wonder if they deliberately didn't choose a vocal-fry woman to be part of the contestants this year?

[Mittengirl]

I didn't like either table Sef has made. The one this week was rather uglyfrom a distance, I thought, and it sounded like you could only see the detail if you were standing right at the table, which doesn't negate the ugly. And what would happen when you place stuff in the middle of the table?

I know why I don't like Sef. In the beginning of the episode when they got to chose their china, or last week with the location for their outdoor project, he talks like he is auditioning to be a show host. The others just make their choice, while he tries to be clever. I hate when people try to be clever.

[Miracle Maxie]

I did some research on this season's carpenters. We saw a few of them last season as well:

Chip Wade (Sef's carpenter, was Tim's in S1): His new show is so new that it isn't yet on IMDB or even on his own website!  Wise Buys premiered on DIY network on January 26.

Karl Champley (Miles' carpenter, Katie's in S1): Had a few shows on DIY in 2003 - 2005 (Wasted Spaces, DIY to the Rescue). Nothing since.

Jeff Devlin (Alexis' carpenter, Carley's in S1): I Hate My Bath, DIY network, 2011 - 2013

Matt Muenster (Bradley, then Kyle's carpenter, Mark's in S1): Bathtastic! - 2010 - 2011 (DIY), and Bath Crashers (also DIY) 2010 - 2015 per IMDB. Not sure if it's still in production.

 

New this season:

Matt Blashaw (Vivian): This guy's been all over DIY and recently 'graduated' to hosting an HGTV show. He did Yard Crashers for years - 2011 - 2015, and now does Vacation Home for Free - 2014 - 2016.

Steve Zimpel (Melissa): The Outdoor Room - 2010 - 2013, HGTV

Ali Azhar (Kyle's first carpenter): Design on a Dime, 2011-2012, I think. He's not credited on the show on IMDB.

Brooks Atwood (McKenzie): The Ellen's Design Challenge site refers to him as "an Ellen's Design Challenge alum", but I can't find anything that shows he was on last season in any capacity. He was a contestant on Season 8 of Design Star (or HGTV Star as it was apparently called by then) in 2013. He was one of 2 runners-up that season.

 

I don't think the carpenters were randomly assigned. It's interesting that the least well-known carpenter was paired with the first contestant out. Ignoring the fact that correlation doesn't equal causation, I'm expecting Sef to go far. Just hoping he can avoid Tim's fate!

[Miracle Maxie]

I just stumbled on a new HGTV show called Wise Buys that features carpenter Chip Wade (on this show he's billed as a contractor/designer) and his wife. It seems to be basically a Fixer Upper/Property Brothers knockoff type of show set in Atlanta.

You inspired me to do a little more research on the show's carpenters. I've posted the findings in the Contestants and their Carpenters thread.

[Wings]

Kyle made my favorite table.  Miles' design was not attractive and I agree with those who said it was reminiscent of the 70s.  All that work to create a mechanical center piece that held 4 coffee cups for a table that clearly seated 6+ ???

 

 

I don't know who the guest judge was (Wendy Goodwin?) but boy she was annoying. Every time they showed a table, she looked at the other judges like she was waiting to see how she should feel about it.

 

 

I saw the opposite to be true.   When the camera was on her as the platform turned to expose the next table she had an immediate reaction.  I liked that.  When you saw her turn to the other judges she was just waiting her turn to speak; she already knew what she wanted to say!  The look on her face for Vivian's table was quite funny.  She hated it!  

 

The right person went home. 

[Lola16]

 

Brooks Atwood (McKenzie): The Ellen's Design Challenge site refers to him as "an Ellen's Design Challenge alum", but I can't find anything that shows he was on last season in any capacity. He was a contestant on Season 8 of Design Star (or HGTV Star as it was apparently called by then) in 2013. He was one of 2 runners-up that season.

I haven't seen Brooks Atwood on the show but I haven't seen all the episodes.

 

 

Do you mean Brooks Utley?

 

[Miracle Maxie]

I just quoted the HGTV website. It says Brooks Atwood, but it certainly looks like Brooks Utley. 

 

Looks like he did Designed to Sell on HGTV in 2004 - 2006, and Home Made Simple on OWN, 2011 - 2013.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Miracle Maxie

[auntjess]

 

And I might have been seeing it incorrectly, but it looked like the front leg on the right of my screen was not really matched up properly with the top of the table.

Yes, the camera focused on the gap several times.

I like Miles, and am glad that Sef didn't win, but I thought the table was gimmicky. 

 

[auntjess]

Chip Wade was on Curb Appeal, Designed to Sell, and has done his own show, Elbow Room, which shows up from time to time.
He's done some very creative projects.

[Lola16]

I just quoted the HGTV website. It says Brooks Atwood, but it certainly looks like Brooks Utley. 

 

Looks like he did Designed to Sell on HGTV in 2004 - 2006, and Home Made Simple on OWN, 2011 - 2013.

Insane that they got their own carpenter wrong!

[auntjess]

 

All that work to create a mechanical center piece that held 4 coffee cups for a table that clearly seated 6+ ???

I think the place for that lift would have been a table for two, that you'd use for an intimate dinner.

[mlp]

Sef is my favorite so far.  He did make tables two episodes in a row but that wasn't a lack of imagination on his part.  He chose to do one on the previous challenge not knowing then that he'd be required to do another in the immediate future so....................  I think his work looks the most polished and practical in addition to being attractive.

 

The table with the "elevator" was sort of interesting but it was rather ugly.  And who would want a table that you have to plug in?  A dining room table is usually in the center of the room.  You'd need to hide the cord somehow or wire a receptacle into the floor or live with a tripping hazard.

Edited February 6, 2016 by mlp

[needschocolate]

I think the place for that lift would have been a table for two, that you'd use for an intimate dinner.

From my eventual novel...

 

And as she finishes the last bite of her tiramisu, he says, "I have one final course." He reaches under the table and presses a button.  She hears a soft whirring sound and, to her surprise, the hexagon in the center of the table starts to rise slowly, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Once again she marvels, not only at his cooking skills, but at his decorating skills as well, for this table is a perfect match to the orange velour chairs and the lava lamp on the buffet.   Before she has a chance to speak, she spots it, the black ring box.  He gets down from his chair and onto one knee, unplugs the extension cord wrapped around his foot, and asks the question she had been longing to hear all of her 18.5 years.  

 

He had said this was the final course, but she has one more course in mind - it is time for her to show off her skills....

Edited February 8, 2016 by needschocolate

[Rhetorica]

It was time for Melissa to go. Her product can be bought at any unfinished furniture store and painted. I do wish her well. I liked Vivian's, but I will admit she's my favorite. Miles piece seemed very derivative of Japan so I'm not sure why Kyle and Sef were scolded about and design vs style.

[backgroundnoise]

I liked Miles' but agree it was just as referential to Japan as Kyle's was to Morocco.  I liked Vivian's the best, except for the rust.  No real Wow! pieces for me tonight.

 

With so few designers left, I was disappointed they had to reference another country's design.  I'd rather see their own original ideas, rather than being boxed in like that.

[Mittengirl]

I didn't get the style vs. design argument, either. It seemed like they latched on to that as a way to knock those designs that they just didn't like.

I still don't like Sef and wish they would send him home.

I hope Karim watches the show and sees that shot of himself walking towards Sef's chair, I think. From the back those pants looked like he had a full diaper.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Mittengirl

[DownTheShore]

How can you design a piece that encapsulates a culture if you are not OF that culture? I'd think that the best you could do is interpret the known styles of the culture through your own design aesthetic. I thought that guest judge was like a splash of cold water on all the contestants' egos; he seemed to be the most brutally honest one so far.

I think that Moroccan console table would have looked better with a cobalt blue hammered leather top with those brass tacks on the side. The tacks would have added another layer of design but simpler one, and would have tied the brass elements together.

Although Miles' storage unit was clever in its functionality, to me it looked like something you'd find in the kids section at Ikea. I did not like those red doors. At all.

I wanted to see the guest judge sit in Sef's chair, to see how it looked with a tall guy in it. But I agreed with them that it wasn't the right proportion for the style and it wasn't very original.

What an odd choice of style Vivian chose emulate, out of all the possible choices for Italy. I would have gone a more lyrical/sensual route. There's a reason why the style she copied didn't last long there. I also didn't like the rust treatment; that precluded ever putting that piece on a light rug.

Melissa really cut her own throat by saying she was basing her design on the little black dress by Chanel - not with all those embellishments on the piece. She should have labeled it a Parisian "bon-bon" or a furniture amuse-bouche

[Mondrianyone]

There's at least one good reason: his name is Sef. Might as well just skip straight ahead to naming your child (or yourself?) Pretentious.

 

Could be he dropped the l from their original spelling. 

 

I was excited to see Rashid as a judge, having seen a previous show featuring his work, some of which I really liked.  Although I have a Bobble water bottle, which I think he designed, and I'd love to point out a few badly thought-out elements to him.  Not nearly as heinous as his ensemble tonight, though.  You show up dressed like that and all your credibility flies out the window.

 

(Hi, by the way.  I've watched since season 1, but I don't think I've posted on this show.  At least not here at PTV.)

[WildPlum]

Wow, we have had some real winners as guest judge but this week's fashion-challenged guy with the white glasses and the red-and-white shoes was the worst so far. How surprising it was that in his opinion the number one thing about a design was that it would sell well. In the words of my English friends, "what a git."

 

Nothing really stood out this week as an exceptional design although everything look pretty well-executed and was fine as furniture went. Sef's chair was right out of Ikea/Dania, the room divider was right out of a Target catalog (right colors and everything). Viviane (admittedly my favorite) had an okay but not "wow" design, the French makeup table was okay for the right person - yes, somewhat garish and overwrought, but I know people who would swoon over it. I liked the legs on the Moroccan piece, at least.

 

Maybe they should have, I don't know, more than a DAY to come up with a design and start building?

 

Edited to add: I looked up "rashid design" on goggle - his stuff all looks like it was designed for Barbie's Jetsons Dream McMansion. He would have LOVED Katie last season.

Edited February 9, 2016 by WildPlum