Best Room Wins - General Discussion

[dleighg]

The battle for interior design supremacy begins! Some of the world's best interior designers will go head-to-head in the hopes of achieving home and design glory in Bravo's new competition series, Best Room Wins, premiering Wednesday, May 1 at 10/9c.

[SunnyBeBe]

Is anyone watching this?  I saw most of it last night.  I almost didn't recognize Genevieve.  I'm not a fan of hers, back from Trading Spaces.  She wasn't that bad though.  Maybe, her taste has improved.  

I was a little surprised at some of the choices these two contestant designers made.  The winner seemed to place way too much stuff in the room, which the judges did comment on. To me, it also had too many different textures.  Some parts I did like.  It seemed his mistakes were basic things. 

The woman designer who didn't win, failed to measure to ensure that she could get certain items into the room.  Isn't that kind of basic?  And, the foyer area she make this big deal about didn't seem to go with the main room at all.  So odd.  I did love her ceiling and walls though. 

[dleighg]

Yeah overall I liked the loser better-- particularly the wallpaper and the ceiling. I liked *both* of the competition rooms better than the "inspiration" house (same thing last week). Those inspiration homes are way too overdone for my taste. 

I agree that the alcove in the losing room was a big fail. A mirror in an entry way does very little as far as "opening" the room.  And are you really going to sit there and do your makeup. And she really overspent on those silly chairs. 

And frankly in the winning room I was amazed that everyone thought his added walls (for a "foyer") was a good thing. All I could think was "what a waste of floor space."

[Pj3422]

The female competitor looks so familiar. I keep thinking she was one of the designers on “Hotel Impossible.” I may be wrong about the show, but I know she’s been on TV before.

[absolutelyido]

38 minutes ago, Pj3422 said:

The female competitor looks so familiar. I keep thinking she was one of the designers on “Hotel Impossible.” I may be wrong about the show, but I know she’s been on TV before.

I agree, it was driving me crazy the whole time. I think the designer from Hotel Impossible you are thinking of is Casey Noble who does look very similar, but the designer last night was Brittany. I'm not sure if I have really seen Brittany on something else before or if the familiarity is just because she does look a lot like Casey.

[auntiemel]

Britany was one of the designers on Hotel Impossible, and she was also on HGTV Design Star and some other HGTV show that I can't remember the name of right now. And, if I'm not mistaken, she hosted the walk-through program of HGTV giveaway house one of the years.

[LennieBriscoe]

Winner had too many tchotchkes. Loser apparently had no measuring tape (mirror;  bedroom club chairs; bedframe knocking crystals off the light fixture ---all too big for the task). 

Winning couple: Home birth?! I'm with the designer in "Ew!" Also,  I know what the wife meant about the French doors' opening inward to cut off usable interior space,  as I just had the exact same conversation with a deck builder. But in my case,  the openings will be part of a deck railing. In a house, however, French doors always open inward. 

Losing couple: Husband "gallantly" says "Ladies first," as they head upstairs. Clever man.  😉

Room entryways:

Winning designer made a dark faux-foyer to suggest a hotel room. Why? So the couple can play "Guest and Escort"?

Losing designer cuts a huge mirror (Oops! Can't go up the stairs!) to reflect a make-up table that the couple must walk past? Pssst: No married woman is going to put her face on anywhere but in a bathroom....with the door closed!

The amateur errors made by Brittany demanded that she lose the competition.

[suebee12]

Just finished the show and I sure didn't pick the winner. Even though I liked the wall paper, I think having it on one wall would have been plenty! It over-powered the room with it on all the walls and I didn't care for the fireplace surround...too blue even if it matched! Also, the judges were loving the pukey yellow chair and I thought it stuck out like a sore thumb. So all in all, I guess I should never hire an interior decorator(not that I could afford one anyway!). If someone gave me $30,000 to decorate I could redo all of my rooms and be happy...

The man's room was much more to my taste but I could see why they seemed to think the fireplace wall was sorta' a "black hole"...of course, if the tv was on, there would be color!! At least he didn't banish it to another room. I did like that he spent everything he could so the family got the full money's worth. As for the paint job, it looked as though there was work to be done on the trim work that would be time consuming even if you were proficient with painting. Plus I liked the designer's personality.

Not sure I am sold on this show since I am not big into this kind of design. I want "pretty" and comfortable not magazine showroom look.

[dleighg]

5 hours ago, suebee12 said:

Not sure I am sold on this show since I am not big into this kind of design. I want "pretty" and comfortable not magazine showroom look.

I absolutely despise the "decorator look" of random vases, or balls, of random shiny or textured material that "matches" the vibe of the room. If I didn't buy it on an overseas trip, or it wasn't given to me by a loved one, it doesn't deserve a place of honor on my coffee table or bookshelf. 

[biakbiak]

I thought it was odd that her way of “bringing the family into the space,” was to take random pictures of their neighborhood and not use you know their actual photos!

[sasha206]

First episode with the green ceiling...yikes.  What struck me about that winning design was that they have this crazy, out there family room space but when they panned out and you could see the foyer area it looked like a total mismatch.  The losing design worked with the rest of the space on that floor and fit the house better IMO.

Edited May 18, 2019 by sasha206

[dleighg]

$2500 to professionally paint two small rooms? Seriously? I live in a pretty high cost area and that's about 5 times as much as it would cost around me.

[dleighg]

On 5/16/2019 at 12:17 AM, suebee12 said:

Just finished the show and I sure didn't pick the winner. Even though I liked the wall paper, I think having it on one wall would have been plenty! It over-powered the room with it on all the walls and I didn't care for the fireplace surround...too blue even if it matched! Also, the judges were loving the pukey yellow chair and I thought it stuck out like a sore thumb.

I agree that the winning room was "too too" for me, but I also think that she hit the judging criteria better. The guy's room was a bit dull and that rubber tree screamed 1970s to me (and I was amazed they didn't mention that!)

Last week was "contemporary" and I have a hard time seeing many differences between contemporary and modern-- even in the words that Genevieve used to describe them!

[Rhetorica]

On 5/16/2019 at 6:02 AM, dleighg said:

If I didn't buy it on an overseas trip, or it wasn't given to me by a loved one, it doesn't deserve a place of honor on my coffee table or bookshelf. 

Are you my sister from another mister?  I've said that same thing to my children several times. They tend to lean towards hoarding... 

[HunterHunted]

Did anyone else think that the winning designer was stealth auditioning for his own design show with his crafty projects like the spray painted curtains, the gussied up Ikea cabinets, and the gallery wall tips? All of the shows have had some level of home owner involvement/project, but never to this level. I do agree with Jonathan Adler that the gallery wall didn't really work.

My biggest issues with most of these designers is that they over accessorize, they rarely use anything personal to the homeowners, and they grossly overspend on lighting. So I did like that both of these designers used a lot of the existing items. As for the lighting, everyone loves those Jonathan Adler chandeliers, but there are a ton of similar fixtures for a third of the price. If it's some shit like his dora maar pottery where you can't find anything similar, pay the money. But a lot if his chandeliers have pretty good knockoffs for a lot lower prices.

Edited May 24, 2019 by HunterHunted

[biakbiak]

I wanted Marie Kondo to come in and burn the inspiration house to the ground. 

I was at Chez Panisse the downstairs restaurant the same searing as Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan were having their prewedding dinner and Alice Waters was there to oversee everything and sent out a lot of dishes not on the planned menu which went to every table as did the champagne toast so I have pleasant feelings about Jonathan. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by biakbiak

[dleighg]

23 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I wanted Marie Kondo to come in and burn the inspiration house to the ground. 

No kidding! That wasn't "transitional." That was "full of random SH*&!"

To me transitional means that it is not instantly identifiable as one period or another. It's comfortable and pleasing and personal.

And that couch in the inspiration house was hideous.

[dleighg]

"Swedish Home Store Piece." (The put-together cabinets) LOL. What on earth could that be?

My favorite "thing" was the colorful collection of pottery that the home owners already had. 

[suebee12]

I  loved the room that Alex did. I thought too many pictures on the gallery wall but that can easily be changed and perhaps the home owners liked it because he used what they already had. I had a stab of nostalgia when I first saw Alex's room....we had the exact secretary while I was growing up(and I think my brother still has it!). I actually liked the piece of furniture that the couple dumpster-dived for...but didn't see it back in the room. I hope they used it in another room. I know exactly how the woman felt about her fans, but she made the wise choice of being happy with the room and getting some floor fans for air circulation.

The other room was far too bright and distracting for me, especially the deer head with the bizarre antlers! I am not a yellow person so I don't think I could live with the yellow couch and chairs. I did like the archway bookshelves. Quite nice and it nicely displayed their pottery collection.

11 hours ago, dleighg said:

"Swedish Home Store Piece." (The put-together cabinets) LOL. What on earth could that be?

Hmmmm, could it be Ikea? Just guessing! LOL!!

[Madding crowd]

I love decorating shows but I hate how pretentious some of these designers are. The guy in the blue tie was actually sneering over the before room which had children’s toys in it.

I like rooms which are personal and contain things meaningful to me. Random objects which are color matched are just clutter imo. Still happy to see some decorating on TV.

[kirklandia]

I have many quibbles with these design shows, but I can live with them.  However, if you are going to educate viewers by putting information in a box on the screen, it should be true.

Fiestaware was made by Homer Laughlin, not Bauer Pottery.  Even I know that.

[athousandclowns]

I hated the wall paper! I can’t decide if it looks like contact paper or what.  The idea of bringing it into dining room would be awful for me. ( don’t like wall,paper) the fun house mirror looked childish. I agree with designer  that the framed photos on top of that wall paper.= not good. 

The guyscroom was more palatable. 

[MsTree]

Tonight's inspiration room was too cluttered with too many colors/patterns. I don't know how that's supposed to inspire anyone.

[dleighg]

5 hours ago, kirklandia said:

Fiestaware was made by Homer Laughlin, not Bauer Pottery.  Even I know that.

I don't think they ever said the word "Fiestaware," did they? And Bauer Pottery does look similar (I looked it up because I use Fiestaware for our everyday dinnerware).

https://www.google.com/search?q=bauer+pottery&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjL0bDd57PiAhURm1kKHWHJCKcQsAR6BAgHEAE&biw=1370&bih=697

[heckkitty]

There was text on screen that said Fiestaware. 

I really want to like this show, but it's so boring and like someone said above, the designers are SO pretentious. Also agree that the best thing was the pottery the one couple already had. and the stupid deer head was stupid.  usually i'm in favor of them bending to the desires of the client, but that was hideous, and I'm surprised his husband tolerated it.  But hubby seemed quieter, so maybe he just didn't want to talk about it on camera.

Edited May 24, 2019 by heckkitty

[kirklandia]

11 hours ago, dleighg said:

I don't think they ever said the word "Fiestaware," did they? And Bauer Pottery does look similar.

It definitely said Fiesta, I rewound to check.  There are definitely similarities in appearance, but facts are facts.  Bauer pottery is not Homer Laughlin.  They should do their homework.

And, in case anyone wants to know more:

https://www.drivingfordeco.com/fiestaware-turns-80/

[sheetmoss]

On 5/23/2019 at 6:15 PM, Madding crowd said:

I love decorating shows but I hate how pretentious some of these designers are. The guy in the blue tie was actually sneering over the before room which had children’s toys in it.

I like rooms which are personal and contain things meaningful to me. Random objects which are color matched are just clutter imo. Still happy to see some decorating on TV.

I wasn't too happy w/Swiss Miss and her attitude either

[anniebird]

I have the same issues with these designers as I do with some of the fashion designers on Project Runway -- they won't do what the clients want because their own aesthetic is more important. A really good designer (fashion or interior) should be able to satisfy the client AND put their own personal stamp on it.

[zillabreeze]

I am enjoying this show.  I like the discussions of elements of style, especially at the end where the judges talk about what hits and misses, and why.

I felt like both designers this week were rather unlikeable. Talented?  Neither one was all that. Plus, it's not that hard to go help someone without insulting them.   

Blow my budget on that gawdawful light thingy?  Hell no.  Somebody better hold my earrings... me and Swiss Miss fixin' to throw down.  How annoying to have that blinking crap?

Oh hey Sneery Boy!   That brick behind the wood stove was not put there just to irritate you.  It's freaking FIRE CODE.  Dumbass.  If I missed him replacing the brick with concrete wallboard, then mea culpa.  If that's regular sheetrock, he should stay out of people's homes.

The fan thing comes up over and over.  I can only shop retail, and I've seen oodles of stylish high end devices that move air around.   I thought "Form FOLLOWS function" was a thing, it is in my house.

Edited May 26, 2019 by zillabreeze

[HunterHunted]

On 5/26/2019 at 1:25 PM, zillabreeze said:

The fan thing comes up over and over.  I can only shop retail, and I've seen oodles of stylish high end devices that move air around.   I thought "Form FOLLOWS function" was a thing, it is in my house.

This. Some lighting/fan companies have spent a decent amount of time over the last decade to design stylish ceiling fans because it's an untapped market. Some people live in climates where they need them and they'd like to have attractive ones in their homes. Some fans have clear fan blades. Others have fan blades that fold in when the fan isn't in use. I feel like many designers don't even try.

[biakbiak]

You cannot bitch about the space plan of the losing room when the TV cannot be comfortably watched from anywhere in the winning room and have no one mention it! I didn’t like the desk under the tv but I much preferred the over all design of the losing rooms.

[dleighg]

I have this pet peeve about Genevieve deep-hugging everyone on just meeting, and then another great big hug to the female client on meeting the next day at her house-- you are not long lost sisters you know! Why do you need to hug?? 

Off my soap box.

And the hanging chair would not please me either. It looked rather narrow. The very slender judge more or less filled it side-to-side. Would it really be comfortable to sit in? 

While I intrinsically preferred the wood table to the tulip table, I think the designer didn't do a good job in the store of telling them why the tulip table was better (and I agree that for the space it was better). Genevieve is right about the job of a designer.

[biakbiak]

10 minutes ago, dleighg said:

nd the hanging chair would not please me either. It looked rather narrow. The very slender judge more or less filled it side-to-side. Would it really be comfortable to sit in? 

I also thought it took away from the loveliness of the fire place. I really liked the idea of the plant softening it though a slightly bigger one would have been better. The hanging chair also looked cheap.

While I intrinsically preferred the wood table to the tulip table,

I thought the shape was so much better but the top was too busy for everything.

I adored the re-upholstery of those two side chairs in that leaf fabric a little Golden Girls but modern and awesomesauce!

Edited May 30, 2019 by biakbiak

[heckkitty]

7 hours ago, biakbiak said:

You cannot bitch about the space plan of the losing room when the TV cannot be comfortably watched from anywhere in the winning room and have no one mention it! I didn’t like the desk under the tv but I much preferred the over all design of the losing rooms.

Same.

[kirklandia]

My little heart went pitter-patter when I saw this original 1971 Ekornes Stressless chair in the room.  I have been looking for one in good condition for the longest time...

"All the furniture you see, we bought it very cheaply. This chair was a hand-me-down.. it's definitely old and it's seen its day." Homeowner

Boo!  (Didn't Genevieve say that homeowners love midcentury modern style?)

"It's such an iconic midcentury piece"  Designer

Thank goodness she isn't getting rid of it!

"It's dry, it's crusty, it just needs a little help" Judge

If you want to re-upholster, you can buy leather pieces cut to fit the original chair and ottoman from the manufacturer.  Not cheap, but pretty cool! 

(Twice, I heard a judge say Eames.  Not Eames.)

[biakbiak]

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!!  How did that absolutely hideous completely dysfunctional floorplan win?!?! I don’t care if his wasn’t very neoclassical it was attractive and functional for their lifestyle! I am absolutely floored!  

I seriously would be pissed if I were the woman who lost her workspace. They were asking a lot of the small room but her solution was ridiculous so now the room doesn’t work for eating, her work or watching the tv the three things they use the room for! And the Venetian plaster wall was ugly and poorly done! There was paint on the other walls that clearly want supposed to be there. I have liked rooms more than others but this was something out of Trading Spaces!!!  

[Madding crowd]

The dining room was seriously off scale and it would be difficult to work at that table. I didn’t find the winking Mona Lisa all that amazing either. I have liked the losing room better in almost all the episodes so far.

[dleighg]

Do you think either of those couples knew what "neoclassical design" was before ending up on this show? I mean, absolutely nothing that they had purchased or done showed that they tended toward that look. I bet they both said something like "elegant" and they got slotted into this design style. It was COMPLETELY inappropriate for the simple homes they were living in. Stuffing oversize furniture into small rooms is not a great idea. I mean, my rich cousin likes that style, but she lives in a 20,000 square foot house!

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, dleighg said:

t they both said something like "elegant" and they got slotted into this design style. It was COMPLETELY inappropriate for the simple homes they were living in. S

Yeah that is another reason I liked the losing room most of the pieces were more neutral they could easily swap at the coffee table and get a new base for the dining room if they didn’t like it the other people are going to have to completely redo the room.

[dleighg]

I had friends who had a mirrored wall in their first house. Which they bought in 1990. And that mirrored wall was the first thing to get ripped out. 

[zillabreeze]

What idiot calls that chick the "DIY Queen"?  Silly cow apparently doesn't own a tape measure.  No excuse for the flooring & furniture size fuq-ups!  She has a shop, but can't order the right amount of floor?   Can't add the length of the couch + desk and know that they won't fit on the wall?   Jeez.   If I had a "designer" on my nickel making those elementary mistakes, I'd send her packing.

And FYI, folks...joint compound with a coat of paint does not become "Venetian Plaster".   

[suebee12]

I just finished watching this episode and I could not believe the winning room! The Mona Lisa was truly awful, the table was too big and too close to the door. Who could ever work in that office space cabinet? And the new fireplace looked as though it came from Big Lots! The man's room on the other hand, looked comfortable and something that folks would enjoy. This show only proves that I could never hire a decorator who has to follow rules, etc., instead of making a room comfortable. I was glad when I came here and saw that everyone agreed with me!

[dleighg]

6 hours ago, suebee12 said:

The Mona Lisa was truly awful,

and wasn't it kind of "kick-backy" that she bought it at her own shop????? And it was expensive!

[zillabreeze]

5 hours ago, dleighg said:

and wasn't it kind of "kick-backy" that she bought it at her own shop????? And it was expensive!

My first question was would it count against her budget?  If so, wholesale or retail?

This episode seemed really skewed in the No Mathing chicks direction.

11 hours ago, suebee12 said:

And the new fireplace looked as though it came from Big Lots!

Thank you.  I kept trying to place that.  Ugh.

[suebee12]

Finally, I picked the winning room! Jinnie's fireplace was amazing but it took almost all of  her budget! Her room was a great improvement over the Before but then what wouldn't have been? I loved Dan's room...cozy and comfortable. With that budget there was no way that he could afford new doors but the homeowners can do that later. And the judges wanted the fireplace whiter while the owners wanted more of the brick color so he went somewhere in-between!

(Actually he could have probably used crayon on the wall and I would have picked his room because of his gorgeous blue eyes). Wasn't he on a HGTV design show sometime recently. I searched but couldn't find him and they never mentioned his last name on tonight's show.

[Morgana]

When the designers go to meet the clients for the first time, before going to the inspiration house, why do they lug along a small suitcase over their shoulder?  It looks as though they don't actually use anything in there until the next day.  I wouldn't carry around a huge tote/briefcase if I didn't have to.

[sheetmoss]

I know he won - but it frustrated me the designer didn't at least paint the slider and window frame black  Also too,  use black tape to make panes

I wish Genevieve would have said how she handles things like that niche - IMO. most times leaving them bare is the best option.

Sinc other work/painting was being done in the room...dry wall it over.

[kirklandia]

"Wasn't he on a HGTV design show sometime recently." 

Dan Vickery.  Somehow,  I remembered him from Design Star, 10 years ago...

[dleighg]

This was the first inspiration house that I actually liked. But once again, I found Genevieve's descriptions of the styles kind of underwhelming.  EVERY SINGLE STYLE uses a mix of "wood, metal, fabric, texture"......

[suebee12]

3 hours ago, kirklandia said:

Dan Vickery.  Somehow,  I remembered him from Design Star, 10 years ago...

Thank you, thank you!! He was originally on Season 4(2009) and then again in the All Star edition in 2012). He came in second in Season 4 and only 4th in the All Star Season. But he won for me in both seasons with his gorgeous blue eyes!!!!