Come on Design Star contestants, you represent the best of the best…supposedly.  I almost quit  watching this week, but I am tenacious, loyal, and was eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes and couldn’t reach the remote.  For me, watching a good episode of decorating TV is tantamount to sex, and well…you get the picture.  The learning point this week was good design is wrapped in emotion. As important as aesthetics are, the “Feeling” is even more important.   The Red Team brought negative emotion to their design.

Two new teams: Red (Nina, Stacy, Courtland, and Tom), and Blue  (Alex, Michael, Casey, Emily) took on this week’s  challenge to create functional common areas for the fireman of the “deserves to be decorated” FDNY.  The spaces needed to be

The Winning Space

 multi-functional and yet, aesthetically pleasing.  Bue Team was declared the winner with their group effort.  They demonstrated what TEAM means including covering for Michael who shot himself with a nail gun.  A number of stand outs, such as Alex’s skyline wall graphic  with lights representing 7 lost fireman from 9-11, Emily’swell-meaning but amateurish attempt at a coffee table, Michael’s  (with a bit of help) desk area and Casey’s canvas of a fireman.  My disappointments (but who I am to talk…they won) was once again the color story.  Why blue violet on the walls and fire engine red?  The competing levels of saturation hurt my eyes. 

Red Team included Cruella DeDecorator Nina, who decided to be unique and unusual with her standout feature…she created a…are you ready…wait for it…WALL ART! A bulletin board adorned with braille stating the fire companies motto.  The problem, if you have to explain it, it doesn’t work.  Nina also made the furniture decision to add leather to the space without any space planning which meant a reclining chair, couldn’t recline.  As a result Cruella DeDecorator is Cruella DeGone. 

 Although I think the Red Team are individually talented, they took a depressing approach with black ceilings, charred looking panelled wall, and an overall lack of concern for the power of emotion when designing a space.  Tom’s decision to open the original ceiling was a good one, but not the place to paint it black. I also was cheering for him when he wanted to knock down a wall but his team mates prevailed and the wall stayed intact. Darn anyway!  I think he has a sincere desire to create amazing spaces but the logistics of the team relationship tie many of their hands. 

Just when I was feeling sorry for poor mis-understood Nina, she opened her mouth.  ”I have a lot of charisma and personality, and people can’t handle that, but I am living in the Nina Show.”   At that comment, I turned to my cat and said, “Can you believe the arrogance.”  With a run to the door, I realized even he wanted to get away from last night’s episode.  I do want to say, if Nina was as talented as she claimed to be, I would have been calling her names but loving the inspiration she shared.  I never truly saw the talent she insisted was there. For more endearing Ninaisms, see her exit interview here, where she makes the loss everyone’s responsiblity…except hers. 

Next week I will tune in again to see if other personalities emerge, since Nina won’t be overshadowing the group.  I hope the rest  step up to the plate and show their decorating chops and some chutzpah.  We need true charisma and oh yes…knock my socks off!  

JoAnne Lenart-Weary

Creative Director-The Decorating and Staging Academy

Founder-One Day Decorating and JLW Interiors