Design Star, HGTV, and TV Decorating-Thumbs Down

August 22, 2010 By

Tonight is the final episode of Design Star and we are down to two, very nice, but un-inspiring designers, Michael Moeller and Emily Henderson.  As I struggled last week between Design Star and Great Food Truck Race, I thought how sad  I was even contemplating the choice. 

Design Star-Final Two

But this season has been boring in its mediocrity.  The glass room challenge was interesting in an elementary way, but not outstanding. It was like watching a brand new designer on their first project, adequate but not stellar.  The most interesting thing this season has been watching Candice Olson’s hair.  The quiet competition has me  (almost) missing Nina-Cruella DeDecorator-Ferrer.

I love design, decorating, color, and all things that impact a space.  Even after 35 years as a professional interior decorator, I have an insatiable desire to learn and be inspired by all things Design.  Thus my original love with HGTV and Design Star.  My love has waned for both.  HGTV and the Discovery Channel,  forgot about us, both professional and DIY,  who truly love design and the process.   Corny as they may have been, Matt Fox and Sherri Hiller of Room by Room, delivered great design ideas, (and will soon have a new TV show on PBS) the early years of Trading Spaces were some of my favorite, and Decorating Cents (of which I was able to be a part of a few episodes) was exciting to watch for the budget driven mindset. Divine Design has always been enjoyable and inspiring with higher ticket ideas that even those on a budget could mimic. Each show focused on creative real design for real people, okay, except for Hildy’s straw on the wall episode.  Practical Design with flair is what my clients want day in and day out.  Aw-w-w, FLAIR is the key…using things in creative, non-predictable ways.  That is what Design Star is missing.  Partially, because the designers haven’t played in the decorating sandbox for as long, perhaps because they let fear get in the way, or simply the crazy inspirations the DS production team dishes out, are too limiting.  Whatever it is, Design Star and HGTV are losing viewers on a daily basis.

But where will I be tonight at 10 PM?  On my sofa, with my snack of the night in hand, ready for the Grand Finale.  I will be watching with hope that this…this is going to be the episode that knocks it out of the park.  I will follow this season all the way to the end while the two, very nice, remaining contestants, battle it out in one of the most anti-climatic versions of DS I have watched.  It actually makes me miss,Nina-Cruella DeDecorator, just a little bit! 

Will I be back next year?  At this stage, I say no, there will be something else filling my time at 10 PM on a Sunday evening.  Maybe the key to a great Design Star is pitting people against one another for the joy of the process of design, not a title that is only as good as the caliber of the competition. 

In the interim, Here is a sneak peek at tonight’s final episode!

JoAnne Lenart-Weary

Creative Director-The Decorating and Staging Academy

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Design Star or Great Food Truck Race

August 16, 2010 By

star

   /stɑr/ Show Spelled [stahr] Show IPA ,noun, adjective, verb, starred, star·ring.–noun 1. a person who is celebrated or distinguished in some art, profession, or other field.

HEY HGTV, do you understand the definition of “star:” is someone who blows their peers out of the water?  The 3 finalists are nice enough, but I want them to blow my mind with creative decorating ideas.  I just spent the week teaching a decorating class where we transformed a master suite and a family room.  The clients were “blown away” by our group creativity.  Anyone of my students dazzled me more than what I have seen so far on Design Star.

...and then there were 3

A frustrating 2 weeks of ongoing computer problems have cut into my blogging, webinars, and life.  But even if my computer would have been up to par, I don’t think I would have posted after last week’s episode of Design Star.  I was driving from Pennsylvania to North Carolina to teach and timed my arrival so I wouldn’t miss a moment.  Rushed to my room, unpacked my bags, took the pizza from the delivery man, and settled back.  As I watched the room, I thought, this is oatmeal…I want eggs bendict…design style.  In  other words, give me something exciting, not everyday design.

So now, I sit here, flipping back and forth between Design Star and Great Food Truck Race, and not sure where to actually land.  Should I set myself up for disappointment once again…or do I move on to gourmet food trucks all shiny and gleaming?  Let you know tomorrow what way I go!  

JoAnne Lenart-Weary

Creative Director and Disappointed Design Star Fan

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My Ongoing Affair with Design Star

August 2, 2010 By

Design Star, you did it to me again.  I keep hoping for the design “high” I used to get and once again, I was disappointed.   Yet, everytime I vow to end the relationship, I get drawn in with hope this is the week the contestants are going to “bring it.”  Nope, another week of quasi-design with not one bit of creativity.  I eagerly prepared for our time together. I took a shower, slipped into something comfortable, and settled in with my chocolate pudding, ready for that heady feeling I get when I see creativity in action.  But I was left unsatisfied.   For the last 35 years I have made my living creating beautiful rooms.  For the last 11 years, I have focused on teaching others to do the same.  The talent and creativity I see everytime I teach a class, blows me away.  I want to gather up the Design Star candidates and help them find their inner creativity.  So what did I learn from this week?

#1 Product driven Design…disappoints. Anyone can buy stuff and set it in a room, but that is not what makes a room rock.  It is a combination of

The Winning Kitchen on Design Star

 product used in innnovative ways.  Both teams seems to have similar props and used them instead of their design abilities to fill the void.  Each room had some positive elements but nothing that was stellar design.

#2 A kitchen needs color. Each team took a conservative approach with wall color, how disappointing. I don’t mean the walls should be red, but at least increase the value so the wall color had some body to support the heavy elements of large appliances, granite, etc. 

Too much Stuff...Everywhere!

#3 Remember what you are selling.  This was a photo shoot for Sears to showcase appliances. Photo styling is much like staging, you use the props to showcase the selling feature.  In this case, it was like a before photo as there was so much “stuff” it detracted from the true star of the shoot, the appliances.  In fact, I can’t wait to use the photos in a classroom to show what not to do when staging or styling a kitchen.

#4 “I never would have thought of that”  This is my mantra when I decorate spaces.  Every room I create needs to knock their socks off, but not just because I bought a bunch of pretty things.  The DS team doesn’t seem to get this.  Last night again, showcased predictable design.  The difference between a DIY and professional project, is taking the project to a new level.  I have yet to see that happen.  I want to watch the show and say, “Wow, I never would have thought of that.” 

#5 Eat, Pray, Love-Design Star is going to make me fat, as I eat through the episode in frustration,  I pray the show is going to be worth watching, and I want to love the end result.  So far…not so much.

Join me next week for my thoughts on the next episode.  JoAnne Lenart-Weary, Creative Director

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