Ask the Producer: Episode 4
Vern Yip, Genevieve Gorder, Producer Loren Ruch, Kathy Ireland, Tanika Ray
We caught up with Loren Ruch, the show’s producer, to get answers to your most-asked questions from Design Star episode four, including: What happens to the eliminated designer after judging? Plus, learn how the crew scouted the B&B location and what the designers do on their days off.
How did you choose the bed and breakfast location for this week’s challenge?
Once we decided we wanted to do a B&B episode, we hired a location scout to scour a 2 hour radius around New York City to find the perfect property in need of a makeover. The minute he found the Spring Lake Inn, we knew we were in luck! The innkeepers were wonderful, and completely accommodating about allowing our designers to do whatever they wanted to the rooms. In the end, the Spring Lake Inn got a total transformation (including what Vern Yip called ‘the best room he’s seen in six years of Design Star’), which will hopefully be beneficial to them in garnering new business!
What happens to the eliminated designer right after judges’ panel? Is the outside-the-judging room footage really the goodbye?
The post-evaluation goodbyes in the Designers’ Lounge that you see on TV are truly the last times the designers see their eliminated counterpart. We whisk the eliminated designer back to the apartment to grab his/her suitcase and then put them up for a night in a hotel before sending them home the next morning.
Were the challenges filmed back-to-back or did the designers have days off to regroup?
It’s a pretty grueling process, to be completely honest! We shoot our episodes back-to-back, but there are four days off scattered through the entire shooting process – one of them which happened to be Easter Sunday this year. On their days off, the designers hang out at the apartment, cook for each other, work out and get haircuts, etc. They are not allowed to leave the property because we don’t want them to do any research for the show, so they really just use the days to regenerate and hang out together! Even the hairdresser came to their apartment so that they wouldn’t need to leave.
Is there a particular challenge that the crew has particularly enjoyed? What is your favorite Design Star challenge?
What a fun question! I think that weather has a lot to do with which challenges we like best/least. This year we dealt with a lot of rain, so anything ‘indoors’ was preferable to outdoors. I have to say my very favorite is this upcoming week’s Kitchen Challenge with Paula Dean. She had the entire crew in stitches, and my mouth literally hurt from laughing so much. Plus, the makeovers are FANTASTIC!! Additionally, working with Kathy Ireland on the B&B Challenge was pretty amazing, too. She was such a ray of light and positive energy that you couldn’t help but be happy around her!
What behind-the-scenes questions do you have for Loren? Ask in the comments below and he may just answer you next week.
I assume that everyone involved in the show and its' production, see each show in its' entirety at some point. There is one designer that I find particularly distasteful and rude. The arrogance she projects is nauseating. As a matter of fact, if that person would end up winning, I would never watch the show. Why is the inability to work with others not considered along with the design when the judges make their decisions?.
I totally agree with Jan. I am certain the person she is referring to is Kathy. What a horrid person she is. She is vain, rude, insulting, lazy and has a terrible personality. I hae never responded to anything, but the thought of her remaining on the show is mind boggling. I hope you get rid of her.
Guess im not the only one who thinks cathy is rude. All she wants to do is shop wiggles out of the work involved. thought for sure she was gone this week. She should have been.
I agree also – Kathy reminds on Amaroosa from The Apprentence…..Kathy needs to go!!!!!
I agree, Cathy needs to go. She always wants to get out of work & wants to do all of the shopping. She can not work with anyone without being rude & mouthy.
if Kathy to ever win the challenge, that is a show i would NEVER watch, what a nasty person she is. i hoe this is the last week i have to watch her.
Can you believe Kathy is ranked 2nd on Fan Favorite votes? Where do we get to vote for Least Likeable Designer?
HGTV IS THE ONLY CHANNEL THAT I SEE. I LOVE SARA RICHARDSON, CANDISE, AND MISS SOTO, THEY ARE THE BEST, AND THE BROTHERS TOO. WHAT HAPPENS TO RATE MY SPACE? AND TO SARA? I WILL LOVE TO SEE MORE COUNTRY STYLE. LOVE SARA'S FRIEND THAT WORK WITH HER. HE IS SO NICE. TELL THEM I LOVE THEM ALL.
I'll let them all know that you send your love! Keep on watching!!
And I have the same opinion as Jan and John. I specifically came to the Design Star site to let you know that if (and I don't think she will) Kathy would win the challange, I would NEVER watch her show. She doesn't work well on a team, doesn't accept responsibility, does not carry her share of the workload, does not demonstrate a sense of humor and never shows she would have ANY interest in what audiance or the "client" wants. I turn the volume down on my TV when she has anything to say !=/
Well the thing is a great designer Katie, does not rely souly on the team they stand out from the rest of the crowd, and like all Reality TV shows they always make someone the villian – its called ratings – judge her on her work and not on her 2 secs of fame that this show has decided to show you out of the hour of tape recorded – admit it – you are now fixated on watching the show just to see what she will do next – and no matter how big or little the slight you have judged her – Remember the old saying those in glass houses should not cast stones… I for one will watch the show every time because its entertaining drama and about what I love Design… but I will not judge the people showcased because I recognize that it is enterainment just as I will not judge you for following the other lemmings on this blog… Never say Never… cause I bet you watch the next show she is in ….
Oh PLEASE!
I agree you and the one above you. Can you imagine…..Karl has to work with Kathy AGAIN in episode 5 (not fair, others have not had the same privilege to even work with once)…. I she going to jeopardize all of his great work because of her ego and inability to work with anyone!!!!! If she stays on, Kathy runs the risk of jeopardizing the good work of all the other designers……..what, just for controversy and ratings.
I agree. If Cathy is on, I am off.
I agree with those opinions of the above stated designer. What is the point of putting designers together to be team mates if their quality of cooperation is not accurately judged. I can understand choosing people that the network thinks would cause an interesting dynamic for the show but at some point it has to become about the designing and what would really be right for the network. We the viewers watch the shows because we love learning about design and want to learn how to incorporate it into our lives. Unfortunately, the show has finished recording and only you know how it ended. If they retained her for show ratings and sensationalism then they definitely succeeded based on how enthusiastic people are to get her off their television.
If I had been the judges at this point in the competition, I would have voted off two. Bret and Kathy because I just wasn't seeing anything coming from Bret. Cathy has also not shown anything about her individual design ability, I have seen very little true creativity and nothing but bad team work. Yes she has good taste and is good at buying things that are pretty but her bad attitude does not make up for that. I would have done this so that she could not poison the show any longer plus it would have gotten good ratings and still done the right thing for the viewing audience.
I agree with you. When they are paired, they should be judge as a pair. Not judge one as her designed or that was his idea. Come on judge, judge fairly according to the team ability to designed. Why call it Design Star. I would love to see individual designing from now on. When they are paired off, the other is out to out-design the other. As for Cathy, she should have gone. She is in a world of her own, no buts about it. I feel sorry for the next designer paired with her.
I agree with those opinions of the above stated designer. What is the point of putting designers together to be team mates if their quality of cooperation is not accurately judged. I can understand choosing people that the network thinks would cause an interesting dynamic for the show but at some point it has to become about the designing and what would really be right for the network. We the viewers watch the shows because we love learning about design and want to learn how to incorporate it into our lives. Unfortunately, the show has finished recording and only you know how it ended. If they retained her for show ratings and sensationalism then they definitely succeeded based on how enthusiastic people are to get her off their television.
One last thing… She should be taken off the running to get an online show. It would be a waste of the corporations money… :@
Kate, my cousin called it "DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA", it brings money, money,money from sponsors and they love this kind of outcome.
I agree with those opinions of the above stated designer. What is the point of putting designers together to be team mates if their quality of cooperation is not accurately judged. I can understand choosing people that the network thinks would cause an interesting dynamic for the show but at some point it has to become about the designing and what would really be right for the network. We the viewers watch the shows because we love learning about design and want to learn how to incorporate it into our lives. Unfortunately, the show has finished recording and only you know how it ended. If they retained her for show ratings and sensationalism then they definitely succeeded based on how enthusiastic people are to get her off their television.
If I had been the judges at this point in the competition, I would have voted off two. Bret and Kathy because I just wasn't seeing anything coming from Bret. Cathy has also not shown anything about her individual design ability, I have seen very little true creativity and nothing but bad team work. Yes she has good taste and is good at buying things that are pretty but her bad attitude does not make up for that. I would have done this so that she could not poison the show any longer plus it would have gotten good ratings and still done the right thing for the viewing audience.
One last thing… She should be taken off the running to get an online show. It would be a waste of the corporations money…
Kathy needs to go she’s arrogant, untalented, and hateful, her only contribution is shopping. None of her designs work out….. OH…. wait what am I saying, she shops and her flunkies work and design. Why is she still there?
Also should you not look at the way they all talk about their partners? If not why do you pair them up?
And your not arrogant… here is a thought re- read your post about someone you have had the pleasure of being entertained by for all of what 20 mins of airtime so far- Way to be a judgemental ass…. this is priceless everyone is focused on the hate – how about more posts on the folks and their designs we like in the show… Hand in the air – saying "Talk to It"
It's "you're" not your. And the blogs are for people to talk about who they like, who they don't like, who inspires them, who doesn't. Kathy is not a good designer, she is arrogant and rude. However, Doug was the same way and he's gone. Meg is starting to come into her own. Tyler is good. I love Leslie (although I think it's spelled differently), she inspires me. The rest are lurking somewhere in the middle. Oh, I forgot Karl – he's doing some neat stuff. So Sabrina, everyone, including yourself, has the right to post what they think, but let's keep some manners and put the little hand down.
OH PUHLEEEEZE!! WHO ARE YOU, ANYWAY??
Totally agree! She brings whatever designer she is paired with to her level of mediocrity. I don't think she'll win or has won (since the shows are taped in advance). I have to presume the judges see the "behind the scenes" that goes on with the teams. She doesn't inspire me in the least. Now Leslie (sp) on the other hand has great ideas I hope she goes far in the competition. I've also noticed that a lot of times a very untalented and very disliked "designer" will stay on the show just to keep interest – we all love to hate the "bad guy".
Sigh. To the best of my knowledge, they're done filming and any decisions they were making during the filming are made. Complaining to the producers about any given contestant in this season isn't going to make a bit of difference in this season, at this point. I would say that next season, I'd appreciate it if they didn't keep someone around for "drama"–I'd rather spend more time learning about what the designers are doing and why they're doing it than rolling my eyes about a diva attitude. It *is* a how-to network, after all, and I doubt any of us need training in how to be cranky when we're under stress. I think that would give a better idea of what shows they'd do as well.
Loren, I'm glad you mentioned the longer deadlines, to make sure they get things done. I like having deadlines–kind of wish a lot of contractors had to go through a gauntlet like this–but they do need to be realistic, especially when they're working with someone's real business.
I'd be interested in a follow-up beyond the reveal. Since there's time between the end of filming and the air date, maybe a return, to see how customers have felt about it, how the spaces are feeling lived-in… I think that would say a lot.
Thank you so much for your response Barbara! We love suggestions for next season, and I worked really hard this year to make it a more "Design-centric" rather than 'drama-centric" show, but when people are working under tight deadlines and when the prize is so huge (a show of their own), a lot of stress sometimes takes over! Keep on watching…I'm not going to give anything away, but I hope you like how the season turns out…:)
I agree with buffalobarbara – It would be great to see how the rooms and the comments after the guests at the Inn stayed in them or the people that allow HGTV Design star renovated the rooms in thier home .
Fantastic suggestion!!! I will check with the Inn Keepers to see if they have a guest book they'd like to share with us…maybe we can put some of the comments online at hgtv.com if there are any good ones!