Episode 1: First Impressions + Bad Collages
HGTV Design Star Season 7 Designers
You can get to know a designers’ style from their portfolio, but it’s not until you see them under pressure (read: the first challenge in a potentially life-changing competition) that you really see what they can do (and what makes them tick.) Here’s what went down on tonight’s premiere. (Spoiler alert!)
Bex and Kris
Bex and Kris worked together (or should I say…near each other) on an oddly-shaped master bedroom with a massive black marble fireplace. Kris came off a bit bossy, but I loved his playful, modern inspiration piece — a glass table striped with neon tape — and the way he paired it with the oversized matchstick. I wasn’t as passionate about the passionate plum wall color, and the judges weren’t too keen on the reddish-purple hue either.
As a fellow pun-lover, I have to give Bex props for creating not one but two pun-inspired art pieces — a constellation-bedazzled daybed (Since all the contestants are stars…get it?) and a gear-shifting art piece she came up with while “spinning her gears” for ideas. Tee-hee-hee.
Unfortunately, too-large holes made the constellation a bit too blinding to be effective, and the judges agreed that overall the daybed was too clunky. “Whoever gets to sleep on that bed is the one who chooses last,” quipped Genevieve. The neon gear piece added a fun touch to the room and did a nice job tying together the two designers’ styles. (Side note: Did anyone notice Bex’s hat in the elimination room? It looked remarkably like the plum paint swatch!)
Miera and Jordan
This odd couple (Ms. Coastal Casual and Mr. Clean and Modern) seemed like they were headed for conflict at first, but in the end their bedroom space came together pretty well. After a small hiccup with their upholstery fabric, they managed to create a polished, cohesive space.
Danielle and Luca
After being assigned to work together on the biggest room ever, Danielle took the design lead while Luca took more of a project management role. Vern dinged him for that at evaluation, saying “It’s Design Star, not ‘logistical manager star.’” The judges loved the color and artwork Danielle chose for the warm, gray great room. I’m curious to see more of Luca’s style on the next episode.
Britany and Mikel
Britany came into the bedroom space with a vision — geometric walls, bright colors and lots of contrast — that left Mikel’s “vintage glam” aesthetic playing second fiddle. But he did eventually find and reupholster an ottoman that spoke to his style well enough that he gets to live another week. Britany’s geometric feature wall was a highlight for me, and the judges agreed.
Rachel and Hilari
Rachel and Hilari worked together on the lounge area, and the judges loved its glam-and-natural vibe overall.
Hilari was determined to have a TV in the space (“We can’t talk all the time. Plus, I’m addicted to reality TV,” she said.) but the budget only allowed for pint-sized one that looked even more puny when surrounded by layer upon layer of black molding. Not a good look.
The judges loved Rachel’s custom cocktail table and moose head vignette, and they named her this week’s winner. Her easygoing, girl-next-door personality doesn’t hurt, either. Let’s hear a couple of moose…er, grunts?…to celebrate!
Congratulations, Rachel!
Yuki and Stanley
Is it just me, or do about half of eliminated Design Star contestants go down either A) choosing off-color hues they “stand behind” or B) throwing together last-minute artwork? Unfortunately, Yuki made both fatal mistakes tonight and was the first to go home. Yuki, we’ll miss you!
Vern was full of quips when he saw this space — he said he hope the green and purple walls would “go away when he closed his eyes,” and he wished the “wind-swept collage” would just “blow right out the door.” Stanley may have been saved by his handmade metal sculpture, but his contribution to the collage (empty frames and what looked like trash) wasn’t much better.
Now it’s your turn! Who is your favorite designer so far? What room did you love? Hate? Be heard in the comments below.
There were far worse things than my tv in that house…trust me!
I really liked your big molding design, but it's true that the TV looked dinky in it. Coulda moved the TV elsewhere. But you are absolutely right that there were far, far worse things!
Enjoyed the new show. Too short. Thought Danielle was hands down winner. Why spoil show with a Kardashian showing up in future show? No taste there!
Like her or not, Kim Kardashian does have a strong sense of style and used to dress celebrities before she became famous herself.
Except its not Kim, it's her mother whose home is almost as tasteless as Dina's!
I agree!! Keep the Kardashians away…what now she is a designer? I never saw such a talented –less family stay on TV so long..I might skip that night. Big turnoff
It looks like a talented bunch. I have to admit that I like David's dishing on the inside secrets. Keep it up every week!!
I was very surprised at how the judges talked negatively about Luca and what he contributed. Every time the camera showed him and Danielle doing something, Luca was working and Danielle was standing around watching. Luca seems to have given more input into the room than they gave him credit for…such a shame!
But David's commentary on the show says that Luca fought with Danielle a lot. He also has an annoying personality — I mean really … describing his style as "Lucalicious?" He did help manage the carpentry and installation of the molding, but in a condescending way toward Danielle.
A very nice guy got sent home last season (Dan) for not contributing enough of his own design to a room, but instead he had helped with carpentry (his specialty) in carrying out his partner's designs (two of the female contestants). Fortunately, he did appear at least once (I think with Emily) in making a piece of furniture for Secrets From A Stylist.
But it goes to show that you can take being a team player too far and you must instead maintain a certain degree of visibility in the final design.
One more comment: On what I think was the third season, I thought Matthew should have won over Jennifer, although I liked them both. But on the final episode, when they were remodeling kitchens and dining rooms in two different homes for two New Orleans families who were flood victims, Matthew gave Jennifer the better of the two previous contestants to be her helper, the one who could help her the most so the family for whom she was designing would have the best possible outcome, and he kept the lesser of the assistants for himself, believing he could get by with just her since he could do some of the carpentry and other harder things that the male assistant could do whom he had generously offered to Jennifer. But I still think it ultimately cost him the competition. He was noble, true, but it did not turn out for the best for him, and then circumstances in Jennifer's life prevented her from continuing her new show, anyway. I would like to have seen Matthew in a show of his own.
I remember that Moonbeam and I totally agree. Even in the first season, David could've easily lost to Alice, who pushed him all season long. What do we hear of Alice? She had a column at HGTV for about a year and then disappeared. I'd love to see her make a guest appearance as a judge some week.
Thanks for telling me about that, Sue. Unfortunately, I did not see the first season of Design Star because I did not have cable then. But you've made me curious enough to want to go back and watch that whole season, especially to check out Alice's work. Sounds as if that first season was the one many people still consider the best.
I totally agree! SOMEONE has to do the actual WORK to pull it off!
Yuki's floor should have definitely saved her; and, I thought the little TV inside a too large of box looked much worse than her art collage did… sorry judges, but I have to respectfully disagree with you on that call.
I just want to say that the collage did look like trash because after my artwork went up, STANLEY did pick up trash off the floor and staple it all over the collage and the wall and spray paint all over both, then hang up the frames.
I wish something would have been said about the great silver bench that I upholstered or the amazing table that Stanley made. It is a very short amount of time to show days and days of work. I am very grateful for the experience and wish all of the other designers the best.
Yuki, you are right — that trash he put all over it really ruined it. Working with Stanley must have been very difficult.
Also, I liked your choice of colors b/c I got that your room was supposed to be a creatively inspirational space, not a subdued one.
You have "star quality" and great presence on the screen, and you were poised and polished as well.
Yuki, I loved your floors and saw more design inspiration in your work than Stanley's. Stanley's metal sculpture was different and unique and I really liked the table but those don't make the room. When you said if you had more time, I couldn't agree more. The colors were fun!
I didn't think you should have been sent home. Though I like the designer, I thought the TV in the frame was strange. Why not a TV in an armoire? Not original an original concept, but better than what was presented. And all that carrying on about the faux moosehead. David put up a whole wall of heads on one of his shows…doesn't he remember?
SOUR GRAPES!!!!!
I only counted 8 beds… Do the others have to sleep outside?
Very observant! There was a maids quarters with two beds, and they added 2 more beds to the room Kris and I did – yep, FIVE ladies in one room!
I'm so glad that Design Star is back and is not Survivor with walls! What a season that was! I loved the moose head and found that entire room to be the most together and inspiring. Got to say, hated the green-purple-orange room – I would be inspired to run away! Looks like we have designers who can execute their designs. Gonna be a fun season! Oh David, love you, hate the outfit.
I thought Daniell's room was very nice. The two blue bedrooms were so so. I also thought the white moosehead wasn't appealing at all. I couldn't figure out why they just went on and on about it. It was a real shame that Yuki was the first one kicked off. She was very creative and offered so much more than some of the others. Some of them had very little to offer in the way of creativity, i.e. the guy whose main contribution was picking the white sofa… Paleeze. And Daisy Fuentes? Good grief. She couldn't make it as a star in anything in my book. I probably won't watch any more of the shows.
Danielle's room was just great. It is a shame that Yuki was the first to be voted off. I thought she showed real creativity and never got her chance to shine. The two blue bedrooms were awful and so was the ugly moosehead. I hated the fact that the one guy got to stay because he picked a white sofa…good grief and Daisy Fuentes? Paleeze. The judging was terrible. I have always liked this show and Vern especially, but not any more. You have lost me as a viewer. I hope others feel the same.
Agree with it all. If the white sofa saved Luca, the beautiful floors in Yuki's room was a bigger statement and should have saved her.
Exactly, and the orange couch that Yuki chose was very similar in structure to the white one – the structure was what they seemed to like about it.