Episode 3 Recap: Kardashian Office Makeover
This week brought big names and big stakes: Ten designers took on the challenge of designing Kris Kardashian Jenner’s new office space, and only eight made it out unscathed. Well, mostly.
See the highlights, my favorite moments and biggest pet peeves from this week’s episode of Design Star, then tell me your take on this week’s action.
Britany and Mikel worked together on the conference room. As guest judge and client Kris Kardashian Jenner said, “I never met a mirror I didn’t like,” and Britany delivered a mirrored installation that wowed. I have to admit, when she said “mirrored wall” I had horror flashbacks to an ’80s workout video, but I really like the finished look:
Mikel held his own on his second project with Britany. I loved his use of two modern, white tables to create a conference table big enough to seat at least most of the extended Kardashian clan (or is that klan?).
Oh, Kris and Miera. It seemed like their partnership in the reception area was doomed from the start. Miera and Kris fell into a vicious cycle: Kris takes over, Miera cries foul, drama, drama, rinse, repeat. In the end, they went their separate ways but created a surprisingly cohesive space and they even cozied up a bit by picture time:
The highlights for me were Miera’s striped picture rail (above)and Kris’s glam wallpaper pick:
Next up: Hilari and Danielle. They worked together on the Kardashian kitchen. This seemed like Hilari’s chance to show off her over-the-top glam look, right? Well, I’m still waiting to see it, although she did pick wallpaper that “looked like ice” and literally made Momma Kardashian happy enough to hug the wall. Danielle’s wall stripes were a win with the judges, but she had a near-meltdown over a section of badly-mounted wallpaper in the closet. Hilari helped her mask the area with curtains (which the judges, of course, looked behind immediately) but the last-minute snafu left their space with an unfinished look.
Then there’s Stanley and Rachel, who worked together on Kris’s office. Stanley had a rough go on the first team challenge, but he and Rachel were actually a great match-up. She convinced him to take a risk with the chartreuse, tufted velvet sofa and chair — and it paid off with Kris and the judges.
This week, Stanley tried something new with couches: displaying them horizontally! Ha. Seriously, the judges loved his cheesily-titled “diamond tennis bracelet” wall sculpture, and I was a fan of the modern stone desk he created. A solid (if canned) camera challenge was enough to clinch it for Stanley, and the judges named him this week’s winner. Two-time champ Rachel came in a close second.
And then there were two: Bex and Luca in the closet and product feature room. Luca, you should have spent less time talking about your high-end clients and Champagne tastes and more time designing a luxurious room. He was so caught up in not being “Bex’s employee” that he forgot to design anything worth getting excited about — the judges weren’t into his abstract art and thought his island didn’t fit the scale of the room. Bex tried to keep the peace, but she made some bad decisions, too — those hexagonal shelves could have worked, but not with the tiny accessories she threw in at the last second.
In the end, this pair brought each other down, and the judges said goodbye to both Bex and Luca.
Check back tomorrow for Meg and David’s reaction to the episode.
Now it’s your turn: What did you think of the makeover? Did the right designers go home? Tell me your take in the comments below.
awwww…. Bex is the best designer! She shouldn't go home! Bex is the Best! Bex is the Best! Bex is the Best!
What are we second graders now? Please stop clogging the boards with unintelligent and bias attempts to make people like you or your friend.
Seriously, there's so much b*tching this season, it's not enjoyable. I know people like drama. But not this much drama. 90% *meow* and 10% design do not a design show make. The producers should tell people to shut the eff up and get along. The designers, apart from shutting the eff up and getting along, should maybe think for seven seconds that they could learn something from one another and, then, maybe, actually learn something from one another. To make them better designers. Which should be the point.
Kris is the only one I pray to see go home each week! He is the meanest spirited person I've ever seen on this show (and that's Really saying something!). I hate for anyone else to have to work with him again, and I know that I could never manage to watch anything with him on it as a host. I'd fear for the people he was working for.
As someone who has had spaces designed by Kris, I can tell you the way he is edited on this show must be very hurtful to him. He is a true gentleman and an incredible designer. I haven't spoken to him since this show has aired, but I can guarantee the people he is partnered with must have been challenging, or the producers have taken some high stress moments out of context.
I did note that Kris hasn't spoken an ill word of his teammates in personal interviews. That speaks volumes about his code of honor. Anyone else see that he opened the door for Miera when they exited the stage after judging? That man was raised right.
And Kris was so quick to apologize to that nasty Miera when it appeared that it was she who was so quick to take offense to ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! I commend him for the gentlemanly way he handled her awful behavior.
Is Kris always so gushy-mushy toward clients, or was it just something about Mrs. Jenner? His behavior was rather extreme, and a bit hard to watch without cringing — not exactly professional. He did seem to try to make amends with Miera, but I'm still not sure he really understood where she was coming from. I think he has talent, but may need a bit more maturity.
A comment for "Guest" above. I was confused by your comment and so went back and read it again. How do you know that he was as you say so "gushy-mushy toward clients?" I didn't see that at all. In fact, I didn't see any interaction between Mrs. Jenner and the designers. I also didn't hear Kris even mention the client on the show. That makes me think that you know something that we don't or saw something not shown to the public. So who are you really "Guest?"
Also, I did notice he gave Miera a sincere apology, which she deserved. He has been pretty bossy and somewhat of a bully.
I didn't think Bex was as much catty as she was frustrated with working with a primadona who refused to work in parnership. Luca could take lessons from Stanley on being flexible when part of a team. Note that when Rachel found the puce upholstered pieces (that Kris Jenner ending up loving)
He isn't nearly as annoying as Luca, or Cathy Hobbs and a woman named Nina from a previous season. He at least tried to make amends, and at least he is very talented. I do like and that he was a bit of a bully with her. Of course, I don't know how she acts in person. I would not have deferred to that much younger a a designer as Kris, but stood up to him rather than go into another room and cry. However, she is not acting uppity and bragging despite the fact that she has had her own design studio for years and has quite high end clients. I don't think she'll beat Rachel, though.
You totally missed with some important office design factors –
storage, files, what kind of lighting, how to maximize daylight,
open space!
Good point.
Indeed! Also, the design aspects of the show feel rushed and not very innovative.
I think that Brittany was robbed! Her mirror wall was far superior to Stanley's tennis bracelet. I just wish that Mikel and Brittany had gotten more screen time, I guess they don't want to show two designers getting along, working together, finishing on time and creating a great room.
I think Hilari step up to the plate when Danielle made a mess of that wall. I guess she could have finished her accessorizing and hung Danielle out to dry. I really didn't see Danielle doing much designing.
Not sorry to see Luca go, what an ego! I do think Bex got sent home to soon, first she had Kris and then she got Luca, just bad luck. Getting a bad partner has sent many a Design Star home too soon.
I think part of the judging what that the judges liked Stanley's camera challenge so much this week. I agree that while the bracelet and desk were nice, other rooms had more stunning features. Still, it was nice to see him work so well with Rachel.
yes Rachel & Stanley did seem to work well as a team, however I don't see why he got so much credit for his camera challenge -he finally managed to do what the many other designers did last week
I'm surprised it hasn't already been mentioned how catty Bex was tonight! I liked her until this episode, but she was completely treating Luka like an employee and he was right to put his foot down and say enough. I don't mind him going, but I'm glad Bex went.
As regards Kris, he did interrupt Miera, spent the rest of the challenge apologizing, and actually went up quite a bit in my personal ratings. I thought Miera was quite emotional and would have been very hard to work with.
I'm MUCH happier this season then last! Just thinking about last season makes me recall the blogging about Kathy (yes, I couldn't stand her either) and I also still can't believe Meg one. I've caught a minute of her show twice and had to change it. That voice and attitude! No thanks.
Umm..I meant to say that Meg WON, not one! Sorry. I type faster then I think
I didn't think Bex was as much catty as she was frustrated with working with a primadona who refused to work in parnership. Luca could take lessons from Stanley on being flexible when part of a team. Note that when Rachel found the puce upholstered pieces (that Kris Jenner ending up loving), Stanley was like, "Whoa! That's not going with the red console we already picked out!" and even voiced concern that Rachel's new furniture choice could sink their room, but then he decided to take a chance on his partner and go with it . . . and go with it GRACIOUSLY (a word that I don't think Luca has in his vocabulary).
I have tried to watch Meg but each and every time I have to change the channel, Her voice is too much for me!
Agreed about Meira. have you seen the clip for the next episode when she works with Danielle? Talk about a fragile Ego….!
What is up with the Kardashians? I am not a fan.
I don't get the Kardashian thing, either. What on earth are they famous for, other than being famous?
I'll take the word of the people above who met Kris or had him design for him that he's being badly edited, but the bad editing is done with something he's given them, and I liked Miera for the first time when she told him off over that annoying behavior, which seemed to boil down to, "Ick, it's an older woman. Well, at least I can ignore her."
I wish Stanley had gotten the waterfall going on that desk. I'd love to have a waterfall desk. Or was that metaphor, that it was supposed to evoke a waterfall?
Agreed with the win, though I was torn on the losses. Luca, definitely, had to go. Spending all his time talking about how he was high-end, then missing the point of the room (which was to display their merchandise, not his accessories) was an automatic out. The other three all made about equal mistakes, and were all likeable. Danielle made a huge mistake with that wall, and Hilari tried to cover for it, so there's something I'd look at Danielle about… but she has two second places and has proven that she has a strong point of view. Hilari made bad accessorizing choices, but kept a cool head at the wall disaster… but has shown no point of view. Bex also made bad accessorizing choices (those little hex shelves would have been great for handbags, and she could have put hooks in them for scarves), but was right about all the mistakes Luca was making. Once they declared Hilari safe, I figured Bex was off, as they wouldn't oust Danielle after two good weeks, I guess.
Disagreed with the win totally. Couldn't you see Rachel's talent all over that room? Stanley made the desk and the tennis bracelet, which was OK. Everything else in that room is all Rachel. Her Minnesota nice just did not make it as obvious as it needed to be. Yet anyone with a discerning eye can see
Rachel all over that room!
I guess I did see Rachel all over the room… but I didn't like it all that much. I hated those couches.
When the surface material goes to the edge of a piece and then continues down the side it is referred to as a waterfall edge.
Ah, thanks. I'd have been more interested in an actual waterfall. ;p I wondered why no one called him on that.
Luca had to go. Big ego, little reason for it.
Bex was collateral damage. But she can get distracted by design that is too "precious." So no tears here.
Why all the Kris haters? He had a shaky partner in Meira, ready to find offense where none was intended. And what a drama queen, though she'd deny it! Kris has excellent design sense. I predict Hilari will go next. Not enough there there.
Hilari has to go. this was her first attempt at salvation. She has been terrible since day one. If Danielle is aweful again then she too has to go. Kris has been pretty shaky all along
Miera is just sensitive and cries easily, but she did need to defend her right to be treated like an equal partner. I, too, am an "older" woman surrounded by younger ones at work, and it is very hurtful to be dissed by younger people when you work harder than them and care more about your job.
Not everyone that is young is ungrateful. I loved that Kris was trying to engage her throughout and she was shooting him down for trying to high-five her. Even if she thought it was stupid, I didn't see her extending any sort of olive branch.
Miera also was rude to Jordan, and then we see a preview of it where she is rude to Danielle. Her true colors can only be disguised by the tears for so long.
Oh, I don't doubt that she's annoying as well, but in this case, he came off far worse. That habit of cutting people off, ignoring them, and dismissing them is just really off-putting.
How was Kris trying to engage with her?
Bex was the most interesting designer on the show, even if her designs weren't absolutely perfect. She was never boring, she attempted to incorporate both art and function into her work, and her ideas had some conceptual depth that made me interested to see what she would come up with the next time. The rest of the designers range from forgettable to amateur. It makes sense, though, because the judges, and particularly Vern, have become tedious, conservative, repetitive, narrow, and predictable in what they deem "good design". I feel like I am watching a show to determine the next mass-market plastic bland-box brand name, with nothing to inspire me. Time to watch something else.