Episode 5 Recap: Party Time, Excellent
This week, the designers helped Hollywood celebrate its 125th birthday by creating lounges that evoked different periods from the city’s history…in 24 hours! (BTW, Hollywood is looking young for its age. Of course.) But all of the designers weren’t in the party mood — here’s the best and worst of this week’s challenge, including who went home.
Britany drew “Hollywood regency” style — her own style — but the pressure of designing Hollywood for Hollywood got to her a bit. Still, she pulled together a beautiful space, one she called “the best space she’s ever designed.” The highlights: Her geometric bookcases and black-and-white wall panels. Her camera challenge was scattered (a live presentation for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce event), but she still threw Danielle a few eye daggers when the panel announced the winner. Do I sense the start of a rift there?
Danielle drew art deco style, which fits her aesthetic, too: Remember her White Box Challenge? David did, and he challenged her to do something other than the same old black-and-gold color scheme. She brought in peach accents and accessories, which Genevieve loved. Everyone seemed to paint the floor this week, but I liked Danielle’s geometric design best.
Vern was in love with the lamps in the back, but I thought the panther in the front of the room was, ahem, quite fierce. After a couple of bad weeks, this was her comeback! She’s this week’s winner.
Hilari had the era of spandex and neon: the ’80s! (P.S., Your DeLorean joke may have fell flat with the crowd, but it made me chuckle.) She planned to do a rug out of spandex, but let’s just say, there’s a reason no one’s gone there. Luckily she trashed it in time to do a very cool Mondrian-inspired painted floor. The room’s small touches — like the punk rock studded leather details on the PVC pipe-walls — really made her room stand out.
Kris, your used car salesman schtick wore out your welcome with the judges (as did his ill-advised paneling). Kris said it best when he started this challenge: “A literal interpretation of the ‘70s would probably give you a room you’d want to remodel.” Yep, that’s exactly what we ended up with: too much furniture and a strange wall and floor hue really gave it that “time capsule basement” vibe. He also skipped the personality portion of the camera challenge again this week, leading the judges to say “We will not be producing your show.”
I was excited to see what Mikel would do with his midcentury modern card, since I’m in love with the low-slung furniture and warm, natural elements of the style. Unfortunately, Mikel didn’t exactly hit it out of the park. His set designer skills should have helped him complete the space on a tight time crunch, but it just looked like showtime came too soon. The painting was fine. The furniture was fine. It was all fine…but it could have been special.
When Rachel drew the Victorian card, she acted like a kid taking a stand against broccoli at the dinner table. After several “ew gross” moments and gagging sound effects at the thought of Victorian style, she pulled it together and finished a space. The judges liked her “window” into the display…
…but they didn’t like her depressing camera challenge (“I’m so happy this day is over” = not cute) and color palette, which Vern said must have been Smurf-inspired. She’s on thin ice with the panel.
Stanley, or should I say “Sci-Fi Stanley,” looked right at home designing a futuristic lounge. Unfortunately, the design panel in the present wasn’t too keen on the space’s centerpiece, a custom table with a giant, red vase on top.
Genevieve just got right out there and said it: it looked “so incredibly phallic and so vertical.” He said he loved Star Wars, and the coffee table looked like the newest torture device in the Death Star. (Darth Vader: “Stanley…you are my designer.”) In Stanley’s defense, most futuristic movies assume that along with regular cars and computers, all comfort has gone out the window…so in that sense, it was totally accurate.
Check back tomorrow for Meg and David’s reaction to the episode.
Now, it’s your turn: What did you think of tonight’s episode? Did the right person win? Did the judges send the right designer packing? Tell me your take in the comments below.
Kris was not the right choice. Rachel’s poor interpretation of the Victorian era was far worse. Electric blue sconces? This isn’t Miss Midwestern teenage interior design 1997.
I loved mikel’s room and I think he, Hillary and Brittany are the ones to beat.
Agree that Kris was the wrong choice last night – however – his camera work is not good – he really does sound like a used car salesman and what really sent him home, I think, was really no thought to the placement of the furniture in the room – agree that Rachel should have gone – worst room and bad camera challenge. Sometimes it's really hard to figure out what the panel is thinking. They mentioned Kris' paneled walls but the 70s were ALL about paneled walls. Go figure.
I’m sorry but this week only seems to prove my suspicions that the show is COMPLETELY manipulated. The editing showing no applause for jokes or other interaction is so transparent. Even if it was not the best, there wouldn’t be crickets chirping as they might have you believe. Just show it like it is and it would be great, but now you have me wondering about the “reality” of everything. Danielle’s room was fine, but the best!??! Let the best talents shine DS, and tonight, the best didn’t win and the worst didn’t go home. Period.
Agree.
I absolutely agree!! The way it was edited I swear they were going to tell Kris that he got the anniversary wrong (like it was really 120 not 125). I cannot believe not one person in the crowd raised their glass for the toast. very manipulated! the producers or judges seem to have an agenda of their own that does not included highlighting the designers talents.
Brittany's snide remarks show her to be emotionally immature. She is pretty and a good designer but she acts like she is still in high school. She can not put 2 sentences together that make sense. Rachel is out of her element. Kris is too into himself. Hilari knows how to think on her feet. Danielle is awesome.
Wow! Do you know these people, to be stating your opinions in the form of facts or are you just not a nice person who feels self-important? So….one comment by Brittany (we don't know the context) about herself not anybody else makes her "snide" and "immature" and Rachel's winning designs put her "out of her element" . Then what do you make of Danielle's comment made in her interview instead of to the people directly stating that the other designers are competitors not friends? Or is she just "awesome" no matter what?
Totally agree!
Danielle, loved your room! You should have won! Can someone please tell me the surface that most designers were painting their rug designs?
Love the show!
Definitely, Danielle's Art Deco room had quite an effect on me. Stunning, with a dark charm reminiscent of something very sensual in design. Britney's Hollywood Regency, however, also pulls off quite a lounge. Especially fond of the gold fabric "walls" that put most of the color into the space and tie the metal pieces to the rest of the room.
The Victorian room, I just don't see calling blue in the color scheme even a "modern interpretation" of the theme. Reds, oranges, maybe, they're close enough to be in that same color palette that you get when you're after Victorian. But blue? And, for that an electric blue? No matter how you may want to modernize it, blue and black doesn't say "this is an interpretation of Victorian" to me. The tuffting on the floor, however, was a good element for what she was aiming at, as was the shaped wall paneling.
But that's one opinion on the matter.
Got the right winner on design and camera challenge. While Kris is totally annoying, I do think his design outshone Rachel's botched Victorian attempt. Go, Danielle! A talented designer and genuine human being.
Brittany got cheated tonight. Her space was by far the best, particularly considering she put it all together on the day of the party. Remember she couldn't find any furniture or accessories on the first day of the challenge. She shopped and put it all together in the same day. Brittany is very creative and can be very fast with resolutions when a problem arises. Rachel should have gone home.
I think they made the right choice keeping Rachel, even though the past 2 weeks haven't been great for her, she had some very strong designs in the beginning. If she stays down next week though, she should go.
Brittany lost because of her horrible camera challenge. Rooms being about equal, the judges had to go to the camera challenge. I have to admit, I thought Hilari was going to win, but I'm happy for Danielle. That's 4 weeks out of 6 in the top 3. Way to go!
Does anyone know which stores they went for today's show? They seem to have some very cool stuff. I want to visit.
Your comment is awful and you seem like a hateful person. You might not be a fan of Meg, but she comes off as a kind person. Your comments are over the top hateful.
My comments about Meg are entirely factual, whether you like them or not. Stating facts is not hateful, merely truthful. Only hypocrites and liars hate the truth.
And only self-important people state that their opinions are fact.
What did I state about Meg that wasn't true?
"obesity is not attractive" is not a fact. If it was, 33% of obese Americans would be single.
I get it, you are obese too. News Flash: Obesity is not attractive to most Americans. If obese people feel so "attractive," then why are they constantly pretending to diet to lose body fat?
Wow! Not that it matters, but I am not obese or even close to overweight. But I do know the difference between opinion and fact. Regardless, you have already contradicted yourself with your last comment. I wonder what is the deal with all those dating ads looking for Big and Beautiful men and women.
erikcreature, that's quite a blanket statement to make. I'm an unthin person and I've never had any trouble finding great/attractive (and for your information, fit) people to date. I've been married to a great guy for 8 years and we're very happy. The reason so many people are dieting has more to do with our society and its message that if you aren't a stick you have no value. That's why I've seen so many beautiful and in many cases, fit, people turn themselves into emaciated twigs. In other words, you were stating your opinion, not a fact.
A fact would be: Many species of birds can fly.
I think if Brittany would have done well during her public speaking challenge, she could have won. Had Rachel not done so well in the past, she might have gone home. But, they sent the right person home. He just did not have the right personality for a HGTV show
does any one out there remember the first season of Design Star and how terrible David B. did on all the camera challenges