Take a break from the Olympics this weekend to tune in to the latest Design Star champ’s brand-new show, Shop This Room, airing Saturday, August 4 at 8 pm et/pt.
She’ll turn a basic beige kitchen into an airy, open and bright space after drawing inspiration from one-of-a-kind shopping finds. Get a sneak peek of what you’ll see on the Shop This Room premiere here.
Each week, I chat with Design Star All Stars producer Loren Ruch about what you didn’t see on the show. This week: How were the cast members chosen? Plus, who changed the most since their season on the show? Read on to find out.
How did you assemble the cast of DS all-stars? What qualities were you looking for?
We wanted to find the Design Star cast members who made the most lasting impressions over the years. A few of them were fan favorites like Dan Vickery and Kellie Clements, and others had incredible support online and through social media like Sparkle Josh, Leslie Ezelle, and Tom Vecchione so we knew our die-hard fans would love to see them again. In the case with Hilari Younger, as soon as she was eliminated from Design Star we just had a hunch that her humor and talent would resonate with our viewers so we took a chance and slotted her right into All Stars.
Filming the show, which designer did you think changed the most since their season? Or, alternately, was anyone exactly as you remembered?
That is a great question, and honestly quite a few of them changed dramatically. In episode one I was blown away by how much Leslie improved on her camera challenge. She was all over the place in her season, and somehow pulled it all together in All Stars. Tom was another one who surprised me. Many people associated him with that crazy blue bathroom that got him kicked off during his season, but he knocked it out of the park on our first episode of All Stars. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dan Vickery always was, and still remains a fabulous designer, so his gorgeous room didn’t surprise me at all. And Sparkle Josh and Hilari also stayed true to their signature looks in the first episode. I was a little disappointed in Kellie’s room because I think she is a spectacular designer, but unfortunately it seemed like she was trying to recreate a ‘white room’ instead of using all of the incredible resources at the Pacific Design Center – so I don’t think we had a good chance to see just how talented she really is.
Could the public check out the white boxes as the DSAS cast created them? If so, what were the reactions like?
Yep! They were on display in the Pacific Design Center. We honestly kept the area free of onlookers while they were working so that no one would get injured. It’s a war zone when designers are mid-process! However, once the rooms were finished, we had many onlookers gasping at how beautiful the spaces were. We literally had more than a million dollars worth of furnishings featured in the spaces, so they were pretty darn spectacular!
What was your favorite on-set moment from the second-chance White Box Challenge?
It was an absolute race to the finish on the set for this challenge, so I just remember the designers literally running through the PDC to finish their rooms. They were so out of breath that you would have thought we made them run a marathon that day! I also loved working with Emily Procter who was FABULOUS to spend time with. She is one the most salt-of-the-Earth celebrities I have ever had the pleasure to meet or work with.
Have a question for Loren? Ask away in the comments below.
Host David Bromstad reveals the jaw-dropping cost of the furniture seen in tonight’s challenge. Plus, the design details you couldn’t see on the show (very good and very bad.) See what David thought, then weigh in: Did the right designer go home?
Missing Design Star? Don’t worry — you can fill the void with our brand-new series, Design Star All Stars, starting Tuesday, July 31 at 9/8c. Get a sneak peek of what you’ll see this season, plus watch exclusive scenes from the premiere.
You cast almost a million votes this season in the Design Star fan vote to help one contestant win their own show on HGTV.com. Voting is now closed, and you’ve chosen the winner: Season seven runner-up and Hollywood regency devotee Britany Simon! From her graphic wall in episode one to her glamorous, modern homeowner makeover in the finale, she wowed all season long.
Yuki, Danielle and Bex had their share of fans, but the votes weren’t enough to topple Britany’s lead:
Congratulations, Britany! Check back here for news about her brand new online show. Until then, look back at these how-tos inspired by Britany’s best designs:
What would you like to see in Britany’s online show? Voice your opinion in the comments below.
Have you voted for your favorite designer today? You have until tomorrow, July 27, at noon to help decide which contestant will win a show on HGTV.com. We’ll announce the winner right here — until then, don’t forget to cast your virtual ballot!
I chat with Design Star producer Loren Ruch each week about behind-the-scenes moments we didn’t see on the show. This week: How do the designers keep the winner’s identity secret after the finale? Plus, how big is the DS crew? Read on to find out.
This question comes from Parkebernet on the blog: Loren, how are the city locations chosen each season? Would you ever consider moving from a huge city like LA or NYC to, say, Billings, Montana?
We actually choose the locations for a variety of reasons. This year, we wanted to get the show on the air earlier than in the past because we wanted it to wrap before the Olympics. That meant that we needed to shoot in January and February (instead of March and April), so I thought New York City would just be too cold during that time frame especially for outdoor shoots. We also take into consideration where it’s the most convenient to find a good crew to work on the show (which tends to be LA or NY). That said, I would definitely be open to trying other cities provided there are enough shopping options, decent weather, and good accommodations for a huge crew plus our designers and panel. Design Star is a huge commitment for David, Vern and Gen, too, because they need to move to the destination of our choice for over two months. That means packing up kids, spouses, pets and lots and lots of wardrobe options!
How large is the Design Star crew compared to the typical HGTV crew?
Great question, and no one has ever asked me that before! Design Star is SIGNIFICANTLY larger than any other show on the network. We have roughly 150 people working on it as compared to a typical show, which may have 15 to 20. There are just so many departments on a show like this including challenge producers, reality producers, production assistants, talent coordinators, makeup artists — the list goes on and on!
Britany fell just short of her goal, but she says she’s not done yet. Hear why she wouldn’t change a thing and what she sees herself doing next.
The mentor and host joined the design panel this week as guest judge. See his critiques of the designs + why the panel chose Danielle.
Last year’s winner gives the newest Design Star her best advice (“You have just won the most amazing career out there!”), plus her words of wisdom for Britany.
