Reality Worlds Collide

As we gear up for Season 2 of Top Design (scheduled to debut sometime in the third quarter 2008), there will be an inevitable rush of publicity and news about the show and its personalities. We haven't heard much from designer Matt Lorenz since he walked away as the Season 1 winner, so it was interesting to see this story from the Seattle Times pop up in our mailbox:

Creations by 19 teams will be unveiled Friday for Product Runway, a sold-out fundraiser for the Interior Design Coalition of Washington.

Celebrity judges including Jack Mackenroth from Bravo's "Project Runway" and Matt Lorenz from "Top Design" will appraise the work, judging it on creativity, construction and presentation, among other criteria.

Jack and Matt? What an interesting pairing! Expect more on the Top Design news front as Season 2 wraps up production and the Bravo publicity crew gets to work.

India Hicks Hosting Season Two of Top Design

Click here for the official Bravo Press Release.

TD2 Now Casting

Calling all interior designers,characters who think they could be interior designers, fans of Margaret Russell and future friends of BTD! Bravo has announced that casting for Season 2 of Top Design is now open. Go on, you know you want to...

Bravo Green Lights Season 2!

This just in:

NEW YORK – December 6, 2007 – Bravo, home to the most talked-about and compelling reality series on television, today announced the return of their popular series "Shear Genius" and "Top Design," both for a second season in 2008. The announcement was made by Frances Berwick, Executive Vice President, Programming & Production, Bravo.

The interior design focused series "Top Design" will get its own makeover for season two from Magical Elves, the production company behind Bravo's wildly successful "Top Chef" and "Project Runway" franchises. The hour-long, weekly program showcases some of the country's hottest new interior designers, artists and architects as they compete to create the Top Design each week and vie for a $100,000 grand prize. Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz are executive producers. "Like fashion designers and chefs, interior designers inhabit a rich, visual world that attracts fascinating personalities, so we are really excited to take on the challenge of bringing this successful show to the next level," said Dan Cutforth.

The big news here is the production takeover by The Magical Elves, who have scored huge hits for Bravo with Project Runway and Top Chef. The Elves have a great track record and we're excited to see them makeover Top Design! Stay tuned...

Click Here to Vote on the Loft Challenge at Surroundings

We have loved getting to know Linda from Surroundings. Her professional insight into the Top Design show, the challenges and the designers has made things much more fun and interesting here in the Top Design blogging community.

Linda is holding a design contest on her site. The entrants designed their own loft space according to the floorplan and contraints outlined here.

Eight readers have accepted the challenge and voting has begun. You have until Wednesday to select your favorite. Good luck everyone!

BTD Interview With Andrea Keller

We are smitten by Andrea Keller. To say that she is beautiful and talented is a ridiculous understatement. There is seemingly nothing in the creative world that is beyond her reach and we're pretty sure she would be successful on just about any show Bravo could cook up. We just couldn't leave Season 1 behind without chatting with her...

BTD: Hi Andrea! You almost made it to the finals – given the last 1,700 sq. ft. loft project, do you think you could have beaten Matt and/or Carisa in the end?

AK: A loft project is a dream project for me – I work in an old industrial loft space in downtown L.A. a couple of blocks from where the finale was shot, this is my life… I would have done something spectacular, about L.A., for L.A. I think I would have killed it. Yes, win. I like winning as you know! (laughing very hard right now… really I am a very sweet person, just who loves losing?)

BTD: What kind of space would you have designed for the finale?

AK: I would have done something that had a big area to make things, filled with art and craft supplies – everything from sewing projects to construction. The space would be very socially driven with a big dining table and lots of seating, and of course some private areas for retreat. Basically a great space for an (everyday) party, with very different ways of making/dividing space, and under it all very classic architectural lines.

BTD: Okay, so here are some of the things we’ve learned about you: you knit, you juggle, you are a mother of two boys, an architect, a punk rocker who speaks four different languages and a whiz with power tools. Is there anything you are not good at?

AK: I have zero ability to dance or sing and should never, ever be on a stage.

Click here to continue reading our interview with Andrea as we look back at her experience on Top Design and also take a peek at what's to come.

Elle Decor Party - NYC Part 1

First of all, I want to thank Elle Décor for the invite. It was such a swell party (or in my case, a “swill” party – major wine hangover the next morning).

After a long and tiring day of travel, layovers and bad airport fare, I got all perked up entering the W Union Square banquet room for the party celebrating the finale of Bravo's Top Design.

I first spotted Andrea Keller and Erik Kolacz. They were both so nice and they looked so amazingly beautiful in person (no big bead of sweat running down their noses after a long day of manual labor).

I also got to meet Michael Adams and Felicia Bushman. Oh my gosh. Cuteness overload!

Then from the corner of my eyes I could see my favorite designer, (gar) Goil Amornvivat. He’s even more adorable in person. I ran up to him to say hi. He said he was a big fan of our blog and wanted to thank us for creating such a fun and positive place for the designers.


I also got a chance to meet Goil's partner, Tom. They really complement each other. I think they look so adorable together.

Speaking of adorable, I saw Todd Oldham as he was bidding adieu to the partygoers. I think he looks so cute and so cool in person.

Click here to read more about the Elle Décor Party.