Episode One Party!

Welcome Top Design fans to the Episode One Party Room! Are you ready to "Impress the Best"? Join us as we meet the thirteen designers who were willing to put themselves on the line for $100,000, an editorial spread in Elle Decor and the title of "Top Designer".

If you're new here - welcome! Just click the comments link and come on in!

The Waiting Room

Top Design airs tonight! Here are a few tidbits from the mailbox to hold us over until 10:00 PM EST. Don't forget to join us in the Party Room to watch and dish together! It's all decorated - wait till you see it! Come back a little before 10:00 and join me! I'll be the one thumbing through the swatch books and sipping a designer Cosmo.


The New York Daily News dishes apartment design with New York based designers Nathan Thomas, Eddie Ross, Ondine Karady, Jennifer Newsom and Serge Van Lian.

CasaSugar gets the goods from India Hicks. Sweet!

TD mentor Todd Oldham was out and about with interviews with the Seattle Post Intelligencer and TV Guide.

Kerry "Big Daddy" Howard tells the Forsyth News that he's gained a fresh perspective since appearing on the show.

Natalie Williams talks about the 90-to-nothing pace of competition with the Montgomery Advertiser.

The importance of the right footware was on Shazia Kirmani's mind when she shared her Top Design experience with The Star Telegram. [editor's note: as a gal who always has the wrong shoes on, I always wondered about the pull between cute shoes and comfort on these shows!]

It's Top Design Week!

Only one day away! Are we excited?

If you are new to Blogging Top Design, here's a little preview of what to expect:

- BTD Party Room - join us right here on Wednesday nights at 10:00 EST to dish about the show - who we like, who we don't, and anything else that comes up. BYOB (bring your own banter)

- BTD Reactions - at the end of each show, you will have the opportunity to share your opinions!

- BTD Congratulations - Your comments and thoughts on the episode winner (if any)

- BTD Love - Support and comments for the latered* contestant of the week

- BTD Podcast - each Thursday we will be chatting with the contestant who was sent home the night before to find out what they've been up to since they taped the show and their experiences doing the show.

- Recapalooza - at the end of each week we will post a roundup of recaps from around the blogosphere. These are some of the best, most insightful and laugh-out-loud funniest recaps you will see anywhere. Please send us your links if you post a recap.

- Top Design news - all the news that's fit to print (with apologies to the New York Times)

- TD Market Basket - if an episode showcases a product that you would like information on - or you know how to get it - let us know!

All comments are welcome - but we encourage you to please read our Commenting Guidelines. We're a family friendly site - so please, no profanity or personal attacks on the contestants or each other. We have fun here, but not at each others expense. Thanks!

* - what is "latered"? An homage to judge Jonathan Adlers Season 1 send off line "See you later Decorator" for the contestants who have been sent home. Thankfully, the line itself has also been "latered".

A little J'Adoration for Episode One

I've just viewed a screener of Episode 1 and am very excited! After Season 1 ended with a sort of soft plop there was a lot of debate over whether a second season was even worth considering. After season 1 ended, I wrote a long post with some ideas of what I was hoping for in a second season. Magical Elves seem to have come through in a big way for all of us who wanted the show to succeed. The drama comes from the situations and not just personality conflicts. That's sure to come at some point. But, for at least the first episode, we get to know the designers as professionals, which is pretty refreshing.

Here is an exclusive sneak peek from the epi:

The designers actually get a little fresh air this season - no white box in epi 1!

Shopping with Nathan Thomas and Teresa Keegan.

Starting off where season 1 left off - it's a loft makeover challenge!


Todd Oldham is the perfect mentor - full of caring and great ideas!

The judges panel - India Hicks, Jonathan Adler, Kelly Wearstler (looking quite demure) and Margaret Russell.

Margaret and Jonathan enter the contestants loft. (Loving the Cole & Sons wallpaper)

And here are a few details from the finished projects to whet your appetite:

Top Design airs this Wednesday at 10:00 EST on Bravo!

The party room (maybe we should call it the Cutting Room?) will be open, so come on in, open a long, tall one and let's all enjoy - and dish - together!


All images courtesy of BravoTV ©2008.

BTD Love for our friends in Louisiana and Texas

We wanted to offer our thoughts and prayers to all our readers and friends in Louisiana and Texas as you face down another big storm.

In particular, we're thinking about Season 2 designers Preston Lee, Robert Reid and Shazia Kirmani who are all Texas folks.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

From the Mailbox

The Houston Chronicle has a Q&A with Robert Reid and Shazia Kirmani as the two Texas designers vie for Top Design.







Tulsa native Teresa Keegan tells The Oklahoman that she didn't expect a call back for Top Design.



The High Schooler offers some tough love with predictions on who will win, who is the first to go home and who annoys.

I have been digging into the contestants portfolios for hints about their design styles. Visit my blog ::Surroundings:: for more. I've got about half the contestants posted, so keep stopping back for more!

And, come back here tomorrow for a few exclusive sneak peeks into Episode One!

Images courtesy of the Houston Chronicle and BravoTV.

"See You Later Decorator" is LATERED!

Jonathan Adler's pissy and universally reviled (ok, reviled by me) "See You Later Decorator" send off from TD Season 1 has been latered, according to a story in the June 28th New Jersey Star Ledger.

All hail the smarter heads (aka Magical Elves!) that prevailed to remove a send off that was neither teutonically terse like Heidi's "Auf Wiedersehen" or gentle like Jaclyn's "You've made your final cut" or even cutting like Donald Trump's "You're Fired"!

So, what will the designers hear when they are sent back to the workroom to pack their scale rules, swatches and paint brushes?

India Hicks intones "We can't live with your design" (in a clipped British accent, of course).


So, then, the question is... will they still be "latered"?


Also, I noticed in the new video that I posted earlier that India is not only the host, she will also sit on the judges panel.

Images courtesy of BravoTV.

It's a Top Design Preview!

From the Mailbox

Image courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Eddie Ross talks Top Design with the Stamford Advocate.

Reality tv worlds collided last week when Serge Van Lian and cast members from Project Runway Season 5 were together for the viewing of last weeks Drag Queen Challenge on Runway. Alison from Running With Heels has the scoop.


One week to go!

From the Mailbox

Teresa Keegan and Nathan Thomas -image courtesy of Bravo.

Nathan Thomas talks about what's hot in interior design with the Denver Post.

India Hicks and Todd Oldham get real over at Reality TV News.

Designer Reunion: Ryan Humphrey

Image courtesy of Bravo

This week, we welcome Ryan Humphrey back to BTD! Ryan, an artist, came to Top Design with a different resume than most of the season 1 contestants and never strayed to far from his artists perspective on the tasks at hand.

BTD: How is business and what have you been up to since TD1?

RH: Since TD1 (sounds like an STD!) I have designed posters for The Beastie Boys, and Dolly Parton, created over 100 t-shirt designs for Old Navy, been commissioned to do a sculpture for The Progressive Art Collection - Which is a completely customized John Deere Gator, complete with stereo, cb, air horn, custom paint and rims. I have participated the aqua art fair in Miami and the pulse art fair in NYC. I am also preparing for my solo exhibition at DCKT contemporary which opens September 18th, 2008 which is titled 'All Or Nothing.'


Click here to continue.

Designer Reunion: Elizabeth Moore

Photo courtesy of Bravo

We welcome Elizabeth Moore back to Blogging Top Design. Elizabeth (along with Goil) won the first challenge on season 1 and proved herself to be an elegant presence on the show. Elizabeth - obviously a woman who thinks visually - has sent us a pictorial update and what's she's been up to and her ideas about a season 2.

BTD: How is business and what have you been up to since TD1?


www.froote.com



Click here to continue.

From the Mailbox

A well titled, and ultimately disappointing, article at the LA Times.com - "Hidden Complexity in 'Design'" - does little to let us in on changes to the upcoming season. The only real insight comes in this sentence: "The Elves plan few changes on "Top Design" beyond the new host, India Hicks, a British-born stylista who happens to be the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten and the godchild of Prince Charles. Cutforth said they've tried to make the design challenges, or assignments, "a bit more practical and less conceptual, less abstract."

Casa Sugar caught onto Preston Lee back in January. Lots of pics!

Robert Reid was one of Architectural Digest's selected designers during their Texas Open Auditions in May. Robert's work has also been profiled in the Houston Chronicle and in Trends.

Eddie Ross has updated his blog with his portfolio images.


Image courtesy of badseed.

From the Mailbox

Judge Keller Wearstler goes shopping with The New York Times.

According to the LA Times, there will be a lot of cross over between between TD and Project Runway this season. OK! Magazine has even more details. When will Bravo produce "The Shear Genius of the Dancing Housechefs of Top Runway"?



Mailbox image courtesy of Freefoto.com

From the Mailbox

Ondine Karady is having a big year! Her wedding was profiled in the New York Post.

Shazia Kirmani was making news for her high style budget conscious apartment two years ago in Dallas' D Magazine.


Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves was chatting with Andy Cohen and Tim Gunn online after the 8/6 epi of Project Runway and Andy asked Jane if she enjoyed producing the upcoming Top Design. Her response? "It's a hard show to produce. Definitely hard. Fun. A challenge." Hmm...

Jonathan Adler has a new blog column on Huffington Post.

New host India Hicks' Bermuda house is amazing. Check it out at Domino.

Dragon mailbox image courtesy of Dean's Custom Mailboxes.

Designer Reunion: Goil Amornvivat

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Our season 1 designers are very special to us and we wanted to catch up with what they've been up to. Goil was definitely the designer with the most energy! This Yale educated architect made it to the final four - which is a huge accomplishment!

Goil - thank you so much for taking the time to let us know what you've been up to!

BTD: How is business and what have you been up to since TD1?

GA: Thank you for the question, business is great. TD1 opened all kinds of doors for me. I am having so much fun meeting new people, getting into all sorts of things I never would have thought I would if you were to ask me 2 years ago. It has also been exciting developing my practice (TUG: www.TugStudio.com) with my partner, Tom. We have been working together since graduate school, (8 years ago), to be ready for this step and I am lucky to have a great support system. It has been great.

Click here to continue.

From the Mailbox

Annie of Relish Small Pleasures has some thoughts on the hotness - both professional and personal - of TD2 designer Preston Lee.

MidcenturyJo of the popular Desire to Inspire blog picked up on Preston Lee back in January.

Habitat for Humanity of Great Los Angeles shares a letter from Andrea Schroder on her experience working on a build site.

Shazia Kirmani offered her decorating 101 tips in Nirali Magazine.


Image from Wood Gate Shop UK.

Elle Decor does Top Design!

Margaret Russell, editor in chief of Elle Decor and Top Design judge is sure doing her part for the team.

They have a great spread featuring all the TD season 2 designers in the August issue!




A big thanks to designer and TD2 contestant Eddie Ross for sharing these images that he's posted on his blog.

Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan - A Happy Chic Home(life)

I'm a little slow hearing this, but TD head judge Jonathan Adler and his longtime companion (do we still use that phrase?) Simon Doonan are tying the knot!

This bon vivant couple may be living the high life, but it appears that the marriage is coming about the old-fashioned way. Jonathan's mother has clearly had enough and wants her baby to settle down already!

As Simon said to New York Magazine: “I always thought we were married, so I don’t feel like celebrating the fact that the government’s allowing me to think I’m married. It’s more like paying a parking ticket,” Doonan told us at a Couture Council of the Museum at FIT cocktail party. “We’ll have a nice romantic dinner, him and me,” he added. The creative power couple haven’t been breathlessly monitoring the same-sex matrimonial legal wranglings, but Adler’s family has been pushing them to the altar. Adler’s lawyer mom Cynthia and sister Amy, an NYU law professor, have shepherded the process along. “They’ve been incredibly supportive and kept an eye out on what was going on, and they said, ‘Oh, you guys should get married in California.’ So it was them that sort of prompted us,” Doonan said. He figures it’ll be after Fashion Week, around September 17. “But no gifts,” Doonan admonished. “We have enough tchotchkes at home for one lifetime.”

All right, no gifts... but how about a big

CONGRATULATIONS

from all the team here at BTD!

(ps - why fly to California - Massachusetts is nice in the Autumn... just sayin')

Jonathan Adler: The Happy Chic Home Contest

PointClickHome and TD head judge Jonathan Adler are on hunt for the happiest and chicest home in America! Enter for a chance to win up to a $2,500 gift card for Jonathan Adler retail and online stores. Last call for submissions is August 21st and they will announce the top three winners on August 28th! Click here for details!

Let us know if you enter!


And, speaking of Monsieur Adler - what do we think "See ya later, Decorator" - keep it or dump it?