Top Design at the A-List Awards

Last night Bravo hosted their shameless self-promotional A-List Awards show in NYC and we were thrilled to see a few of our favorite Top Designers in attendance!

Season 1 finalists Matt Lorenz and Carisa Perez-Fuentes on the red carpet.

Nice to see our friend Erik Kolacz again...

Margaret Russell is simply stunning.

Designer/Artist/Rebel Ryan Hunphrey even made an appearance.

Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan looked like they were having fun.

Not spotted: S2 host India Hicks and mentor Todd Oldham. But who we really missed was fashion disaster Kelly Wearstler. You can catch the A-List Awards show on June 12 at 10:00 p.m.

All images courtesy of Wire Image.

Send Some BTD Love to Carisa

You won an individual challenge with 'One Man's Trash' and you managed to best 10 designers on your way to the final two. This week the judges loved the architectural details of your loft (most notably your bed-pit) and thought that your kitchen was a terrific place to linger and work. You displayed that you already had a signature style that was mid-century influenced and funky, using vivid colors and liberal use of pillows and accessories. We have no doubt that the fun and fresh spaces that you create have enormous commercial appeal and that your career is headed in a phenomenal direction; we can't wait to hear about your future successes!

And, congratulations on your recent wedding!

This post is only for positive comments about Carisa.

Your Turn to be the Judge - Episode 10

We saw the lofts that the designers created and now you get to tell us who you felt deserved the win. This week you get to be Jonathan Adler, Kelly Wearstler, Margaret Russell and Trudie Styler.

Who Should Have Won Top Design?
	Matt Lorenz
	Carisa Perez-Fuentes

Preview Videos - Episode 10, Lofty Designs

Two designers remain and this week we have only two previews. You can click here to watch a shopping frenzy on the Yahoo Top Design preview. And click here to see finalists Carisa Perez-Fuentes and Matt Lorenz prepare for the final challenge.

Let's get your thoughts on the outcome:

Who SHOULD Win Top Design?
	Matt Lorenz
	Carisa Perez-Fuentes

Who WILL Win Top Design?
	Matt Lorenz
	Carisa Perez-Fuentes

Sorry, the poll has closed. Click here for the results.

Top Design Photo Diaries

Bravo now has posted images submitted by the Top Design contestants. Click here for their photo diary page and then click on each of the designers' faces to see pictures of their world outside of the White Room.

Poll Results for Episode 6

Our poll results are in for Episode 6 and you told us your opinions. In our 'Who Should Have Won' poll, you agreed with the judges and said that Matt should have won. In the 'Who Should Have Been Latered' poll, you felt that Carisa needed to go.

Poll Results for Episode 5

Our poll results are in for Episode 5 and you told us your opinion. Interestingly enough the 'Who Should Have Been Latered' poll resulted in a tie; you felt that both Ryan and Carisa should have gone. You can click on the picture to see how you voted.

BTD Interview With Sarah The Carpenter

After re-watching Episode 4, we sensed some tension between Carisa and her carpenter Sarah Miller that was never fully explained. We decided to go to the source to find out more:

BTD: After Carisa went shopping at the garage sale, how much money was left in the budget?

Sarah: Unfortunately, she had only $160 left over, including tax, for me to work with. I explained to her that that budget was a problem right from the start. The carpenters had to buy everything that we needed, right down to the screws and paint brushes. I bought what I could with the money that I had to work with, and I was determined to try to make the best of it. I told her that the desk was not feasible, but she told me to “build it anyway.” I did, and you can see how that turned out!

BTD: What exactly were you supposed to build?

Sarah: Carisa wanted a sliding desk that would roll on casters in a slot on the built-in “desk.” The sliding section was to be 10 feet long, and she insisted that it only float about ½ inch above the built in desk, which wouldn’t allow for any reinforcement or support. She also wanted there to be one narrow singe leg at the other end. You can’t have a 10 foot length of MDF being subjected to the stress of being pushed back and forth on one narrow leg. Due to the fact that she wanted it to stand only ½ inch above the built in, meant that I couldn’t give it any support. Any way you slice it, a 10 foot long length of MDF is going to sag, unless she were able to eliminate the forces of both gravity and friction!

BTD: Did you paint it?

Sarah: Carisa did the painting and I did the carpentry, as she was not experienced with many tools. In her defense she was tired and frustrated, and you could see that her painting wasn’t going well. The paint was splattering and spilling, making a really big mess. She stared to freak out a bit, and you can see that I was trying to help fix the problem. Instead of complaining and flipping out, I tried to move forward and fix what was wrong. To me, getting upset and losing valuable time just makes matters worse.

BTD: What was the problem, exactly?

Sarah: I think that the problem boiled down to the design on paper was quite interesting, but translating her design to an actual structure was impossible—especially with only $160! A skyscraper made of toothpicks might be artistically amazing, but ya just can’t build it!

Do you think Carisa appreciated Sarah's effort? Click here to read more...

Congratulations, Carisa!

Being a student of interior design yourself, you understood your client's needs. You also had to do some quick thinking after you encountered a little carpentry-related snafu. In the end, you were able to pull it all together to give your client a beautiful living space. Congratulations, Carisa!

Let's use this post to congratulate Carisa; only positive words belong in the comments please.