Top Design 9/24/08--"Bachelor Pads" summary

Previously on Top Design: we were forced into a crossover when “Project Runway” designers brought some outfits for these designers to make window displays for. Natalie and Ondine won, making a butterfly-filled pretty display for a very pretty dress of Sweet P’s. Daniel Franco had the best dress, I think, which you may have seen on Andrea at the Emmy’s this past weekend. Sadly whoever was in charge of that didn’t fit the bodice to her properly. Kerry and Wisit were forced to design for Jeffrey, and neither of them was really a good match for Jeffrey, as shown by their searing yellow and shiny wallpaper and the painting of the windows because the wallpaper was so horrid. No, really, Wisit talked Kerry into putting up a ton of the wallpaper and then they decided it sucked so bad they had to paint the windows themselves to try to hide them. Kerry took responsibility for being team leader and ended up going home. (click for more)

Preston is glad of his feedback, he thinks he can improve his designs. He says winning would be great because he’s never been in competitions? So he wants to be up against people with talent? Wisit feels guilty that Kerry sacrificed himself for Wisit, and he thinks Shazia should have gone home instead. Notice he doesn’t think he himself should have gone home. Shaz just doesn’t want to be on the bottom again.

India comes to the workroom to introduce their challenge. Their clients are clueless when it comes to design: bachelors. Hilarious. Shaz snobs that bachelors are disgusting and gross and then includes her fiancée in that list. Whatever. Nathan points out that bachelors are single men…”maybe they‘ll be hot.” I think Nathan is my favorite. (Kmanpat; “Sound bite whore.“) Obi, James, and Eddie are our bachelors. James is smoking hot. There’s only 3 of them so they’ll have teams of 3. Eddie, Natalie, and Ondine are a team. Nathan is stuck with Shaz and Preston. Nathan’s team gets Eddie (client Eddie, not blond designer Eddie) who is a young Asian man. Nathan immediately notices the fine quality of Eddie’s suit. The last team is Andrea, Wisit, and Teresa, and they have Obi. Natalie says James has some sports t-shirt and she is anticipating light up beer signs. India gives them the details: $10,000 budget and 2.5 days. Damn. They will also get painters, wallpaper people, carpenters, seamstresses. Eddie is relieved because he says his hands “look like a Polish potato farmer. During, like, the famine.” Eddie, dear, stop trying.

Everyone goes to the actual apartments, complete with pre-existing furniture. Eddie rolls his eyes at his client’s Nintendo and flat screen TV. James’s apartment is pretty empty. Not a lot of furniture. He seems pretty content to let them do whatever they want. Eddie confirms that he wants to have a cool place to have people over, namely girls, and “maybe drop their pants for you.” Eddie, shush. Obi is a producer, so he needs the TV to show clients their videos. He’s looking for Asian modern, feng shui, etc. He just happened to clip out some things from Elle Décor, wow! Nathan tells us his client Eddie had a disaster of an apartment that didn’t match his suit. He’s got a whole wall collection of shoes, lots of sneakers. They discuss covering the shoes, which are on shelves in the dining room. He wants conservative and classic. Preston appears to take over. Ondine and Teresa promise James some panties, and then they promise they’ll leave Eddie’s also. Hee. Obi leaves and says he trusts everyone. His team seems to be going “urban” and “Kanye West” according to Wisit. Teresa is frustrated that her teammates are leaving her out, but since I had to think hard to remember her name, it appears she hasn’t really been putting herself out there either. Eddie wants a “beautiful haven of good design” for his design for James. Preston suggests a bunch of things that are right up his alley, and Shaz asks why they shot her down when she suggested the same thing. Then she says it must be because they’re bitches, as she laughs. Preston won’t laugh and is like, don’t get like that so quick. Shaz is actually frustrated because she really wants to be heard. She and Preston argue about the TV. He doesn’t want her to shout over him because that’s rude, but I think she feels that she won’t be heard if she doesn’t shout. Poor Nathan already looks several years older and is not looking forward to shopping. (Kmanpat: “Aww, you can design my house!”)

Everyone goes to a furniture store with $3000 per team. Eddie’s team has actually named their concept “Panty dropping chic”. Ugh. He thinks a bigger TV means bigger boobs? Eh? Wisit feels pretty good, as they pick out stuff. Shaz is wandering around and apparently since her team has split up, they are double tagging things. She whines that if she and Preston both tag something, then it was Preston’s find. It’s possible he got there before you, you know. Sorry, I just got done watching “Project Runway” and after Kenley’s whining I have a low tolerance. Shaz complains to the boys that they ditched her, they didn’t show her all their stuff, whatever. Nathan calls her “Needy von McNeederson” and won’t give her any sympathy. Then they split up: some go to Cost Plus World Market, and The Container Store. Oh my gosh, I LOVE Cost Plus. We don’t see a lot of that shopping. But it looks like a lot of storage.

When they get back everyone has to meet with the painters/wallpaper people, and also the carpenters. None of the carpenters are Andrew Dan Jumbo, sadly. It goes well except that Shaz and Preston get into it over dowels vs. cornice boards. I think they’re just arguing because they don’t want to agree with each other, at this point. Anyways, Shaz wins this one.

In the morning they go to La Brea with $2000 to go into whatever stores they want and buy things. During the running around it looks like Ondine breaks a vase in one of the stores. She seems to be the one trying to fix it, it’s either her or Teresa and Eddie isn’t helpful because he’s just like, “A vase got broken”. Then he said it was ugly anyway. The store clerk tells him it’s $100 and Eddie starts bitching that it’s not worth that much and implying that the clerk is making it up. The clerk looks really familiar but I’m not sure why. He’s not impressed with Eddie. Since he’s not getting the reaction he wants Eddie busts out with his credentials, that he is a “professional” and he works for Martha and he’s “doing this for fun”. Really? So you won’t be mad if you get kicked off? The clerk turns out to be the owner of the showroom. Ha. Ondine smoothes things over.

Back at the apartments everyone gets to work a little before Todd shows up. He likes Nathan’s color palette. Eddie has some idea for changing shades of lamps, which Todd makes sure to mention is something people can do at home. Andrea is worried about the piano, and Todd feels that they shouldn’t put it in the dining room. Everyone goes to the “Top Design Showroom” and leaves their rooms a mess. When they all run in, Margaret and Jonathan stop them to make them do something extra! Ha!

Remember that first episode when they had a Pop Design challenge? And it looked like they’d be like Quickfires and they’d have them every episode? Apparently they’ll just have them whenever they feel like, because there’s one now. Jonathan is too excited about this. Everyone goes to the workroom which is full of cut flowers and vases. They each have to make a singular arrangement in 20 minutes, and the winner gets immunity. Cue the frantic running and spilling water on the floor and whatnot. Nathan is glad to show his design without others dragging him down. Everyone works and likes their design and whatever. At the last minute Preston strews flower petals on the table, but he realizes too late that they’re fake. Ha.

Wisit has a blue and white porcelain vase, and mums. Very simple. He has a lot of unused flowers, which he insists was an accident and not calculated to screw his competitors. It’s a nice arrangement, but it’s very much “my kid brought me flowers from the backyard.” Natalie has a big square vase and lots of bright colors. And it’s very tall. Ondine has a round “casual” arrangement but it’s cool looking. Eddie has lilacs and all purple flowers. Andrea has all white flo0wers and she doesn’t like how Margaret is looking at her stuff. Teresa has a flat wide design and it’s not that great. She can’t figure out where she’d put it. Shaz has these tall vases with tiny bowls, like wine cups, that only hold maybe a dozen blooms. She thinks she’d put these out of the way somewhere, like in the corner. Jonathan thinks they’re sweet, good sweet. Preston has a very tall silver vase with white roses and tulips. Margaret calls him on the fake flowers, and when he says he didn’t know they were fakes she says she knew they were fake the minute she walked in the room. Oops. Nathan has simple chic flowers. Jonathan likes this side of him. Hee. Back off, Jonathan, you’re married.

Jonathan didn’t like Natalie’s, it’s garish and too big. Preston’s fails on every level. Nathan’s arrangement is restrained and pretty, and Eddie’s flowers are beautiful but he could have wowed them more. Nathan wins! Yay! Shaz is pissed because she is convinced that he’ll get rid of her if their team is in the bottom.

Back at the apartments there is lots of work to do. Ondine is putting plates from an old biology book on the wall. You know, the kind with pictures of animals and whatnot. Wisit and his team bring in a giant shelving unit. Shaz complains about Preston who is apparently ignoring her, and then the cornices she fought so hard for aren’t done so they’ll have to rush to put paint on.

Lord. The guest judge is Jeff Lewis. He’s a bachelor because he’s OCD and freaky. Eddie, Ondine, and Natalie have black furniture, and square lamps, with some screens papered in the same biology book papers. The bedroom has a new headboard and a fake fireplace. There’s a bamboo rug too. The sofa was recovered, as was the chandelier which Jeff loves. The fireplace looks good. The entryway isn’t really “bachelor” but it’s cool. The bedroom looks different but this team says they all collaborated on everything.

Wisit, Teresa, and Andrea have a masculine space, with leather and dark colors. Most things are a shade of brown, dark brown shelves, lighter sofas, tan walls. Wisit says he channeled his “inner masculinity” and then he giggles. The TV is still prominent because Obi said he needed it for work. The bedroom has gray walls and one dark brown/red wall. Jonathan loves the styling on the bed.

Preston, Shaz, and Nathan have pained the walls gray and brown, with brown shelves. The wallpaper in the bedroom looks like wood. The judges ask about the valences, and Preston says they wanted to wrap them in fabric, so Margaret asks if the bedroom is more finished. Ouch. Nathan knows his design sucks. Good thing he’s immune. The bedroom has blues in it, and it’s very masculine and I like it. Then their client comes in and he absolutely loves it. All of it except for the stripes painted on the hallway walls. Obi and James like their apartments too. Well, James might get rid of the screens.

The judges get right into it and let everyone know that Andrea, Wisit, and Teresa are the winners. Obi loved it, and it was practical but also warm and rich and chic. Those three get to leave. Teresa admits that it was Andrea and Wisit’s win. Eddie, Ondine, and Natalie had great ideas, but their client didn’t like it. Oo! Jonathan points out that even though he may have said he liked everything they suggested, he’s a 23 year old “dude” and that apartment does not say 23 year old dude. Jeff says their client is too young to know what he wants. Margaret tells them that if she walked into a room and saw those screens, she wouldn’t think he was straight. Ondine says she did the biology paper treatment, and Jeff realizes he needs to work this on-screen time (apparently because he’s a famewhore) and asks her, “Now, this is called ‘Top Design‘, right, not ‘Over The Top Design?’” Shush. Thankfully India moves on. Nathan, Preston, and Shaz had no surprises and it wasn’t pretty. Preston thinks they had time-consuming designs, and he (of course) blames Shaz because the valences took up too much time. Margaret asks who the leader was, and both Nathan and Shaz go, not me! So Preston has to step up. Shaz also gets on her soapbox to complain about how the boys wouldn’t listen to her at all unless she pitched a fit. Nathan says that wasn’t the case, but Shaz keeps at it. Preston agrees with Nathan that she had tantrums and says she called him an a**hole. Which she did, because she asked him for something and he ignored her. Shaz reveals that she was told to talk to the carpenters because that wasn’t “labor intensive”. Oo, not a good choice kids. Jeff gets very condescending again and says that her calling Preston an a**hole is just as bad. Why is he even here? Not that I think Shaz is right, or whatever, but he bugs me. Shaz says if they want to get rid of someone for not showing what they can do, then that’s her, but if they hate the design, that’s Preston.

Ondine’s paper choices and the screens were a poor choice for the client. The bedroom was fierce though. Margaret thinks Eddie did more of the bedroom. Jeff hates the biology paper so much he would send Ondine home if that is the losing apartment. But you know that’ll be the other one. Backstage Shaz is still arguing. Jonathan agrees that Shaz is the one responsible for the valences and then Jeff brings up the a**hole comment, like, we get it. That’s offensive to you. Probably because you’ve been called a**hole too many times. Shaz didn’t appreciate being made to look like a huge bitch, I guess she didn’t think Preston should have brought up that comment. Strangely Preston says he won’t take responsibility for it. I suppose because she really did say that. Jeff likes that Preston took responsibility for the design. I think Jeff just sees another asshat in Preston so he’s going to be on his side forever.

Eddie, Ondine, and Natalie misread their client but had some great ideas. Nathan, Preston, and Shaz had good ideas in places, but it was incomplete. Nathan is safe, so it’s between Preston and Shaz. Preston took responsibility for the design, which wasn’t cohesive. Shaz made the challenge about herself, and her contributions only hurt the team. Shaz is out. She’s sad about leaving, but mostly because she could learn from it. She says in her culture being a designer isn’t really something that’s done. She apologizes to Preston but I don’t know what he said in response. Also she thinks that she’s opened up other career choices for the next generation.

Next week: triathlon? Lots of chairs. Running around. Nathan in trouble? No!