Design Star

I really like interior design. I like to read design magazines and I have a folder of clippings of things I've seen that I'd like to incorporate some day.

However, if you've been to my house, you'll quickly see that I don't take a lot of design chances. My furniture and decor is very traditional (tasteful though I think). In general I have a hard time investing my money in trendy stuff. I really appreciate the chances other people take though - Lisa's red living room in her old house; Anjali's green wall in her Cincinnati family room; my aunt's highly patterned, curvy couch, etc.

Watching Design Star is a double edged sword for me. They take lots of chances and I think a lot of them are duds. The judges often think so too. Doing "risky" things for the sake of being risky is a losing proposition.

The other thing that irks me is the furniture/art they pick out. I know this is in NYC but do you really have to spend $4500 on a couch? $1500 on a mirror? What do they do with this stuff after the show airs?

It was only in this last week's episode where the designers had to work with only the objects in the room already (could add paint to the walls though) that I was actually impressed with their creativity. Some of their other projects look okay but there's always an aura of uncohesiveness to it (probably because they encourage the designers to express themselves all while completing the task as a group) and certainly unfinishedness that I wouldn't' want for a space I was living in.

I think if I was to apply to be on the show I'd petition my value on three main fronts:
1) I'd design for the majority of the viewing audience - regular people who like to see new and interesting things with pieces that are actually affordable
2) I'd be a dark horse because I'm not a professional designer (like all the other contestants) so I have no preconceived notions of what's right or not. Just instinct.
3) I think I'm personable enough that I'd make a good host. This is a bit egotistical of me I know, but the classes I teach (both at the university and for my job) are very well-received and are a performance just like this would be.