Top Design 2 concluded Wednesday with Nathan Williams winning the $100,000 prize, defeating Preston Lee and Ondine Karady. The judges said they appreciated Nathan’s growth during the competition and were “always dying to see what [Nathan would] come up with next.” They didn’t specify a runner-up. Now that its second season is complete, it’s quite… continue reading
Top Design
Kelly Wearstler on her “great outfits”: “Fuck it, I’m just going to wear them”
Bravo’s Top Design is well into its second season, and its changes have definitely improved the series, although it’s still no Top Chef. The new producers have demoted Todd Oldham to mentor (although he’s now essentially useless, since he comes around so late in the process), adding India Hicks as host and judge (she’s wonderfully… continue reading
Revamped Top Design returns tonight
That Top Design made it to a second season, which debuts tonight at 10 p.m. ET, is probably about as surprising as Shear Genius had a second season, since both were weak, deformed siblings of Project Runway and Top Chef. For some reason, 12 of the 13 contestants are from the same four cities: New… continue reading
Top Design 2 bumps Todd Oldham to mentor, adds a new host, but keeps its terrible judges
Bravo’s reinvention and makeover of its interior decorator competition series Top Design has resulted in the show getting a new host and producers, but keeping its trio of sucky judges. A press release says the show will also have “a new look in high-definition” and “is currently in production and is set to air on… continue reading
Bravo casting for Top Design 2, Shear Genuis 2
Having greenlit second seasons of its competition series Top Design and Shear Genuis, Bravo is now casting for contestants for each one. Top Design 2 wants “[u]p-and-coming as well as established Interior Design professionals and aspirants,” especially if you’re fond of putting unnecessary capitalization in your designs. Open auditions will be held in San Francisco… continue reading
Bravo renews Top Design and Shear Genuis, but fires Top Design’s producers
Bravo has renewed Top Design and Shear Genius, the bastard offspring of Project Runway and Top Chef, but will make changes to the former. As acknowledgment that the
Matt Lorenz wins Bravo’s Top Design
On the finale of Top Design, Jonathan Adler’s eyebrows announced that Chicagoan Matt Lorenz won the competition. He gets $100,000 and a spread in Elle Decor, and we never have to hear Jonathan Adler say shit like, “judges, shall we motor?” again, at least not until next season. Matt’s competitor, Carisa Perez-Fuentes, created a loft… continue reading
Bravo’s Top Design ends tonight, and Shear Genius debuts
Bravo’s Top Design ends tonight at 10 p.m. ET; either Carisa or Matt will win $100,000 and an awkward hug from Jonathan Adler. Perhaps because the show hasn’t really been a breakout hit, it concludes with just a one-hour episode, and there’s been no word of a reunion. The show has never really gotten over… continue reading
Top Design judge Kelly Wearstler appeared in Playboy
Top Design‘s judges may be boring and barely competent, but at least one of them has an interesting past. Kelly Wearstler appeared as Playboy’s Playmate almost 13 years ago. Bravo’s profile for Kelly Wearstler says she “ranks among the design industry’s most influential new tastemakers.” In September 1994, appearing as Kelly Gallagher in Playboy, she… continue reading
Top Design’s third-act problems: the judges and the worst reality TV catchphrase ever
After three episodes, Top Design is shaping up to be an interesting talent competition, and a semi-worthy replacement for Project Runway. It benefits from a process we can watch unfold and judge in a way that Top Chef will never be able to match. And perhaps because the show is produced by Mole producers Scott… continue reading
Designer will reveal HIV positive status on tonight’s Top Design
On tonight’s Top Design, one of the cast members will reveal that they are HIV positive, becoming only the second cast member in reality TV history to reveal on camera that they have HIV. (This story identifies that Top Design cast member, and thus constitutes a mild spoiler.) The first was The Real World San… continue reading
Top Chef finale beats ABC; Top Design debut sets Bravo record
The controversy leading up to the finale of Top Chef 2, never mind the spoiled outcome, helped bring it an audience 3.896 million viewers. That’s a 157 percent increase from its first finale, according to Bravo. While nearly two million viewers changed the channel after Ilan’s victory, Top Design premiered with 1.786 million viewers, enough… continue reading
Bravo’s Top Design debuts tonight but is mostly a weak replacement for Project Runway
At 11 p.m. ET, immediately after the conclusion of Top Chef 2, Bravo debuts its latest talent competition series, Top Design. While networks plagiarizing from one another is nothing new, Bravo may be the first to take a successful show of its own and try to copy it repeatedly (a fourth show, Shear Genuis, is… continue reading
Todd Oldham will host Bravo’s Top Design, which begins production this month
Bravo officially announced the pick-up of their competitive home decorating series, Top Design today, although the news was revealed months ago. Previously known as Top Designer, the series will be hosted by designer Todd Oldham and judged by Jonathan Adler (in the lead judge role), Elle Decor editor Margaret Russell, and interior designer Kelly Wearstler…. continue reading