When Design Hurts

 

You will never find me hosting a TV design show…
even though I’ve been told my smart-aleck personality and quick wit might be entertaining for audiences. On more than one occasion my lack of an “edit” button has led me to tell clients that a certain design element in their home actually “hurts me.” Call me dramatic, but it’s true!

And it doesn’t stop there. Am I really the only one who will admit to having a love/hate relationship with design shows? When the big reveal turns out to be really bad design, my blood pressure actually goes up. But secretly, I’m also a little delighted and revel in my discovery of mistakes whether it is the choice of colors, furnishings, or poor space planning.

I find myself compelled to talk at the TV and to anyone within earshot while watching HGTV. I frequently record certain shows and make family, friends or even the dog watch the highlights of the design bloopers. Think of it as my own personal version of the show Talk Soup and apply that to design.

In fact, I would love to produce a weekly show called “Design Soup” which would feature highlight reels of bad TV design with accompanying snarky comments about them. I just need a funny “front-man” host and a network to air my goldmine of an idea.

Design Soup would cover my biggest pet peeve; which is the impossible time-line for large renovation projects. Oddly enough it’s never mentioned that it took a team of 40 people up to 10 months of planning to remodel a kitchen or bathroom in three days. And sometimes the finishing details are still missing. The camera quickly pans over that particular section of the room only to be caught by obsessed designers with OCD – like me.

It seems like some TV designers tend to ignore function and the clients lifestyle while producing rooms that are not harmonious to the rest of the house. It could be said that like Art, good design is in the eye of the beholder. The job of an interior designer is simple. It is to collaborate with clients to make the best of their likes and dislikes while creating a home that also functions well. Design shows leave me wondering if anyone (other than maybe the production assistant) bothered to talk to the homeowners before the designer put their own stamp on the space.

My judgment is not towards the talents or experience of any given design host. I don’t believe these TV designers are necessarily better or worse than all the rest. My criticism is towards the process of production for this design genre and what fallacies these shows cause with real clients expectations.

Here are some examples of “after” photos from made-for-TV Design Shows that I feel miss the mark and would be featured on Design Soup.

 Grandma Chic with a crochet slipcover chair for a young Broadway star.

 

The homeowners needed sunglasses and 30 spf sunscreen for this reveal.

 

Disneyland Design 101. No words can describe this monastery mishap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honey, the designer shrunk the coffee table.

 

 

Seeing no stars here – this debacle led to a designer contest winner.

 

Liberace meets poor space planning… ouch! 

 

 

 

The real tip is to avoid all “how-to” design segments on this show.

 

 

No one is fooled with this mural mishap.

 

The dragons on the bed fabric are breathing fire for this rug choice.

 

I’m a big fan of Candice, Nate, and the best designer on TV; Sarah (with her hilarious sidekick Tommy.) But they too could land on my new TV show; proving nobody is safe when it comes to Design Soup.

 

Disclaimer: This blog post is for entertainment purposes only and was not meant to be hurtful (no pun intended) to my fellow design community. I applaud these designers bravery to go in front of the camera and to share their work in the public forum. These are only a few isolated examples. Their talents and body of work speak for themselves and better illustrate the reason why they were chosen as the host and as a leader in the design field.

 

 

 

 

written by Patricia Lockwood

Patricia Lockwood is an award-winning designer who runs her successful design business in Palm Desert, California. Self-described as an Interior Designer with a twist; she passes along her trade discounts and special pricing to her clients, making her services a true value. 

 

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