TVCH FORUMS HOME . JOIN . FAN CLUBS . DONATE . CONTACT . CHAT  
 Wikia  Quick Links   TOPICS . TREE-VIEW . SEARCH . HELP! . NEWS . PROFILE
Top Design

The TVClubHouse: Other Reality Shows ARCHIVES: Archives for 2007-1: Top Design users admin

  Thread Last Poster Posts Pages Last Post
Archive through February 02, 2007Rehtse25 02-02-07  11:27 am
Archive through February 04, 2007Seamonkey25 02-04-07  5:05 pm
Archive through February 12, 2007Mocha25 02-12-07  5:39 pm
Archive through February 22, 2007Twinkie25 02-22-07  11:34 am
Archive through March 08, 2007Costacat25 03-08-07  2:17 pm
Archive through March 16, 2007Texannie25 03-16-07  8:09 am
Archive through March 29, 2007Beth4freedom25 03-29-07  7:10 am
Archive through April 04, 2007Julieboo25 04-04-07  8:26 pm
Archive through April 11, 2007Vacanick25 04-11-07  6:39 pm
Archive through April 11, 2007Vacanick25 04-11-07  8:03 pm
  ClosedClosed: New threads not accepted on this page        

Author Message
Willsfan
Member

09-04-2000

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 10:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Willsfan a private message Print Post    
I liked both lofts but honestly I think the black & white photos of Matt's wife and daughter cinched the win for him. He did exactly what the judges wanted...to design the loft for him & his family. It was beautiful.

I'm glad Matt won and that Clarisa was such a good loser. I liked layout of her loft better than Matt's but she didn't add the very important personal touches and somehow it didn't look quite finished. She has some great ideas and I'm sure lots of people would love her to design their house.


Twinkie
Member

09-24-2002

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 11:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twinkie a private message Print Post    
I thought both lofts were great but I liked Matt's just a slight bit more. I think his daughter's bedroom and the black and white pics were the toppers. I was also really impressed with Carisa's good loser attitude.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 3:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
I actually liked Carissa's loft better, other than the kitchen. I also believe the pictures helped clinch the win for Matt, and add that I think Carissa's floor was an issue (although not brought up by the judges, that I can recall).

Dfng
Member

08-04-2005

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 4:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dfng a private message Print Post    
wow, I thought the way Carissa handled the loss was kind of backhanded. She said something like, well I'm glad Matt won because he would have been devastated and losing doesn't devastate me". That was a dig and was not necessary IMO. I couldn't get past that statement to see any realness.

Alisons
Member

01-10-2003

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 5:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Alisons a private message Print Post    
I totally thought that Carissa should have won and felt that the judges gave it to Matt based on his past successes. I thought his loft was awful, and the "princess room" for his daughter did not fit into the overall design at all. I thought that separating the MBR and daughter's room with curtains was TACKY and totally impractical for a real living arrangement. I just did not see DESIGN in his living area at all - just a bunch of sleek neutrals and then those ugly curtain things and the over the top themey princess room. YUCK.

However Carissa had the interesting room dividers that did not clutter up the space, loved the bed, loved the cork wall and the fun office/pingpong area. She should have won.

When they did the viewer poll and they said that the viewers preferred Matt's to Carissa's design 78% to 22%, I really had to wonder who has been watching this show. The "princess room" crowd (aka a bunch of 5 year old girls)?

So how do I hire Carissa to redo my condo?

Prisonerno6
Member

08-31-2002

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 5:16 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Prisonerno6 a private message Print Post    
Well, I am far from a 5-year-old girl, and I preferred Matt's loft. I found his room to be more polished than Carissa's, and he met the needs of a family well.

Matt did say his daughter's room had doors, not curtains. He said he gave it a ceiling and doors to completely close it off from the rest of the loft for sound purposes. He also explained that he used curtains on the master to open up the space for parties. Why are his curtains less practical than Carrissa' wall o' boxes to separate the bedroom.

Funny how the judges liked it when Carissa sunk a mattress in the floor but didn't when Goil did.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 5:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Matt's living area:




Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 5:36 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Carissa's living area:




Carissa's dining area is shown in the left of the bottom picture.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 5:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Matt's dining area:


Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 5:39 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
I LOVE Carissa's design! The kitchen pics on Bravo don't show them well, and the bathrooms...they are both very ugly, IMO! Matt's bedroom is so plain and uninviting, and Carissa's is a pit of pillows. I'm not a fan of either of their bedrooms, either. I'm so picky...

Spoton
Member

09-16-2005

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 6:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Spoton a private message Print Post    
Didn't we see the dining chairs that Carissa used in an earlier challenge, used by a different designer? They looked very familiar.

Smartypants
Member

03-09-2007

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 6:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Smartypants a private message Print Post    
yea i think the entire set was used in the dining room challenge..by andrea? i think

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 6:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Julieboo a private message Print Post    
I really did not love either loft.

I think it was odd that they got 2 months to think and only 5 days to do. I think a month to think and a month to do would have been better... (or at least 2 weeks to do)

I also think it was not fair that the lofts were so far apart floorwise. That meant that Carisa (fwiw: there is no L and only 1 S in her name--if anyone cares) had to spend twice as much time, just getting materials into her loft. Not exactly even. That really had to tire her carpenters out a lot more too.

Both bathrooms and both kitchens were pretty ugly.

I liked Matt a lot (probably the best) until the start of this episode where he kept going on about how he'd kill himself if he lost to a student. As if he were so much more worthy...

I also though it weird that they had that phone in to vote who had the best design. Then they did not show the final project until one minute before they showed the phone results...that made no sense.

Marameko
Member

07-15-2002

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 10:11 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Marameko a private message Print Post    
Smarty you are correct,the chairs < probably the table as well>, were the same as in a past challenge, I "zeroed" in on them when Carissa was in the store or the PDC shopping.

Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 7:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abby7 a private message Print Post    
i also think i saw those metal chairs that one guy used for the chef's table; the guy who used 2 each of 3 different styles for his chairs.

i'm glad matt won. overall, he was the best imo. however, i was a bit disappointed with his loft last night. i did like his dining area and a few other areas too. his did look more expensive.

carisa's loft design was better imo. (even though i would get sick of the red/black/white before long. i would have liked that in white/blue/?).

i think andrea and matt should have been the final 2. i'll watch again next season if it airs. hopefully, they will find some better designers.

carisa and goil/jan brady became to much for me to watch. if i could afford a designer to do a home for me, i would expect the person not to breakdown over every problem.

Zummat
Member

01-31-2006

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 11:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Zummat a private message Print Post    
I guess I don't see the point of them designing an area the way they would like it being a good challenge. When the judges were saying they didn't like something about one of the lofts, my response would be, so what! That's the way they like it.

I am glad Matt won. I prefer his style and design. His rooms have a luxurious feel about them. Carissa's sunken bed looked fun for about a minute to me until I thought about having to climb out of it in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Not an easy task for an old lady. I also had a difficult time getting past Carissa's personality and constant nagging and complaining all the time.

Alisons
Member

01-10-2003

Friday, April 13, 2007 - 3:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Alisons a private message Print Post    
Well, I really do not see where Matt's loft met the needs of a family - glass-topped table with a 5 year old? Ditto the white couch. And please don't even try to tell me that she and her friends are not going to swing on the ugly curtain dividers! Matt always looks like he is designing for a museum. The first time you put down a newspaper in the room it would spoil the whole effect.

Whrlwnd
Member

10-13-2006

Friday, April 13, 2007 - 5:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whrlwnd a private message Print Post    
I thought both spaces were attractive. LOL! I actually thought that Carissa's bed looked super comfy!

However, I am glad that Matt won. He was more professional, more of a team player, easier to work with, and performed more consistently in all of the challenges. I would never hire Carissa to work for me simply because of her constant dramatics & blame game. I avoid dealing w/ people like that whenever I can help it.

I didn't see the last 2 shows, so was completely surprised that Andrea wasn't in the final 2. I thought Carissa should have been ousted in the chef's challenge, and therefore never should have even made it to the final. But what do I know.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Friday, April 13, 2007 - 5:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
In some ways, I liked Carrisa's design better, but thought Matt's was more practical. If you lived in a loft, you would have to have some way of dividing things off. I thought it was a great idea to give the child the closed off room so the adults could have their lives and not affect the little girl. But, I did think each room reflected their lives really well.
Zummat, I had the same thought about the bed! LOL
I like glass tops with my kids. It's so much easier to windex stuff than it is to fix scratches to wood.
i am sure the kids might try t swing, but that's what the word no is for.

Alisons
Member

01-10-2003

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 5:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Alisons a private message Print Post    
To each his own - obviously, many people liked Matt's designs, and I would probably hire him to design space for a museum or some other "look only not live in" type space, but definitely not for a living space. That being said, I do not mean to be overly negative towards him, I am just really incredulous that people like his rooms so well when I think they are so bland that I can't remember what they look like two seconds after looking away from the photos. But as I said, he is obviously striking a chord with many.

In my own living space, I am constantly fighting the battle with clutter and finding places for the things that I need on a daily basis (which usually end up on a coffee table or on a kitchen counter.) I have been pretty successful in the bathrooms wrt finding space for items and getting them out of the way so that the rooms look nice, but the other rooms - forget it. Being able to arrange things within storage spaces is a real talent. One of my friends is very good at it, and I always say I want to hire her to rearrange my place, but she says it is the type of thing that takes her a very long time to figure out and that it would be hard to do as a job with a start and end date.

Though I kind of made fun of the person who designed the "cat walk" in an earlier challenge, for a real person living in a real home, it is difficult to make "pet stuff" fit in well. Litter boxes, the bag of fresh litter, litter scoops, pet food, pet food bowls, pet drinking fountains, etc. never figure into these design shows. Where are people putting all these things? How can you set stuff like that up without having guests to your home tripping over it? Have you ever been to the house of someone with a toddler and seen immaculate looking rooms? I have seen more designs that are oriented toward storage of toys, etc., though they usually assume that someone has a room big enough to be a dedicated "playroom" or that the kid is going to play and store everything in their bedroom. Sometimes there are storage chests in a living room area - but that limited approach really does not match the reality of a child/children with free access to all the living areas in a home.

So I think that many people kind of "give up" and just live with the "signs of life" and forget about having a truly beautiful living space while their life is in the hectic years. But I think that designers should make more of an effort to design beautiful spaces that embrace and celebrate the reality of living and help us with the more practical problems of fitting day-to-day items into the overall picture of a great design. Just my opinion, for what it is worth.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 7:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
I finally saw the finale, and...

I had liked Matt until he talked about losing to a "student." And his arrogance at the end was uncalled for. I thought Carissa handled losing well, and I think she was right. Matt would've been "devastated" had he lost.

That said...

I hated Matt's loft. Hated the layout. The whole thing about a loft is the openness of it. If you don't want an open floor space, then buy a condo or rent an apartment. I hated his bathroom (aubergine on the walls> it was way too dark!). I hated his kitchen... it wasn't functional at all, there was wasted space, and it looked choppy. And his bedroom. So he said he likes sterile, but I thought his bedroom, and those curtains, were awful. I would never want to live in that loft. I know glass is easier to care for with kids, but there was a LOT of glass there (I had visions of following the kid around with a Windex bottle and a package of bandages.)

Carissa's loft, on the other hand, maximized the fact that it was a loft. The floorplan was open and flowed. Her kitchen absolutely ROCKED, and it was functional and spacious. I loved her bedroom, although I'd hate to have to make that bed or change the sheets (although, I guess if you have $150K to spend on furnishings and the like, then you'd have a housekeeper take care of that). I wasn't really wild about her colors (been there done that with white, black, and red), but it was a very clean and bright and open look.

Carissa's loft had personality. Matt's loft seemed cold and unlivable.

Really, I'd move into Carissa's loft in a second, and only change the reds (probably to greens and yellows). I'd completely redo Matt's loft before I moved in. And totally gut the kitchen and bathroom, too!

Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 8:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vacanick a private message Print Post    
LOL ... I loved reading your opinion Costa. And I completely agree. I would also move into Carissa's loft in a second, except I'd keep in the reds. It's my favorite color. I also hated Matt's loft and did not find it cozy or homey at all. I believe Carissa will have no problem finding people who want her to design for them.

Love Top Design!

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 9:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
Cost, you didn't like the Aubergine???
sure hope Mocha doesn't see that!

I agree that Carissa's looked more like a loft, but the assignment was sort of a mixed message. It wasn't 'design a wonderful LOFT'. It was 'design THIS loft to work for YOU'.

Konamouse
Member

07-16-2001

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 5:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Konamouse a private message Print Post    
How did Carissa lose? I don't understand that result after all the comments by the judges. The only top think about Matt's loft was the personal pictures/photos on the walls. Carissa's was much more of a LOFT for LIVING while Matt's was okay to look at but not functional.


Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 6:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
I can see that

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 7:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
I LOVE aubergine!

Just not in a bathroom, where you're putting on makeup or doing your hair. It's too dark in a bathroom. (Especially with dark hair... if you try to do your hair and the walls are dark behind you, you can't see your hair! You need contrast! And good light!)

I think Matt was pre-selected to win, and I think his previous designs actually had something to do with it. Although most of his other designs were really classy, if they were judged ON THIS LAST TASK ALONE, he really blew it. The only thing I liked was that wall of photos. It seems like such an unfriendly space in which to live.

Couldn't you just see Carissa's loft, full of people at a party? Playing ping pong, lounging on her bed, sitting by the windows, hanging out in the kitchen? In the kitchen, where there was an open floor plan and you could get people in there?

Matt's kitchen, well, it sucked. The range was awesome, but he didn't put any thought into how he designed it. What was that giant open space in that one corner? It didn't seem very efficient to me, either.

So, I do think Matt one because the judges liked his other designs better than they'd liked Carissa's. I think they also liked Matt's personality better than Carissa's, so she lost. But... at least Carissa, and her loft, HAD personality!!! evil grin

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 7:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
Lol Costa.

Watching2
Member

07-07-2001

Saturday, April 14, 2007 - 9:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Watching2 a private message Print Post    
Well, I'm glad Matt won. I liked that he was consistent and not a drama "queen" about every little thing like Carisa was. :-) Oh and when they said the word aubergine, I totally thought of the Clubhouse and of course, Mocha. :-)

Alisons
Member

01-10-2003

Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 7:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Alisons a private message Print Post    
Costa, that is a good point about the bathroom color and being able to see your hair - I am blonde, so that never occurred to me! (Not a blonde joke, I just would be able to see my hair against that backdrop!) Matt is blondish also, so he probably did not think of that either.

I still want to know where to put the pet bowls & other stuff. Maybe I should sponsor a "TV Clubhouse Top Design".

I really need to take a week off and reorganize my house!

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 10:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
:-)

Allietex
Member

08-16-2002

Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 11:51 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Allietex a private message Print Post    
I think they only chose lofts to give the contestants a big open space to work with that could involve SOME construction without having to start from stratch like you would with a house. That would be totally impossible for the show.

I did not get the impression that they necessarily wanted them to have a "loft" feel but that they wanted them to design a home for themselves without having to work within an existing layout of walls, etc.

So when you have a four year old to design for, how DO you fit it into the over all design? Would you have had him put her into an adult themed room or maybe done the rest of the loft around her theme? That is why he put doors on her room. It was a separate space for a separate purpose within the bigger picture. I loved her room. I would have loved a room like that as a child.

He could have had her room a little less "over the top," but he took a chance with it, and it paid off. The judges realized the problem and liked how he solved it. It was actually a very realistic choice for a little girl.

I agree that the curtains were not very practical. I lived in a house with curtains over my bedroom door for awhile. I hated it. I would have liked to see some kind of sliding panels that could have been opened up for entertaining. I do not think they looked tacky, just impractical.

But certainly no more impractical than Carisa's bed. while it was unusual and a little hip, I imagine the actual use of it would get old very quickly.

I liked Carisa's more open floor plan. It looked more spacious, but that is kind of misleading when you consider the assignment was to plan a living space for themselves.

I really think Carisa had the easier task because she did not have to take into account anyone but herself, where Matt had to consider a child. Yes, her loft had a more open look. But the child's room, while small and beautiful, did take space that could have been used to give his loft the same open look that Carisa's had.

Personally, while I liked them both, I would have chosen Matt's. His had those little touches that made it special and personal, like the pictures and the room for his daughter. Carisa's looked like a spread out of a magazine about what is supposed to be modern and hip.