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I'm delighted that both David and Alice have made it to the end. David is, however, the most striking talent. From stunningly original work in his pet-store orange room (though the reptile bark made for a showy, rather than usable rug), to his playful basement make-over (a clear delight for children), and his truly elegant japanese glass house (that managed even to carry its serene theme to the outside) his every effort was impressive. That he is cute, hunky, and apparently able to get on well with all makes for a very appealing choice. Give the guy a show! We want to watch him regularly.

Posted by Jerry – September 5, 2006 2:51 PM

David's clean designs remind me of Verns. Nice.

Posted by fran – September 4, 2006 11:05 PM

My family and I enjoy watching HGTV. However, if Donna, Temple or Vanessa ever hosted a show, we would never watch it.

HGTV has a wonderful reputation, with great ideas and inspirations. These so called women do not have the character, honesty and talent to live up to HGTV standards. Obviously, Vanessa is a liar and backstabber. Donna was lost and incapable of handling monetary issues. Temple pranced and strutted herself. If she was Miss Utah, then the State of Utah should be ashamed of her.

The bickering, backstabbing and unprofessionalism by Donna and Temple were disgraceful and painful to watch.
These three women would bring the high standards of HGTV down tremendously. We would never watch a show hosted by any of these three. Nor would we ever want any of these disgraceful women to design our home.

David has amazing talent and high standards. He is most definitely creative, with wonderful qualities and high standards. David has a great eye for detail. He is our choice for Design Star.

Alice is also has wonderful talents. However, her work does not appeal to me personally. I commend her for her straightforward comments to Vanessa. She is warm and also would make a fine Design Star.

Actually, why not let both her and David star in programs together occassionally? They work together well and would compliment each others work.

We would have liked to see Joseph stay. He is very talented and thought the judges made a mistake in letting him go. I believe most everyone has commented that his "cancellation" was much too soon. He should be re-called in the next Design Star challenge. The public would obviously love to see him return.

We would also like to see more individual work by the contestants and less team work with more time allowed for the projects.

Posted by Linda – September 4, 2006 3:35 AM

DAVID IS BY FAR THE BEST DESINER OF ALL TEN CONTESTANTS. HE HAS A KEEN EYE FOR STYLE AND HIS ARTWORK IS FANTASTIC. DAVID IS GOING TO GO A LONG WAY IN THE DESINER FIELD. HE SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON HIS OWN IN DESIDEING WHAT IS BEST FOR THE HOUSE HE IS WORKING ON. YOU CAN SEE HIS WHEELS TURNING AS HE WORKS. HE IS TRULY IN LOVE WITH HIS WORK. HIS LOVE FOR PEOPLE SHINES IN HIS EYES. WATCH OUT AMERICA FOR D-A-V-I-D,HERE HE COMES WITH GOOD TITINGS

Posted by MarthaFrances Rayborn – September 3, 2006 10:55 PM

I have loved watching the show every week. I would have voted Tym off with the dog food bags. That was bad, He's out there some where and I hope he goes this time. If he was the star I would turn the TV off. I watch HGTV every day I also. I'm a designer myself. I like Temple I would use her myself. I don't care for Alice she has no flare, flat and does't have real passion for design. I'll have to vote For David. He's the best of the three.

Posted by Jan from Texas – August 24, 2006 1:05 AM

This show is so addicting :-).
'Watching the reruns with all 4 episodes,it's interesting to see things that were missed the first time around. I feel much more sympathetic to Donna because she had a point; Temple didn't listen to her and David and did talk over them. I think Temple was also talked down to Donna than the situation called for---maybe Donna did shop, but as she pointed out, it was her job and it wasn't as if she was out taking lunch.

I'm still sorry that Joseph got cancelled at this point; it would have been interesting to see what he would have done on an individual basis, since the deck that he and Tym did together was quite good.

This is the episode where people's personalities, for good or bad, really started to show.

Posted by Reg – August 19, 2006 7:53 PM

Boy, it seems like Donna and Temple are turning off viewers at every turn!!! But that's TV!!! LOL!!!

Posted by Bonita – August 14, 2006 9:48 AM

The way I understand it, the judges see only before & after photos of the designed space, with some background information on the criteria and limitations. If they did get to see all the drama that we as viewers get to see, and were given professional demeanor as part of their rating criteria, maybe they would have eliminated one of the other designers in place of Joseph.

He came across as a nice guy, but perhaps too accomodating in his role as team leader for this challenge. He said in his exit interview that he misjudged what the judges were looking for; he thought it would be teamwork, and it wasn't. The impression I got after all was said & done was that he put himself in the role of coordinator for democratically made decisions, when perhaps what the show was looking for was a very strong project leadership role. Given his very inclusive approach toward this challenge, I think Joseph would work admirably with clients who had strong personalities and wanted a lot of control over their project.

The team's agreement to take the hits as a team was idealistic, knowing that *one* designer would be eliminated from the show at the end of this project, and that assigning team leaders strongly suggested that they would be the most likely candidates for cancellation. If the idea was to present a professional, unified front at the judging and avoid the kind of juvenile finger-pointing that Vanessa indulged in during the judges' comments, then it just didn't work. I do applaud Joseph & Alice for struggling to keep up their ends of that bargain, and not retaliating in kind in front of the judges.

Like other posters, I would have preferred to see one of the three prima donnas (Donna, Temple, & Vanessa) go if only because their behavior is more grating than entertaining.

Posted by Calee Ope – August 10, 2006 10:07 AM

I watch almost everything on HGTV(and I sure tried my best to win the house!). I have to tape the shows and watch them later as I have a house full of guys that are fixated on sports and boys stuff.
Anyway, I too am glad that Vanessa is gone and I would boycott any show with Temple or Donna just because of their horrible attitudes. My 6 year old gets along better with his peers than they do.
David is doing awesome( I thought he was full of himself with the 1st commercials-" I don't do good,I do awesome--blah,blah,blah). But he is right and he has risen above the silly childish behavior around him.
Alice has skills and integrity.
I would watch David or Alice.

Posted by Lisa – August 8, 2006 6:07 PM

Like many I am addicted to HGTV. I normally do not like reality TV competition shows but I love design star can't wait til next week.

I am from Utah and I am very embarrassed at Temples behavior and proclamation of being Miss Utah. She is not representing our state very well. She also has such a pageant girl attitude and antics. Her cutting remarks that sound like she is complimenting when she is really putting someone down. I thought Donna had a right to not let her do everything she wanted because she was the team leader. We saw how well Joseph did by letting someone else dictate.

I do think that both Donna and Temple should have been eliminated. What was the deal at the end where Temple sad she was going to go home because of how others were acting.She was the one acting bad and childish.

I think it was an injustice that Joseph was sent home. My husband and I really dislike Vanessa. I agree with everything that has been said about her is true.

I love Alice I think she is beautiful and a great and talented designer and she has values and integrity. I would love to watch her show. My other fav is David the artist guy.

I can't wait to see what happens next

Posted by Shawna – August 8, 2006 2:02 AM

Am I the only viewer disappointed with the show? The designers chosen seem so far to have little talent, or at least an appropriate challenge to show off their individual abilities. The bickering personalities detract from the show. I think there is a serious problem with the editing and that the designers are not given enough time to complete their makeovers. The show has great potential but needs a makeover itself. As many others have written, viewers want ideas and to see talented designers, not the Survivor Island of the design world.

Posted by Anita – August 7, 2006 6:31 PM

Kudos to the judges for cancelling Vanessa. First she took all the credit for the bedrooms in episode #1. Then took no responsibility for the sofa or the plates in episode #2. Then she tried to turn a livingroom into a beauty parlor. She was the worst.

Posted by Rosemary Frost – August 7, 2006 6:28 PM

i would also like to know how they did the floor in that bedrooms, it looks awesome

Posted by sol – August 7, 2006 4:29 PM

Love the show, I'm hooked. I like to see action behink words. I would also like to get more info on how they did the floor in bedroom of the second episode. You know the little details. Is there a way to do so?

Thanks!

Posted by Raquel – August 7, 2006 12:50 PM

i don't know if i heard it wrong or not, but it seems as thou i heard vanessa put forth the idea of cutting down the sofa. she asked joseph if he could do it & he said yes.

i've seen it done before, so i didn't think it odd...thou not common, by any means. the fabric choice was rather awful, but again, vanessa's idea.

please correct me if i misheard about the sofa cutting...

clive, as usual you're doing a bang up job!!!
hopefully hgtv can do this show on an annual(or more often) basis!!!

anabel

Posted by anabel – August 7, 2006 9:06 AM

Missed the first episode, but am addicted now! On the second show I thought Donna should be eliminated. Not just for the fighting, but for all the time she spent away from HER room. She should have spent more time actually DOING something other than running her mouth or shopping. Temple was totally right when she said Donna should have made a list and done it all right the first time. GO TEMPLE!!

GOOD RIDANCE to VANESSA
aka WHINNY BRAT (that's what she had '7 years experience' at!!!

Hopefully Alice will shine like I think she can.
If it comes down to one guy and one lady left for the final show, I think it should be Alice and David.

Let's just keep watching and see!

Posted by Bridget – August 7, 2006 2:14 AM

I love the show and I think the challenges truly show the talent that is there AND the talent that is not there.
I am an Accredited Staging Professional and have been staging homes for sale for two years. I absolutely love this kind of work and was glad to see it as a challenge!!!
I did not see the necessity that Temple took to do the cabinets only for them to look almost exactly the same. And as for the team fighting between Temple and Donna....it has got to stop. I work with a partner and often times call in other ASPs to assist and we have never had to deal with such childish behavior. It showed who the professionals were (namely David!!). The master bedroom was the winner for me and I agree with Vern that the fireplace didn't need painting. However, they did a phenomenal job with what they started out with!
I look forward to seeing the other challenges and who is able to step up to the plate as professional, creative designers!!!
Keep up the good work!

Posted by Gretchen – August 6, 2006 10:25 PM

I take back the not seeing any talent thing. I missed the brown/orange room! That was terrific!

Posted by Pat – August 6, 2006 5:21 PM

Vanessa is rather perplexing. I know she must be a good designer, but she is a horrible role model. Pouting, Lying, Bragging, and Backstabbing are not what people want to see in a design host. She better shapen up or she'll be booted off.

I like Alice-very passionate, fights for what she believes in. That's a role model! I can't wait to see individual designs!

Posted by Anna – August 6, 2006 5:01 PM

Clive Rocks!!!!! Donna has got to go! so unprofessional, i would not tolerate that behaviour in my home.

Posted by carrie – August 6, 2006 4:10 PM

Temple leaves a great deal to be desired ....although she certainly doesn't think so. The entire espisode wrestled with the diva attitude and the poor kitchen suffered from the fighting...........very lackluster. Donna needs to give up the leadership role....she can't cut it.

Vanessa thinks she is the best and time will tell. David is also good as is Tym....All the others have along road to travel.

Posted by carole – August 6, 2006 1:01 PM

I think if Donna would have given Temple a chance in episode 2, the team may have done a lot better. The only thing that looked different in that room was the wall. Temple wanted to do a pot rack, some flooring. All of her ideas were shot down by Donna and I sure didn't see Donna doing anything but spending that money... Venessa needs to go. As she whispered to the judges, "The Plates weren't my idea" she stood there and told Joseph "yes" "The look good." What a fake she turned out to be.. The rest of the contestants I really like.Can't wait for episode 3. I love hgtv and I love this program. Wished it came on every other night...

Posted by Glenda – August 6, 2006 1:33 AM

Doesn't Donna sound and look very similar to Hellen Buttigieg the host of the show called "neat"? With earlier comments about the one designer being on another reality show, it caused me to check out both ladies, and each has information on their business' website with photos. But still, I wonder what Donna would look like without all her makeup and darker hair. I hope it's just a coincidence.

Posted by carol – August 6, 2006 1:28 AM

I think Donna should go. Her forgetting to give the patio designers money on the first episode was a completely irresponsible act. Had she done that on her own show, she would have had some very unhappy homeowners. In the second episode, it's perfectly clear that she's jealous of the former Miss Utah's youth and beauty and is constantly picking passive-agressive arguments with her. When the tough times arrive, she goes shopping. That's great for someone who has time to shop, but not for someone with limited time. She took so much time shopping and her room looked like crap. While the room Vanessa, Joseph, and Alice designed wasn't great, at least they did something. It didn't look the same as it did before like Donna's room. I think they should get rid of her and bring back Joseph. He was very creative. That patio he helped with was great.

Posted by Melissa – August 6, 2006 1:09 AM

Right now if any of these people got their own show it's doubtful I'd watch. Clive and Vern are my main reason...it's interesting seeing a side of Vern that we've never seen before and Clive is absolutely entertaining. Maybe I've watched way too much HGTV because what the contestants came up with was not very original.

Posted by angela – August 5, 2006 10:58 PM

I think that in eposode 2, almost all the designers missed the point: SELLING A HOUSE! It was not about furniture, or drapes, or color -- it was about appealing to a house shopper who could walk in and feel that she could make that house her own-- with as little work and money as possible. Hadn't any of those people ever watched Design to Sell? What would Lisa La Porta have done? Certainly she would not have chopped up a sofa or painted a coffee table!
Her energy would have gone into the KITCHEN first, making it fresh and neutral - a blank canvas for a potential homeowner. She would have done something with the ugly outdated floor after she pulled the wallpaper off and gave the walls a fresh coat of paint. She would have done something with the counter tops and added new knobs to the cabinets to spruce them up. She would have made a wonderful transition on $2000!
Next the living room: again, the house was old and probably had wonderful parquet floors under the old outdated carpet! Why didn't these designers even take a peek???? Gleaming wood floors, inexpensive area rugs to separate the spaces, a re-arrangement of the existing furniture to give the room a better flow, new paint and draperies would have made a world of difference.
The only team that used their heads was the bedroom team -- and they deservedly won.

Posted by Barbara – August 5, 2006 10:39 PM

I am looking forward to tomorrow's show. It will be fun to see what each of them create by themselves. Alice is my favorite. She has lots of talent, and the education to go along with it. I also like the twins and Tym.

Posted by Teresa – August 5, 2006 10:28 PM

We have cable for HGtv. It is what we watch here, but if Vanessa, Donna, or Temple get a show...I think we'll put on a movie instead. I am so sick of Vanessa only taking credit for the positive. Yuk!

Posted by sherri – August 5, 2006 9:36 PM

I see many others agree with my thoughts. Temple and Donna are so immature, and Vanessa is the worst. She lies and has way too much of a ego to be fun to watch. Alice is my favorite...she has so much character and seems to have design style and work ethic as well.

Posted by Sandy – August 5, 2006 7:46 PM

Joseph should NOT have been made to leave. The group was divided into TEAMS...meaning units...TEAMS make united decisions together. Joseph did NOT ask to be the leader. He included Vanessa and Alice. Vanessa lacks maturity and needs to eat alittle humble pie. There is confidence then there is 'cockiness' none of which do I have time for. Much more of these unjust decisions by the judges and the only station I watch 24/7 will lose me on this time slot until this ridiculous show is over. Let's see alittle fairness and some mature decisions on the judges part. Donna has been judged below mediocre twice now...duh...should she be walking out those lonely double doors of doom? Absolutely...C'mon judges make Donna and Vanessa walk the walk and let's get down to some real designing talent...That's why I only watch HGTV the wonderful, absolute talent that is on each and every show...
Hey Clive..are you married? You are just too adorable and I can honestly say America just loves you! Keep up the great work!!
Beth Ann

Posted by Beth Ann – August 5, 2006 7:12 PM

I agree with just about every comment made. I am very dissappointed in the potential Design Stars. I watch HGTV all the time and of course I am an closet Designer. But I think that the students from Designer Finals do a better job and with the same amount of time and same money.

I would like to see more professionalism on the part of these Designers, more organization and design focus and follow through. I feel that being a Designer you need to listen first off to your client this is their house not yours. Show your creative abilities and make it your clients vision, thats why they hired you in the first place to help them visulize there desires.

I think that this weeks individual challenge will show who has it and who doesn't. The only blame can be placed on you!

My individual comments about the Designers are to the LADIES GROW UP and act like professionals. All of you show that you have intergrity, stand behind your decisions, don't pass the buck. And plan better use your time ,let your creative juices flow for your client not your EGO!!

This is a great opportunity for all of you DON'T BLOW IT OVER PERSONALITIES AND EGO'S

I wish you all Good Luck!!

P.S. I would love to see Lisa LaPorte as one of the Judges, that woman is wonderful, she knows how to change a house and on a budget know less, Clive as always dry and entertaining.

Posted by Cathy – August 5, 2006 3:21 PM

Joseph should still be there and I doubt he will have any problems being a sucessful designer, without his own show...too much talent for him not to be.

Donna & Temple should BOTH learn to listen and let go of their oversized egos. As a fellow Texan, I would NOT hire Donna and her "shop til you drop" attitude...she needs to listen to her TEAM and do some actual WORK! Temple should perhaps consider that someone "30 yrs her senior" might just know a little more than she does! I don't care if you were Miss WORLD...that was then, this is today. I don't believe there would have been less friction if either of these ladies had been paired with some of the others...their egos (not talent) seem to dictate to them, their attitudes. Unless I see a major change in both of them, you can rest assured I would not watch a show hosted by either of them.

Vanessa may have SOME talent, however, she lacks integrity. I believe if I have to hear "I've been a designer for 7 yrs" (from age 19? Give me a break!)like that makes her an "expert" at design! Most of the bad decisions on the living room came from her! Get a grip girl! The only thing appealing in that room were the drapes that Alice made!

Alice may be "emotional" as some posters have pointed out but that tells me a lot about her, as a person. She has honesty, character and integrity...and on top of all that, she actually has talent! I'd hire her and would most definately watch a show that she hosted.

Tym, David and the Twins ... all have exhibited talent so far. OMG, that bedroom was awful, beforehand..as Clive said..anything would be better than what was there. It's no wonder the house hasn't sold...I don't know that even the kitchen could be considered badly decorated, after seeing that bedroom! (Yeah, that wallpaper was hideous, wasn't it?)

As always, Clive is an excellant host. Will be interesting to see what these contestants can do, individually...without others to carry them or to blame.

Posted by Faye – August 5, 2006 1:09 PM

Joseph has had the good fortune of learning a very important lesson about paying attention to detail, and also about looking at the big picture.

The Donna/Temple thing - I wanted to change the channel during that kind of stuff, but then I might have missed David. I'm waiting for David to come out and shine. I don't blame him for wanting to duck and cover though. When you get each member to agree up front with their part in the effort, there is no room for argument.

The Tym Team was the hands-down winner for not only showing a stunning reversal of the room's appearance, but a very good one too.

Posted by Frances – August 5, 2006 1:08 PM

Vanessa needs to get a new attitude. She may have done really well in the first round, but the second round proved that she doees not have a good attitude, and I would not want her decorating my house. My favorite on the show is Alice, because she is a great decorater, she has a good attitude, and she can work with a team (unlike Venessa who is out for only herself) or without.

Posted by Rebecca – August 5, 2006 11:51 AM

I think the show is awesome...probably the freshest and most fun show on HGTV! Clive you are so witty. I can't wait to see who gets cancelled this week!
Thanks for entertaining us.
k

Posted by Kirk – August 5, 2006 7:37 AM

I'm a huge HGTV fan and I'm lucky enough to be married to a handyman/small contractor whose answer to any project is "yes I can." I haven't been really wowed by anything I've seen so far on Design Star. After watching every episode of Designed to Sell, I was really disappointed in episode 2. I don't think any of those guys really got it. I like Alice the best, although the last project was awful. I think what most of these guys lack is the ability to design for anyone else's taste. I would never hire Vanessa because she is incapable of listening to anyone else. Does that include her clients? Also, they all pretty tactless. Didn't it occur to anyone that the owner of the house would be watching the show also?

Posted by Jane – August 5, 2006 12:29 AM

I do think Vanessa is overrated (mostly by herself) and probably should have gone instead of Joseph, but I don't think I would be interested in watching his show, either. It's not like we're ranking them. After all, there's only going to be one winner, and it certainly won't be Vanessa, and it wasn't going to be Joseph, either.

At this point, it seems like David, Alice, and Tym are the strongest. I can't tell about the twins - they have the pedigree but I haven't seen the talent yet. Episode 3 should tell us a lot about everyone.

About the show itself: I like the challenges so far, and next week's seems interesting. I think there are some surprises in store! Looking at upcoming episodes on tvguide.com, Episode 4 should be interesting (they work together to create one person's design) and Episode 5 sounds VERY cool, with each person designing a studio apartment around a single color! Cool ideas. Hope they are as good as they sound!

P.S. Really hope there is a season 2! From what I've read, they only got a couple thousand applications, but I am sure there will be 10 times that many for a second season!

Posted by GC Mandrake – August 4, 2006 7:50 PM

keith.....i agree with you and then some. do the judges ever see the shows? vanessa is so insecure always reminding us SHE has 7 yrs experience. she hasn't learned anything in the last 7 yrs! i wouldn't want her doing my home.

Posted by betty – August 4, 2006 4:42 PM

I think Joseph was eliminated because as team captain he just didn't use good judgement regarding the sofa, the heirloom table or the design solution for the room. The room was mediocre at best.

The size of the sofa and color of the table were not the problem with the room---it was the size of the room and lack of cohesiveness and he didn't realize that. If I'm not mistaken, they weren't even his ideas but he signed off on it and didn't stop to think if he should.

The table was clearly unintentional and an oversight but the clients provided a list of excluded items, it looked as if he had no regard for the clients wishes even though the table was fixable so he had to take the hit.

As far as Vanessa, her ethics stink and if she's so talented, why does she have to constantly validate herself. Wasn't she the one that suggested painting the table? Then says she would never have done that if she were team captain. So did she sabatage Joseph?

I can't wait for next weeks show! The individual room competition will determine who really has talent!!!! Vanessa feels she's got it in the bag. We will see!

The claws are going to come out now. This should be very interesting.

Posted by Cassie – August 4, 2006 3:24 PM

The second show was a boxing match - those 2 women Donna & Temple - and the room looked almost like it did in the beginning.

Vanessa, in both episodes, seemed to not want to spend $ as if that was what was desired. The three chairs around a small table. Dreadful and the small couch half covered looked blah.
But I like the show and enjoy Clive and the comments from Martha, Cynthia and Vern.

Posted by Margot Johnston – August 4, 2006 2:00 PM

I will love to see the twins having their own show.

Posted by luisa – August 4, 2006 1:29 PM

Temple really got on my nerves, but the defining moment for me was Vanessa saying to the judges she had nothing to do with the plates, then, when confronted by Alice, she fessed up... and we all saw the truth.

Temple may be annoying, but Vanessa has proven a lack of character and will say ANYTHING in front of the judges--no matter how untrue it is. She needs to go, and if the audience had a vote, I think she'd be gone...

Posted by Keith – August 4, 2006 1:17 PM

HGTV is very popular channel in our household. It will be interesting to see who does what when doing their own room, their own design.

Part of the problem for Joseph (and others) is they are nice and don't say no. The patio design was great, except for Ramona's regurgitations. I agreed with Vern, they should have said no thanks and fended off Ramona's "after they did the work" contributions. Puhleeze!

Donna, smooth move! Being a team leader or holding the dough means you verify EVERYONE has money, that everyone is ready to go shopping, not just YOU.

David, let's see what you have to offer to design when it's your own room.

Tym & Joseph have good ideas and weren't afraid to take the time to figure out what they were going to do before rushing out to shop. I'd prefer their style of designing before I'd hire someone who prefers to be in the stores shopping BEFORE they've decided what to do with my home. I'd watch a show with either of them.

Teman and Teran - a show with them would be grand! I'd like to see what they could do together as designers. Their interactions would be fun to watch as well.

Alice I like and would watch if she wins. I am looking forward to seeing what she designs on her own.

HGTV, as far as Donna, Temple, Vanessa, you can be sure that our house won't be watching any of these three if they win.

Design talent isn't everything in a presenter of a show. These three haven't got what it takes.

Posted by Susan – August 4, 2006 10:23 AM

Alright, I confess, I am a remodeling contractor/handyman that loves to "steal" ideas from HGTV! This new show will be very interesting as it progresses and is now on my very small list of hit shows to keep up with.

The twins seem to be under-rated so far. I think they will go far and could do well as a team with their own show. However, I personally prefer the shows where the designers do "hands on" work so I am looking for Tym and David to go far.

I agree with others that Joseph was sacrificed too soon!

One thing I dislike about "reality" shows is how the antagonist and flamboyant personalities can survive so long. I would guess that the HGTV target audience is more interested in the planning and execution of these projects than the drama involved. I know I am.

I don't know any of your shows that are primarily character driven even though you have some great characters. I really don't care how big their egos are, or how big their dogs are, or what pageants they have won, or how many times they have been published, or how cute they think they are. I want to watch them turn a seeming mess into something wonderful to be envied and copied.

We don't watch HGTV so we can say, "what a great guy!" or "what a great lady!". We want to be able to say, "What a great idea!"

As for me, give me less drama and more of the process. If I wanted to see cat-fights and flamboyant characters I would be watching pro-wrestling not HGTV.

I'm off the soap-box, until next week, anyhow!

Posted by Dirk – August 4, 2006 3:17 AM

I don't usually watch reality shows but I caught this episode as I was rocking my daughter.

Who cares that Vanessa won competitions or was published or whatever? And she's been a designer for 7 years? How? She's only 26. I wouldn't hire a teenager to design my room.

I didn't see how the master bedroom had a Mediterranean/North Africa theme but it was a major improvement. And I know this is nit-picky but Bombay is in India, guys.

Posted by Julie – August 4, 2006 1:46 AM

So far I would pick Alice to be the new design star, she represents the look, the education, and the talent needed to be a star. She's also honest and stands up for what she believes. I like her passion.
I earned a degree in interior design and finished with honors, I have worked in design for many years in both commercial and residential design, so I believe I have a trained eye for good design.The judges are right on target with their assessment of the designs. Those plates looked terrible, and that sofa looked like road side junk. The guys don't seem to stand out as stars except for the good looking artist, he's cool. Temple needs to keep her day job as a trainer and Vanessa is too full of herself to relate well to her audience. Donna doesn't seem to have organizational skills needed to host a show and the twins may have the education but I haven't seen anything that wows me yet. I look forward to each show.Clyde is such a delightful host,you picked a winner in him!!!!

Posted by Vickie – August 4, 2006 1:27 AM

Although it will probably help the house sell, it was a crying shame to paint over the castle mural; both my daughter and I would have loved that room.

Posted by Cheryl – August 4, 2006 1:18 AM

Whereas, I can understand that if a piece of furniture is off limits, and Joseph should have, as the team leader remembered that the table was not to be touched. I do not think that he should have been eliminated.

Donna's and Temple's behavior was absolutely atrocious. They act like children and almost make the show unbearable to watch. I'm greatly disapointed in the judges, not only for the fact that they didn't eliminate either of the witches for their behavior but they didn't elimiate either Donna or Temple for not adding anything to the kitchen, it was boring and didn't change the look of the room at all, it was still horrible.

Shouldn't they be judged on their ability or lack of ability to design a room? Not to mention the fact that if they had acted that way in my home, I'd have fired both of them.

Posted by Samantha – August 3, 2006 9:35 PM

I have watched both episodes so far because I like the concept of the Design Star competition, I respect the judges from other HGTV shows, and I enjoy Clive. I must admit thought, I was puzzled about how Ramona got on the show to begin with. She was a loose cannon with a bad attitude and very little talent. I was relieved she was eliminated immediately rather than hanging on to her so she could create stress and drama on the show.

Unfortunately I didn't feel the same wisdom was applied in the second elimination deliberations. Joseph wasn't a strong leader, but he has talent and a far more appealing personality than several others on the show. The fact that he took responsibility for the errors of his team spoke volumes about his personality (unlike Vanessa who is conceded and lies a lot. Her personality is definitely abrasive.) Everything considered, I thought Temple or Donna should have been eliminated in round two because of their fighting, horrible attitudes, and limited talent.

I love a good competition, but I want to see a REAL competition based on talent and the professionalism I've grown to expect out of HGTV. I'm not interested in watching an interior design version of Survivor or a soap opera. In my personal opinion attitude is as important in a real Design Star as talent. They are BOTH critical elements. I can't imagine Lisa LaPorter acting like Vanessa, Temple, or Donna.

I think Alice is very professional, and a number of the guys appear to have talent and camera presents. Hopefully as the episodes progress we will be able to see more of their individual skills and personality. It wouldn't hurt my feelings though to see Vanessa, Donna, and Temple hit the road quickly. In my book their shows have already been cancelled.

Posted by Cheree – August 3, 2006 7:04 PM

I never have appreciated confrontation! Joseph found that the peacekeeper usually loses. The guys in the bedroom did a good job. They just needed a little more time for some pictures and such. At this time, I'd still like the excellent
Lisa LaPorta to show those prima donnas a thing or two about decorating.

Posted by mimi – August 3, 2006 7:04 PM

why does everyone keep blaming Donna for the curtain on the staircase in episode 1. I do not recall it being her chose. I think she is doing a good job.

Posted by TAMMY – August 3, 2006 6:40 PM

Can anyone tell me how they did the plywood floor in the master bedroom? What a great idea, I'd love to try it in my family room!

Posted by Roberta – August 3, 2006 4:45 PM

I am hopelessly addicted to this show. I can't wait to see #3, when the designers work on individual rooms. I think we'll really start to see who can shine, and who just doesn't belong. No more whining about who didn't contribute, and "it was all her fault, boo hoo hoo." I think we all know who I'm talking about!

As for the designers, I don't like Donna, who hasn't contributed much so far, and seems to have a truly nasty personality. Temple is almost as bad, though I agree with her that most of her ideas were shot down by Donna in episode 2. Vanessa has talent, but her personality grates, to put it mildly. All the guys seem good, and I hate that Joseph was sent home. Alice is my favorite so far, just because she seems very professional, and her work is solid.

I hope the quality of work gets better as the show goes on. I know these designers are under a lot of pressure, but as my husband and I were watching, I commented "I would leave that fireplace in the bedroom alone, it's already a nice color," and I said "they need to put a rug or something down over that kitchen tile." I also wondered why they would cut down the couch when the problem in the living room was that the room was so big, not small. Now kids, if I can figure these things out, and I'm not a professional designer, why can't you? I'm watching you for some ideas. Help me out, please!

Love Clive, as always. He's great, and can say more with an expression or one dry comment than many can say with fifteen paragraphs. And with that, I'm done! Keep up the great work HGTV.

Posted by DJ – August 3, 2006 1:39 PM

Love the show! Of course, Clive is great! And the judges are top-notch - agree w/others that we need to see more of their deliberations. Too bad about Joseph - he did NOT deserve to be eliminated! I agree w/many others - if Vanessa wins, her show will be one of the few on HGTV that I won't watch! The channel is great - I even watch the commercials (no, I'm serious!) Can't wait 'til next week to see how these guys do on their own...thanks.

Posted by Lynn – August 3, 2006 12:59 PM

I, like many others, was disapointd to see Joseph go. He is educated in the field of architecture and interior design and was probably one of the more talented among the group.
As far as the others go:
Vanessa, in spite of her posturing, really must lack confidence and she certainly lacks the courage to take responsibility for her design decisions. The unfortunate thing is that she does seem to have some talent and creativity but she is not the complete package. I would not watch her show if she wins. It is nauseating to see her "tooting her horn" every chance she gets; "my design was published", I teach design at the local college". Well let me tell you I am an interior design student and if she was one of my professors I would drop her class!

As for the twins - I like the fact they have a solid education in this field but so far it is hard to determine what they are really adding to the designs of the rooms they have been involved in. So they may have some talent but I don't find thier personalities interesting enough to carry a show. The next challenge should help clear this up.

David is cute and although a little concieted it is not a complete turn off. I think he has some artistic talent but I don't think that makes him a designer. But with his looks and personality he would probably do OK on a show of his own.

Tym is also not a "designer" however he strikes me as creative and very handy and he is likeable so depending on the format of his show he could probably do OK.

Donna is a flight attendant who has apparently dabbled in decorating for the past 20 yrs and she thinks that makes her a designer. I am sure she can pull a room together that resembles her own home judging from her video and her contributions to the living room and the kitchen. But what else can she do? The huge curtain in front of the staircase in the living room was a big mistake. Even a novice should know not to hide such a great architectural feature and emphasize the narrowness of the room! She is an attractive lady with some personality (although a little annoying at times and she totally mismanaged the money). I would not watch her show if she won. I don't think she should win.

Temple is also an attrative woman and she knows it too well. Her behavior in the kitchen was very immature and unprofessional. She acted like a baby. She needs to learn how to sell her ideas instead of blaming others for not liking them. Donna has been criticized for her behavior but I think Temple was the one attacking. As for her design skils - I can't see that she has any. There were bigger problems in the kitchen than those cabinets whick took up a lot of time in the execution of the design ( what little there was ) She admits that she has no formal training or even experience. She is not a designer and I would not watch her show either.

Alice is a designer! She is professional and nice (and attractive). She has the education and experience to call herself a designer. The fact that she can sew will be a big benefit in executing her designs in this competion. She is a little emotional but she has a sweet peronality and probably can't help it. I like that she speaks her mind and cuts to the chase- I think her ability to do this offset the tears! She appears to have integrity and confidence. I would watch her show - I hope she wins!

I love watching Designed to Sell with Clive and Lisa P. Love his accent and sense of humor.

Enough already.

Posted by candace – August 3, 2006 10:18 AM

I was dissapointed this time around.

Donna and Temple might have good ideas, nut they get lost in the fighting.

Joesph wasn't a great leader, but he was better then Vannessa in tems of personality. I think she takes too much credit.

Alice is so geniune. I think she desverves her own show.

Posted by Elizabeth – August 3, 2006 8:45 AM

How many times do we have to hear Vanessa say "In my 7 years as a designer..." I think the judges already know!

A note on personalities: In some instances people hire a designer because they are insecure about their own choices. In this situation an outgoing, confident person can make them feel ok that it will all work out. Unfortunately, that personality is really a pain for a team plan! I'm looking forward to next week to see what they each do with identical starts. I think those with hands on skills will do better than those that just create the design and depend on craftsmen to do the work.

And a quick question: In that large living room would they have been allowed to rent a baby grand piano for staging or does everything have to be purchased?

Posted by Sue – August 3, 2006 1:33 AM

Donna, Temple or Vanessa are definitely too volatile and self-absorbed to make good show hosts. I didn't see the first episode, but those three drove me nuts in the second episode. The guys are all great. It's a crying shame that Joseph's show was cancelled.

My favorite designer is Alice. Besides her design talent, she's got such an endearing personality. She's warm and real -- someone you would enjoy being friends with. I think she'd make a fabulous host because she connects so well with the audience. I wanted to stand and shout when she kept standing there with Joseph. That took guts! And I liked that she expressed her anger to Vanessa without being mean and catty. It's just one more thing that makes us love her!

Posted by Pat – August 3, 2006 1:10 AM

Wow! Vanessa showed great promise in episode 1, I loved the room they designed. Donna can't handle money and therefore maybe she has already suceeded or is used to rich clients. She will be a great host, as she brings lot of drama into a room. I hated to see Joseph go also.

I'm addicted to this show and would love for HGTV to post when the repeat is, in case I missed anything. I agree with the other blogger, 2 hours, give us more!

I think it will be interesting to bring in other criteria/people to judge, besides just those judges. Can't wait to next week. Love your show!

Posted by bimby – August 2, 2006 10:26 PM

All of the "designers"on this show should watch Designer Finals.These students are much better and at least have a "clue"as how to use their time and money wisely.

Posted by Marty – August 2, 2006 9:48 PM

First - Temple is fine, she has ideas that are being ignored and that's a shame for the team.

Second - where is Lisa La Porta? She should definitely be a part of this, even as a judge!

third - WOW I'm going to do that plywood floor myself when we fix up our basement - thanks for the GREAT idea!

Posted by ann – August 2, 2006 9:04 PM

Love, love, love Clive!!! I am also enjoying getting to see another side of Vern! Maybe an episode in which the contestants have NO contact with each other and it really is all about their design skill would be a thought for next season...

Posted by Donna – August 2, 2006 8:17 PM

Please...no more Vanessa. I can't tolerate her any longer. Only David, and possibly Tym show any design potential or hosting charisma.

Posted by Bob – August 2, 2006 4:56 PM

What a disappointment, judges definitely made the wrong choice.

I love Clive as always he is a great host.

The judges are good but I wish we could see more on why they make the decisions they make and hear from them a little more. I would also love for them to have to walk in the rooms and personally judge on the work. Vern?s expressions make me laugh.

The contestants-
David - so far he has shown good artistic work and his personality is great, he was smart staying out of the cat fight, so far he is one of my favorites. Hope that he can shine on his own next week. He has what it takes to have his own show so far.
Vanessa- toots her horn too much , has no leadership qualities and as far as hiring her for her personality is clearly just another lie to boost herself. Her mouth says one thing her actions say another. She has had maybe one good idea on the rest she has failed. I would not watch a show with her even if they paid me. She needs to take responsibility for her mistakes and stop lying, who would hire her after seeing her on TV is beyond me.
Tym- has great construction ideas, but would do better in a three man show , perhaps with Joseph. I?ll just have to see what he does on his own. Nice guy.
Teman- the man, he has style and great personality. So far every room he has worked in has had success, I hope he does not let me down next week when he works on his own, so far he is my favorite. With is personality he could have his own show he already looks star material. I hope he wins!!
Teran- like his twin he has talent but his personality is too quiet and in order to have your own show, the personality has to capture the audience attention. I hope he becomes more vocal and let his personality shine through.
Alice- she is very sweet and has moral, but perhaps to sweet and weak for her own show. I hope to see her be more secure of herself and show us something interesting next week, but I am not sure she could handle her own show.
Ramona- what the heck was that!!!? Who chose her to be on the show, she looked and acted more like a bag lady than a designer. That is all I have to say about that. Good riddance.
Joseph- the judges made a big mistake, he should not have been cancelled before Donna, Vanessa and Temple, he had more talent than the three put together. What a loss.
Temple- to whiny and temperamental, if she is willing to give up her chance that easily she is not worthy of the chance she is getting. I wonder if she has any talent, I guess we will find out next week. Definitely not star material. I would not watch her show.
Donna- a total disaster, has shown no talent or leader skills. She needs to go fast , she should have been the one to go. If she had her own show it would be about chaos. Hope that the judges have more sense than that.

Posted by Brenda Lee – August 2, 2006 3:59 PM

Oh, my gosh - I have not been able to catch either one of the shows, but I do know this -- these are not teams. I also abhor the idea that just because someone is a team captain that they must take full responsibility for every action taken by any given team member. From the way it sounds, Vanessa, Donna and Temple need to go, in that order. What a shame they can't all go at the same time! What were they people who chose these competitors thinking when they interviewed them, and did they try any role-playing games with the whole group before making the choice of contestants? They should all have taken a Briggs-Meyer before even opening the show!

Posted by Constance – August 2, 2006 2:01 PM

I love HGTV, pretty much watch all the time. I am by no means a professional designer but have watched so many of your design shows, that I think I could do better than most of them (I have had many compliments on my own house). I could not get over the horrible job that Donna and her team did in that room on Episode 1. Why would you put drapes in front of a beautiful stairway in an already narrow room and make it look narrower? and angle a sofa in that room? And in Episode 2, the living room that Vanessa and team decorated was big enough for them to keep the sofa the way it was, if they did not want to have a sectional they could have used it in separate pieces. It did not even need to be reupholstered, they only needed to liven it up with bright pillows. Vanessa picked such beautiful pillows in Episode 1 (her room in that episode was pretty), why didn't she just do the same in the living room. Donna needs to do a little work. I don't think she came up with one good idea in 2 episodes. As is the consensus in reading some of the comments already posted, I also think that Joseph took the fall for Vanessa! I also think that the guys are better than the gals! Looking forward to the next episode when they are alone and can't put the blame on anyone else.

Posted by Kathy – August 2, 2006 1:51 PM

I can't understand why Donna or Temple are still here. Since the show started off with teamwork, shouldn't the judges have to view the tapes and see who can work in a team? Poor Joseph his only fault was he was too nice. I think the judges should be made to work a little too and delve into the work a little deeper. So far they come across as nitpickers and holier then thou

Posted by Barbara-ann – August 2, 2006 1:16 PM

This is a competition and even though they are working as teams it's still each person for them selves. I think these contestents are doing what they feel they need to do to beat the next person. On the flip side some people (Donna, Vassena) are letting their egos get in the way of the putting their best foot forward. So far none of them has done any thing fablous or creative. We will see what they can do next week.

I would like to see the show became a two hour slot so that I can see more details. It's just not enought.

Posted by Lynn-Net – August 2, 2006 11:43 AM

Comments I could make about Vanessa and Donna are the same as the others. I think Temple tried (she did mention the floor) but was bulldozed by Donna. A repeat of Donna's episode 1 behavior. I'm SO SORRY to see Joseph go! He was railroaded by Vanessa and should never have gone back to the fabric store with her, but should have said the decision she made with Alice stood. He took a big hit for that ugly couch.
My biggest complaint though is that none of them is a Lisa LaParta - $2,000 in ONE ROOM, not for several mind you like Lisa does, and none of them made me want to go buy that house. I wouldn't invite any of them to redo in my house, except maybe David whose audition video is all that has really shown any potential so far. They keep thinking too small. Wine on a kitchen counter isn't going to sell a house, neither are plates on a wall. I know that stuff is going and mine is moving into the basic skeleton. That's what I'm looking at when I house shop.
I'm hoping that they can show some potential in their individual rooms. I'm looking for Alice and David to shine there. I don't know if Vanessa or Donna can accomplish a thing without someone to do the work and take orders. Surprise me ladies!!! The twins may be a bit too minimalist, and I'm not conviced Tym has design style though he has great construction ideas. He'd be a great addition to a show.

Posted by Linda – August 2, 2006 10:36 AM

After watching both epsiodes and looking forward to another, I wonder how some of the contestants made the 'cut' to be designers? What happened to asking questions about the personalities of the people who own the homes and what are the owners looking for in changing the look/style of the home? Where are the simple tools of the trade called pencil and paper to write down what items can be changed or not touched? Why not use what is already available such the existing sofa separated into two working pieces instead of killing it and trying to cover the damage.

To design for people is the find out what is their comfort zone and not impose the designer's own importance. A designer need to have to courage to not say, "me, me, me, I, I, I."

Posted by Yasu – August 2, 2006 10:30 AM

I've tried to imagine each of the design star contestants as a host of their own show. The twins would be great as a team, and I can imagine each of the others hosting EXCEPT Vanessa. Maybe she'll be amazing on her individual room in Episode 3, but no matter how good her design might be, I cannot imagine her being a good host or endearing an audience to her. I just can't see it! I'd like to see Donna and Temple NOT working with each other to give them a chance to show a better side. I'd like to see Donna NOT as a team leader.

I also do NOT like reality shows with their backstabbing and fighting. I do NOT watch reality TV except for American Idol. I do like design and, like other commenters, have turned to watching HGTV almost solely. I would like to see the focus of the show more on design and personality presentation, with less focus on relationships.

Sorry to see Joseph go! I don't really like Temple's personality, but she did mention covering the floor in the kitchen and her comment was brushed over. I don't think any design can make up for the lack of show host potential in Vanessa. She's my choice for the next show cancellation.

Posted by Becky – August 2, 2006 1:21 AM

Being an Interior Design student myself, I think the first thing to really matter most is to listen to what the client WANTS!!!
I think most of these designers are getting way ahead of themselves and not giving the design concept one hundred percent focus. They spend too much time argueing or being overly confident which really takes away thier creativity and focus to the space and design plan.

I think Vanessa needs to go!!! She is way over herself and her attitude is "me, me, me, I'm the best and quite frankly it's a turnoff. I know I would not watch her if she had a show.

To me Design is suppose to be fun, uplifting, creative and most of all being able to be yourself. You want your clients, buyers, etc to be happy with your results, that's how you build a reputation!!!

Posted by Christina Pezzo – August 1, 2006 9:59 PM

I thought that Donna would go, but- if they want a mobile (manufactured home) to work on, I was planning on doing some work in mine. I like Vanessa, her spunk is admirable, in that line of work you have to build yourself up & take credit for things, of course that means taking the rap when something goes wrong too. I think this week will show us you can really improvise with no one else to lean on or to interfer.

Posted by teresa – August 1, 2006 9:29 PM

I'm curious whether the judges get to look at the projects in person or have to depend on video. Seems to me it would make a big difference.

Folks who have been complaining about the personalities of the various contestants should keep in mind that we are seeing an edited version of what went on. If we had actually been in the house, listening and watching the whole time, we might have a totally different impression.

From what I've been shown, I would say Vanessa needs a personality transplant! But if she's already a successful decorator, SOMEONE must like her!

Posted by Maureen – August 1, 2006 3:54 PM

I think Vanessa should have been the one to go. I think she always boast her self too much when it comes to design. Alice would be a great fit...

Posted by dy – August 1, 2006 11:48 AM

First of all let say kudos to HGTV for a wonderfully inspiring line up of shows!! Design Star is just another show to make you say, "What are some of these 'designers' thinking." Donna is a stewdess...her forte may be in designing jet interiors? So far on the show she has had nothing but "flops" as far as her design ideas in my opinion. She seems rude and controlling. Not the best qualities for a host if she should win. Vanessa seems to only think of herself and all of her accomplishments. She undermines all the members on her team to uplift herself. Temple just seems lost. Alice lacks direction and is very emotional. The guys on the show seem to have a pretty good grasp on things and in my opinion have shown the most potential at being a design show host.
I like the panel of judges and would like to hear more of their comments. Clive, as always, is delightful.
Here is a suggestion...you want to challenge the designers and see who can cut the mustard? Give them a mobile home to redecorate! Take it from my experience...ITS A CHALLENGE and will seperate the good from the bad.

Posted by Nancy McConnahea – August 1, 2006 10:48 AM

I was glad that the team leader went off! He made a bad mastake! And what about donna and temple? the were on a rage!

Posted by Emily – August 1, 2006 10:18 AM

The clip of Vanessa claiming she was "right about the couch fabric" is a classic! She beamed for the camera that her fabric choices were perfect and Alice just didn't get it. Then the judges cringed over the couch and she took no credit for it! If she lasts through Week 3 it will be a travesty of modern television....

Prediction: Alice wins and gets her own show. I'd watch it. She's attractive and funny. And has good taste not to choose horrific fabrics...

Posted by ProDznr – August 1, 2006 4:49 AM

I agree with the idea that Donna should go. She seems very controlling and lazy. Going shopping when there is work to do is what I used to do when I was going through graduate school and was stressed out over a big assignment or project (it's called task avoidance.)Temple is constantly being attacked by Donna. Her only problem is that she needs to not let Donna "bait" her. It does take two to argue. As for Vanessa, I agree with the one judge who says that she believes that V. has a lot of talent and wants to see more from her. It's a shame that her personality is so intense and I believe that she is actually lacking confidence. Maybe, this will improve as this shows goes forward and her talent will come out without her coming off obnoxious.

Posted by Paula – August 1, 2006 2:43 AM

Too bad Joseph doesn't live near me. He could help me design my entire house! A great loss of talent because he was a nice guy!

Posted by lisaondarbonne – August 1, 2006 1:00 AM

Vanessa should have been the one to go, she is a backstabber, liar and her "whatever", I am better than you attitude is not what HGTV needs in a new show designer.

I hated to see Joesph go, he has talent and I wish him the best in the future.

The show needs to be 2 hours and give the audience more time to see what is going on and please let us know the discussion between the judges and why they made their decision.

Donna and Temple are acting like spoiled children fighting over the same toy.

Love Clive, he is so natural and has that special touch to be the right host for this show.

Posted by Brenda – July 31, 2006 11:50 PM

Joseph should not have been the one to go. Temple and Donna and Vanessa should have been one of the choices. If it came down to Joseph's team then Vanessa should have been the one to go. I really feel the judges made a mistake even with just the end product and info. I wish there was a way to get Joseph back - but that's not possible.
But I go along with the other posts - if Temple, Donna or Vanessa "got" their show - I would not watch.

Vivi

Posted by vivi – July 31, 2006 11:06 PM

The people who have posted comments so far are right on the money. Temple and Donna were ridiculous with their bickering; many people seem to think Donna is at fault but at least she didn't take Temple up on that witchy comment about Donna being 30 years older. Please! Vanessa is just too stuck on herself. It's all right to blow your own horn but she is playing the whole brass section. I was amazed that Joseph was eliminated. Why him in particular out of the group that did the lack-luster job on the living room. If it's because of the table, everyone makes mistakes and they fixed it. I thought either Temple or Donna would go. The guys are definitely doing a better job--both with work and likeability. I would watch any of them on a new show.

Posted by Louise – July 31, 2006 10:52 PM

Who was the winner of this episode?? I know that the bedroom was the winning room -- but which designer was named the best?

Posted by MeMe – July 31, 2006 10:15 PM

I am an avid watcher of HGTV & don't think much of any of the future designer's capabilities. The rooms are blah looking & nothing is outstanding. It seems like all they do is modern decorating with no warmth in mind. I think you could have chosen different judges then what's on the panel now. Don't see any of the so-called designer's as having their own show, sorry, but true.

Posted by Rosemary – July 31, 2006 6:09 PM

so...were the owners of the table breathing down the producers' necks for justice??? thats the only rational conclusion i can come to about Joseph's termination.

Posted by matt – July 31, 2006 5:52 PM

I am not a fan of reality shows; but somehow this summer I hooked onto project runway. Being a fan of HGTV< I looked forward to design star. I would like to see more comments and suggestions on the designs themselves, and not so much on the personalities...however, that's where the ratings are, I guess. For example, the sectional sofa in the living room could have been cut in half and they could have used both halves to fill in the space. How about some suggestions about color? The bedroom makeover was very well done, but was a no brainer as the winner: as soon as the murals were painted over it became a different room. I love Clive: but where's the follow-up? Did the house sell?

Posted by Margo – July 31, 2006 5:50 PM

I'm sure I'm not going to say anything that hasn't been said before (possibly even by me after the first show). I watch this show with eyes wide open and not having a favorite as I know none of the designers personally. But for two weeks in a row I've watch Vanessa mercilessly praise herself above and beyond her abilities. I've never heard anyone brag so much about their accomplishments. How accomplished can she really be when she is only 26 and self-admittedly likes to be the boss. Where's the talent there? I think she picked the fabric for the living room, but who did the sewing? Looked like Alice to me. And who did the sofa restructuring (whether it needed it or not)? Looked like Joseph to me. What the heck did Vanessa do besides put the blotch of paint on the off-limits table?

And Donna and Temple are ridiculous! Look at Donna's bag! (Those feathers are over the top!) Doesn't say much for her taste. And Temple? Her talent is her "beauty"? Give me a break! My opinion is that she ruined those cabinets. They looked better before she "antique'd" them! But Dave did some work with the painting and the finish on the walls and Temple also worked. What did Donna do? Shop? Ok...

And last but not least...the all guys team. I thought the room looked awesome, with the exception of the nails in the corners of the floor. Too obvious and should have been covered somehow. But the room was lovely and didn't interfere with the Tudor style of the house at all. Jim seems to know his stuff and makes things happen. Not the prettiest guy but a can do guy for sure. I'd much rather watch him than three of those women. Alice is wonderful too though. His two partners also stayed up and didn't give up and worked well with Jim.

Doesn't anybody remember that it was Joseph and Jim that designed that great patio for the first challenge? Wrong choice this time...I cannot wait to see Vanessa, Temple or Donna go...

Posted by AutumnLeaves – July 31, 2006 5:48 PM

Love this show! I would love to see more of the judges deliberation and hear their comments. I'm guessing they must watch the entire taping to see the entire "behind the scenes" antics or do they? Love seeing Vern again! Reality TV and HGTV combined... can it get any better than this?

Posted by Liz – July 31, 2006 5:11 PM

I agree with most of the comments concerning the "whaann-a-be designers". THEY NEED TO GROW UP!! They're an EMBARRASSMENT to the profession. I certantly would NEVER watch a show with any of them!! You need to show more of the REAL designers comments. Maybe everyone would finally learn somethng then. It would atleast add a note of SOME level of professionism.

Posted by Joni – July 31, 2006 4:57 PM

Too bad about Joseph. The first episode was better and I hope next week is better yet. I would much rather see the designing instead of all the bickering. Dump those that bicker! They don't deserve to be on HGTV. HGTV has never shown such a mess as this last show. It is fine to see people who mess up as that is reality (and how most of us amateurs do things), but get rid of the bickering. I watch HGTV because it is not like the other stations. If I want to see that, I will turn on one of them! I will not watch Donna or Vannessa's show if you go that far and they get it. Of course I will not be watching the remainder of the shows if it comes down towards the end and they are the only ones left either. Donna really needed to go last night. And Vanessa needs to learn that she can not control everything and everyone. This next week should prove interesting and I will decide if I go forward and watch more or turn to TLC or DSC or even Animal Planet!

Posted by Patty – July 31, 2006 4:46 PM

What is HGTV going to do if Vanessa wins? I can't imagine anyone watching her show. Will she spend the whole time telling the viewers about the contests that she has won and how we should use those ideas again and again?

I don't know what the LR team was trying to accomplish by only using half the money. They were copying the wrong show. Instead of "Designed to Sell", they needed to study the no-cost re-design segments on "Decorating Cents".

Unfortunatly, I think Joseph was too low-key for television, but he certainly deserved to stay longer.

Posted by Alicia – July 31, 2006 4:36 PM

It would seem the reality show fever has been applied to design. Unfortunately, we are not seeing the cream of the crop and I would not enjoy a show featuring any of the women in this program. They claim to be professionals, but they are acting like grade school children. I would appreciate a more professional quality applied to this show. HGTV has always been my favorite, but I am beginning to wonder whose idea it was to produce a runway knockoff for an interior design program.

Posted by PJ – July 31, 2006 4:31 PM

What a dissapointing conclusion the second episode. My nine-year old daughter is only allowed to watch one television show a day and chooses Design Star because she loves design but she was very dissapointed by how many of the women behaved. She said that Alice was the only woman on the show that has integrity at all and I agree. Joseph's cancellation was unwarranted. If I have to hear Vanessa say "I deserve my own show." one more time I'll scream. Does she think she's the only designer who deserves good things?
I look forward to seeing if Alice has any skills to go with her personality and hope next week with the individual challenges we can see how the designers shine. I wish the show hadn't had team challenges until after the designers were allowed to show their talents individually. I certainly don't want anymore diva design shows on television. I would like to see someone who actually listens to a client and then puts their needs first in the Design Star winner.

Posted by Joy – July 31, 2006 4:11 PM

This show is about finding someone with talent AND is likeable...so why is Vanessa still there? And Temple? And Donna?

How about in next weeks show the judges own up to their own mistake in sending home Joseph and bring him back...that would be a TV first. And lets see some more of the judges remarks so we can understand why they made the choice of keeping 2 women that screamed at each other the whole show and keeping Vanessa-who is more suited for Survivor -liar, backstabbing...etc..

Clive is great as host and I think he will start pointing out the problem people more with his clever comments.

JP

Posted by JPdesigns – July 31, 2006 3:51 PM

I do not understand the judging on this show at all--which I think is based on very unimaginative imitations of existing shows, such as Project Runway. (Or, perhaps even a limited production budget.)

First: The implication is that the judges base their evaluations on small snapshots of the rooms. This is ridiculous. The judges should be shown touring and discussing the redesigned spaces.

Second: How do they identify which individual is most responsible for rooms redone by teams? Audience members don't get the impression that the judges see the video of the redesigns in progress. So, how would they really know who was responsible for a failed room--or responsible for a successfully redesigned room?

If the show's producers had been more imaginative, they could have structured its format to fit an interior-design concept. Instead, they took a format for a fashion-design focused show and didn't both making changes or adjustments for the show's fundamental premise.

Posted by Christopher – July 31, 2006 3:09 PM

Always interested in a new show on HGTV (my favorite network). As many have expressed, design element (not the bickering) is the reason to watch and, so far, the guys are showing more talent than the gals. Ramona may have talent but doesn't seem to be in sync with design reality, so I could understand her dismissal last week. Joseph took the blame for the table error, corrected the error and should have been given credit for that and, in my opinion, is not the one who should have been eliminated. Vanessa has proven in two segments that she is not a team player so how can the judges possibly see her as a possible Design Star. Vanessa would never gain viewers as a Design Star because her attitude is to lie in order to redeem herself and her ego is greater than being able to listen to a client's wishes. She should have gone and Joseph stayed this week.

Donna is overbearing and Temple is having to fight to gain respect. If Donna were gone, Temple may be able to show her possible talent. Twins are great, Tym great. David's talent, unfortunately, was overshadowed by all of the bickering. He was very smart to stay out of their childish quarrels and seems focused to design. The sofa debacle was not his best work, I'm sure.

I am anxious to see the show next week showcasing their individual talents because getting rid of team leaders when their team was the real problem is not fun to watch.

As for Clive - he's the best. I watch him and Lisa on Designed to Sell all the time. Perfect host. He is the reason I tuned in.

I would like to see more of the judges decision-making process, however. Perhaps we would have a better understanding of their decisions if we saw more of how they determined the disigners elimination.

Posted by Joan – July 31, 2006 1:37 PM

Last night was a real bummer, since most of the L/R choices were made by Vanessa I believe it would have been appropriate to let her go, (not to mention the out and out "tall tales" she tells. Alas, I am fearful we might be stuck with her to the end, she for some reason seems to have a rabbits foot. Joseph I believe is probably very hurt and slightly embarrassed as well as upset/mad, as he should be, the wrong person was eliminated.

Re Temple/Donna -- Temple did the lions share of the "real" work, shopping 5 trips in one day when you only have 24 hours and were gone "all day", when every second counts is not a good use of time; Donna should invest in some time mgmt. classes and Temple should just "keep quiet", just shut out the past two episodes and let your light shine through, cattiness is not going to help the situation. BTW, the job that Temple did on the cabinets was the best piece of work in the kitchen area, although the walls/glaze looked nice, it was not dramatic enough to compete with that huge expansive floor. I do commend Temple with her idea of DOING SOMETHING OVER THE TILE, although it was blown off. That would have been preferable to the stick sculpture (which was not bad, just a waste of valuable time that could have really contributed to something of value to the room).

The bdrm team pulled off a monumental task with priming, painting, doing floors in that huge room, the hard work left little time for them to be too creative with other elements, I would have liked to see what they could do in another 8 hours, bet it would have been awesome.

Posted by Bre – July 31, 2006 1:33 PM

I did not think Joseph should have been eliminated. I suspect that those who are causing fiction make for "good" tv and have been kept on. Many of us prefer to see excellent teamwork. The kitchen design wasnot really superior to the living room. Both were lacking.

Posted by Kare – July 31, 2006 1:21 PM

At the end of the day - hopefully talent is what will make the best/last person standing. The ones with real talent (David, Twins, Tym, etc.) don't talk about it - they show it! Clive is the best man for the host job - cheers! Girls - stop being the typical bitchy wannabe divas - show us what you got (if anything).

Posted by missdiva – July 31, 2006 1:14 PM

Vanessa and Donna both need to go! Atleast Temple had some ideas and wanted to do more than what she was allowed to do! Donna didn't even like the idea of changing the cabinets, which definetly needed to be changed. Donna suggested tiling over the tiles, but was vetoed. I did not hear one good suggestion out of Donna, she just wanted to complain about everything Temple suggested. As a team leader she should have put in way more than she did. She just wants to control and spend the money! Get rid of her!

Posted by Tiffany – July 31, 2006 1:08 PM

I agree with a lot of the postings that Joseph should not have been eliminated. Looking at his website, he's obviously very talented. Donna, Temple or Vanessa should go. I can't see how any of them deserve their own show due to their total unprofessionalism. I will not watch a show with any one of those three hosting.

The kitchen group was very unprofessional and should've paid the price for it. Other than the wallpaper, the room did not look that much different than when they started. I feel Donna and Temple are threatened by each other and as a result the overall work suffered. Good for David to stay out of it. I agreed with the Judges that something should've been done with the floor. The wallpaper was atrocious, but once they changed that, the ugly floor stood out even more.

The living room ended up looking more minimalistic, but it felt really empty to me. It seemed like a large area and as it was one of the first rooms you see as you enter the house, I feel it should've looked a little more inviting. I'm telling you, WATCH OUT FOR VANESSA!!! Last week she was eager to jump in and take the credit; this week she couldn't wait to deflect the criticism. Wasn't she the one who said the plates were perfect right where Joseph hung them? Also, notice she was strangely silent during the criticism of the couch. EVIL!! Good for Alice to call her out. She may do alright on her own next week, but as a team player, no matter how talented, I would pass on her in a heartbeat. She said in 7 years she's never made that kind of mistake with the heirloom before, but she won't be able to say that ever again now! She'll sell anyone out when she needs to. Perhaps she should take a spin on Survivor or Big Brother.

What a dramatic change to the bedroom. I too would've liked to have seen a little more color, but it didn't even seem like the same room once the guys were finished. Great job! Another great show! Looking forward to next week (again)!

Posted by Collin – July 31, 2006 12:58 PM

I'm *really* looking forward to this-coming Sunday when they do individual rooms. I think it will really separate the children from the adults, and we'll get a good sense of everyone's talent.

Right now, I can tell HGTV that I will NOT watch a show that stars Donna, Vanessa or Temple. The Design Star has to be likeable. My money is on any of the remaining men, but I'm reserving judgment until we see the individual work.

Posted by Lani – July 31, 2006 12:53 PM

The challenges are so very tough. Imagine trying to do your best work within the limited budgets and time frames allowed...also it must be so difficult to deal with such varied personalities. I honestly believe that, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, almost all have done well. I do not know what makes a great design star. The producers' and judges' definitions of such would be interesting and add much to the viewing experience. I admire all of the contestants for putting forth so much effort. To the exclusion of almost every other channel, I watch HGTV. This program is very different from the usual programming, but I have enjoyed watching and really am anxious to discover the winner. I truly hope no one has a nervous breakdown.

Posted by Judy – July 31, 2006 12:47 PM

I've watched both shows and I'm surprised that Vanessa is still there. Where is all the talent she claims to possess? It was her idea to cut that sofa down. I'm a rookie decorator but even I know that scale has to come into play in a room that large. It was obvious no one on that team thought the design through. If you're going to get rid of your largest piece of furniture and replace it with something smaller, you'd better have a darn good idea about filling in the negative space you just created.

As for Donna and Temple, give me a break. Donna's show should have been cancelled. Temple was correct when she said all Donna did was shop. I know we're not privy to everything that goes on but what we did see didn't show Donna working much at all. And as a second trip to being toward the bottom, she definately should have been gone. In Temple's defense, you don't have to have a degree to be good at designing. Aging the cabinets was a good idea, albeit may not have been necessary. There were other things in that kitchen that required more attention and I guess each one of the designers will have to learn how to prioritize and get the most bang for the buck given the short amount of time they've got to complete the task.

I do have a question for the host or anyone that can answer. Why is there a cutoff time on how long the designers can work on project each day? Why can't the designers work as late into the night as they want? Is this so that they will get a feel for how the pros do it? I found that interesting given they usually only have 24 hours to complete the project and in that time, they have to go see the space, come up with an idea for the space, shop for the space and then execute the idea. And if the show says you can only work until a certain time on the first day of execution, you're already working with time as a major obstacle. Seems to me, it would make for better TV if the designers could choose to work as late as needed to achieve better results.

Posted by Linda – July 31, 2006 12:47 PM

This is the first episode I watched.

I'm not a designer but anyone can see that all the rooms were too "busy" and needed a focal point.

I am surprised that these so-called designers don't make more use of paint & paint techniques, one of the least expensive ways to help out a room.

A different shade of paint for the kitchen walls could have helped tie the kitchen together with the floor. The cabinet work was such a waste of time. The tables and chairs don't seem right for the room. Basically, while the kitchen doesn't look worse than before, it does not look better.

The living room would have been so easy to redesign by changing the paint colors and just leaving the furniture alone. Concentrating on the walls, window treatments, and accessories would have make more sense.

The bedroom is on its way but I agree that the fireplace should have been made the focal point. The flooring turned out very nice.

With limited time and money, these people should use some sense!

I can't say I'm impressed with any of them. I can see why Joseph ended up being eliminated--it was his idea to cut up the couch and that was a poor choice.

At this point, I wouldn't bother watching a show starring any of them and I certainly wouldn't hire any of them to work on my house. Maybe competition brings out the worst in them.

Now who comes in to redesign the living room? I certainly hope the homeowner doesn't get stuck with that!

Posted by terann – July 31, 2006 12:45 PM

Clive is a great host. The people chosen to try and become a design star need to grow up ! This is a reality show to help a person become a "star" not a drama filled soap opera. I think joseph should still be there but im not the judge. The child fights between the ladies needs to stop or kick them off. I watch the show to be inspired myself , not to watch drama. I can watch TNT for drama shows. I like the concept of this show and Clive makes it flow but the ladies need to shape up or ship out. Keep the good work up.

Posted by Dave – July 31, 2006 12:44 PM

Vanessa's show needs to be "CANCELLED". She is a liar and a backstabber. I would never hire her to design a room for me. If for some reason she wins, I WILL NOT watch her design show.

Posted by TJ – July 31, 2006 12:42 PM

"Number 1 thing," my granddaughters love to watch HGTV with me, but this screaming and fighting that went on in the kitchen was completely unexcusable behavior for two grown professional women...not a very good role model for a designer or for a mother or anyone for that matter. HGTV is very inspirational to me in so many ways, but to be watching "CAT FIGHTS" I can do that by going out to the back alley...very unprofessional.
"Number 2 thing," my granddaughters are pre-teen and watching "a person getting away with telling lies" is another bad choice. No one in their right mind would want to hire someone who so blateningly lies as Vanessa. You make a mistake, own up to it, and go on with life. Yes, they are all competing for stardom, but I agree with previous comments by other viewers, I would not watch a program with Vanessa or the two cats.
"Number 3 thing," the bedroom did come out really nice, but why in heaven's name did they decide to put, of all things, plywood down on the floor of such an expensive home. If the carpeting was so bad, they could have left it, and used area rugs instead and still left the elegance they were trying to get.
Clive, I love you. I have watched you on "Designed to Sell" and love your expressions to different things done...your expressions tell it all, no words, just expressions. You see things going amiss it bring it out softly and to the point even though the contestants take no heed to it sometimes. You are great!
This week's show was good in a lot of ways, it did bring the designers into working as a team a little better, that is good. As everything, it just takes time...never know where that "true talent" is located, maybe even in Miss Utah. The twins show me a lot also...Thanks Ann

Posted by Ann – July 31, 2006 12:27 PM

Joseph may be a good designer, but he abdicated his responsibilites as team leader. He should have had an overall plan for the room and seen that it was carried out. He didn't do that and the room was the worst of the three. So I see why he had to go.

It will be interesting to see who the eventual winner is because HGTV needs not only a good designer, but a TV personality who can sell the show as well. This makes it more than just a design contest.

Posted by Patricia Buard – July 31, 2006 12:26 PM

Please, please, please get rid of Donna, she's annoying and she doesn't know what she's doing. I think Temple would do a better job without having Donna around. Letting Joseph go was definitely the WRONG one. Bring him back and send Donna home!!!!

Posted by cheerbear – July 31, 2006 12:12 PM

I believe it was Vanessa that should have been cancelled not Joseph. All of the things in the living room that the Judges hated where her ideas or choices. I hope the judges have seen the footage that shows Vanessa in action. Also everyone is ragging on Temple but I know that I would have a conflict with Donna also if every idea I had she said no and then left me to do all of the grunt work while she shopped all day.
Love Clive and hope that Lisa can be a guest judge for an upcoming episode.

Posted by trisimone – July 31, 2006 12:11 PM

I love the show ! I was amazed that my comments to my husband were exactly the same as Vern's. Please get rid of Temple. I also find Vanessa annoying. She doesn't accept responsiblity for her actions.The wrong person's show was cancelled last pm.

Posted by Lynda – July 31, 2006 12:02 PM

Certainly an interesting spin for "reality tv". Clive and Vern definitely draw viewers to the show. The participants however, don't contribute that much. It looks like these individuals haven't watched that many HGTV shows. Looking forward to next weeks "room competition" maybe we'll see who Vanessa blames this time.

Posted by Jason – July 31, 2006 11:59 AM

Even my 6 yr old daughter can't believe that Joseph was eliminated! Doesn't pay to be nice, does it? I will not watch any show by hgtv hosted by any of this women: Vanessa, Donna or Temple. Vanessa reminded me of Alexis of DYNASTY!

Posted by ziani – July 31, 2006 11:53 AM

I, too, hated to see Joseph go. I'm afraid the blame for the boo-boo on the coffee table was placed on him. Perhaps it was deserved since he was the captain, but his sincere nature should have been considered. He was lucky to be able to fix it. Perhaps the concern over the table took too much time away from doing their best on the design of the room. I look at these people asking myself which of them I would have in my home working for me. Temple has shown NO talent. Donna can't concentrate. I can't see either of them having any value on a design show. I would not have either of them work for me. Looks like next week, we will get to see their individual talents put to the test. That should be interesting.

Posted by Nancy – July 31, 2006 11:46 AM

I want to say I am not a fan of reality TV but I do love HGTV so I gave this a try. I was very surprised how much fun this has been and I am looking forward to the rest of the series. Having spent most of my working career as a Supervisor I am appalled at the lack of organization, the ability to delegate responsibility or to control the members of their team that I have seen so far. I have also seen