RoomFu

Thanks to Krista at Badder Homes & Gardens for turning me on to C.S. Post & Co.  Totally fits with the vintage vibe inspired by Emily Henderson’s Secrets From a Stylist on HGTV!  I’m drooling over…

Loop Stool, $99.

Woven Side Table, $325.

Maché Stool, $130.

Woven Arm Chair, $245.

Hexa Chandelier, $298.

Vaugondy Sphere, $29 with base.

Jack Door Stop, $15.

David Bromstad, I hope you’ve enjoyed the past few years as the Queen Bee of HGTV’s Design Star. When you won that first season and launched Color Splash, your creativity and charisma cast a mighty shadow.  Not only has every single contestant since then been compared to you, but every season winners’ show has been held up to the ColorSplash measuring stick and judged accordingly.

But last night?  When Season 5 winner Emily Henderson’s Secrets From a Stylist aired, was anyone thinking about Bromstad?  Or Design Star?  Or HGTV, for that matter?  I wasn’t.  I was getting a mindmeld of Mad Men / Down With Love, Us Weekly, and Domino magazine.

Take a look:

From Emily’s style diagnostic segments with makeover recipient and Glee creator Ian Brennan, to the final designs of the rooms she created, everything looked impeccable but felt fun.  Like a good pair of jeans, Brennan’s new spaces can be dressed up or dressed down, depending on the occasion.  I would rather see one makeover rather than three versions of a redo…seeing multiple reveals of the same space deflated Brennan’s (and viewers’) reactions to the final unveiling, but overall, I loved it.  I wanted to marry it.  In her new environment, Emily’s radiant and positively oozing with supercute charm.

Dare I say it?  In one episode, Emily took Design Star and elevated it to a level even David Bromstad can’t touch.

Granted, there’s a chink in Bromstad’s armor this year.  Although the makeovers seem grander and more visually appealing, the new incarnation of his show, Color Splash: Miami, ultimately misses the mark.  While there was never a question that Bromstad was in charge on Color Splash, there was a camaraderie and chemistry among the entire team that is sadly lacking in the Miami version. What’s worse, Bromstad’s too frequently shown either ragging about the failings of his new team or fishing for validation from his frosty carpenter.  If he’s so happy to be back in his hometown, I wish he would act like it.  It’s been bizarre to watch HGTV trash the public images of viewer faves like Candice Olson and Vern Yip by showcasing their negative sides so much on Design Star, and now they seem determined to do the same to Bromstad.

If the programming honchos at HGTV are smart, they’ll order a season’s worth of episodes based on Secrets From a Stylist and get their PR teams humming.  They finally have someone besides Candice Olson who can create spaces that are both TV and magazine-worthy, with designs that have broad appeal without appearing homogenous.  Run with it, people!

Check out this versatile sectional at World Market.  That’s an ottoman under the chaise seat cushion, so if you want to change which side the chaise is on, you just swap cushions and move the ottoman to the other side.  Brilliant, no?

Tivoli Reversible Sectional Sofa, $599.99 (reg. $799.99).

The price is another reason to do a freakdance over this sectional.  Thanks to my friend, Juli, for sharing this link!

Local art output company, Gallery Direct, is having a sale on wrapped canvas print art.  You can get 50% off for the next four and a half days, so this is a pretty great deal.

Gallery Direct features artists all over the country, but Austinites will appreciate their selection of local artists like:

JUDY PAUL

Rain Again II

Eyelets II

East Meets West I

Tree Type II

JOEL GANUCHEAU

Classic IV

Small Town I

Clouds Over Kansas I

DARVIN JONES

Kanji II

For Nature/s Sake I

I’m also a big fan of the following artists, whose work is also available via Gallery Direct:

MAUREEN BROUILLETTE

Bus to Amarillo III

SEAN JACOBS

Modern Love IX

OLIVIA MAXWELLER

Lavish Setting I

JOEL SAMPSON

Hector

Calling Elle Woods, I’ve found your settee.

Pink Antique Settee, $300 on Craigslist.

This poor light fixture is having quite the identity crisis.  Is it a drum pendant?  Is it a chandelier?  Reeks of DWI…designing while intoxicated.  If you have two grand to spend on something like this, please call me for a consultation.

Walt Disney Signature Collection Fantasy 18-Light Chandelier, $1,971.91

…just some of the shite I’ve seen while selecting stuff for clients today.

How supercute are these chairs?

Chenille Club Chairs, $329.49

Despite declaring a much-needed day of rest today, recent Design Star winner Emily Henderson was kind enough to chat with me about her career-changing experience.  I was psyched to interview her–not because she won, and not because she validated my pre-season prediction of making top four–but because I’m such a fan of her styling work and her blog, The Brass Petal.  Although I am partial to her quirky personality, I am all about beautiful spaces and entertaining writing, both of which she crafts in spades.

But before I get to our interview, she did want to make it known that Courtland Bascon was, in fact, scheduled to help her celebrate at LA’s Agave on finale night, but was called away to Boston for a family thing.

And now for this morning’s pow-wow…

How do you keep a secret this big for this long?

It’s so hard!  You have this incredibly life-changing thing happen to you and you can’t tell anyone about it.  The thing that kept me quiet was knowing that if I told someone who leaked it and people knew who won, then nobody would watch the show and getting people to watch the show all the way through was critical to my show’s success.  I was able to tell Brian (Henderson, Emily’s husband) and my parents.  There was a contract. There are some people you just can’t keep that big a secret from.

That green sofa in your sunroom was to die for.  Where did it come from?

It’s vintage.  It came from a back room at DWR (Design Within Reach).  It was like $1200 or something.

Emily's apparel-inspired living room featured an awesome vintage sofa. © 2010, HGTV

The stuff you wrote on your firehouse coffee table choked me up, just reading it.  Did you get emotional writing it?

Really?  (Yes, I’m a sap for sentimental, heartfelt things.) Those guys were amazing and they lost everybody that day (September 11).  I was looking around and noticed all of the decorative stuff they had were mementos that were given to them by people and thought they might appreciate something like this more than some “nice” coffee table.  I tried to make it both flirty and sentimental.

Emily's FDNY love letter. © 2010, HGTV

How soon before you can look at a mural without having a negative Pavlovian reaction?

Well…everyone has different styles, Robin. (She says very carefully.) I’m not very artistic, so I wouldn’t risk that, but other people have more confidence in that area.

What do you make of Michael Moeller trash-talkin’ about you with Erica Reitman from Design Blahg recently?

Honestly, I don’t believe it.  It’s not that I think someone’s making things up, but he’s really snarky and probably said something funny that was taken wrong.  We’re friends, so there was a moment after I read it that I got nauseous like it was high school, but really, I think he was just being his usual snarky self.

I so totally identified with you staring at your space during the white room challenge.  How did you adapt going forward?

I really have to stand up for myself more on this because it’s one thing to draw out a room and measure for the perfect sofa but we really didn’t have time to do that.  I would stare at it and try to figure it out.  I’m not a good draw-er.

Emily Henderson's white room. © 2010, HGTV

Have you commiserated with HGTV Superblogger Heather Armstrong about being former Mormons?

Not yet.  I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time and wrote to her when I found out that she was going to contribute to the HGTV blog, but she didn’t want to get to know me or like me more than the other designers before the show started.  She wanted to be able to write about the show objectively.  I’m looking forward to meeting her though, because no one really “gets” you like someone else who’s been through the same experience.

Was it frustrating to be back in New York and not be able to visit your friends and old haunts?

It didn’t even feel like we were in New York—it felt like we were in a façade of New York.  We didn’t go out into the city.  The most we spent was the time it took to get from the van into a store or into the apartment.  That was what was so weird about seeing Scotty.  For a second, I didn’t even really recognize him.  There was a vague recollection and then, “Oh my God!”  It was really weird seeing somebody from real life.  The day after the finale, we all went to lunch together—without the cameras—and it felt really weird!  It felt kind of good, but it was like, “Where is everybody?  What do you mean?  They’re just letting us walk?  We can walk?”

Have your fellow Design Star competitors treated you differently since you won?

I don’t think so.  Casey and I are close and I think we will be for a very long time.  You become better friends with some more than others.  Those are my friends.  Me winning and them not winning, did not affect the friendship at all.  The ones I didn’t get along with so well –it’ll just stay the same.

Emily and Design Star BFF, Casey Noble. © 2010, HGTV

It must’ve been strange to experience such a big moment without your husband, friends or family around you.  Was that a buzzkill or were you just too excited regardless?

I was too excited, but I did call Brian when I got back to the hotel.  I hadn’t talked to him in a very long time.  It was really weird.  He was so excited but it just seemed surreal.  He picked up the phone and just hearing his voice for the first time, we were both crying.  It was such good news and I was going to see him the next day.  I think we only talked for a couple of minutes.  I don’t want to talk on the phone—I need to hug him!

Castmates Tom Vecchione, Julie Khuu and Casey Noble cheer Emily on after her win. © 2010, HGTV

What was it like, returning home after this experience?

It was weird, I’m not gonna lie.  It was a six-week adrenaline rush.  Every second that we’re awake, your adrenaline is up and excited and all of a sudden you’re home and not waking up to challenges anymore.  It was such a contrast.  It wasn’t a let-down but it kind of was, because you have to keep it a secret.  I wanted to tell the world—I was so excited!  I was about to host my own design show but I had to keep it a secret so there were a couple of things where adjusting to normal life was difficult.  Poor Brian, because I was waking up at 6 and he was like, “What are you doing, you need to sleep!” and I was like, “No I don’t—I need to paint the walls!”  I couldn’t get out of challenge mode.  I needed to work and be productive.

Do you still retain a little bit of that?

Yeah, but I’ve always been an over-productive person.  Relaxing isn’t as easy for me as it is for other people.

You seem like a decidedly un-fussy person, yet one would assume that magazines and retailers are super picky about their photography styling.  How do you navigate that minefield?

That’s a good question.  Every client is different.  The reason they maybe hired me over another stylist is because even though they may be picky, they still want it to feel a little more effortless and unfussy.  They want me to bring that a little bit to the table, yet you always have to remember what the product is and what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to.  The art director is always really clear, so I never feel like I don’t know what to expect or what they want.  That’s the fun part of the job.  Every client is different and you never get bored.  It goes all the way from styling jewelry on a piece of velvet—which I’ve never been all that into—to building sets like houses.  It was really fun.  I’m going to miss it in a way, but I think this will be more fun, obviously!

Emily actually made an appearance in this shot she styled. Photo courtesy of Emily Henderson.

Did you travel a lot as a prop stylist?

Yeah, we traveled to New York, Mexico, Italy, and then all around the Northwest.  As soon as I moved to LA, even though it’s still a flight, people think I’m closer to Portland and San Francisco, so I would travel to those western cities, which is awesome.

Styled by Emily. Photo courtesy of Emily Henderson.

What can you tell us about working for Jonathan Adler?

I worked for him in the store for about one and a half or two years when I was really young.  It was great!  I knew that I wanted to be around pretty things.  At the time I was dog-walking and bartending.  I went to the gift show and saw his stuff.  He wasn’t huge yet—he was getting there.  Working there was really fun.  He was great.  Then I met a bunch of stylists through him, who would come in all the time to rent things.  I was just a shopgirl–I didn’t have any responsibilities beyond that.  It was my introduction to the design world a little bit because prior to that, I was in college.  I studied English and History–I didn’t really have much of a background in design.  I tried furniture designing and took a couple classes at Pratt and I just wasn’t that good at it.  When I decided I wanted to style, I just emailed all the stylists that had come in there for years and a couple of them started hiring me all the time.  I worked for this woman, Cindy DiPrima for four years and she was amazing.  I was super lucky.

What is it about the Victorian era that fascinates you so much?

I don’t know…I guess it’s the femininity.  Fashion-wise, it’s really flattering and I think I brought that into my spaces.  I really like it juxtaposed with masculine things too.  Most of my furniture is mid-century modern and most of my accessories are feminine and more antique.  Not necessarily Victorian, but a lot of curves, a lot of carvings, porcelain…it goes a little more feminine.  I’ve always just loved it.  All of my shirts have princess sleeves.

Your apartment is adorable. What can you tell us about the blimp art in your dining room?

It’s awesome!  I got it at a flea market when I was 26.  It was one of my first major purchases.  It was $400.  I came back every week and every week he came down on the price.  When it was $250, I got it.  I think I had $500 in the bank at the time, but I really wanted it.  I have a connection to it because it was my first grown-up piece of art.  It was done by old soldiers—I think in the ‘60s—and it’s kind of Beatle-esque and has more meaning than I understand.  I just like how big and graphic it is, because at the same time, it’s quiet.  It’s not a huge color distraction.  Even though I love blues so much, it’s kind of calmer.  It’s a great statement without making a lot of noise.

Emily's dining space features this curious blimp art. Photo from Apartment Therapy.

Was it surreal to style your own home for a magazine photoshoot?

It was weird!  I wanted other people’s input more than usual because it’s just harder to be objective with your own space. I do have an emotional connection with everything that we’ve bought.  I sound like a hoarder, but it’s hard for me to look at it like it’s the first time I’ve seen it.  It was helpful to look through the camera because then I could be objective and pretend it’s a magazine, but it was hard.

How did you and Brian meet?

We met in college.  He’s an actor and I saw him in a play.  My friend was the stage manager so I was like, “I like him and I’d like to meet him.”  We got together that night.  We broke up for a year in New York, but otherwise, we’ve been together ever since–ten years now, which is crazy.  We got together when we were 21!

The happy Hendersons. Photo courtesy of Emily Henderson.

What celebrity wardrobe would you most like to design a room around?

I love Zooey Deschanel—her style is sort of playful and vintage-y.  Rachel Zoe seems pretty obvious because she’s really glam and feminine and weird and unexpected.

What comes after Secrets From a Stylist?

Hopefully it will get picked up and will run for the next 35 years!

Happy 31^st birthday next week to Emily Henderson!  Watch her upcoming special, Secrets From a Stylist this Sunday night at 9pm CST on HGTV.

After jacking my schedule around yesterday (interview scheduled with four hours’ notice, then cancelled it three hours later), he was late for our rescheduled interview this morning and kept me waiting 39 minutes.  Journalists might be more accommodating in order to get an interview with a pseudo-celebrity, but I’m a designer.  I charge by the hour.  If I’m going to give up billable time to this little endeavor, there’s a limit to how much I’m willing to donate.

So I told him to suck it.  Or rather, I told my awesome contact at the PR firm to tell Michael he can suck it.  She was probably nice and said something like, “I’m afraid Robin doesn’t have time now to do the interview.”

But really, he can suck it.

Emily Henderson, Matt Locke, Casey Noble, Lonni Paul, and Nathan Galui

Making appearances last night at Design Star Emily Henderson’s Hollywood viewing party: Matt Locke (Season 3 runner-up), Casey Noble (Season 5), Lonni Paul (Season 4), and Nathan Galui (Season 4), who just moved to LA to start a new gig as design producer for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  According to Matt, LA designtestant Courtland Bascon was a no-show.  Loyal to boyfriend castmate Michael Moeller until the end, eh?

At a commercial break, Matt saw Casey and went over to say hello to her.  “She had no idea who I was,” Matt said.  “I introduced myself and she had that blank stare.  It’s true–there are contestants who never watched the show!”  About Casey, Matt said, “In person she’s drop-dead gorgeous and smaller–everyone looks smaller in person.  She’s just unbelievably pretty.”

According to Matt, there was booing when Nina appeared onscreen, and “polite silence” when Michael appeared.  “I think everybody there was onboard with Team Emily,” he said. “Nobody wished Michael any harm, but when Emily was on, there was all this cheering and it was so fun.  At the end, they put Emily up on the bar and she gave the cutest speech.”

Matt’s been a longtime member of Team Emily himself.  “Personally, I thought her on-camera presentation was really good.  She’s super cute and had some really nice design moments.  I thought that hanging light was the design standout of the whole season.”

“Michael was good too,” Matt went on to say.  “The way they put the show together…they gave him all these opportunities to be snarky and then put them on.  I think that wasn’t in his favor.  Overall, he did have a good presentation at the end.”

But the celeb sighting that really rocked Matt’s world was star of the stage and screen, Megan Hilty.  “I love her,” Matt gushed. “She’s as gorgeous as they come.  I got kind of star-struck with her.”

I know we got ourselves a brand-spankin’ new Design Star last night–a finish that made me want to celebrate with champagne too–but y’all, all I can think about today is

MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN MY BABY’S IN KINDERGARTEN

Today’s her first day and I can’t focus on JACK.  This will be short and sweet, so I can get back to worrying about whether or not my dumplin’ has made a friend yet or if she’s already earned a demotion on the behavioral apple tree…or geebus, how will she make it through the day without snacks?

I’m so excited about Emily Henderson’s win and am superpsyched to see Secrets From a Stylist on the 29th.  I will be waiting with bated breath and can’t wait to see what she does with the Glee man’s pad, even though I’m the only one on the planet who hasn’t watched Glee–not even a single episode.  I may not give a crap about some musical schwack on TV but I do want to see Ian Brennan’s house all Emily’d up.  Like, tomorrow.

First things first.

Did you see what she did for Tom Vecchione last night?  A very tasteful, rich, beautiful, sophisticated, international BLUEBERRY ROOM.

Emily's living room design, inspired by Tom's wardrobe.

I loved it.  It looks expensive, it looks luxe…but it’s not flashy.  This living room would have been great for the sixth challenge (Trump Plaza).

In the bedroom, it’s all about this canvas Emily picked up at Penine Hart that wouldn’t have wow’d me at all in the store, but look how brilliant it looks framed and hung!

Emily's bedroom design, inspired by Tom's wardrobe.

Both rooms look personal and reflect Tom to a T, without becoming a caricature of him.

Surprisingly, I like opponent Michael Moeller’s show better than I like the rooms he designs for Ms. Bohemian Chic, although there are some interesting ideas in there (shadowboxes repurposed from tables, desk repurposed from box shelves).  I just don’t care for the pink, and am not interested in seeing the squiggles make a comeback.

Michael's living room design for Design Star's Season 5 finale.

The bedroom Michael designed.

This apartment says “bohemian chic” about as much as Courtland Bascon’s white room challenge…in fact, the headboards are nearly identical.

Courtland Bascon's white room challenge offering, in which he was slammed for not creating a space that was "bohemian chic."

Funny.

I liked Michael’s energy throughout his show segment, but just can’t get past his tone of contempt.  I would never walk into a client’s home and tell them, “Too bad your place looks so tragic,”  or assume that all clients are “slobs.”

I love this challenge–love that they’re borrowing a page from Next Food Network Star and creating mini-pilots for the finale.  It really works.  In the end, Emily’s awarded a show and Michael has a target for his verbal ire for the next six months (or more).

Stay tuned for interviews with both Emily and Michael, coming soon!