Vern Yip

HGTV Star: Episode 1

Did you watch last night's premiere of HGTV Star, a.k.a. Design Star Remixed? Well I did, but only because the DVR remembered it was go-time. I'm feeling so ambivalent about it, I forgot it was even starting. A reader recently [...]

Design Star 7: Skirts in Yurts

Last week we watched a very dull episode of Design Star that ran aground of its full potential. Charged with incorporating assigned colors in meaningful ways, the designers had full reign to lavish eye candy upon us...but none of the [...]

Design Star 7: Cramped Kitchen Styling

HGTV calls this week's episode of Design Star "The Ultimate Kitchen Challenge," but I beg to differ."Ultimate" implies a showcase experience with lavish details and luxurious, no-holds-barred features. The word "ultimate" immediately sets up the designers for failure. After all, [...]

Design Star 7: White Room Challenge, Take 2

Tuesday night's episode of Design Star features the seven remaining contestants designing square faux rooms. Wait a sec, didn't we do the White Room Challenge already? This time we're pretending to throw a party for Hollywood, to celebrate its 125th [...]

HGTV’s Design Star Season 6: Jersey Shore B&B

Last night's episode of Design Star featured a few good ideas and a whole lot of suckage.  Take this room for instance, which judge Vern Yip referred to as "the best room I've seen in all six years of Design [...]

HGTV’s Design Star Season 6: Episode 3

This week on HGTV’s Design Star: Dougie becomes the new J, Bret still sucks, Kevin’s wall is a total standout, Tyler and Meg do beach chic, Karl gets crafty, Leslie and Kellie are cute, and Mark gets lost.  Our on-air [...]