HGTV's Design Star Season 2 Premieres Sunday!

By Tv Maven Archives
Cover image for  article: HGTV's Design Star Season 2 Premieres Sunday!

This Sunday the Design Star phenomenon will be back in full swing as we're introduced to eleven new finalists who will be competing for their own show on HGTV.

After watching my screener copy of the show, my first thought was, "It's over already?" I was so engaged in the premiere episode that the time flew by. Television viewers need to erase all their HGTV stereotypes from their minds immediately. Design Star appeals to viewers young and old, male and female. (My boyfriend even stopped playing his video game to sit down and watch the screener with me - it pulls you in!) This season of Design Star is chock full of amazing and terrible design and cool characters.

Taking place in Las Vegas, HGTV has definitely kicked it up a notch with their second season of this hit design show. The finalists' living area is awesome, the challenges are more intense and exciting (promos for the rest of the season show some celebrity guests), and the cast overall seems to have a much higher level of energy.

The designers comes from all walks of life, from stay-at-home mom Cristina Ray to "Sparkle" Josh Johnson to Kim Myles, who says she's "an HGTV viewer... not a professional decorator." There's Todd Davis who builds a skateboard ramp in the first episode, and prides himself on being from California. And there's Lisa Millard who describes her style as punk and makes a sculpture out of phone books.

And that's just half of them!

In the premiere episode, just like last year, the contestants have to design their living area. And this time the space is HUGE compared to last season. As I said, one contestant had enough space to build a skateboarding ramp in his area. Oh yeah, and there's While plenty of the contestants could work alone in their individual sections, there were a few teams. In some cases these teams formed lasting friendships (the most unlikely duo is my favorite by far), and others didn't get along so well, as would be expected. Some of the designs were incredibly impressive, while others made me think, "Were they serious?"

Judges Vern Yip, Cynthia Rowley and Martha McCully were on their A game in the first episode. They were quick to compliment the great designs and even quicker at criticizing the ones that needed drastic changes. My favorite line was when Vern told one designer "I'm totally blown away..." prompting a smile from the designer. He then added, "and not in a good way... This space is a failure." The change of expression on said designer's face was priceless. Not that I enjoy people failing, but Vern was 100% correct in his assessment, and I'm glad he didn't sugar coat it.

The judges also make sure the designers know that Design Star is a design competition and not a decorating competition. Only adding paint color and tchotchkes won't get the finalists anywhere on the show. Designing, building and creating is what counts.

Of course, host Clive Pearse is also in Vegas, accent and all, entering the finalists' living quarters in a helicopter, spicing things up as always.

Be sure to check out the season 2 premiere of Design Star on HGTV at 10 p.m. this Sunday. Stay tuned to Confessions of a TV Maven for interviews with the eliminated contestants.

 
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