Top Design is the Tops

Bravo has another new reality competition show called Top Design. Top Design spotlights twelve of the country's hottest new interior designers, artists, and architects, who will draw upon their creativity and expertise in order to create the 'Top Design" each week. In their first challenge, the designers are paired up in teams of two and must create an inner sanctum for a mystery celebrity who turns out to be actress Alexis Arquette. These designers must create an inner sanctum around five objects that belong to Alexis Arquette. The host of Top Design is Todd Oldham and the judges are interior designer, Jonathan Adler, Editor and Chief of Elle Décor, Margaret Russell, and interior designer Kelly Wearstler.

Goil and Elisabeth won the inner sanctum challenge because of their interesting and creative room that included a blue swing and a sand box. Also, this inner sanctum there was the whimsical accent piece of a bright yellow pepper. However, Heather and Lisa lost this challenge and were sent home because their inner sanctum for Alexis looked too much like a Chinese restaurant.

One very creative episode of Top Design involved designing bedrooms for a group of clients. The designers believed that their clients were going to be adults however, as always; there is a twist to this challenge. What would reality television be without a twist. The twist to the bedroom design challenge was that the bedrooms had to be designed for children. One of the bedrooms was designed for a future actress and one of the bedrooms was designed for a future artist. Erik won the child's play challenge for designing a playful pirate inspired bedroom. John was sent home because his child's room had no floor.

In episode six which was titled Life of the Party, the designers were broken up into two teams of three to design competing party spaces for Bacardi Limon to entertain guests from Elle décor magazine. There were many lemons used in the creations of both rooms due in large part to the sponsor of the party Bacardi Limon. In addition, one of the party rooms was painted yellow. Even though, it was a team challenge, only one person was sent home. That person was Erik because he didn't contribute much to his team's room design.

The design competition gets cooking with the episode called Chef's Choice. In this episode, Top Chef's head judge, Tom Colicchio asks the five remaining designers to create and design a chef's table for Tom's new restaurant featuring dishes made from the finest natural ingredients. The Chef's table has to be created and designed by combining elements of nature and elements of the arts and crafts movement in the world of art and interior design. The winner was Andrea because she used beautiful natural wood for the Chef's table and chairs. She also used leaves as placemats. The loser was Michael because he had too many chairs that were uncomfortable and the rug he placed in the room was an eyesore.

In episode eight of Top Design, the four remaining designers have to create guest suites in the Viceroy Hotel in Los Angeles. The inspiration for the design and creation of the suites came from the four elements of earth, fire, water, and air. Matt had to design a suite based on water as an inspiration. Matt won because his light blue walls looked like cool and calming water. In addition, all of Matt's designs in the suite looked like shimmering water. Goil was eliminated because his suite looked too much like fire.

In the season finale of Top Design Matt and Carisa must design the interior of a house, which involves two 1,700 square foot lofts in Los Angeles. The winner of Top Design received 2007 Acadia vehicle, from GMC, an editorial feature in Elle Décor Magazine, and a chance to showcase their design skills at Elle Décor's Dining by Design in New York City. Stay tuned for the second season of Top Design.

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