From eight contestants, it's now down to five and the competition is getting stiffer in HGTV's "Ellen's Design Challenge" Season 2. On the episode aired last Monday, Feb. 8, the designers were in for a surprise, as Ellen DeGeneres herself paid a visit in the workshop.
Ellen explained that her love for beautiful furniture is often inspired through her travels, and even showed photos from her various tours with wife Portia de Rossi. She tasked the final five to be "design tourists" and make pieces inspired by her favorite countries.
Ellen's Design Challenge show S02ep05 - vacation photoshttps://t.co/5DvyWmh2np pic.twitter.com/QNNr2NOjFZ
— Portia de Rossi Blog (@aportiafansite) February 10, 2016
Ellen's Design Challenge Season 2 Episode 4: What a Trip https://t.co/QiwvmXh4dx #therapy pic.twitter.com/BFUADRDcqB — DiscoverChat (@Discover_Chat) February 10, 2016
Ellen then unloaded five suitcases, each bearing the country's flag. Melissa River Torres got France, Sef Pinney picked Denmark, Kyle Huntoon's was Morocco, and Vivian Beer got Italy. As for Japanese-American Miles Endo, he chose the last suitcase which, coincidentally held Japan's flag.
Melissa immediately associated France with fashion, and she used the iconic Coco Chanel as an inspiration for a French vanity set. She created a black-and-white dresser with pink drawers, nailhead trims and scrollwork details. She also made a matching tufted stool to finish off her look.
Sef came into the challenge with much confidence, as he said that Danish design is one of his strengths. Knowing that chairs are Denmark's most famous furniture pieces, he decided to make a classic and sleek chair with S-curve arms and legs. He chose a trendy, aquamarine color as upholstery for the cushions.
Meanwhile, Kyle was inspired by Morocco's rich colors and intricate patterns. He was also inspired by the country's food-centric culture, so he decided to make a buffet table. He came up with an expandable design, with a lift-out tray in the center. The legs are made of metal with elaborate cut outs.
Vivian, who is a fan of the Brutalist movement, decided to take on her Italian challenge with a wine rack with a butcher block top. She used metal and rough-hewn wood to achieve a rugged, industrial look.
Miles, who was last week's challenge winner, decided on a room divider and storage unit in one. He stayed true to Japan's minimalist aesthetics and used translucent walls like that of a shoji screen. He put his modern touch via the rolling screen folds in the front for another display option.
After three days in the workshop, it was time for the judges to deliberate. They were joined by the internationally acclaimed designer Karim Rashid.
First up was Sef's Danish chair, and the judges were not 100 percent impressed. Judge Cliff Fong liked the scale, but commented that it looked more American than Danish.
Next was Vivian's industrial-Italian wine rack. Guest judge Karim said it was definitely an art piece but did not feel Italian at all. Cliff agrees, saying that the materials used and the finish were decidedly "un-Italian."
The judging room turned positive for the first time when Mile's revealed his Japanese room divider slash shelf. Karim said the piece was monumental as well as ethereal. Judge Christiane Lemieux said it felt very much Japanese, and at the same time very Miles. As for Cliff, he said that the piece gave him goosebumps.
Melissa's French vanity garnered praises across the panel, but Kyle's Moroccan table got mixed reviews. Christiane and Cliff wished it could have been simpler to let the intricate work on the legs shine more.
The panel decided that the clear winner was Miles's Japanese shelf, giving the designer a back-to-back win. Surprisingly, it was Melissa who was sent home for her Coco Chanel vanity table.
Next week, the remaining four will receive personal messages from Ellen herself. "Ellen's Design Challenge" Season 2 airs Mondays, 9 p.m. on HGTV.
