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Yesterday’s online press conference with Thom Filicia got me thinking about more than interior design.
Of course, while on the call I was wow’d by the photos of the room transformations and inspired by his design ideas.
But after I hung up the phone and closed the webcast window, I browsed through my fellow bloggers’ tweets flagged #filiciaRAD and pondered the fantastic changes in media.
When I first saw Queer Eye for the Straight Guy back in 2003, I certainly would not have guessed that a few years later, I would sit in stocking feet with my laptop at my kitchen table as one of the show’s stars taught me and a dozen other moms via webcast how to design our kids’ play spaces while we sent 140 characters tweets back and forth in full public view.
To state the obvious: The world has changed.
Bloggers have become press. TV stars talk directly to work-at-home moms on the phone. We exchange spur-of-the-moment 140 character thoughts in public view. And babies come along to press conferences. (We all loved hearing Ivy’s sweet baby sounds in the background.)
And the design project that Thom did for the View reminded me how TV is changing. The rooms he redesigned were the backstage dressing rooms and rehearsal hall at the studio.
Today’s audience wants to see behind the scenes. How perfect to reveal the not-so-glamorous dressing rooms where the superstars sit before they strut on stage.
Yes, thanks to Thom, we watched the View’s dressing rooms be transformed like an acne-covered kid in braces thrown forward in a time machine.
And as he helped those out-of-touch dudes on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Thom’s eye for style rescued those rooms.
Take a look.
This dressing room looks like a shabby corner of a low budget motel, not an oasis where a movie star could relax before a show.
Photo courtesy of ABC/Donna Svennevik
Ahhh… now that’s better.
Photo courtesy of ABC/Donna Svennevik
What about this rehearsal hall? It looks like a community center rec room that’s been decorated by donations.
Photo courtesy of ABC/Steve Fenn
Again Thom waves his design wand (ok, design team works day and night for weeks) and ta da!
Photo courtesy of ABC/Steve Fenn
You can see more photos and watch a fun video segment on ABC.com.
It’s easy to see why all of Thom’s projects — including his latest book — are a success. He is talented. (And it doesn’t hurt that he is fun to watch and just genuinely a great guy.)
And to make him even more lovable, he’s partnered with Kimberly-Clark for their Room-A-Day Giveaway. He’s even becoming a blogger… he’s updating his Room-A-Day blog every Tuesday from now until the end of February.
If looking at these after photos gets your mouth watering for a redesign of your own, click over to the RoomADayGiveaway.com for a chance to win one of 16, $25,000 room makeovers.
Sigh… can you imagine having $25,000 to makeover a room in your home?
Where would you start?
First, I would tear out our juice-stained carpet and lay out beautiful hardwood. (Well, it wouldn’t exactly be me ‘doing’ the tearing and laying… part of that $25,000 would definitely be spent on paying for the ‘doing’.)
Then, I’d get a new couch and cozy recliner. Ahhhh… I can just imagine it…
What about you? What room in your house would you redesign first?
Billy says
WOW! hey I’ve been on that set! Randy played the View with Dave Stewart awhile back…check it out, it’s awesome!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsvO3Yq6vsQ
Adventures In Babywearing says
This is such a great post about it! And such a fun call!
Steph
Stephanie says
I’m with you about carpeting. I’d get rid of all of the carpet in our house and replace it with hardwood floors.
And I’d purchase a huge canvas framed art piece from Photofiddle.com for our dining room.
And I’d hire an interior decorator because my skills in that area are quite lacking.
And…the list goes on…
Rona says
My husband and I decided we would have our bedroom decorated.
Jennifer Nordin says
Our upper half story master bedroom would be tied with the kitchen for a major redo! Can you say bye bye yellow sort-of-shag carpet???
RefreshMom says
In our house it would be the bathrooms for sure. We still live like a one-bathroom family because we can’t use the master bath due to leaks and such (turned the water off). The bathrooms are back to back and identical, but layed out in a way that wastes half the usable space. With $25,000 I could totally re-do them both and finally have a real master for the first time in our nearly 15 years of marriage.
Amber Pollard says
I live in a double-wide so I am not sure what to do but maybe my kitchen even though I would love a new laundry room there is no room in there for me to do anything.
Lisa - TheScrapPrincess says
I would have to say that the first room I’d love to update would be my kitchen since it’s terribly outdated and the cabinet doors are now falling off (yikes!) Next would have to be our sunroom, where the walls had a leak and are now falling inward….such a big mess!
Jen E says
I live in an apartment – if I had $25,000 I’d feel foolish not making it a down payment towards a house! haha
Tiffany says
I had no idea either. lol I heard a few peeps twittering and was like huh.
Toni says
My house is almost 100 years old – I would LOVE to do my 3rd floor. It is an AWESOME space with 3 connecting rooms and a closet. We have done nothing with it but have thought about an art studio or a home theatre – but unsure on how to get a TV all the way up there!
Faerylandmom says
I too, would love to do hardwood. However, having six people in the house, I think my bathroom needs a makeover. Possibly my kitchen. I can’t decide…
Sharon says
KITCHEN!
Erin says
My upstairs bathroom!!! It has carpeting…need I say more! I would also love to put hardwood floors in our downstairs.
Normal to Natalie says
my living room!!! i would do like you and get wood floors to replace the stained carpet. then i would get a built in entertainment center and flat screen tv to make the room feel bigger. and ahhhhhh, a recliner. for me. maybe with a pocket on it for my laptop…
casual friday everyday says
I saw the twitter talk about him and had no clue who you were talking about lol
Dawn says
I would redesign my den. It’s big – so there’s a lot of room to work with – but not cozy. I would rip out the carpet and add hardwood and area rugs, too.