I totally did not see that coming.

I agree.

Without giving away any spoilers here, and therefore being rather vague, the rationale I can think of is that somehow the winner's room was the least telegenic room, but gave a very different feeling in person...

I agree I have no idea what they saw that we didn't. Just my opinion but, Hilari should have won.

I started to get a hint when a color choice caused displeasure in a judge. Thinking of last week when Dan's green paint derailed everything else.

In my opinion, ALL of the other top 4 designers would have been a more justifiable choice.

Leslie's designs simply didn't stand out for me. I didn't understand the effusiveness of the judges' praise. The design was nice, but kind of underwhelming compared to the other two. And Hilary's camera challenge was the best.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: quality_trash,

Leslie's design was an ugly, cluttered mess. Her outdoor space was uninspired and "blah," and her camera challenge was insipid.

Hilari is delightful, original, and interesting. Tom is so gifted and likeable . . . Both of their rooms were absolutely gorgeous and appealing ... It makes no sense.

I agree with everything that was said. I also was thinking what do you want from her. She doesn't give much info then her personality didn't show. Her outdoor space was planned and her space looked liveable and stylish. She showed she has range and can do different styles. The others not so much.

I think it was rigged for Leslie to win. No matter how well the others did and they bothe were better then Leslie, she was going to be chosen. I really don't think Genaveve (sp) has enough talent to be a design judge.

quote:

Originally posted by Artfull:
... I really don't think Genaveve (sp) has enough talent to be a design judge.

...Or a designer!!

After viewing the online photos, I might just have to change my original opinion of the outcome. My thoughts on the spaces:

Tom's space: Tom's outdoor area was the nicest of the three and he was the only one to address the upper part of the area. Gotta agree with Vern here, it would have been nice to have more functional/comfortable seating. Inside, the walls were beautifully executed and I especially liked the frosted mirror. It reflects the light without reflecting the small nature of the space. The original artwork is beautiful (Tom if you are reading this, you should sell your stuff). Tom was the only contestant to include a dresser! It worked well in the space, although I don't understand why he put that small table in front of it. Having said that, though, there was plenty of room to move around. Both Leslie and Hilari put a coffee table in front of their couches, causing their spaces to be quite tight to pass through. I liked the desk in front of the window, flanked by bookshelves. But no bed? I didn't see the beginning of the show, was it supposed to be a sleeping space? The biggest thing that rubbed me the wrong way about Tom's space was that it was full of stuff that didn't serve any purpose. If you think back to Karl's space in the last season, he PACKED efficiency into the tiny house and STILL made it look good. Tom's space looks good but nothing is really multi-functional except for the two-sided desk.

Leslie's space: I thought Leslie's space was overrated when I watched the show, but I saw a lot to appreciate after looking at the still photos. I really liked the rug, the overhead lamps and the couch, which was scaled perfectly. I thought the rolling pieces were nice, but where was the storage in the room? There were only a few bits and pieces of storage around the room; Where were you supposed to put your clothes? That "multi-purpose" storage hutch didn't seem very multi-purpose; what could you actually put in there? I didn't hate the murphy bed/chalkboard and the shelf above it as much as others seemed to, but with the bed down it didn't look particularly inviting. I'd hate to have to make that every day if I was staying there. I also didn't hate the rope seat, but to me it was more decorative - I wouldn't want to sit there for more than two minutes. The outdoor area was a miss. It definitely needed to be jazzed up. And the room as a whole would have worked better for me without SO many kids things scattered around.

Hilari: What didn't work for me in this room is the color palette. While I didn't mind the salmon wall color, I just don't think it coordinates well with the colors in the rug. The rug and the pillows are a major distraction in her space. The back wall (to the right of the entry door) is entirely blank except for paint. That seems to be a missed opportunity. I love what she did with the bookcase divider, it's styled exactly right and provides just enough space to double as a nightstand. I like the way she carried the theme of the bookcase over to the window frames. I did not like the bed linens, they just added to the cacophany of patterns in the room and didn't look cozy or inviting at all. Given the small size of the room, the headboard just made the nook resemble a padded cell. The various nods to mid-century modern were great and just enough. I especially liked the cascading hanging planters. The room was stylish and functional; Hilary did have room for clothes storage and such under the bed. The outdoor space was another missed opportunity; while I enjoyed the whimsical *grass* pillow and the planter boxes, the space as a whole wasn't welcoming and the pile of kids plastic toys just made it look messy.

None of the spaces really wowed me, but now I gotta say, I think I can understand why Leslie was declared the winner (although I would have loved to have seen what Dan would have done with the space).

Oh, and one more thing that's been driving me nuts...did I miss it or did they say during the show that people actually USE shipping containers as living spaces?