Hello everyone! Okay, so first of all, I need to seriously apologize for my long sabbatical from the blogosphere. My last post here was on March 30th and yes--that's pretty pathetic--but I promise you my silence was for a good reason! In April, yours truly was cast for a brand new HGTV reality series called Showhouse Showdown! And I am thrilled to finally be able to tell you about it.
Showhouse Showdown is a competition between two premier interior designers who take over two newly-built and identical homes with identical budgets to create a winning interior design. At the end of each episode one designer is voted the winner by members of the public who represent the developer’s target market.
Cobblestone Homes, a ground-breaking home builder that has become known for "Zero Energy" construction technology, sponsored my project in Midland. I truly enjoyed working with the company's owners, Mark and Melissa Wahl; they were so hospitable and supportive. Their project coordinator Matt Sheahan was also a tremendous resource for me in getting the job done. And their vast team of contractors is definitely top notch. In other words, I couldn't have chosen a more talented and courteous group of craftsmen/women to bring my vision to life for HGTV.
(l-r Corey Damen Jenkins of DWV, Matt Shehan of Cobblestone Homes)
The show is hosted by none other than Bob Guiny, a celebrity whom many of you may recall as a former contestant on ABC’s “The Bachelorette” and “The Bachelor.” Bob is a total blast to work with, and he constantly had me in stitches both on and off camera.
(l-r Corey Damen Jenkins of DWV, Bob Guiny, Mark Wahl of Cobblestone Homes)
The home tour event was hosted on Saturday, August 20th and nearly 800 people were in attendance--a record breaking turnout for this first season. It rained cats and dogs, but that didn't deter voters from coming to check out the showhouses. Cobblestone Homes did a tremendous job in marketing this event both on television and on the ground and people really responded. The company is really dedicated to keeping things "green" and even used solar-powered golf carts to transport the voters to and fro! Two huge tents loaded with seating areas and hors d oeuvres were also provided. There was a ton of local media also present and it just all made for one huge event. I was humbled to meet so many fellow Michiganders--some of which drove over 2 hours just to be a part of the show's taping.
On a personal note, I'd also like to express my admiration of the Showhouse Showdown production team. Their ingenuity and attention to detail is amazing. I think there is a certain science to what these professionals do everyday and I still don't entirely understand it. But I can honestly say that after doing this show, I have an entirely new level of appreciation for all that goes into bringing these reality TV shows to...well, a reality. For example, executive producer Sue Seide worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring just the right "beats" out of all involved. My producer Chris Bavelles (and his associate producer Ben Long) put in crazy amounts of hours to keep the production and creative processes moving forward, while Tom Almanzar documented everything on camera. And then you have Jordan, Jade, Andy, Jane, Andrew, Dutch (who towered over everyone but was so cool), and so many others handling an array of production responsibilites too. Some days it was like a whirlwind on set. But the best part? Despite the hair-raising deadlines, weather and scheduling challenges, these guys never seemed to lose their comradeship or senses of humor. They truly love what they do.
I encourage all of you to tune in on Saturday, March 3, 2012 for the series premiere of Showhouse Showdown. It's going to be a HUGE hit and give HGTV viewers something fresh and different to get into. The Midland, Michigan episode is scheduled to air on March 24, 2012.
I. Cannot. Wait. :~)
-CDJ
