In Defense of Million Dollar Decorators

When it premiered last week on Bravo, Twitter feeds would have had you thinking that Million Dollar Decorators was a blasphemous show that shamed the design industry and literally made fellow design professionals want to barf with disgust.

one of my fave Mary MacDonald rooms

The gossip had me chomping at the bit so when I eagerly tuned in to W network on Sunday night when it debuted here in Canada, I was pleasantly surprised but more so confused why there were so many haters. In fact, I was so enamoured I just had to chime in and stick up for the show.

one of my fave Martyn Lawrence-Bullard rooms

First of all, people were chattering away by how insensitive to the economy the show is and how they throw around such large numbers. Newsflash! It’s called Million Dollar Decorators. Not decorators who work on projects with healthy budgets. Not decorators who manage to make a living. The used the word “million” for a reason. These people are the best at what they do! They have books and brands dedicated to their style and the clientele to afford them. I know we all have different ideas on how 25 k can be better spent than on a been there done that damask rug, but it ‘aint your money and the concept is decorating for the rich and famous in LA - so don’t get all shocked when they throw around the big bucks. The show is definitely playing with the fantasy element here, where us regular folk are catching a glimpse into what its like at the top, so take a chill pill and enjoy the escapism.

one of my fave Nathan Turner vignettes 

People were also calling out the diva personalities and chutzpah of the five designers. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m pretty sure the majority of successful designers I know are pretty out there, loud and quirky. Creative genius often goes hand in hand with eccentricity.  It’s what makes them interesting and the best part is waiting to hear what will come out of their mouths next (I’m just happy I’m not at the receiving end anymore). I know 99.9% of us would never dream of reacting like Mary did to her client getting a divorce and selling her dream project, nor would we be charmed by Martyn’s incessant name dropping and his calling a Barcelona chair an Eames, but it’s a reality TV show on Bravo. Do you think they were looking for quiet hum-drum humble folk?

one of my fave IRELAND vignettes 

Maybe I’m jaded after working at a high end firm and being a part of a reality-TV production, but honestly, I think it’s a riot.

Canucks can tune in this Sunday at 9pm to catch episode two and see what all the fuss is about.