Hasta La Ideas

Bravo’s design-fueled summer programming train rolls on! As Martyn Lawrence-Bullard and Mary McDonald continue their delightful scenery chewing over on Million Dollar Decorators (last night’s episode included a priceless shot of McDonald taking delivery of an Edible Arrangement, which instantly convinced her that the sender/would-be client was not a good match), quiptastic house flipper and interior designer Jeff Lewis returns for a fifth season of Flipping Out. In anticipation of tonight’s premiere, we spoke with Lewis and his trusty assistant Jenni Pulos (who has a second career as a rap artist for the toddler set) about the Jeff Lewis design ethos, what’s in store for the new season, and whether they see a Million Dollar Decorators/Flipping Out crossover special in their future.

This season, the focus of Flipping Out shifts from flipping properties to designing spaces. How would you describe the Jeff Lewis Design aesthetic?
Jeff Lewis: I definitely lean more contemporary and my looks are definitely more streamlined. And I like big open spaces. I don’t really like a ton of furniture. I’m not one of those people that over-accessorizes. That’s a little trick of the trade that designers do which I don’t. I work out a different fee structure, so, I don’t mark up everything that I buy for my client. That’s the reason that you’ll see a lot of homes that are over-accessorized and over-furnished.

[Some designers] hang something on every single wall and they put something in every corner. Well, news flash—they mark up every single thing they buy. They have a vested interest in over-selling furniture and accessories to you. So that’s the problem. I suggest working out a flat fee with a designer or an hourly rate. You don’t want to do the mark ups because then, they—I mean not all of them, but a lot of them, obviously—the more furniture they sell you the more money they make. So that’s why you’re seeing, when you open up these magazines and you say, my god, I can’t even walk around that room!

Jenni, how would you describe Jeff’s style?
Jenni Pulos: Jeff, I would like to say that I think that you possess a warm relaxed modern style. You like that? I just filled in the “relaxed” this morning. What do you think?

Lewis: Well, when I did the kitchen for House Beautiful that’s what it was called. They basically said that what I do is “soft modern.” It’s basically taking a very modern space but warming it up. Because that’s the problem for people that love contemporary design. It does tend to feel chilly, and it’s not always so family-friendly.
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