Design Star Recap: Homeowners get HGTV’d

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And, then there were six

We're not going to lie, Cathy was last week's Design Star casualty and we're kind of giddy about it. Now that the drama has left the room, let's get down to design.

This week, the designers surprised an HGTV fan with the ultimate top-to-bottom home makeover. Inspired by the network's new show HGTV'd -- where fans get an amazing once-in-a-lifetime makeover from one of the network's popular designers -- the finalists helped a fan renovate six rooms in her home.

Double-elimination: Leslie and Kevin

Leslie was in charge of one of the boy's bedrooms and unfortunately, because we'll miss her zany personality, she failed miserably. The judges agreed there were a lot of crazy moments and mismatched themes in the room.

Kevin's family room had some nice elements, including a well-placed piece of artwork and a wooden mantel hung on a much-improved fireplace wall -- however, the judges did not approve of his confusing furniture positioning. "You seem to have a real weakness with space planning," remarked guest judge John Gidding. Plus, his over-the-top delivery in this week's camera challenge was more creepy than energetic.

Still in the game

Meg and Kellie squeaked through this week's elimination, but both disappointed the judges with their underwhelming spaces. Meg transformed the foyer and landing area at the top of the stairs (probably the most awkward area assigned to the designers), but the judges worry that she doesn't have the time-management skills necessary to host her own design show. Kellie ignored the homeowner's request for sports lockers and bunk beds in the second son's room, which really irritated the judges.

Mark's space came in a close second, impressing the judges with his use of raw natural materials and adding thoughtful details from the couple's personal interests – like a handmade installation of vinyl records as a backdrop in the living room because the couple loves jazz music.

Karl wins!

In the end, the judges loved Karl's cohesive design and impeccable color choices in the master bedrrom. Karl shares his thoughts on the winning space:

"For their master bedroom, Nikki & Perry desired something romantic but not girly. I mixed dark, rich woods with polished nickel and silk with silver-leaf to achieve a look that both genders could admire. I wanted every surface to be reflective from the mirrored night tables to the leather chaise lounge – imagine how the room would look in candlelight!"

Karl's tips for creating your own dream bedroom:

• In a room with volume ceilings, add crown or picture molding and bring the chandelier down from the rafters (about 8 feet above the floor). Doing this will create a sense of scale and proportion.
• Extend casing to the floor and add panels under narrow windows to add architecture.
• Hang draperies beyond the sides of the window to make them appear wider and the rods should be 3-6 inches above the top of the casing (even with half-round transoms).
• Remember that a room doesn't have to be painted blue, to be a blue room. Use multiple shades of blue and different textures to add depth and richness.

Tell us What did you think? Should Leslie and Kevin have been the ones to go home? Were you debating whether Karl or Mark had the winning design? Share with us in the comments section below!

Check out more from Karl and the three remaining Design Star finalists this Monday at 9pm on HGTV. Rumor has it the designers will be competing on the Nate Berkus show.

Photos courtesy of HGTV.

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