why hello there!

yes, yes i know its been way over a month since i last blogged... i can only give you my word it's been for good reason. sooo much has been going on with my design company, i am out of breath just thinking about it. can noootttt wait to share and post about the excitement!

with that said, i wanted to share my favorite photos from the finale house of NBC's American Dream Builders. some of you may or may not know, but i was the head of the design department/production designer for the series. what that means.... i was responsible for overseeing the behind the scenes design team, creating and stocking the marketplace and the elimination stage, curating a lot of the products you saw on the show (from furniture, to tile, to plumbing fixtures), to providing moral support and a helping hand to all contestants.

as a designer myself, and specializing in crazy, fast makeover shows like this, i have tons of sympathy and respect for every single contestant the show had featured this season. yes, we saw a lot of drama and witnessed loads of bickering, but a lot of what you didn't see was the passion, the hard work, the fun, the difficult times they endured while being away from loved ones, and so forth. it's not easy designing and putting your creative goods on national t.v., all while cameras follow your every move... and then add in some competition game rules and critiques from design genius nate berkus himself! i mean it's all pretty intense.

lukas machnik and every other contestant were a dream to work with! they all brought such a level of talent, and a keen eye to the competition, all in extremely different ways. i feel blessed to have been able to experience such a diverse range of creativity, jammed packed into 21 homes and months of non stop work!

lukas was one of a kind. he dreamed up designs that inspired. that were not vanilla, not boring, not your typical home makeover t.v. renovations, he collaborated, was helpful and giving towards his team mates.. he often times would forget it was a competition and would give his favorite accent chair away, just to lend a hand. on top of that, his carpentry skills are insane.

working for the show and alongside nate was a dream! even though at times the show was beyond stressful, and I literally found myself wanting to jump off a bridge.... the experience was one of a kind. all of the contestants and crew worked their butts off!

to celebrate the fella who took home the crown, here are some of my favorite pics from his controversial black house on the beach.

i don't know about you, but he makes me want to live in a "black and white" world. this home made everyone who entered speechless.... and despite what everyone has to say online, the black home was nothing but classic, edgy, timeless and just simply beautiful in person! it was truly a work of art as you looked over the sand dune.

congratulations lukas!

xoveronica