Kitchen & Bath Magazine

In my last column, I wrote with considerable frustration about the lack of sales skills among young designer hopefuls and job seekers. I’ve received a number of wonderful letters from others who share my frustration.
What better pay-off (I mean beyond mere baubles of wealth!) can a writer get than to know the audience is listening, reading and even agreeing with the subject that one has written about? The letters came from across the country and clearly demonstrates our frustrations as designers or business owners are not regional. I venture to say they are national, international and universal.

One of my correspondents followed up the first email to which I responded, with another interesting pet peeve: design shows. Are they the worst thing that has ever happened to the business of design or the best thing? Do they spread only misinformation or assist in making the public more aware of design as an essential part of our lives?

Right off the bat, I have to admit a bias (it’s true, I have oh, so many): I have not only appeared (and continue to do so) on many design shows, but thoroughly enjoy the experience. But are these shows a good thing for the design industry in general? Well, you may accuse me of evading the question, and it’s true I don’t like to bite the hand that feeds me, but I have to say, not all TV shows pertaining to design/renovation are created equal. Some are better at trying to portray reality than others, and some are just downright awful — a mix that is much like every other type of programming.

The main problem is that most designers feel these shows set up false client expectations about what is realistically achievable, the budgets required and feasible lead times. But if we consider that these shows are purely entertainment and not meant as instructional vehicles, then they’re not much different than medical shows, which distort the practice of doctors or legal shows which vilify all lawyers (who have a bad enough PR problem on their own regardless of TV). It just so happens that the "victims" of design shows are designers having to deal with the misperceptions of the audience.

The real difference between design shows and other programming is the connotation of reality. However, I think by this time, most people know (or should hereby be informed), that "reality TV" is anything but. It is conceived, directed and edited and the subjects know they are doing a show, so it’s not real at all.
Since there is clearly an audience with an insatiable appetite for this kind of content, these shows will continue to be produced. Because where there’s an audience, there are advertisers. And where there are advertisers there is revenue to the broadcaster. It’s a money-making business, pure and simple.
Friend or foe? I don’t think it’s that black and white — there are lots of shades of grey. And besides, I hear that grey is the new black this year. ckb

-- From the Summer 2008 issue of Canadian Kitchen & Bath.


Robin Siegerman is the president of Sieguzi Interior Designs Inc. Catering to other design professionals and builders, the Sieguzi Custom Cabinetry division provides fine cabinetry for every room in the home. She can be reached at robin.sieguzi@bellnet.ca.

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