Ellen's Design Challenge Season Two: See Sef Pinney's Designs

Get a closer look at the work of modern furniture designer Sef Pinney and HGTV and DIY Network carpenter Chip Wade.

Meet Sef Pinney

Sef Pinney, an L.A.-based furniture designer and business owner, characterizes his design style as modern with Danish and Asian influences. He says he prefers to work with any type of beautiful wood and veneers, as well as industrial materials such as aerospace plywood, aluminum, steel and titanium. Sef says his strength as a designer is his ability to envision and execute complicated, elegant pieces.

Chip + Sef

Carpenter Chip Wade and designer Sef Pinney are paired up to bring Sef's designs to fruition.

Challenge 7: The Final Three

The remaining three designers face their toughest challenge yet: Create a multi-functional furniture piece that wows the judging panel.

Challenge 7: Hard at Work

Here, Sef cuts metal parts for his interpretation of the challenge, a multi-functional desk.

Challenge 7: The Finishing Touches

Sef and carpenter Chip attach the blue powder-coated metal legs to the modern desk shell.

Challenge 7: Sef's Finished Design

This modern take on a secretary-style desk opens to reveal a desk surface, light and storage compartments.

Challenge 7: Pivot, Pivot, Pivot

Sef's desk pivots into a vertical, magnetic writing surface.

Challenge 7: Bright Details

Sef's modern desk features hardware and metal accents decked out in powder blue paint.

Challenge 6: Ellen-Inspired Design

This week, it's personal, as Ellen gives each designera copy of her new design book with a personal note instructing them to build a specific piece of furniture for her. Sef's task: A modern dresser.

Challenge 6: A Sofa for 'The Ellen Show'

Ellen challenges the final four designers to create a modern sofa to dress up The Ellen Show's green room.

Challenge 6: The Sofa, Before

The show's green room sofa, before the designers tackled its replacement.

Challenge 6: It's All in the Details

True to his style, Sef decides to create a 21st-century take on a classic modernist design. Here, he works on the pointed legs for the sofa's wooden frame.

Challenge 6: The Finished Sofa

Sef's finished midcentury design looks as if it was pulled from a Mad Men-era office waiting room.

Challenge 6: Built-In Coffee Table

This stunning piece features a built-in coffee table, a common feature in midcentury-era sofas.

Challenge 6: Moveable Armrests

This waiting room-inspired piece features armrests can be moved depending on the occupants' needs.

Challenge 6: Back Detail

Carved wood spikes add a graphic detail to the sofa back.

Challenge 5: Under Construction

Sef works on the joints of a modern dresser designed with Ellen in mind.

Challenge 5: The Finished Design

Designer Sef Pinney's furniture piece has a beech top with a bright turquoise, textured front surface and custom steel handles.

Challenge 5: Detail

The angular edges of the piece contrast with the rippled front and custom handles.

Challenge 4: International Inspiration

In the competition's fourth challenge, Ellen asked each designer to create a piece of furniture inspired by an international destination. Sef's choice? Denmark, home of the sleek Danish modern style that inspires many of his designs.

Challenge 4: Easy Chair

Sef and Chip work the wooden frame of this wide, sleek easy chair, inspired by traditional Danish modern design.

Challenge 4: The Finished Design

Chip and sef pressed layers of wood to make the curved seat and back of this chair. Bright blue upholstery adds color and comfort.

Challenge 4: Chair Detail

The Danish modern-inspired chair features sleek wooden armrests, as is indicative of the style.

Challenge 4: Chair Detail

A continuous wooden leg arches from the front to back on each side.

Challenge 3: China-Inspired Design

For the show's third challenge, the designers were asked to choose a china pattern to inspire a dining table design. Sef chose an ornate, metallic dish as his inspiration.

Challenge 3: Ornate Pattern

Chip and Sef finish the detailed scrollwork on the underside of the dining table.

Challenge 3: Sef's Design

With time running out on day three of the challenge, designer Sef Pinney sands the inner edge, where glass will be set. Chip and Sef will mount a mirror inside the table, reflecing the routed design on the underside of the table.

Challenge 3: Sef's Finished Design

This modern table features a surprise detail in the center of the table.

Challenge 3: Leg Detail

Custom-made metal brackets add an industrial detail to the top of each table leg.

Challenge 3: Sef Takes the Stage

Sef presents his modern-meets-traditional dining table to the judging panel.

Challenge 3: The Inspiration

Sef's table is set with the dishes that inspired the table's design. The scrollwork featured on the plates is carved on the underside of the table and reflected with a mirror into the center of the table.

Challenge 2: Outdoor Design

Chip and Sef pose with power tools as they plan their challenge two design: An outdoor dining table.

Challenge 2: Construction Time!

After fabricating the modern steel base of the table, Sef adds a light yellow hue.

Challenge 2: The Finished Design

The finished table combines a bright metal base with an acrylic top – a design that would look right at home inside or outside the house! The panel loved this modern take on midcentury lines, and awarded Sef with a win.

Challenge 2: Design Detail

See the legs of the table up close, as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Challenge 1: Sparks Fly

For the show's bed design challenge, Sef dreamed up a faceted headboard made of metal trianges. Here, sparks fly as Chip creates the pieces.

Challenge 1: The Finished Bed

The finished design features a faceted metal headboard, accented with trianges of wood veneer at the bottom of the design. A footboard, complete with an upholstered seat, provides a comfortable place to sit.

Challenge 1: Judges' Take

Judge Cliff Fong exmines the metal headboard. Though the design was innovative, the execution and functionality of the piece left the judges wanting more.

Shop This Look

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

Photo By: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

Photo By: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

Ellen's Design Challenge

Ellen's Design Challenge Season Two: See Sef Pinney's Designs

Meet Sef Pinney

Chip + Sef

Challenge 7: The Final Three

Challenge 7: Hard at Work

Challenge 7: The Finishing Touches

Challenge 7: Sef's Finished Design

Challenge 7: Pivot, Pivot, Pivot

Challenge 7: Bright Details

Challenge 6: Ellen-Inspired Design

Challenge 6: A Sofa for 'The Ellen Show'

Challenge 6: The Sofa, Before

Challenge 6: It's All in the Details

Challenge 6: The Finished Sofa

Challenge 6: Built-In Coffee Table

Challenge 6: Moveable Armrests

Challenge 6: Back Detail

Challenge 5: Under Construction

Challenge 5: The Finished Design

Challenge 5: Detail

Challenge 4: International Inspiration

Challenge 4: Easy Chair

Challenge 4: The Finished Design

Challenge 4: Chair Detail

Challenge 4: Chair Detail

Challenge 3: China-Inspired Design

Challenge 3: Ornate Pattern

Challenge 3: Sef's Design

Challenge 3: Sef's Finished Design

Challenge 3: Leg Detail

Challenge 3: Sef Takes the Stage

Challenge 3: The Inspiration

Challenge 2: Outdoor Design

Challenge 2: Construction Time!

Challenge 2: The Finished Design

Challenge 2: Design Detail

Challenge 1: Sparks Fly

Challenge 1: The Finished Bed

Challenge 1: Judges' Take

Shop This Look

Ellen's Design Challenge Season Two: See McKenzie Gibson's Designs 6 Photos

Ellen's Design Challenge Season Two: See Bradley Bower's Designs 10 Photos

Ellen's Design Challenge Season Two: See Miles Endo's Designs 41 Photos

Ellen's Design Challenge Season Two: See Kyle Huntoon's Designs 38 Photos

Ellen's Design Challenge Season Two: See Vivian Beer's Designs 44 Photos

Ellen's Design Challenge Season 2: See Alexis Moran's Designs 19 Photos

Related Pages