Ellen's Design Challenge Season Two: See Vivian Beer's Designs
Check out Vivian Beer's designs from 'Ellen's Design Challenge,' created alongside HGTV and DIY Network carpenter Matt Blashaw.
Meet Vivian Beer
Vivian is a furniture designer and business owner in Manchester, New Hampshire. She says her style is modern and that she loves to “push the envelope” with her work by using industrial materials such as concrete and auto body paint. She says she believes her academic background in the Fine Arts allows her to find inspiration in different places, including the arts and crafts community, architecture and even car design.
Vivian + Matt
Designer Vivian Beer is partnered up with carpenter Matt Blashaw.
The Final Challenge
For the final challenge, Vivian and Sef will recreate their weakest piece from the competition, giving it a new spin that reflects each designer's style. Ellen joins them on set for the big finish.
The Final Challenge: Table Construction
Vivian will recreate a signature dining table for the final challenge. Sparks fly as Vivian uses a grinder to smooth out the edges of the steel legs.
The Final Challenge: Vivian's Finished Table
Finalist designer Vivian Beer's design, an elegant signature table with curved metal legs, a wood trestle and a transparent acrylic top paired with a spectacular CNC machined, LED lit acrylic chandelier, is presented to the judges.
The Final Challenge: Light Detail
The Final Challenge: Table Detail
The Final Challenge: Table Detail
Vivian's Winning Moment
After a strong performance all season long, (She took more than half of the challenge wins!) Ellen and the judges named Vivian the Ellen's Design Challenge champion. She takes home the $100,000 prize and a feature in HGTV Magazine. Congratulations, Vivian!
Challenge 7: Multi-Functional Table
For this week's challenge, the designers were asked to create a multi-functional furniture piece. Vivian's idea: An outdoor table that transforms into a chair.
Challenge 7: The Construction
Vivian and Matt finalize the interlocking wood frame of the modern piece.
Challenge 7: Vivian's Finished Piece
Designer Vivian Beer's simple, functional and elegant multi-functional outdoor chair-table features a stunning CNC-machined aluminum frame and stained wood.
Challenge 7: Aluminum Frame Detail
The custom aluminum frame adds a lightweight, indoor-outdoor base to the piece.
Challenge 7: The Transformation
Carpenter Matt Blashaw shows how a chair...
Challenge 7: The Second Use
...easily transforms into an outdoor table! This sleek, simple piece was the judges' favorite this week.
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: The Sofa, After
Vivian reimagined the room's sofa by creating an airy steel frame that makes the sizable sectional-style sofa take up less visual space.
Challenge 6: Sofa Detail
A detail shot of the steel frame created by Vivian and carpenter Matt. A narrow shelf lines the top of the sofa.
Challenge 6: Upholstery Detail
The soft, light blue upholstery juxtaposes the industrial-style frame.
Challenge 6: The Judges' Take
Guest judge Thomas Lavin and judges Christiane Lemineux and Cliff Fong lounge on Vivian's winning sofa, which they felt featured the best balance of style and comfort.
Challenge 5: Ellen-Inspired Design
This week, it's personal, as Ellen gives each designers a copy of her new design book with a personal note instructing them to build a specific piece of furniture for her. Vivian's directive: A coffee table that suits Ellen's modern sensibilities.
Challenge 5: The Construction
Here, Matt heats up the edges of a thick acrylic sheet that will be used as the top of a coffee table.
Challenge 5: The Finished Design
Designer Vivian Beer's winning design, a coffee table with a striking curved metal base and a transparent acrylic top designed for Ellen is presented to the judges on judging day.
Challenge 5: Design Detail
The curved metal base, coated in high-gloss automotive paint, takes center stage beneath the clear acrylic top.
Challenge 4: International Inspiration
For the competition's fourth challenge, Ellen asked the designers to create a piece inspired by a country. Vivian's chosen inspiration? Italy.
Challenge 4: Vivian's Design
Drawing inspiration from the Brutalist architecture movement popularized in Italy from the 1950s through the 1970s, Vivian decided to create a bar that embodied the modern, industrial and rough-hewn characteristics of the style.
Challenge 4: Vivian's Design
Designer Vivian Beer's Brutalist-like wine cabinet, made of wood and metal and inspired by Italy, is presented to the panel of judges on judging day, as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.
Challenge 4: Vivian's Design
A delicate metal wine rack juxtaposes the thick, top-heavy pieces of the bar's exterior.
Challenge 3: China-Inspired Design
The inspiration for this week's challenge? Fine china patterns! Vivian chose this traditional design as the inspiration for her dining table.
Challenge 3: Fabricating the Legs
The focal point of Vivian's dining table will be the super-curvy metal legs. After fabricating the legs on a plasma cutter, Vivian and Matt carefully assemble the first leg.
Challenge 3: Sparks Fly
An experienced welder, Vivian shows off her craftsmanship as she joins the pieces of a curved table leg.
Challenge 3: Wood Top
Carpenter Matt Blashaw drills side holes that will be used to assemble wood planks for the table top.
Challenge 3: The Final Assembly
After adding a coat of white paint, Vivian and Matt assemble the table.
Challenge 3: Vivian's Final Design
Vivian and Matt's dining table, based on a traditional china pattern, is traditional on top with a curvy twist at the base: bold metal legs.
Challenge 3: The Inspiration
Vivian's finished table, set with the china that inspired the design.
Challenge 3: Leg Detail
A close-up of the curved metal legs, painted white to match the table top.
Challenge 2: Outdoor Design
For the competition's second challenge, the designers are tasked with creating stylish, durable outdoor furniture. Vivian and Matt's angle? An outdoor bench with plenty of metal to take advantage of Vivian's welding skills.
Challenge 2: The Steel Frame
Matt Blashaw works on the steel shell that will be the frame of Vivian's outdoor bench.
Challenge 2: Vivian's Finished Bench
Vivian created two connected benches with a wooden table surface in the middle. Wire mesh welded to the frame adds an industrial touch.
Challenge 2: Detail
Vivian was inspired to use wire mesh for the bench seat and back for a modern take on classic wicker.
Challenge 1: Vivian's Bed
With experience as a welder, Vivian created the frame for this asymmetrical bed, while carpenter Matt Blashaw crafted the solid wood accent pieces.
Challenge 1: The Bed
Vivian's metal frame flows seamelssly through the natural shape of the bed's wooden headboard.
Challenge 1: The Judging
Judge Cliff Fong admires the craftsmanship of Vivian and Matt's bed.
