Ellen's Design Challenge Season 2: Designs From Melissa Rivera Torres

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Meet Melissa Rivera Torres

Melissa Rivera Torres, a furniture designer and business owner born and raised in Mexico, describes her style as modern industrial. She now lives in Pleasant Hill, Calif. She says she loves to use bold colors and fun materials that allow her pieces stand out and make people smile. Melissa says she enjoys working with stainless steel, wood, PVC, acrylic and aluminum and isn’t afraid to try unconventional ideas — she once transformed a 28,000-square-foot warehouse into the stage for Hawaii’s first ever Fashion Month.

Carpenter Steve Zimpel with designer Melissa Moir as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Melissa + Steve

Steve Zimpel, a carpenter from HGTV's series The Outdoor Room, will work to bring Melissa's designs to reality.

Designer Melissa Moir (right) and carpenter Steve Zimpel (left) work on a classic vanity inspired by France. Ellen surprised the five remaining designers by driving into the workshop in an electric luggage car filled with five suitcases. After picking a piece of luggage each containing a flag from a different country; the designers have to create a piece of furniture inspired by the country they receive. At judging; the designers will explain how their piece was influenced by their assigned country; as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge. Ellen DeGeneres puts eight furniture designers to the test when they come to Los Angeles to compete in various challenges designing and building amazing furniture creations. With a workshop; a lead carpenter and all the tools they’ll need; the contestants will be tasked with a new build each episode. A panel of expert judges along with appearances by Ellen will eliminate them one by one until one designer is left standing to take home the cash prize and win “Ellen’s Design Challenge.

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

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Challenge 4: International Inspiration

For the series' fourth challenge, Ellen asked the designers to create a space inspired by travel. Melissa's destination du jour? France.

Close up view of designer Melissa Moir's sketch, the draft for a vanity inspired by France. Ellen surprised the five remaining designers by driving into the workshop in an electric luggage car filled with five suitcases. After picking a piece of luggage each containing a flag from a different country; the designers have to create a piece of furniture inspired by the country they receive. At judging; the designers will explain how their piece was influenced by their assigned country; as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge. Ellen DeGeneres puts eight furniture designers to the test when they come to Los Angeles to compete in various challenges designing and building amazing furniture creations. With a workshop; a lead carpenter and all the tools they’ll need; the contestants will be tasked with a new build each episode. A panel of expert judges along with appearances by Ellen will eliminate them one by one until one designer is left standing to take home the cash prize and win “Ellen’s Design Challenge.

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images. From: Home Town

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Challenge 4: Melissa's Design

When thinking of France, Melissa's mind went straight to fashion icon Coco Chanel. From there, she decided to create a vanity as chic as one of the fashion designer's sleek dresses.

Designer Melissa Moir's classic vanity, made of wood with intricate finishing touches and inspired by France, is presented to the panel of judges on judging day, as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge. Moir and Zimpel were eliminated, as the judges found their design "too cute" and more styling than designing. After picking a piece of luggage each containing a flag from a different country; the designers had to create a piece of furniture inspired by the country they receive. At judging; they will explain how their piece was influenced by their assigned country. Ellen DeGeneres puts eight furniture designers to the test when they come to Los Angeles to compete in various challenges designing and building amazing furniture creations. With a workshop; a lead carpenter and all the tools they’ll need; the contestants will be tasked with a new build each episode. A panel of expert judges along with appearances by Ellen will eliminate them one by one until one designer is left standing to take home the cash prize and win “Ellen’s Design Challenge.

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

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Channel 4: Melissa's Finished Design

Black, white and pink, like the colors in a classic Chanel suit, the vanity features ornate nailhead detailing and an upholstered bench, as well as three-sided mirror.

Judge Christiane Lemieux takes a closer look at designer Melissa Moir's classic vanity, made of wood with intricate finishing touches and inspired by France, as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge. Moir and Zimpel were eliminated, as the judges found their design "too cute" and more styling than designing. After picking a piece of luggage each containing a flag from a different country; the designers had to create a piece of furniture inspired by the country they receive. At judging; they will explain how their piece was influenced by their assigned country. Ellen DeGeneres puts eight furniture designers to the test when they come to Los Angeles to compete in various challenges designing and building amazing furniture creations. With a workshop; a lead carpenter and all the tools they’ll need; the contestants will be tasked with a new build each episode. A panel of expert judges along with appearances by Ellen will eliminate them one by one until one designer is left standing to take home the cash prize and win “Ellen’s Design Challenge.

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

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Challenge 4: The Judges' Take

While the judges' appreciated the piece's fine detail work, they felt the piece would be more at home in a teen's bedroom than in a modern furniture design competition.

Designer Melissa Moir and carpenter Steve Zimpel, left, discuss their design with designer Kyle Huntoon and carpenter Matt Muensteras, right, on day two of the challenge, which consists in building a dining table inspied by a fine china plate choosen from the Mayfair Wall, as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge. Ellen DeGeneres puts eight furniture designers to the test when they come to Los Angeles to compete in various challenges designing and building amazing furniture creations. With a work, shop, a lead carpenter and all the tools they’ll need, the contestants will be tasked with a new build each episode. A panel of expert judges along with appearances by Ellen will eliminate them one by one until one designer is left standing to take home the cash prize and win “Ellen’s Design Challenge.”

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

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Challenge 3: China-Inspired Design

For the show's third challenge, Melissa and Steve created a dining table inspired by a bone china pattern. Their design features scroll-work fabricated on a plasma cuter, along with curvy metal legs.

Designer Melissa Moir's dining table is presented on judging day, decorated with Mayfair products. This week's challenge was to design a dining table inspired by a fine china plate choosen from the Mayfair wall, as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge. Ellen DeGeneres puts eight furniture designers to the test when they come to Los Angeles to compete in various challenges designing and building amazing furniture creations. With a workshop, a lead carpenter and all the tools they’ll need, the contestants will be tasked with a new build each episode. A panel of expert judges along with appearances by Ellen will eliminate them one by one until one designer is left standing to take home the cash prize and win “Ellen’s Design Challenge.”

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

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Challenge 3: Melissa's Finished Design

Melissa's table takes the stage in the Ellen's Design Challenge studio.

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

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Challenge 3: Tabletop Inspiration

A tabletop view of the scrollwork on Melissa's table, set with the china pattern that inspired it all.

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

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Challenge 3: Curvy Details

A closeup of the metal legs on Melissa's dining table, custom-made with a plasma cutter.

Designer Melissa Moir and carpenter Steve Zimpel present their design to judges Christiane Lemieux, Cliff Fong, and guest judge Wendy Goodman on judging day, as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge. This week's challenge was to design a dining table inspired by a fine china plate choosen from the Mayfair wall. Ellen DeGeneres puts eight furniture designers to the test when they come to Los Angeles to compete in various challenges designing and building amazing furniture creations. With a workshop, a lead carpenter and all the tools they’ll need, the contestants will be tasked with a new build each episode. A panel of expert judges along with appearances by Ellen will eliminate them one by one until one designer is left standing to take home the cash prize and win “Ellen’s Design Challenge.”

Photo: Gilles Mingasson / Getty Images

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Challenge 3: The Judges' Take

Judges Cliff Fong, Christiane Lemieux and guest judge Wendy Goodman get a close-up look at the table by Melissa and Steve.

Sketch of designer Melissa Mori's tire swing chair as seen on Ellen's Design Challebge.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 2: Melissa's Outdoor Design

In challenge two, each designer is tasked with creating a piece for a different part of the backyard. What's an outdoor space without a swing? Melissa decides on a grown-up take on a tire swing, as seen in her sketch here.

Designer Melissa Moir uses air hose to blow carpenter Steve Zimpel's hair as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 2: Catching Some Air

Melissa uses an air hose to blow carpenter Steve Zimpel's hair while they create the wooden shell of her tire swing-inspired design.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 2: Rolling Design

Rings of wood covered with wood veneer make up the shell of this design.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 2: The Finished Swing

Melissa's whimsical take on a tire swing is complete and ready for judging.

Detail on designer Melissa Moir's modern take on a tire swing as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 2: Geometric Detail

A triangular, raised design in bright yellow mimics the tire treads on a traditional tire swing.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 2: The Judges' Take

Despite some minor issues with the comfort of the swing, judge Cliff Fong was a fan of this design. "If I looked in my backyard and saw that every day I would be very happy," he said during judging.

Designer Melissa Moir gives a thumbs up while sitting on her modern take on a tire swing as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 2: Thumbs Up, Way Up

Melissa gives a thumbs up while sitting on her modern take on a tire swing.

Designer Melissa Moir and carpenter Steve Zimpel looks over her wooden bed frame as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 1: Cloud-Inspired Design

Who wouldn't want to sleep on a cloud? Melissa's vision for the Ellen's Design Challenge bed episode is a bubbly, upholstered bed that makes the occupant feel like they're floating on air. Here, Melissa and Steve work on the bed's frame.

Designer Melissa Moir's and carpenter Steve Zimpel's bed as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 1: Melissa's Bed

The finished bed, upholstered in white leather, takes the Ellen's Design Challenge stage.

Judge Chistiane Lemieux tries out designer Melissa Moir's and carpenter Steve Zimpel's bed as seen on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Photo: Ejen Chuang / AP Images

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Challenge 1: Judge-Tested

Judge Christiane Lemineux tries out Melissa's bed. The judges think it has some scale issues: With Lemineux's petite stature, she would need a step-ladder to get into bed.

Ellen's Design Challenge Season 2: Designs From Melissa Rivera Torres

Meet Melissa Rivera Torres

Melissa + Steve

Challenge 4: International Inspiration

Challenge 4: Melissa's Design

Channel 4: Melissa's Finished Design

Challenge 4: The Judges' Take

Challenge 3: China-Inspired Design

Challenge 3: Melissa's Finished Design

Challenge 3: Tabletop Inspiration

Challenge 3: Curvy Details

Challenge 3: The Judges' Take

Challenge 2: Melissa's Outdoor Design

Challenge 2: Catching Some Air

Challenge 2: Rolling Design

Challenge 2: The Finished Swing

Challenge 2: Geometric Detail

Challenge 2: The Judges' Take

Challenge 2: Thumbs Up, Way Up

Challenge 1: Cloud-Inspired Design

Challenge 1: Melissa's Bed

Challenge 1: Judge-Tested

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