We all live vicariously through our televisions when we watch the travails of teenage mothers, experience life in hellish New York kitchens, and prance around as the world's greatest drag queen. Now we can pretend to be designers, too.
Ellen's Design Challenge will feature "six competitors as they tackle ingenious challenges to sketch, design, and build extraordinary furniture in just 24 hours." The designers won't go at it alone, but will also be able to draw upon the expertise of a master carpenter. Naturally, the winner gets a substantial cash prize. It's like Monster Garage meets Modernica!
If you think the affable comedienne and talk show host seems like a strange benefactor, think again. Ellen is passionate about furniture and decorating, and has a particular penchant for 20th-century French furniture. The ranch she owns with Arrested Development star Portia de Rossi--a renovated horse facility which once belonged to My Man Godfrey and Thin Man star William Powell--is a testament to refined and sophisticated interior decorating. This woman has an eye for design.
"I'm so excited about this show because I love finding really special pieces of furniture," DeGeneres said in a statement. "One time I found a beautiful one-of-a-kind armoire that spoke to me in a way I'd never experienced. It turned out there was a drifter living inside of it, but that's a story for another time."
Ellen's Design Challenge will air on HGTV in 2015. Let's hope for the best: The last thing design needs right now is its own Snooki.