Did you catch Sunday’s episode of Home Takeover with Simon & Tomas this weekend?
Image: Oprah Winfrey Network & IDH
Home Takeover is a new series on the Oprah Winfrey Network starring Swedish Interior Designers Simon Davies & Tomas Cederlund and their little Interior Design Hounds:
Jack Russell Terriers, Percy & Pooter.
Simon & Tomas solve design crimes and in this week’s episode, Safari in the Suburbs, the decorating crimes add up to a felony offense:
Count 1: Caught red handed using stuffed toys as a living room accessory.
Count 2: Exceeding accepted noise decibels with monkey sound effects.
Count 3: Violating the trash statute using garden refuse as a home accent.
Count 5: Exceeding the viewing limit of DIY shows for crafty ideas.
Count 6: Failure to operate tools without proper supervision.
Count 7: Impersonating an Interior Designer.
Book ‘em boys.
Before Pictures: African Safari Room
Which brings me to the guilty party: Fred & his wife Barbara.
Barbara is not really guilty, but she is certainly an accomplice to the decorating crimes.
Simon & Tomas should have asked Oprah to call Dr. Phil for assistance on this case.
Fred’s lovely wife Barbara is what the doctor would call an enabler. She blindly supports and even encourages all the man’s DIY decorating. Oh, Barbara…
Fred considers himself a designer, and he’s been busy creating a Safari in the Suburbs of Southern California. Yes, I know…Orange County is quite the wild jungle. Anybody that watches Bravo TV knows that.
He:
I like monkeys. My monkeys are special to me.
She: I don’t like Monkeys.
Image: Home Takeover , Simon & Tomas
Design Clients: Fred & Barbara
Here’s just one example of Fred’s idea of an “African Safari” designer touch: Beanie-baby looking monkeys swinging from trees in his living room.
They’re not really trees, they’re dead branches from the neighbor’s yard. Simon disdainfully calls them garden refuse in his British lilt.
And the pièce de la résistance? The screeching monkey sounds the chimps make when you squeeze them. You can listen for yourself here.
This apparently is music to Fred’s ears; just look at the man’s smile!
You know what that say about a Dog’s sixth sense, right? Well, Simon had to drag his Dog Percy into Fred’s house by the leash!
Simon: When your Jack Russell lies down on the floor and wants to play dead, you know there are going to be additional problems.
I dunno…maybe THIS had something to do with the Dog’s reaction:
Image: Home Takeover . Simon & Tomas
Simon’s take on the King of the Jungle?
Simon: It really is road kill.
Designer Jack Russell Terrier Pooter
Image: Simon Davies & Tomas Cederlund
Maybe you noticed one of Fred’s pieces of handiwork in the evidence mug shot at the foot of the bed.
The wood contraption is Fred’s idea of a multi-purpose piece of motion furniture.
Fred upholstered threw a couple of pieces of egg-crate foam on the top of the thing, followed by a towel. (There’s a reason they call it convoluted foam.)
Image: Oprah Winfrey Network & IDH
According to Fred, it is a great for storage.
Fred built the trunk to sit on. He pulls out the board he attached with a hinge, puts his feet up and watches TV on his “home theatre.”
The Interior Designers’ take on Fred’s handiwork?
Simon: It’s a Spanish instrument of torture.
Tomas: I think we should hide his tools…this man should NOT be doing DIY.
Simon: (to Fred) You are as MAD as a hatter!
After the couple leaves, Simon & Tomas actually sit on the thing while pondering their design scheme for the Master Bedroom.
Fred’s trunk implodes.
In what has to be a television first for a design show, here is the Interior Designers’ response:
Simon & Tomas: Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Have you EVER heard a Bleep on a decorating show in America?
Home Takeover with Simon & Tomas is definitely NOT your average decorating show. It’s bleeping hilarious!
As I’ve mentioned before, one of the reasons I find the Home Takeover TV show so refreshing is that Simon & Tomas do not try to “makeover” the homeowners.
The Interior Designers always respect their TV clients and their design preferences….
Modern African Safari Decorating
Fred & Barbara wanted an African Safari inspired home and Simon & Tomas obliged. When creating a design solution for the couple’s Den and Master Bedroom,
Tomas asked: How can we bring in Fred’s personality in a stylish way?
Their solution was to create an African Safari look with rich, earthy tones to evoke the colors of Africa.
Hmmmmm…those colors look familiar:
African Wild Dogs. Image: National Geographic
The Interior Designers purchased authentic, vintage African accessories to add a “Safari” touch to the home while adding texture & interest to the painted walls.
The handmade, leather trimmed, Fulani hats were woven of fiber in Mali to be worn by during social gatherings or celebrations. Simon & Tomas hung them on the wall.
Simon & Tomas also purchased singing drums from Nigeria to hang on the soaring walls in the Den.
Decorating with African Accessories
Images: Home Takeover, Simon & Tomas
Fred & Barbara were delighted. You can watch the big reveal to Simon & Tomas’s Master Bedroom & Den makeover here.
Eboni, the couple’s beautiful daughter, was embarrassed to have friends over before the Home Takeover with Simon & Tomas. Here’s what she thought of their design makeover:
Eboni: Sick. (That’s a compliment.) My parent’s Master Bedroom is ridiculous! (That’s also a compliment.) I’m sooooo jealous!
Image: Home Takeover, Simon & Tomas
Later, I’ve got to let the Dog out,
GIVEAWAY: You still have time to enter the Designer Dog (or cat) Bowl GIVEAWAY by ModaPet. Check out how to enter here.
You’ll find my take on the previous episodes of Home Takeover with Simon & Tomas here (Case of Pink) and here (365 Days of Christmas).
Not familiar with the show? You can watch the entire first episode online here.
Taffy, our charming 
