Celebrity interior designer Michael Payne put it bluntly about Tucson residents David and Jeniece Roher's great room: "It's lifeless, like nobody lives there. It's blah."
To which David Roher quickly replied, "We don't disagree with that."
So began a free one-hour consultation by the man best known to longtime HGTV viewers as the host and designer for the "Designing for the Sexes" television series.
The Rohers won the off-the-cuff consultation in a drawing by Contents Interiors, which brought Payne to Tucson in late February to unveil his new line of contemporary furniture.
The couple used photos on a laptop to show their design dilemma: punching up the great room of the five-year-old Fort Lowell Park-area home where they've lived for more than a year.
When Payne asked what they sought from him, David Roher answered, "How to make this room more functional, more enjoyable."
People are also reading…
A problem between the couple mirrored the top dispute that Payne saw in his defunct television show, in which Payne prodded couples to compromise on their differing design sensibilities. The Rohers couldn't agree on color.
After Payne mentioned how "beige-y" the room was, Jeniece Roher, pointing to her husband, said, "This is Mr. Brown-Beige."
"This is pretty much devoid of color," Payne observed. "We desperately need color." To which Jeniece replied enthusiastically, "Absolutely."
One easy way to interject color without taxing the person who prefers whites or neutral is with a colorful area rug. "Go out shopping together," advised Payne, "and just look at rugs. You're shopping for art.
"A beautiful rug underneath (the furniture), it'll come to life."
Payne made several other suggestions based on the Rohers' desires that the style remain traditional and that the fireplace stays.
Spread color around. After purchasing the rug, pull out a color to use as simple drapery panels on all the windows, hung on a simple rod with fancy finials and tied back. Use other colors to paint the niches and alcove in the room.
Fix the fireplace. The fireplace is off-center on the wall and much too small for the room. Remove the hearth and tile and add a wood mantel and shelf, stained the same color as the entry door, to soften the polished concrete floor. Add a picture or other tall elements on the shelf to make the fireplace look taller. Once the hearth is removed, pour a concrete floor in front of the fireplace and color it differently from the existing chocolate floor to delineate a hearth.
Fill the corner. The first thing a person sees coming through the front door is a corner with plants that are too small for the 17-foot-high room. A very tall plant would look nice, but only if it could be kept healthy. The Rohers liked another idea: create a bistro seating area where they can enjoy dessert or coffee.
Improve the entryway. Replace the ceiling light with a chandelier of at least 36 inches in diameter. Add a small table in front of each window and place plants on them.
Improve lighting. Add spotlights that will illuminate the fireplace, the improved corner and an antique radio that the couple keeps in the alcove. Dim the existing seven ceiling lenses and never turn on the light in the ceiling fan. Use table lamps for task lighting.
Payne finished by sitting back in his chair and declaring, "I am now living in your new room. I could clearly see this is done now."
Afterward, the couple said they plan to implement most, if not all, of the ideas and will report back on their progress in a few months.
We'll be around to show it to you.
What his show taught him
Dressed in his signature impeccably fitted suit (black with gray pinstripes) with a light pink shirt and plum tie with hot pink dots, the diminutive Michael Payne cut up a crowd of around 100 people who attended his appearance at Contents Interiors last month.
The 64-year-old designer talked about what he learned in the nine years he hosted "Designing for the Sexes."
Here are some of his memorable quips:
• "The four most expensive words in remodeling:
"While we're at it . . . "
• About the love affair most women have with pillows:
"Men never ever get up and say (with relish), 'Today is pillow-shopping day!' "
• Men's response to their wives' collections:
"Most men have another word for your collections, and it also starts with 'C' . . . clutter."
• When the subject turns to fabrics, men often ask:
"Why do we have to mess with fabrics at all? Why can't we do everything in . . . leather?"
• Why men aren't into color:
"Men have not been involved in color. Women, when they were little girls they were dressed up in pretty dresses. It's all about being cute with nice colors."
About MIchael Payne
Michael Payne taped just shy of 100 "Designing for the Sexes" episodes, which ran on HGTV from 1998 to 2007. Already an interior designer for some 20 years before the show, Payne became a celebrity whose advice is sought after by homeowners all across the United States.
British-born, Payne earned university degrees in math and physics and came to the United States in the 1960s to work in the computer industry.
He eventually switched to his first love of design. After getting a degree in interior design from UCLA, he joined a firm for wealthy clients who wanted unique furniture pieces.
Payne became the sole host of "Designing for the Sexes" after the original concept of using 13 designers to help 13 couples failed.
His current project, the Michael Payne Home Collection, includes contemporary furniture and occasional pieces, contemporary and traditional bedding and, later this year, area rugs, accent furniture, beds and bedroom suites. A sofa runs about $2,150, while an accent table comes in at about $290.
His contemporary furniture by Lazar is available at Contents Interiors, 3401 E. Fort Lowell Road. 881-6900.