Top Design Exit Interview: Shazia

Too much attitude? No clear vision? Either way, it was time for Shazia to go. Hear her take on what went down during the Top Design bachelor pad challenge.

What was the most difficult part of designing a bachelor pad?
Cleaning it! And for our particular bachelor pad, there just wasn't a lot of furniture to work with, so we just started space planning. Does he need a dining area? Formal? Informal? You look at your client's needs, and you just start working on what pieces of the puzzle you are trying to put together.

It seemed like you were trying to assert yourself more in this challenge. Do you think that's what backfired?
I felt like I just needed to make my voice heard. In the previous challenges, I would say something and get overruled. This time, I kept thinking, they're not going to overrule me. I probably should not have yelled as much, but in the moment your adrenaline's pumping; you're scared you're going to get thrown off; your hormones are going. I came off a little bit angrier than I normally am. It was shocking for me to watch myself. I thought, god, I'm really not that angry. But during the challenge, I was just thinking, oh my god, I cant suck this time.

What about what happened between you and Preston? You seemed to butt heads a little.
Poor Preston. I shouldn't have yelled at him so much. He's so calm. I mean, things that he was suggesting, like putting two chairs underneath the TV, were ridiculous, but I could have said it in better terms. I just felt sorry for him. I was like, is that how my husband feels when I go after him for something?

The biggest criticism of the apartment was that it was unfinished. Looking back, would you still have pushed for the time-consuming cornices for the windows?
In the real world, they're not that time-consuming. Our carpenter didn't know what he was doing. He had never built one before. He used very heavy material. If I had known that he was clueless on what materials to buy, I probably wouldn't have suggested that we go that way. Honestly, I don't think it was a bad idea. I just think that the execution of it was just a little … ehhh.

Why do you think you got sent home?
I'll be honest with you. I was intimidated. There were some big hitters. I just kind of knew that this was one of those experiences where I was going to learn something from it. I wasn't in it to win. I was just in it for the experience, and I had a blast. But I really didn't get a chance to show what my design style is. I always let other people take over. That was my bad.

So it made sense for you to get eliminated?
I don't feel it was unfair that I got thrown off—but it didn't have to get ugly. I knew I was going home, but I told the judges that I didn't want to get sent home because I was the mean person that Preston was painting me out to be. It was the situation. It was very stressful. Everybody flips a switch now and then. They were lecturing me on calling him an a-hole, which, you know, that's fine. That's great. But this is a design show. Lecture me about that [design]. The fact that it just turned into a she's-a-bad-person elimination was ridiculous. That's not what I signed up for.

You often mentioned that as a Pakistani, you were pressured to be a doctor or engineer. What led you to choose to pursue design at 25?
I started out as a biochemistry major and I couldn't stand that, so I graduated with a degree in sociology. After I was working at the Gap, just to do something. At that time, I just started thinking, "Well, what are my skills? What do I have?" This guy I used to work with said that I was so great at visuals and I should go to design school. I was like, they have schools for design? But it was actually kind of perfect, really. Every time I used to have a an organic chemistry test, and I couldn't even understand the book, I would rearrange my room and it would make me feel better. Of course, then I would go take the test and fail it. Starting over was super hard, but I loved art school. The leap from science to design is huge, but the fact that I did well in it, that really propelled me.

Any advice for someone looking to make a career change like you did?
I would say if you're going to switch a field or go into design, you've got to really love it, because there are so many external factors that can punch you down. What a lot of people don't realize is that there is the 20-80 rule: 20 percent of the work is design and 80 percent is administrative.

How has Top Design affected your work since you've been back?
I learned so much by being there. We rarely get a chance to view and observe other people. In interior design, it's easy to get caught up in your own world and your own style. [Top Design] helped me think outside of the box a lot. And getting to meet Ondine was amazing. I just loved talking to her and hearing about [her expereince working on] Sex and the City!

Get the full scoop at Top Design Central.

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