Bidding "the Rocks" farewell...
Rebecca Purdy Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 10:04PM I'm sure it's obvious to you all by now that I have left "House of Bryan 2: On the Rocks". I left wishing Sarah and Darren good luck with the project and exited as graciously as possible. Not to be confused with gracefully - that is not my strong suit.
I have had a lot of questions and concerns that is wasn't "real" and people thinking that it was staged for television. Acting is another skill that is not my strong suit and I can say with total honesty that I left because I wasn't happy with the way things were going. As you saw in the episodes, I was being excluded from material sourcing and product selection, as well as any information on what budget we were supposed to be sticking with. Interior designers can generally only do their job when there is honest and regular communication with their client. I decided to leave because I was not going to be held responsible for how the cottage turned out and for a budget that was headed for the sky. Cross my heart....
As for Bryan and I, we are fine and still work together on "Leave it to Bryan". In fact, we are almost finished filming our first few houses for this show. I greatly appreciate his ability to separate personal and professional and he has proven himself once again on this front. Bryan and I have our tense moments, as most Designers and Contractors do. However, he is always like a brother to me at the end of the day - annoying, loving, friendly, annoying, frustrating, funny, annoying, and mostly supportive.
Now, let's get ready for another episode of "House of Bryan 2 - On the Rocks". I'll still be watching (and tweeting) - I need to hear what they say about me!
Reader Comments (8)
Hi Rebecca,
I have to say I think you did absolutely the right thing. It is always very important to C.Y.A. in business situations (unfortunately), and that is exactly what you did!
You handled things with the utmost of professionalism and it is unfortunate that Sarah could not have done the same. Of course I do not know her true character but the attitude and the lack of response left a lot to be desired and it portrays her in a very poor light.
I think you were at least owed a heart to heart discussion with her to let you know that the project was going in a different direction and Sarah should have been able to come to you and talk to you about it. I am not sure why that was not done?
Do you still talk to her now or is the relationship over?
I have to say that I applaud your honestly and forthrightness in those situations...we need more of that! I like working with people who have strong ethics and treat people fairly. Seems as though Sarah is getting a little too wrapped up in her own importance!
Don't want to put anyone down...love Bryan and all his shows and glad he is able to separate the business from the personal, but his wife needs learn about how to treat people and not get too wrapped up in herself! Sorry to say!
Looking forward to the remainder of the episodes...it is a shame that things ended the way they did!
Your work is amazing!
Nicola
Thanks Nicola!
Happy to see my side of things is coming through - you never know how people will interpret things. No, we haven't spoken since that day and it's been a year now. I'm disappointed because of what the cottage could have been and the fun I could have had designing it with them. But, we'll have to wait a few more weeks to see how it turns out (myself included!) Thanks for the support!
Hello Rebecca,
I generally dislike women that use their looks to go through life. Sarah I am sure is nothing but a huge burden on Bryan. I already disliked her with the first series, and cannot stand to see her at all now, after seeing her treatment of yourself.
I am glad you stood your ground, and bowed out. My exits are far less graceful than yours was. Best of luck, and I hope to see more of your work.
Heiner Philipp
Bryan's wife is annoying, glad I don't have to put up with her.
I, too, caught the House of Bryan reruns recently and saw your departure. Now, I'm not a design guy in the least and, for me, it's all about the structure. Once that's done, sure, go nuts with the interior but leave the structure alone.
So when I started watching and they showcased you, I probably muttered something like, "Great, another designer's going to want changes to the structure." As the show unfolded, however, it wasn't you who made such changes and your efforts to design a space and stay within budget were scuttled by others. I'm guessing, had you had complete control, this wouldn't have happened.
But here's where I might seem hostile: if the client is not laying blame for the state of the design at your feet (I didn't notice it in the broadcasts) and they're actively making changes they're happy with (suggesting they're happy with your contributions), isn't it simply a matter of, "I recommend this but if you want to go with that, that's your decision?" Isn't the client entitled to change their mind or consult with another opinion, provided of course that they are compensating you for your time?
In short, is there a reason you felt so attached to your design ideas as a whole that you were willing to walk away from the entire job? Or do designers do this regularly, since their showcase of work is based on being able to say, "I did that"?
I retract everything if the compensation was a flat rate: no one should have to put up with that.
Hello DJ - thanks for your input and thoughts. Just wanted to answer your question as well as say you are correct about all of it. It is my job to make a space that the homeowner loves and work with their changes and suggestions (which I did for their house). However, I also have to do this and try to stay on budget. My role was to make Sarah AND Bryan happy and the direction Sarah was going wouldn't have made Bryan happy. Sarah's wishlist (and partly Bryan's) was increasing rapidly before a real design plan had actually been formulated, which is always bad for a budget.
As soon as I started pushing budget issues, Sarah stopped communicating with me. This is the reason I quit. I could have let her do it all and just filled in where she needed me, but, then this isn't really designing or doing my job. And I certainly wasn't going to be held accountable for a budget I had no control over.
In the end, and after seeing the decor, I am glad that my name isn't on it. It isn't what I would have suggested for a cottage, as far as certain materials and finishes, but back to your point - it isn't my cottage. Sarah and I haven't spoken since the day I quit, but from what I hear from Bryan they are very happy in it and that is really what matters.
Just watched a rerun of the "I quit" episode - but it was the first time I had seen it. I applaud you for your decision - it sounds as though you were hired to do a job for which you were given guidelines and a budget and mid stream your client started changing the guidelines. You raised these concerns several times, but at the same time your client didn't want to listen to what you were saying - the party was over before it had really started!
Congratulations for staying true to your values and your professionalism - and if you have been able to retain a respectful and mutually beneficial working relationship with Brian since that decision, then it clearly demonstrates his continued belief in in your ethics and your work abilities.
His wife on the other hand hasn't gained any brownie points with the viewing audience. Brian's TV shows are successful because people like me can clearly see that he is hardworking, honest and can communicate effectively. But if this recipe has to change to accommodate a wife who wants equal air time and appears like a carbon copy of all the other "wannabe" co-hosts of Canadian produced design shows, then watch out, because the show's appeal will begin to evaporate at lightening speed.
No wonder you and Brian work well together - you both have a healthy dose of good common sense that keeps you grounded and "real" to the viewers.
Pauline
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Good luck
I've been watching House of Bryan reruns for the first time and if not for Rebecca's talent and Bryans hardwork, I would have tuned out after the "ballet/dance recital" episode. Bryans wife, Sarah, is so annoying and selfish. Oh gosh Sarah, Bryan is just building your dreamhome....sure, he should drop everything for the recital. Hmmmm....he is a builder....I think you should take his word when he says something cannot be changed at the last minute. Okay, if a budget was not discussed with Rebecca, that's understandable but Sarah needs to understand that if it's out of the budget, it's out of the budget! Please HGTV, don't let Sarah be on anymore of the shows or at the very least edit her tantrums out. The show should focus on building not a spoiled wifes tantrums.