BTD: What's your best time in a marathon? FB: 4:09. I did 15 marathons starting out at 5:20 then each race I would challenge myself with my previous time, each time I got faster and faster. The last several races were only minutes apart, 4:12 then 4:11 then 4:10 and finally 4:09. I switched to triathlons after that and once again I am counting down the minutes, each race trying to shed time even if only seconds.
BTD: What's on your nightstand now?
FB: Tolomeo reading lamps, my favorite! A couple of books that I never have time to get to, 10 bottles of water (always stocked) and of course my treo charger!
BTD: We noticed on IMDB that you served as an assistant to Nicole Kidman on several films and heard you worked with both she and Tom Cruise when they were still together. How did you get that job and what did you learn from the experience?
FB: I started off working on their homes, project managing renovations. I came to know them very well over the years and got side swiped into the biz. It was an incredible experience, I gained a world of knowledge, literally a WORLD! I traveled extensively, worked with amazingly talented people, it opened my eyes to so much that I would have never had the opportunity to experience otherwise. I am so much more because of those years with them.
BTD: You mentioned in our previous interview that you restored a home for a client that used to belong to Jerry Seinfeld in West Hollywood.
FB: Yes, it is a beautiful home in the Hollywood hills just above sunset strip. My clients were so happy with the outcome that I am currently writing you from Cape Town South Africa where they have bought a second home and they have brought me out to redesign it. It is so beautiful here I can hardly believe my eyes! This is going to be a sensational project and I hope it will lead to more projects in this town. I could get used to coming here!
BTD: What celebrity home would you most like to decorate and why?
FB: I think I’d like to do a house for a hip hop star, perhaps one of the members of Three 6 Mafia. I like the idea of working for someone who is entirely unconventional, that would challenge my mind and my spirit to really get outside of my head and create something outrageous!
BTD: You always looked fabulous in the 'White Room' and our readers have often commented on your great personal style. What clothing designers do you favor?
FB: I love to hear that because I love fashion and I always say that if I couldn’t do interiors I would definitely step into fashion design. Prada has been my recent favorite with the whole “vintage Hollywood glam” vibe, just sensational!
BTD: You worked well in the team challenges with Matt in Episode 1 and then with Andrea and Michael on the cabana. Who from the cast would you like to collaborate with on a future project?FB: I love working with a team, if you work well with someone you can actually feed off of one another’s mind and come up with something truly spectacular. I hope to work with Goil on a project in the future. I think that with his incredible sense of space and structure together with my sense of interior spaces, textiles and color, the two of us could create something really special.
BTD: Let's talk a little about this last challenge. A college student is not a realistic client for a professional designer. What look were you trying to achieve for your student client?
FB: Have you ever heard of a college student hiring an interior designer to design their dorm room and then tell them they only had $500 and a couple of garage sales??? I mean, come on! Before I knew the client, I had come up with a sophisticated color scheme and a very subtle overall concept. When I met with her I discussed this with her and she did not relate to the sophistication of my design. She wanted something more bold and “funky” as she put it. She also gave me many specifics like needing a round table to work at rather than square, she wanted an asian lacqured chair, some bold accents, an eclectic mix, to name a few. I realized I had to adjust my scheme and then learned we were going garage sale shopping so basically I was starting for square one… I managed to find all of the things she was looking for and while it wasn’t what I would have done for my dorm room, I felt like I was giving her what she had asked for.
I was surprised by her reaction. I mean, I even begged a guy to let me cut leaves from his garden because she said she had to have a living plant in there! When she saw the room she didn’t bother to mention one thing out of all of those items she requested that were present in the room. I can only guess that she hasn’t yet developed her sense of perception or her ability to recognize detail. If she had of taken a moment to look around and see how well the space was thought out and seen the beauty in each piece… honestly, I think she was so self absorbed that she wouldn’t have noticed any of the rooms.
BTD: That damn afghan. Do you think you would have made it through this challenge if you decided to pull it?
FB: Actually, I didn’t hesitate about the afghan. I loved it and I thought it brought a certain kitsch to the room. It reminded me of going away to college and wanting something hand made from home with me, a sense of security in my home away from home. I only said to Jonathan that I hesitated about the afghan because it was my philosophy that a little respect towards the judges would go a long way standing next to Ryan who was so venomous towards them!
BTD: Did you agree with the judge's assessments of your work over the course of the show?FB: Well yes, until the last challenge. Again, I didn’t think it was my best work but again, I don’t work with $500 and garage sales… Regardless, I do not agree with their criticism of the room and I think it was stemmed by my client’s reaction. If she had come in and said “groovy, this is cool” I would have heard a whole different tone from the judges.
BTD: Looking back at the experience, is there anything you would have done differently?
FB: At first I thought I should have fought the judges more and created some drama as Ryan did but then when I thought about it for a minute longer, I realized that it wouldn’t behoove me to portray myself as someone that I am not in front of the entire television audience just to stay on the show longer. I want people to see me for who I am and to respect that. By the responses I have received from viewers across the nation, I have achieved that.
BTD: Tell us what your dreams for the future are.
FB: To continue my career in interior design and to continue to challenge myself creatively. You will see a lot more of me, like it or not! I’m working on my first international project here in Cape Town and all the while I am designing a line of furnishings and accessories. Look out for my product line called “Felicia B.”, coming soon!
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