HOUSE WARMING
Speaking of gay couples, how has doing the show affected your relationship with your boyfriend, Gage? How do you handle being on camera together?
Lewis: The cameras obviously put a magnifying glass on your life and your relationship, and I think that we started off with a very, very strong foundation. So you know, Gage and I dated for at least a year, year-and-a-half before we even brought him on camera. We had a very strong relationship before we entered into this.
That said, it has brought a lot of stress because, you know, Gage wasn’t always depicted favorably on the last season of Flipping Out. That was really hard on him because he really is a good, nice person. He has my back—he’s very professional in the sense that he’s protecting my business. And when we had to let go of a few people last season… it wasn’t ultimately Gage’s decision; it was mine. But he did present the information, and as a result he took the heat for that. And we got a lot of upsetting and nasty blog posts and reviews, and that was hard on him. For somebody who’s been [off] the radar for so long.
The new show has you working a lot more closely with new clients—you’re actually living with them. Were there some you just couldn’t stand? Either what their design choices were or how they operated as a family? Anyone make you go, “Get me out of here!”
Jenni Pulos: We got very involved with every family we moved in with and, really, I think you’ll see that it’s emotionally taxing on both sides. Them having to let go of things and undergo this quick remodel p
rocess. Some of them were really holding onto memories through their things and we came in and basically said, “Clean it out now.”
But there was one [couple] that I’m thinking of, in particular, that we both decided shouldn’t really be together. And they were considering moving in together! We were really fighting against that [but] they obviously wanted us to have that be the way it was. And then finally at the end we were like, “This is not a good idea.”
Lewis: And they broke up.
Pulos: Yes. So I think for a bigger answer, every episode is self-contained and very different. There’s a design problem, but also I think there’s a relationship issue between the couples in every episode. It’s very interesting because it’s not just design; it’s also very much the [personal] dynamics and why one person has maybe a bigger voice in the relationship.
It’s very complex and I think that’s why, and you’ll hear Jeff say this in interviews, this is the hardest thing we’ve ever done. It wasn’t just, “Oh, we’re doing a flip/makeover show.” It was heavy. We were involved with these people. We felt like we had to not only help them make a change, but we had to do that in four days. It was emotionally draining.
Lewis: If we differed in taste, I could handle that—I can compromise with someone. I feel like I’ve become good at that over the last few years, starting my own design business. But sometimes I felt like people were doing this for the wrong reasons. And some people didn’t really want to take a look at any sort of personal issues. They just wanted free furniture. I felt those people were greedy and entitled. But then I would walk into a home where somebody was really grateful and they really wanted to change. They were really committed to it. Those are the people that maybe I took to more.
It’s made every episode different: Sometimes Jenni and I had a wonderful dynamic with the family and it was light and funny, and just great. And then other times we would walk in and… it was heavy and it was dark. But what I love about those episodes is that they were real and there was no Hollywood ending.
In this particular circumstance where the couple broke up at the end—that’s my favorite episode. Not because they broke up [laughs], but because we embraced reality. That’s what I signed up for, a reality hybrid.
I said whatever happens, happens, and we’re not going to [force] it. We ended up losing a producer over it. I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that. But, we ended up losing a producer over that because we didn’t agree. 
Jenni, you and Jeff have a volatile relationship of your own, at least based on what we’ve seen on Flipping Out. Did this intense experience exacerbate it or improve it?
Pulos: Ironically, I think we’ve gotten closer. Our friendship is better than it’s ever been because we had to bond during this time, to not only help these people but also if we had to come up against them when they didn’t want to make changes.
Lewis: We had to be united in this project. It really did strengthen our relationship. And, you know, it was a long shoot. It was six months. And I think we became closer during this whole process.
Pulos: I do, too. And I think Jeff was forced to grow as a designer. Ten weeks, ten different canvases. We had to implement these people’s things. And what you’ll see in these reveals is you see people’s things staged when we come in, and then you see them placed in the home after Jeff has come in and redone it and it’s beautiful.
How much time did you have to figure out what you were going to do with these people’s homes?
Lewis: A lot of people in this genre… they pre-prep. Meaning they know what house they’re doing and they have months to buy furniture, wallpaper, window coverings. The day that we moved in is the first day that I saw the house. Here’s the problem: I have to furnish that house in about 48 hours. Everything I buy has to be in stock. Try finding a dozen dining room chairs in stock—I was driving all over the city looking for these things.
Considering how stressful that must have been, you actually seem more calm and centered on Interior Therapy. Have you changed that much from the demanding boss we’ve seen on Flipping Out?
Lewis: I don’t think I’ve really necessarily changed. I think maybe you just get to see a different side of me. In my day-to-day life I’m juggling anywhere from a dozen to 20 clients. But when I’m forced to sit at one place for a week and just focus on one family alone, then, of course, my guard comes down. You’re going to see me less stressed because I don’t have to worry about the other 11 clients at home.
And, really, because it’s focused on five days of shooting with one family, you’re going to watch me get to know the family, the family get to know me, and then you see a different side of me. When you spend so much time with one group, you do become connected and you do start to care. Now I’m not going to say I liked everybody, but there were a few families that I really was rooting for. These people had problems—it wasn’t just about the design. And I really became like a champion for them, and I really cared about them.
Some of them—not all [laughs].
Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis debuts Wednesday, March 14th at 9pm on Bravo. Photos: Tommy Garcia/Bravo
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TJ
Why does Bravo continue to give this obnoxious egomaniac TV shows? No one watches them!
Christopher
Just so I understand…one of the most dysfunctional people to appear on reality TV (and that is saying something), has been given a show where he gives advice to others? Wow.
And Queerty is promoting this because?
BubbasBack
This is joke, right? RIGHT? Burp.
Mrs. Robinson
From the clip he doesn’t appear to be the annoying little shit that he was in the other show. Since reality tv isn’t really reality, who knows what the man’s real personality is? Hopefully this show will not present him as quite the mentally ill schmuck that the previous one did.
Rider L
Jeff is adorable!
Alex Sarmiento
Jeff Lewis needs to get his stuff together, before he can even think of helping others get theirs together.
Wesley
I agree with TJ. If he were to talk to me the way he talks to his employee’s. I’d put my foot in his behind.
Trip
Somebody needs to give *him* some advice about that awful rug he wears. What a loser. Good for him for getting “famous” by being a complete dickhead on the teevee, but no matter how famous, I wouldn’t take his advice if he paid me to take it.
Rider L
Personally, I’d like to give him a blowjob!
sfo
I loved Flipping Out – hope the new show is just as interesting.
Rider L
I thought last night’s episode was good! The straight guy was almost as cute as Jeff!
klkollinger
I dont know what is the matter with you haters..Jeff Lewis is Awesome. He is a great designer and I dont think Ive seen any of you with your own tv shows latley??
And, a lot of people do watch his shows…so get off the hate wagon and jump into reality!
I love you Jeff Lewis…and I would like to ask if you could help us with our yatcht? I will submit an entry and do what I have to do.
Please keep on doing what you are doing…Most of us Love You, Jenni and Zolia!
Karen