DESIGNING BLIND Is A&E Network′s New Home Makeover Series - With A Twist
Humor and Wonder Ensue With Blind Designer Eric B. and Co-Host Alexandra Hedison
Series Premieres Sunday August 6, 2006 at 5:00pm ET
At first, it′s a case of the blind leading the blind.
On DESIGNING BLIND, A&E Network′s new home-makeover-series-with-a-twist, couples who cannot agree on a design direction for their new homes relinquish control to acclaimed designer Eric Brun-Sanglard, 43, known for his breathtaking renovations of prime properties in Los Angeles.
Joining Eric B. in bringing the often-emotional process to TV is actress/photographer Alexandra Hedison, who brings her own irreverent point of view to the mix of personalities and properties.
Added to the rocky but always entertaining process of seeing a home transformed - particularly the owners′ reactions to the strong tastes of a professional designer - is an unexpected additional condition that the homeowners must accept. Eric B. is blind.
It soon becomes apparent that Eric "sees" in completely different ways. In the course of the makeovers he confronts the couple′s issues of fear, trust and control while they learn to draw on the power of their other senses to transform their homes and their lives.
One morning in 1995, Eric woke up blind. At the time, he was the creative director for an international perfume advertising company, and his life, he readily admits, was all about appearances. "I neglected what was going on inside me," he says now.
His first uneasy months led to changes that would prove to be his salvation. He began to alter his own home, then started buying, remodeling and decorating other homes for resale. He soon relied on his remaining senses to evaluate conditions and energies in the houses, walking through them over and over; feeling every wall, door, cabinet and knob; listening to sounds and reverberations; experiencing the light of the sun on his face in different rooms at different hours. With this "inner vision" he learned to determine scale, dimensions, and potential, and to evaluate the energies of his clients.
Even the most skeptical onlookers are impressed, even awed, by the makeovers that Eric B. is capable of designing and executing. They describe how once cold and dull homes became tactile and alive with feeling.
Eric uses tools that are helpful assists - talking tape measures, color-detection devices, a computer that reads text out loud and raised Braille-like blueprints. "But not having sight allows me to tap into the energy of the surroundings, to identify blockages that inhibit flow and prevent a house from achieving its fullest potential," he says.
In DESIGNING BLIND, Eric and co-host Hedison will be introduced to homes and their owners, getting involved in the intimate process of renovation and remodeling. They will challenge them to shop based solely on touching, hearing and smelling. It′s an unusual, amusing, and revelatory journey, where one man′s devastating loss leads to joyous and unexpected transformation.
Alexandra Hedison most recently appeared in a recurring role on the Showtime series, The L Word. Other series roles include Fox′s LA Firefighters and ABC′s Prey with Deborah Messing. She is also an accomplished photographer of abstract landscapes, exhibited in renowned galleries. Her photography has been published in Time, USA Today, The New York Times, People and Newsweek. She is the daughter of the actor David Hedison.
Nancy Dubuc and Michael Morrison are the executive producers for A&E. DESIGNING BLIND is produced for A&E Network by 44 Blue Productions in association with Big Hair Productions. Executive producers are Rasha Drachkovitch, Eric Brun-Sanglard and Meredith Scott Lynn.
