Sarah and Tommy

Last week, some bloggers were invited to chat with Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe about their new show Sarah 101 that launches on Jan 4th. It was a real pleasure to speak with the stars about the upcoming show, their creative process and their great friendship.

One thing I am certain of Sarah Richardson, is that her thought process for creating a television show is as organized as her design strategy. From Room Service, Design Inc, Sarah’s House, and now Sarah 101 her shows are geared towards relevant economic times. From DIY projects to tackling the renovation of an entire home, viewers could get a sense of what to expect when tackling a project. Now Sarah 101, is a step by step guide to creating designer looks at an affordable price. Where splurge and where to save, how to create a custom look, when to DIY and when to buy. Starting with a jumping off point, and where to go from there.

Did you know that once Sarah uses fabric on a show it never gets recommended again to any of her design clients? Think of all the schemes in the numerous episodes and the painstaking effort of not using those combinations in future shows. Forget about trends, the shows are filmed a year in advance

Sarah is a true visionary. She has a very unique ability to create the next best show, and has a mind full of ideas and concepts for future shows. Since she first started on Room Service she has partnered with producer Michael Prini, and it’s a relationship that has proven success.

If Tommy had to choose a designer to decorate his own home, other than Sarah, it would be his friend and Colleague Thomas O’Brien. Sarah is a little more complicated. Victoria Hagan? Miles Redd? It might have to be a team. Sarah's home is her laboratory. She is constantly updating with colours and moving furniture around. In fact she jokes that if her husband gets up to put some music on his chair may suddenly be relocated to another area of the house.

Lindsay was at a design show with fellow students when she met Sarah, and was the only one in her class who wasn’t afraid to come up to Sarah and tell her she wanted to work for her. And look at her now! You gotta love that!

This was a really fun filled hour with Sarah and Tommy. They are as funny and as smart as you would expect, and opening up the discussion to a room full of design obsessed bloggers was a real treat.

You can catch Sarah 101 on Tuesdays at 9pm , starting Jan 4th.

We received a little preview of the show, and rest assured it does not disappoint.