For fans of Bravo's reality shows, it'll come as no surprise that the channel that brought us Project Runway and Top Chef has another hit show on their hands with the interior decorating-themed Top Design. It should also come as no surprise that the show is gay-friendly in its casting. The series started off with four openly gay contestants, and while one was cut in the second week, the other three are still going strong.

AfterElton.com recently talked with two of the show's front-runners, Goil Amornvivat and Erik Kolacz. The guys were very funny — and surprisingly candid.

AfterElton.com: The first question is for Goil. Do you really introduce yourself to strangers with "I'm Goil, as in gargoyle"?
Goil Amornvivat: Yes, I do. My last name is really long, and with my first name, I needed to establish the letter G, so that's why I use the word "gargoyle." Otherwise, everybody always calls Boil and Doyle, and I was sick of that. [Laughs.]

AE: Do you get a feeling from the show's creators that there is a great deal of pressure to live up to Project Runway and Top Chef? Bravo is the king of competitive design shows after all.
Erik Kolacz: Well, yeah, I think it was in all of our minds, right? That's what they're comparing it to. I kind of went into this so naïve over the whole thing. I had this picture of one person chasing us all around with a camera. I had no idea that … so many people were involved behind the scenes. … I guess I was just like the goofy country boy who was like, "Oh, let's make home movies." [Laughs.]

But yeah, we all talked about it. At the time we were filming, Project Runway was just finishing. I remember that once we all got there, we wanted to see who won because we didn't have that opportunity before we left.

GA: Yeah, we saw the final episode together.

EK: That's right! We actually got to all watch it together.

GA: And we're sitting there watching it and we're like, "We're going to be there one day." [Laughs.]

EK: That's when we all got scared to death. "Oh boy! What did we get ourselves into?"

AE: Todd Oldham's role is to be a mentor, but we haven't seen too much of that so far. Is he doing more that we're not seeing on camera?
GA: I think Todd is really helpful. Every time he comes over, he always came up with great suggestions, and right on the spot, too. Nothing is rehearsed; he just has all these facts in his head about how to do things and how things should work. During the show, he was really a big mentor. I really look up to him.

EK: He's got so many life experiences. It was always funny, because when you're under that kind of pressure, he'd come up and say things to you which were so obvious, but you hadn't thought of it. It was like, "Damn it! I should know that!" [Laughs.] There are a number of times where they have me just looking at him like, "Wait a minute — why didn't I think of that?" I think Todd is brilliant. He was, by far, one of my favorite cast members. I was overjoyed just to work with him.

GA: He's my favorite cast member as well.

EK: I mean, besides Goil. Goil was my favorite.

GA: Erik is only my second favorite. [Both laugh.]

EK: Why me? I'm sending you a dead bird in the mail, Goil.

AE: Let's talk about the other contestants. What were your feelings about John's disclosing his HIV status in relation to his behavior toward Michael?
GA: Wow. I think you should take this one, Erik. They were roommates.

EK: I have to say I honestly made a conscious effort to be as neutral as possible with the other cast members because I was just grateful to be around such amazing talent. When it came to John, though, he found a way to rub me every way sideways. I have friends who are dealing with that battle, and my God, I would never wish that on anybody, and I can't personally imagine how that must feel. But at the time it was announced, I felt like it was being used as a crutch. I just really had issue with it — not to sound insensitive or uncaring.

GA: I think I was mad at John a little bit for treating Michael so badly during the show. I felt so bad for Michael.

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