The untold truth of Flipping Out

When we think of Jeff Lewis, the perfect home designs come to mind. So how can we be more like the expert? The answer may not be what you think. When speaking with House Beautiful back in 2010, Pulos described what will never be found in Lewis' home — clutter and…condiments? You got it. Pulos said, "He's taught me to reduce clutter. I'm never going to be Jeff Lewis. I want my house to have layers of coziness, but I do see his points about things. We can always be more organized." Okay, yes, the lack of clutter makes total sense and can be clearly seen in any house Lewis has flipped or his overall designs.

Pulos continued to say, "I find the no-condiments thing funny. He likes all the labels facing the same way. He doesn't like smell; he's very sensitive to smell, so no leftovers. Zoila hides things in her room, and he manages to find those things as well…All the frozen food needs to be lined up perfectly straight. If anything is like even a half of an inch off, you're going to hear about it." Lewis may take organization to new levels, but no one can argue with the end product. As Pulos said, "He has designed over 50 kitchens, and he knows what people want, whether they're a single guy or a large family."

Flipping Out is one show that definitely falls under the category of reality TV. The show follows the entire flipping house and design work process. With each episode giving a closer look into the business operations, the day-to-day isn't always fun. A clear example goes back to 2011, when Lewis fired two of his employees, one of whom was his sister-in-law, Sarah Berkman. After the tough situation, Lewis described the firing to Xfinity, saying, "I think people who watch the show know it wasn't an easy thing for me to do. These kids that were working for me, we were close, we traveled together, we do a lot of out-of-state consults. We spent a lot of time together."

So why did Lewis choose when he did to take action? He was actually trying to help. "I waited as long as I could, and…. I'm trying to… how do I say this? Obviously people are paid to be on the show. I wanted them to get as much of those cast fees as they could. I actually delayed firing them, especially with Sarah, because I knew she needed that money, that additional income supplement. So I got her as far through that season as I could. But really, it was starting to affect our relationship. I was resentful, I was angry, I was tough to be around because I was so frustrated."

Even though Lewis is often working for clients on Flipping Out, he always has seemed to be his own boss. He's had the confidence and team to get things done. But as seen in August 2015, this wasn't always the case. He was also the employee and knew the feeling of losing a job. Lewis worked as the creative director for Living Spaces, a retail furniture company for almost two years until late 2015 when there was a split.

Although the audience saw a few details on the show, Lewis opened up about the split on Watch What Happens Live. And just as usual, Lewis wasn't afraid to be blunt. He told Andy Cohen, "I got kicked to the curb. And after the show aired, they did not like how they looked and they fired me. And also the girl that sabotaged, well allegedly sabotaged my shoot, she had gone to HR. From what I gather, she might have threatened a lawsuit as a result. Here's the bottom line, people…I don't want pity, I'm gonna whoop it up!" And that is exactly what he did. Lewis and Pulos posted a variety of social media posts poking fun at the idea of Lewis' unemployment. And with Lewis' continued success in the home design world, it looks like he is doing just fine.

Throughout the years on Flipping Out, we've seen a variety of employees working for Jeff Lewis. Some stuck around for awhile, and others just weren't the right fit. So what does it take to work for Jeff Lewis and be successful? Lewis spoke with Xfinity about the topic, and although home design experience is important, it's way more than that. He said, "We work from my home and we work really long hours. Having a quiet person sitting at a desk 10 feet away from me is uncomfortable. The design business is certainly my first priority, but I have always been drawn to characters and personalities. I enjoy my work and the people I work with." The show throughout the years has been a testament to Lewis' statement, as we've rarely seen anyone without a distinct personality working with him. Should we all submit our resumes now?

No worries though. Even though things aren't looking so great for the Kardashians and the Flipping Out team, they still have fun with their fellow Bravo celebrities. So what happens when everyone from the shows is in a room together? Pulos told ET Online that it's a "circus." She went on to say, "It is everything you could think it to be and more when all those Housewives are in one room…It's been fun because we've been there for a long time and we've seen Bravo grow as a brand and a network and a force. And it's been great to be a part of that ride."

And as for Lewis, he does have a great friend in one of the Real Housewives of Orange County wives — Shannon Beador. Beador told Bravo that she was introduced to Lewis through fellow housewife Tamra Judge. She continued on to say, "I think it was friendship at first site. We are similar in a lot of ways. I feel the same way about Jenni and Gage. It was an instant connection for me to all of them and we all have a close friendship today." And just to give us an idea of how crazy the friendship can be, Beador shared even more. "I have a lot of favorite memories with Jeff and all of them include a lot of laughing. Getting driven to a bar with him and he and I sitting in the trunk and having photographers take pictures of our exit with my Spanx showing. Jeff going through my Christmas cards after a few cocktails giving me his comments on the photos. I could go on and on…" Yes please!