Contestants on this season’s ‘HGTV Design Star’ show off their own spaces and tell us how their style is influenced by their hometown.
Doug Hines, 44, Atlanta
“Decorating in my city, Atlanta, is especially fun when you take advantage of the warm climate. I purchased my brick and stucco ranch (built in 1950) four years ago. The lines and architecture is very modern for a 1950 design. I even have pink flamingos on my lawn for a retro, whimsical touch! I had the house painted all white to convey a tropical, mid-century vibe.”
Leslie Ezelle, 43, Dallas
“The home is a 1950s ranch-style home, extremely common in Dallas. The kitchen was redone to go back to the L-shaped format [for which] these ranch-style homes are known. This kitchen is reconfigured from a bar that protruded into the space to an open floor plan to increase the working space. New quartz counter-tops with metallic-gray cabinets give the kitchen a contemporary look.”
Cathy Hobbs, 42, Brooklyn
“Often in New York, apartments come as a blank canvas, a white box with white walls. I believe in infusing bold, brilliant color into a space as much as possible; so in my own master bedroom, I painted all of the walls pumpkin orange, my signature color, and then paired it with crisp, bright white and chocolate brown. My advice is to select only your favorite things and seek inspiration there.”
Kevin Grace, 42, Chicago
“As a designer, one of the most influential opportunities one can have is to live in a metropolitan city like Chicago. There are many different places I like to go to be inspired. If I were to sum up ‘How does Chicago influence my design style,’ I would have to say it’s by far the architecture. ‘Old mixed with new’ is the basis for my design approach in almost everything I create.”
Mark Diaz, 33, Miami
“Bold patterns and vibrant colors blend with the tropical allure of Miami’s natural beauty in this bayside condo.” he said.
