Puppy Love for Design

I fell in love with interior design during the "Do It Yourself" "Weekend Renovation" era. My first exposure to the industry was through the wonders of TLC and HGTV reality TV.

Trading Spaces

Trading Spaces

My first favorite was definitely Trading Spaces! The viewer was taken into the homes of two couples who would swap homes for the weekend and do whatever the crazy lunatic decorator had in mind whether that meant a bathroom covered in faux flowers or a bumblebee inspired dining room. About half of the time the home owners would return and have an absolute fit.

While You Were Out

My next staple from this time was While You Were Out. A spouse would go away for the weekend and their significant other would seamlessly pull off a full room renovation in just two days. The most memorable design from this show? The strange Kama Sutra wall made out of naked Barbies for a master bedroom.

Needless to say, the strange designs and wacky designers were highly addictive, and honestly, I wished I were one of them.

Divine Design: Candice Olson

But my favorite designer and biggest inspiration was always Candice Olson from Divine Design. She ran her own business, made beautiful renderings and generally seemed like the type of person I wanted to be some day in the industry.

Source

Source

I mean look how amazing these are! 

Now years later in my fourth year of college and a major change I have found myself back in the strange world of interior design. I am far removed from the days of Trading Spaces and While You Were Out and my view has been developed into a closer version of what the design world really is. First and most importantly, it takes a lot longer than a weekend to finish a well thought out, correctly executed design project. I know that being a reality TV star isn't what makes a great designer, but the determination and love for the field is.

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