I grew up in a room with pink painted walls and pink carpet. My dresser had pink flowery accents, my bedspread was splashed with a variety of pink tints, and even my desk blotter was….you guessed it – pink. And the worst part of all (yes, it gets worse) I insisted on all of it. Thus, at the ripe young age of eight, it was pretty darn clear (to all but me) I certainly was not destined for a career as an interior designer.
As an adult (and seasoned graphic designer with a now trained eye for nailing color palettes), I still marvel at those with talents for designing in the 3d space. I’m even further blown away by (albeit a tad irritated at) those who, without a stitch of training in the arts, have the ability to make random room textures and patterns work amazingly well together, if not better than the pros. My sister-in-law, an endocrinologist who has spent her entire life studying math and sciences, is among those naturally talented, untrained creative folks. But without a career change in sight, the Oohs and Ahhs over her decorating flair will forever remain hidden underneath her doctorly white lab coat…or will it?
HGTV is now casting for Armchair Designer, a new reality show in which amateur interior designers (with no training in arts or design), “will get a chance to work with one of their favorite HGTV design stars designing for a real client.” So if you’ve ever watched HGTV and thought, “I could do that,” here’s your chance! Thirteen lucky people will be selected and submission ends July 15 – so hurry-up and apply now: http://www.armchairdesignertv.com/
As for me, I’ll still stick with my successes as a graphic designer and root you on from a far…just don’t paint the walls pink or even I’ll be shouting at the TV, “What was she thinking!”
Next on the agenda: convincing HGTV to produce a reality show featuring graphic designers. With pixels of drama, “Nobody puts my logo in a corner” (Dirty Dancing) and “Go ahead, make my deadline” (Dirty Harry), the show is sure to draw in the big ratings 
(originally appeared in SF Examiner 7/08/09)