Oh my goodness, have I got a story to tell! Last month, Magnetic Productions, a local television production company that produces shows on cable networks like HGTV, DIY and Travel Channel, put out a call to interior designers looking for the host of HGTV’s next design show. I decided “What the heck, why not?” and showed up for my 2:20 “audition” at their downtown Minneapolis office.
Two weeks and a few e-mail exchanges later, Magnetic Productions sent a cameraman to capture a day in the life of my associate, Katherine, and me. He met us at my home to catch the chaos of getting my kids off to school, which is always a sticky situation, depending on my children’s moods and fighting stamina that morning. This particular morning happened to be a good one, thank goodness. No soap in the mouth for naughty words, no blood drawn…I must have looked like Supermom.
Once the kids were on the bus, Katherine and I (and our new best friend Ryan the cameraman) drove to a potential client’s home in Edina. This client wants to transform her dark, empty dining room into a bright, warm and inviting space—in time for the holidays! Not an easy feat on her tight budget, but I’m always up for that kind of challenge. After the consultation, we drove back to Katherine’s house for some quick design debriefing and a truly sad attempt at lunch (pretzels with hummus and a Butterfinger…seriously pathetic).
So here’s the bottom line: Magnetic Productions might create an unscripted reality show about working moms in design (us!) and how we balance our chaotic life with jobs and kids (in our case, TONS of kids!). Some days finding that balance is easier than others, but we always try, and apparently that alone is interesting enough to consider putting on television.
Regardless of what happens from here, it has been an exhilarating and rewarding experience, to be THAT close to a project that could be on tv! As cool as it is, my love of design always takes priority, and my clients’ needs continue to be the fuel to my fire. But my goodness, it sure has been fun dreaming about the possibilities…!
Renae
Renae Keller is an award-winning, ASID certified interior designer in Minneapolis-St. Paul, specializing in new construction and large remodels. Trusted by homebuilders, architects and homebuyers alike, Renae is known for creating an overall design vision that blends functionality and aesthetics, while keeping the details intertwined, and her customer's style in clear focus.