Q-and-A with HGTV Design Star contestant Jany Lee

by Sarah Blaskovich

LAKE HIGHLANDS — Dallas newcomer Jany Lee hits the small screen on Sunday (July 19) as one of 10 designers on HGTV's Design Star. She's an interior decorator who recently relocated to Lake Highlands after living in Toronto, Canada – yet says she loves the heat, Dallas people, and shopping. (Two out of three ain't bad.) Lee chatted with me about her newfound stardom, including the five weeks she spent taping Design Star and decorating herself into a tizzy.

The show finished taping in May 2009, so she's been home in Texas since then. "I haven't seen any [of the episodes], only the commercials. I've seen what you've seen! I'm interested to see how they're going to edit situations and create all the drama," she says.

She couldn't divulge any spoilers for the show, but she has ideas aplenty based on what did and didn't go well.

Q: What did the judges teach you about your own style?

A: I'm a very classic designer – a lot of classic pieces and neutrals and soft tones. But the judges were looking for something that was a little more bold. And that, I felt, for me, was a learning curve. Normally, I like to keep everything calm and serene and don't like to use a lot of bold colors. I've learned to step outside of that comfort zone. I've learned to use that bright fuchsia pink; I've learned to appreciate color more.

Q: Do you have any regrets?

A: I don't think so. I would say it was a very physically and mentally challenging experience. I'm a lot more comfortable using power tools than I used to be! I wished I'd learned the be more hands-on on my projects, rather than have a carpenter do it. I can do basic carpentry, but I'm no expert by any means.

Q: What was it like being on camera and away from home?

A: The entirety [of the taping] was April 1-May 10 of this year – that's 5 weeks. That's a long time to be away from your friends and family and to be sequestered in stressful situations! We didn't have a break at all for the whole five weeks. It was constant go go go. It was challenging, but very good at the same time.

We were so busy; most of the day was spent working on the challenges. You're so focused on getting the best results, you don't have time to think about your family or friends. You're so focused on the task at hand.

Q: Did you meet any snarky people?

A: With a lot of the challenges, we're in group situations. So you might have your own style of begin modern, or a partner that is totally opposite. You have to find a medium to create a room you're both happy with.

Anytime you're in a team environment, you're never going to get exactly the room that you want. You always have to compromise and make the challenge work. If you're a leader on a team, you have to lead the team -- but not be too strong, where you're going to forcefully intrude.

Q: Take us back in time. Did you think your audition video would get picked?

A: No! I've been watching the show in Canada for years. Being in Canada, we were never allowed to apply for the show. We became U.S. residents and I thought, finally, this is my opportunity. They called me back and said “Great, send us another video.” I flew down to LA for a casting and then within a few weeks, they called me and said, “You're going to be on the show!” I was actually astonished. I didn't think I would get picked, especially being new to Dallas or new to the U.S.

When I first left Toronto, I was homesick. Things happen for a reason, and this is why I came to Dallas – to get picked for this show! People are so friendly here in Dallas – super nice, super kind, always courteous. And I actually love the heat!

Q: How did you prepare for the show?

A: For me, I don't have specific tools I needed except a measuring tape, a protractor, a sketch board, and a good drawing pencil. Then I had to go and buy new outfits! I came back from Argentina two days before I left for the show. It's like New York meets Paris! I definitely bought two or three new pairs of shoes. And I did buy a few new outfits. I find the European style a lot more funky.

Q: What are you doing now that you're back in Dallas?

A: I've got two or three projects that I'm working on right now, mostly residential. I'm in the process of starting my own company called Jany Lee Design. I do residential, restaurants, corporate offices -- anything to do with design gets me excited.

Also, my husband and I [before the show] bought a fixer upper house in Lake Highlands. Not an inch of space was untouched! Every nook and cranny, we gutted it out. It was fun, until you live with constant dust in the air and don't have a kitchen for four months. I'd eat cereal in the morning and have to wash my dish in the bathroom sink. But now, it's perfect. It's exactly the way I want it. It's like my ideal project -- I get to be my own client.

And we're finally enjoying the house.