Debbie Travis
Debbie Travis was born and raised in Lancashire, in the north of England. After Art College and a very successful 6-year modeling career, she entered the television industry as a freelance editor and producer.
With this experience to her credit, Debbie started her own production company making documentaries. During a 1985 visit to a TV buyers market in Cannes she met her future husband, a television distributor, at a CBC party. They married soon after, moved to Canada and still live in Montreal with their two sons.
Debbie bought an old Victorian home, which she proceeded to re-do with paint effects modeled on popular revivals of historic finishes in England. Friends and acquaintances were astounded and awed. She was hired to paint their homes, which grew into a small business. Debbie began receiving commissions from large department stores, auditoriums, theaters, and grand reception halls. Newspapers and magazines began paying attention and Debbie opened a small studio, teaching workshops to both professional decorators and homeowners.
The demand for the workshops was so great that with Debbie's experience in film and television, she decided to produce an instructional video. Decorative Paint Finishes Made Easy was a smashing success. That success allowed her to produce 3 additional, more advanced instructional videos. They all continue to sell across North America in both English and French versions.
As Debbie's successes accumulated and her exposure grew, the natural next step was a television series. During the summer of 1995, the first 13 episodes of Debbie Travis' Painted House were produced. Thirteen more series have followed, along with a line of stencils (which sell in craft and hardware stores across the continent and have enjoyed a similar success to the videos), a specialty paint collection, a multi-book contract, and a syndicated newspaper column.
Through her television series, stencils, videos and books, as well as all of her creative endeavors, Debbie's primary motivation is to offer decorating techniques that anyone can execute without spending large sums of money. Her goal is to demystify the art of home decoration and make paint finishes universally accessible. Through her unique combination of entertainment and education, she manages to make all of her projects easy and fun for viewers and readers alike.
http://www.debbietravis.com/
Colin McAllister & Justin Ryan
Designers Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan are the faces of Five in the UK and can be seen on HGTV with their hit series How NOT To Decorate and their Canadian series, Colin & Justin’s Home Heist currently taping its second season that will air in fall ‘08.
Residing primarily in Glasgow, Scotland (where both of their Mums still live), Colin and Justin also have a home in London and since falling in love with Canada, have purchased a downtown loft in Toronto.
Colin and Justin got their first television break when the flat they share in Glasgow was featured on a Scottish lifestyle TV program. After that, they were featured on various other Scottish TV shows and their profile grew to the point that they were asked to screen test for a new BBC series called Trading Up. Although it was only intended for one episode, this Scottish duo made such an impact they ended up hosting the entire series.
Colin and Justin were also the presenters of the hugely successful series that aired previously in Canada on HGTV and BBC Canada called Million Pound Property Experiment, which saw them buy, renovate and sell seven properties across Britain, ranging from £100,000 to £1.25 million. They also went on to present Trading Up in the Sun, an overseas spin-off which helps people buy homes in France, Spain and Cyprus. They have also hosted such specials as 20 Ways to Make Money on Your Property and 20 Ways to Lose Money on Your Property as well as the popular wedding series called Wedding Belles.
Colin and Justin have been together as a couple for 22 years and in February ’08 tied the knot and are now happily married. As partners in life and in business this dynamic duo is excited to be straddling both sides of the pond enjoying the best that Canada and the UK has to offer!
http://www.hgtv.ca/homeheist/
http://www.hgtv.ca/homeheist/stylebook.aspx
Sarah Richardson
Sarah Richardson started her career in lifestyle television almost 14 years ago as a behind-the-scenes prop stylist and set decorator. Within a year, Sarah found herself in high demand as an on screen personality and quickly realized that she could carve a niche in the emerging world of design TV by sharing her practical, endearing and inspiring approach to interior design with viewers. Nine years later, Sarah has launched her new HGTV mini-series: Sarah's Cottage. With three other hit series’ (Room Service, design inc. and Sarah’s House) and over 150 episodes tackling the demands and design challenges of clients, Sarah’s Cottage gets up close and personal as six months pregnant, Sarah navigates the update of her summertime retreat on an island in the middle of a lake. Sarah’s Cottage rides the waves of renovating reality when timelines are tight, the location a challenge and kick-back, off-the-grid style is the mandate. Known for elegant and timelessly classic rooms that combine a unique mix of luxury with great deals, Sarah designs each cottage space to contain the perfect balance of save and splurge. Sarah's enthusiasm for all aspects of home renovation is infectious: from the excitement of demolition to her nerves of steel in riding the ups and downs of all that can, and will, go wrong in a remote, large scale project. Sarah is not your average TV decorator; her keen understanding of the fundamentals of top quality construction compliment razor-sharp instincts in all matters of taste and style. She treads the line between a morning of shopping in stilettos for high end finishes and an afternoon of mucking in when the site needs a major clean up. In each episode Sarah shares her vast knowledge and personal choices with viewers to inspire them to tackle their own cottage renovation with enthusiasm. Sarah’s Cottage is appointment television with impact! When not revamping homes for TV, Sarah runs a high-demand design business called Sarah Richardson Design for both commercial and residential projects. Sarah was also named one of the Top 40 Under 40™ for 2007 by Caldwell Partners and the Globe & Mail. Sarah's growing collection of signature indoor and outdoor furnishings will soon be complimented by lighting, bedding, rugs and towels.
http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com/
Jane Lockhart
Interior Designer and Color Expert Jane Lockhart has long been a leader in her field. With 14 years experience as an interior designer, Jane is an award-winning graduate of the School of Interior Design at Ryerson University in Toronto. Her portfolio contains many notable retail, theatrical, restaurant and residential projects. Jane has also has earned a reputation as a highly skilled faux painter.
Born in Mississauga, Ontario and now a resident of Toronto, Jane Lockhart co-hosted the successful interior design series One House Two Looks, which aired in Canada for six seasons. In 2005, Jane began her new series, Colour Confidential which airs on W Network in Canada.
For the past 10 years, Jane has traveled across Canada and the United States presenting her two-hour Color Foundations Seminar. Other honorable mentions include numerous booth design awards from ARIDO and IIDEX as well as Art Director for the Benjamin Moore website.
Jane has established a strong relationship with her audience promoting the use of design and color for leading paint manufacturer, Benjamin Moore. During this time she collaborated in the production of the best selling project design book Paint a Great Impression.
http://www.colourconfidential.tv/
