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HGTV moves David Bromstad's 'Color Splash' to MiamiJun 13, 2010 (The Miami Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Inside the second-floor studio, a bright, airy ode to interior designer David Bromstad's crush on colors, the television personality seems at ease despite the chaos that reigns in the last hours of a design project that will be featured on an episode of HGTV's Color Splash. With a deadline looming, Bromstad still needs to finish painting one of his signature pieces. Across town, workers are hammering and drilling into the night until before becomes after -- a chic new living space at a condo in Miami Beach. Months ago, this same scene would have played out in San Francisco, where Bromstad's popular design show was based since he won HGTV's first Design Star competition four years ago. Today, the headquarters of his makeovers are 3,000 miles from there in a modest building just past a row of cottages, a mechanic's shop and a social club in the artsy Wynwood neighborhood -- and his designs are inspired by South Florida's dazzling collection of hotels, museums and vintage buildings, most any place with an interesting story. "I never stopped wanting to come back to Miami. I was commuting between here and San Francisco the whole time I was taping there," says Bromstad, 36, who was living in a Miami Beach studio when he entered the Design Star competition. "San Francisco is a beautiful city but it wasn't a design city. I was looking for a place that has a certain energy, that felt fresh and new." "David's exuberant attitude and passion for design come to life in Color Splash: Miami," said Freddy James, HGTV's senior vice president of program development and production. "He encourages homeowners to be more daring with their color choices and shows them how to successfully select and balance bold colors in their homes." ATTENDED RINGLING Almost as long as he can remember, Bromstad wanted to live in the creative world. The Minnesota native graduated from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota with a degree in illustration, then headed to work on contract with Disney as an artist. Bromstad, a self-taught furniture maker, moved to Miami Beach where he designed children's rooms -- "environmental fantasies," he called them -- in which the beauty lay in the unexpected. In this world, beds are born in the belly of clam shells, larger-than-life butterflies and rockets become headboards and a robot makes the perfect dresser. A friend encouraged Bromstad to harness all that imagination for a reality competition HGTV was launching called Design Star. Matched against 10 creative types, Bromstad wooed the judges with his energy and bold, modern style. His easy personality, movie star looks and penchant for working without a shirt probably didn't hurt either. Color Splash debuted in March 2007 and was an instant hit, with 26 more episodes ordered before the first season was over. Bromstad brought the sixth season to his hometown, searching for homeowners in the area with fun personalities, a room that needed help, $4,000 and the willingness to turn the place over to the designer and his camera crew. Filming began in February. With a new cast, crew and setting, Color Splash: Miami showcases the work of local artisans but also captures the character and sensibilities of a place that is already design conscious. Gina Carballo, a recent graduate of Miami International University of Arts and Design, works as Bromstad's design trainee. Designer Patricia Rothman, a Miami mother who also owns a children's line, is the show's design coordinator. Inspired by the gloss and charm of South Florida's art deco architecture, vibrant culture, nightlife and Latin influences, Bromstad hopes to create wow spaces imbued with the brightest hues. "People here know good design. They are surrounded by fabulous places, so I felt like we needed to take the designs to the next level," said Bromstad, who lives in a Bal Harbour loft with his partner. "Miami is rich in hotels, history and landmarks." STREET SEARCH In a new feature on the show, Bromstad and his homeowner-clients take to the streets looking for great design ideas. Much of the inspiration is found in the details -- it may be the wall color in a hotel lobby, the furniture placement in a restaurant, even a feeling or mood evoked in a garden -- that influence the design plan and makeover. Among the destinations visited: Grass Lounge in the Design District, The Betsy Hotel on South Beach, the Viceroy Miami hotel downtown and the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami. Bromstad says South Florida's eclectic collection of hotels in particular, from the iconic Delano (one of his personal faves) on South Beach to the beach-inspired W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, demystifies design and offers cues to the elements of luxury living. "You walk into a hotel and you get a certain feeling and there are certain design elements that you want to bring into a space to make it livable. It's about taking the look and interpreting it and doing it affordably" said Bromstad, who counts CB2, Target and IKEA among his shopping hot spots. In the first of 13 episodes, Jose Sanchez and Dania Prieto hope to transform their master bedroom into a luxurious sanctuary that marries Old World elegance with a modern aesthetic. They turned to The Villa by Barton G -- formerly the Versace mansion -- for inspiration, touring the courtyard, pool and restaurant. For a later episode, the show selected Alejandro Pereyra and his wife, Olivia Fernandez Pereyra, for a makeover of their living and dining rooms, awash in earth tones. Taking a cue from the Vizcaya, Bromstad reinvented the Key Biscayne condo space by rearranging the furniture, mixing classic details with modern elements and working from a palette of crisp white and gray, chocolate and a pop of green. "I knew I wanted our place to be eclectic," said Fernandez Pereyra. "He listened to us and gave us what we wanted. I was already comfortable with using color but I would have never come up with what he did." HIS OWN PAINT Beyond Color Splash, Bromstad also produced a line of eco-friendly paint with Mythic Paint, offering a rainbow of colors such as ice ice baby (blue), hot cheeks (pink) and good grapecious (purple). Like his favorite designer Phillipe Starck, Bromstad hopes to expand his brand by designing hotels and developing home collections. All of which will include his fierce color palette. "I always tell people put some color in your world," he says. "It really is where good design begins." To see more of The Miami Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.herald.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Miami Herald Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |