Mikey Verdugo

Show Canceled: Challenge 5

Age: 34

Home: Davie, Florida

Education: High school diploma from Hialeah High School

Current Job: Police Officer

Why I should win Design Star:
I'm passionate about design and feel I can connect with clients on what they want in their homes and their styles and then bringing that to life. I’m well rounded in that I not only design the interior, but I build it with my own two hands. I’m a one-stop shop — electrical, tiling, sheetrock and framing walls out — I do it all. In my teens and 20s, I was a personal trainer and enjoyed making people feel good about themselves. Now, I get that same enjoyment when I can make their space a better place to live. As a police officer, I get the chance to help people every day with their problems, but some people should just be arrested for bad design.

Describe your design style in four words.
Modern, minimalist, industrial and comfortable

Who is your design icon?
Le Corbusier. He introduced the use of chromed aluminum as a construction material and his furniture is still in use till this day.

What is your dream design project?
Designing a nightclub or a hotel

Where do you get your inspiration?
Anywhere from the outdoors to a warehouse or even walking around a hardware store.

When designing, what can't you live without?
Music and my to-do list

What are you most creative hours of the day?
Evening hours

What do you think is the worst design trend?
High-gloss lacquer furniture and anything faux finish

Where's the farthest you've ever traveled from home?
I traveled to Panama on an undercover assignment.

What's your guilty pleasure?
Oreo cheesecake

What's your most unusual talent?
A lot of people don't realize I speak Spanish.

What word/phrase do you say way too often?
"Are you serious?" and "get outta here," but mostly "10-4."

When I was a kid, I thought I would be:
An architect or Eric Estrada from Chips

Who's your hero?
My cousin Tony; I always looked up to him since I can remember. He is very successful and taught me how to build a house when I was 15 years old.

What's your fashion style?
Casual T-shirts and shorts

His Favorites
Color: Gray
Scent: Fresh-cut grass
Music: Techno
Food: Chicken and rice
Magazine: Men's Health
Movie: Goodfellas
Room in your house: Bathroom
Room to design: Kitchen or living room
Thing in your home: 142-inch screen TV
Hobbies: Weightlifting, boxing and painting art in my garage
L.A. or N.Y.C.
HGTV show: Designed to Sell