Nina Ferrer

Hometown: New York, N.Y.

Raised in Brooklyn, Nina says that from an early age she knew her upbringing was not typical. She describes her parents as very “open, free and artsy,” and says they encouraged her creativity with art and dance classes. After graduating with a degree in architecture from The Pratt Institute in Brooklyn – where she also studied interior design, painting and photography – Nina began her career in residential design. She created luxury homes for several high-end clients, including a few celebrities, before shifting her career to commercial work. Although Nina says that she enjoys her current position as an architect and project manager for a well-known retailer, she longs to design freely – ideally on her own HGTV show. Describing herself as confident in her design talent, Nina believes that viewers would be eager to see an “attractive, tell-it-like-it-is” Brooklyn girl create beautiful, functional spaces.

Check out the designs that earned Nina a spot on Design Star »