Get to Know Adar Kirkham, Host of Freestyled

There’s no denying Adar Kirkham is creative. It’s a characteristic she boldly displays in her new show Freestyled — coming to HGTV.com and HGTV's social platforms on July 24. During each episode, Adar reinvents one room in a client’s home by thrifting, painting and repurposing what’s already there. The catch? She only has $1,500 and 24 hours to complete the entire design.

This sounds like an impossible task for most, but not for Adar. The New Jersey native dove into the creative arts at a young age, studying dance and drumming up DIY projects. In fact, her experience as a professional dancer and choreographer still inspires a lot of her interior designs today. She also attributes much of her interest in the arts to her parents, who always encouraged creativity. “It’s just in our blood,” she says.

In anticipation of Adar’s new show, we sat down with her to get the details on her upbringing, her background in dance and design and, of course, all things Freestyled.

She Grew Up in a Barn

A barn her parents transformed into a house in the suburbs of New Jersey, that is — which, according to Adar, is the DIY project that kickstarted her love of design. While the house looked like a barn on the outside, the interior featured a contemporary design. It even boasted a pond beneath a spiral staircase. “Being a kid and seeing all that come to life and being a part of theater productions, backdrops, set design and costuming were always exciting moments where I thought, ‘You can take what you have and reinvent it,’” says Adar.

She’s Danced Alongside A-List Celebrities

“Dance — that was my first love,” Adar says, touting ballet, hip-hop, jazz and modern as her favorite styles. After studying dance for more than 18 years, she landed as the Entertainment Manager and Choreographer for NBA’s Brooklyn Nets Dance team, a role she held for seven seasons. During her career, Adar performed alongside Rihanna, T.I., Lil Jon, Usher, Kanye West, Pitbull, Fergie, Elton John and more. “There are many petals on this flower — different avenues of creativity that I love to explore, and interior design was the second one up,” says Adar. “We’ll see what comes next.”

She Founded a Furniture Flipping Business

It’s called Tweak It Studio, and she launched it to honor her father’s entrepreneurial spirit after he passed away in 2012. Since then, Adar has also started offering virtual design consultations and installations for her customers, taking on all things design.

Her Designs are Bold

Adar doesn’t shy away from bright hues and mixed patterns. She describes her interior style as bold and vibrant. “My aesthetic is very daring and risky,” she says. “I like to not do what everybody else is doing. I like to go against the grain a little bit.” While she loves to experiment with color, her true talent lies in repurposing objects in unconventional ways. In one episode of Freestyled, Adar creates a chandelier out of microphones she found stowed away in her client’s closet.

If She Was a Piece of Furniture, She Would Be …

A bar cart. Bar carts represent celebration and bringing people together, which is something Adar loves to do. “There's so much potential, character, charm and personality in a bar cart,” she says. “It’s a fun little accent piece you can have in a space that can be quiet, but it can also be like the center of attention.”

She’s a Contemporary Art Collector

When Adar’s not designing or refinishing furniture, she enjoys traveling, thrifting and staying active. Recently, she and her husband began visiting art exhibits and collecting contemporary pieces. “My mother and stepfather are in the business of fine art restoration so we have a really great appreciation for it,” she says. “That's kind of our new thing — is going around and collecting art and filling our home up with some really cool art pieces.”

She Hopes Freestyled Inspires Viewers to Get Creative

So why should you watch Freestyled? Adar can’t wait for fans to see all of the fun challenges her clients presented her with. “In 24 hours, you [can only spend] $1,500 max,” she says. “With a shorter time frame and a smaller budget than your typical show, how can we stretch the dollar and still give a really premium, luxe-feeling space for your home?”

Watch Freestyled on HGTV's social platforms including: HGTV Handmade on Youtube, Facebook, IGTV, TikTok and Reels. Episodes will be released weekly starting on July 24. Follow Adar on Instagram at @adar_tweakit.