HGTV Obsessed Episode 19: Tiffany Brooks

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Designer Tiffany Brooks has a very impressive resume: She is the host of HGTV’s new show $50k Three Ways, the designer of HGTV's Smart Home, one of the designers on season 2 of Rock the Block and she was the winner of Design Star season 8. And to top it off, Tiffany was just named one of Architectural Digest’s Top 100 Designers for 2021 (AD100). Tiffany talks to Marianne about how much fun it was to work on Rock the Block. She shares her favorite on-camera and off-camera moments from the series and talks about how much she enjoyed working with her fellow Design Star winner David Bromstad. (You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out Tiffany’s special nickname for David.)

For the 14th consecutive year, Tiffany has served as the designer of HGTV’s Smart Home giveaway. This year’s home — located in Naples, Florida — is a coastal-inspired space filled with dramatic artwork, fun animal prints and many cool high-tech features. Tiffany talks about implementing her signature 'classic-with-a-twist' style into the home and using go-to items to inject humor. "I like to use crazy art," Tiffany explains. "I will inject mannequin body parts … and just weirdisms. I always put family photos in anybody's home because it needs that; I hate doing cold spaces and there are things that make it less cold and that's one of them. Another thing you will always see in my spaces is trees and live plants."

On her new show, $50k Three Ways, Tiffany helps homeowners decide how best to spend their renovation budget. Together they look for updates that will add function to the home as well as which long-term investments will make the home more valuable and sellable. Tiffany mentions some of her favorite projects that have a high return on investment: curb appeal, outdoor living spaces and finished basements.

Defend the Trend: Is Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper Sticking Around?

During the Defend the Trend segment of the show, Tiffany weighs in on the peel-and-stick wallpaper trend. She is a big fan because of the convenience and, because this type of wallpaper is made from vinyl, the application process is forgiving and not too difficult.

In the second part of the episode, Marianne talks with Kelly Wilkniss, one of the hosts of the Decorating Tips and Tricks podcast and the author of My Soulful Home. Kelly’s podcast has been going strong since 2018 with over 450 episodes — that’s a lot of tips and tricks.

Today she shares a bunch with us, like: what decor items to splurge on and what to buy secondhand, how to make a design plan, the best way to do design research and what is a decor hotspot, and how to create one in your home. She is a strong proponent of creating your own style and taking your time to get a curated, personal look. “The collected look is the way to go,” says Kelly. “This happens over time and it’s a great way to stay on budget; don’t rush it.” She also advises: “Know what the real deal looks like. Go to antique stores and stores that carry furnishing for the look you want and when you know that, you’ll know when you come across a good bargain.”