Glamorous Hollywood Hills Provides Backdrop for Fourth Season of 'HGTV Design Star'

Glamorous Hollywood Hills Provides Backdrop for Fourth Season of 'HGTV Design Star'

Finalists Revealed for Series Premiere on Sunday, July 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- HGTV's hit series HGTV Design Star "goes Hollywood" in its eagerly anticipated fourth season, premiering on Sunday, July 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. In the first episode, viewers will meet 10 fiercely competitive and creative finalists who have designs on winning their own show on HGTV. The group includes Antonio Ballatore, Los Angeles; NataLee Callahan, Salt Lake City; Jason Champion, Sarasota, Fla.; Nathan Galui, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Jen Guerin, San Diego; Jany Lee, Dallas; Tashica Morgan, Bowie, Md.; Lonni Paul, Los Angeles; Amy Sklar, Los Angeles; and Dan Vickery, Portland, Ore. In addition, for the first time in the series' run, the 10 competitors will decide which one of three semifinalists will join the competition.

All of the finalists have enjoyed successful design careers and range in experience from interior designers and home stagers to architects and artists. Each one is ready to dazzle the new judging panel of interior design luminaries featuring Genevieve Gorder (Dear Genevieve), Candice Olson (Divine Design) and returning judge Vern Yip (Deserving Design). Hosted by Clive Pearse, the hour-long series, taped in Los Angeles, will air on Sundays through September 13.

"The finalists featured in this season's HGTV Design Star are extraordinarily talented and ready to do whatever it takes to win," said James Bolosh, vice president, event programming, HGTV. "With so many strong personalities involved, we have no doubt that viewers will be captivated and entertained by the competition."

Beginning June 1, HGTV.com will invite viewers to extend their viewing experience online by visiting the HGTV Design Star show page. Online visitors will find special interactive features and a "virtual judging" experience that allows them to rate the finalists' work.

Meet the HGTV Design Star Finalists:

Antonio Ballatore
Los Angeles, Calif.
Age: 40

New York City native Antonio Ballatore believed he would be a rock star by age 40. While pursuing his dreams of music stardom, he spent time between gigs learning how to build houses. This experience led Antonio to design restaurants and clubs in Manhattan and, later, design sets for world-famous photographers, including Annie Leibovitz and David LaChapelle. Antonio also loves decorating and coordinating interiors using his unique style that he calls "modern cave-dwelling meets medieval contemporary."

NataLee Callahan
Salt Lake City, Utah
Age: 30

NataLee, who grew up in rural Idaho, earned a degree in broadcast journalism from Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City. Although NataLee enjoyed studying journalism, her real passion is interior design. She got her start in floral and wedding design and later moved on to interiors and home staging after becoming a licensed Realtor. Today, NataLee is a full-time interior decorator and describes her style as transitional, comfortable and fun. She also designs homes for a local charity, where she transforms houses into comfortable residences for families in need.

Jason Champion
Sarasota, Fla.
Age: 33

In addition to a 15-year career as a designer, Jason Champion, an entrepreneur, also is a stylist and product designer. He describes his personal style as vibrant, eclectic and comfortable, but says he is a design visionary for his clients and can create beautiful rooms in any style. After graduating from the Southern Institute Division of Virginia College with a degree in applied arts, Jason relocated to Sarasota, Fla., with his partner and two dogs. Jason also works as a radio host of a weekly design show and writes a regular column for a gardening magazine.

Nathan Galui
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Age: 25

Nathan, a native of Palm Beach, Fla., earned a bachelor's degree in interior design from Drexel University in Philadelphia and studied furniture design at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Nathan's experience ranges from residential and hospitality design to furniture and products. Nathan works as a freelance designer and describes his style as urban, modern, eclectic and rustic. He says "If you love a $2,000 vase atop that $20 coffee table, do not keep them apart."

Jen Guerin
San Diego, Calif.
Age: 33

Growing up just a few miles from Canada, in Ishpeming, Michigan, Jen Guerin was eager to begin her studies at San Diego State University. After earning her degree in fine art, Jen also became one of only 151 color consultants in the U.S. certified by the International Association of Color Consultation. This certification allows Jen to select color palettes for public buildings, such as hospitals and schools. In addition, Jen also is a business owner and an artist, specializing in wax pigments, multimedia art, decorative plasters and eco-friendly design. She describes her style as Bohemian and Baroque, with touches of 1960s-inspired modern. Very eco-conscious, Jen says that it's important to always "save it, re-use it or paint it."

Jany Lee
Dallas, Texas
Age: 35

Before her husband's job was transferred to Dallas, Jany owned her own design business in Toronto. Her self-described style is classic, contemporary and glamorous, which helped her find a niche flipping houses and designing rooms for clients. Since moving to Texas, Jany has undertaken the task of redesigning her new home and has tackled every job from installing hardwood floors and removing walls to selecting colors and accessorizing. Jany holds a B.A. in economics from Queen's University in Ontario, Canada.

Tashica Morgan
Bowie, Md.
Age: 29

Tashica, known to family and friends as "Talko" because of her chatty personality, says she always wanted to be a designer. Tashica grew up in foster care and says she enjoyed decorating the drab places she called home. The experience shaped her passion for design and later helped define a signature style that she describes as "vintage posh and urban glam." Although Tashica earned a bachelor's degree in pre-law from the University of Maryland, her love for design inspired her to enter the master's program for interior design at Marymount University in Arlington, Va.

Lonni Paul
Los Angeles, Calif.

Lonni, a mother of three and a former fashion model, owns a successful design business in her hometown of Los Angeles. She describes her design style as contemporary and transitional, but also loves anything with an Asian influence. Lonni designs both residential and commercial properties and says that, despite her self-described "spontaneous and goofy" personality, simplicity is the key to achieving elegant design. She also says that her designs demonstrate an effortlessly simple, upscale and modern look.

Amy Sklar
Los Angeles, Calif.
Age: 40

While growing up, Amy moved frequently with her family, living in as many as 15 different homes across the United States. The wide range of residences -- from a mid-century modern home in Maryland to a century-old clapboard house in Long Island -- shaped her eclectic design style. Amy's experiences defined her ability to merge modern and classic aesthetics and also inspired her understanding of architecture and interior styles. Amy is a graduate of UCLA's Professional Level Program in Interior Design and Architecture and a graduate of Lewis and Clark College, where she received a B.F.A. in furniture design. The mother of two young children, Amy knows that design must be beautiful but also functional and comfortable.

Dan Vickery
Portland, Ore.
Age: 27

Dan, who holds a degree in architecture from the University of Oregon in Portland, was inspired by design at an early age. Watching his mother and grandmother use fabric for quilting captivated Dan's imagination and eventually led him to a career in architecture and design. After graduation, Dan designed and built homes for a local construction company. He describes his design style as "hip and historic" and says that great design should be grounded in sound architectural aesthetics and accented with modern decor.

About HGTV

HGTV, America's leader in home and lifestyle programming, is distributed to more than 97 million U.S. households and is one of cable's top-rated networks. HGTV's website, HGTV.com, is the nation's leading online home-and-garden destination, which attracts an average of 5 million unique visitors per month.

Source: HGTV

CONTACT: Lynne Davis, HGTV, +1-212-549-8612, ldavis@hgtv.com; Eileen
Campion, Dera, Roslan & Campion Public Relations, +1-212-966-4600,
eileen@drcpublicrelations.com

Web Site: http://www.hgtv.com/

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