Hey, I’ve got some new bedding that just hit Sears’ stores this month. This design is called Topanga and I was inspired by a photograph I took of leaves and tree branches while I was traveling for Extreme Makeover. The pattern’s basic element is the leaf, which is organic and natural. The fun twist comes from the colors used – lime green and turquoise blue.

This bedding collection has more unique details than previous styles, including the use of different texture fabrics, patterned stitching, and edge banding. And both the coverlet and duvet are reversible, so you’ve got  several design options to play with. The whole thing includes a comforter, bedskirt, 250-thread count sheets and two shams. The queen set sells for $199.99 and the pillows are $24.99. Kind of makes me want to take a nap!

Well, we had ourselves a bit of a roast of the house. No, we didn’t use a marinade we used comedy! The comedians (Paul Rodriguez, Tommy Davidson, Ralphie May) were hilarious and yes, they really brought down the house. This Houston heat is no joke, but seeing all the support from the volunteers who were there for the amazing Johnson family was worth the hot, sweaty mess. I guess sometimes that’s what love feels like!

My top three are the 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky because they strike the perfect balance between high art and wimsy; the Covent Garden Hotel in London for its remarkably comfortable yet luxurious style, but also because the staff does such a great job of making you feel “at home” there; and the Amanyara hotel in Turks and Caicos because the environment is so serene that I’m too relaxed to even put together full sentences.

If I ever opened my own hotel, I’d want it to be the most comfortably luxurious place you ever visited. Welcoming, but private. Functional, but elegant.  I think my hotel would be more of an inn. I’d use a lot of stone, brick, and wood to create a warm, charming environment.  The bed rooms would be spacious but cozy and there would be a musical instrument in every room. Hmmm…I guess I’d need to add soundproofing!

I don’t get to see giant-sized photos of myself that often. Honestly, it’s a little unnerving. But, that’s a small price to pay for the chance to return to beautiful, friendly and always-awesome Canada! I’m excited to be headed north of the border for the Calgary Home and Interior Design Show. The show runs September 16-19 and it’s a great chance to check out new stuff and get new ideas.

People always ask me where they can buy the cool products they see on Extreme Makeover. The truth is that the best place to find all the basics plus all the hot new products (and all in one place) is a home show like this one. They tell me you can buy tickets online and save three bucks. Here’s their Facebook page. So, I hope to see all the good folks in Calgary and go Stampeders! (thought I’d throw in a little Canadian football reference!)

Recreate favorite patterns or colors with custom paints or stencils. It’s really not that difficult to personalize your home decor with elements you love. You can buy stencil paper or acetate at your local craft store. Trace the pattern and cut it out using a razor or craft knife.

It does take a steady hand, but sometimes imperfections are what makes it unique! For example, I thought the pattern on this bandana was really cool, so it became the basis for the stencil in the kid’s bedroom you see above. More 10 second tips

There are so many great memories, but from a design standpoint, one show I’ll never forget is the time I built a beautiful bed for a family’s master bedroom only to realize that I had misread the builder’s plans and the bed wouldn’t fit up the stairwell to the room. I literally had to saw the bed in half and then rebuild it in the room.

And for a moment when I stopped and said, “Wow, this is amazing,” it’d have to be in 2009 when Stevie Wonder showed up in Tallahassee, Florida, and played the piano and sang for us.  It was amazing. And from the response I got from my Facebook fans about the best songs to build by, I can tell music means a lot to other folks, too!

After all these years, I still love the show. Yeah, it’s exhausting and sometimes the stories are really tough to handle. But I have the honor of spending a week watching a community come together to help one of its own. Lives are changed forever. It’s magical and every single week whenthe bus moves and the community cheers and the family cries, I am humbled and awed by it all.

Do you have a favorite moment or episode from Extreme Makeover?

The gentle ridges in sand evoke serenity and calm, but they’re also a reminder that nature is always in motion, always changing the rules. I was able to create the wall structure in this picture using wire mesh, metal and plaster. It gave the room a really cool feature plus it helped reinforce the theme I wanted to communicate. Here are some more examples of design inspiration on the website.

Just before I went back on the road for season eight of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, they swung by my Design HQ in Los Angeles for a photo shoot. Here’s a few pics from that session and I hope you’ll check out Canvas on Demand!

This week I’ve had a special guest helping me with my special project as part of the Lutz family’s extreme makeover in East Setauket, New York. Brandy Ford (on the right with her friend Adrienne Bowen), from Ashtabula, Ohio, was the winner of Market Place Events‘ “Visit the Set of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” contest. Brandy entered the contest while attending the Great Big Home & Garden Expo in Cleveland. Thanks for your help, Brandy! It was great to have you be a part of the action!