DECOR
place together," Sherry says of her son.
"He came here to help me through my
transition, and I wanted to return the
favor. Even I could tell he was perfect
for the show."
MOTHER
KNOWS BEST
The show's producers ultimately
agreed. "We loved Sam's story as much
as his apartment," says Scott Sarra, a
production supervisor for HGTV. "His
decision to move to Detroit to help
his mom and ultimately to help others
really struck a chord."
The weekly half-hour series, which
premiered last October, "captures the
stress, thrills and challenges and excite-
ment of people who have waited a life-
time for a place to call their own," says
HGTV senior vice president Michael
Dingley. Previously featured subjects
have included a young family who sur-
vived living in their in-law's basement,
a 28-year-old paramedic and a mar-
ried couple who lived and worked in a
home for troubled teens.
"We wanted these stories to convey
more about the homeowners' experi-
ence than just which paint or fabric
they selected," says Dingley. "It's hard
to forget the depth of emotions associ-
ated with finding, buying and moving
into your first place."
Selected homeowners meet with
a local designer who, with a paltry
83,000-design budget, kick-starts
their venture into homeownership by
making over one room. The designer
provides a little advice and more than a
little emotional support along the way,"
Sarra says — all conveniently caught
on film, of course.
GETTING STARTED
In Detroit, the designer of choice was
stylist Erica Pedrosi, of Northville
design firm Eluxe. Pedrosi went
through a series of exhaustive auditions
before beinc, selected. "It's as much
about your personality and your chem-
istry with the homeowner and the
camera as your design ability," she says
of the audition.
Pedrosi and Taylor met on cam-
era to discuss priorities for his living
Clockwise from top left: The fireplace surround's and mantel's detailed moldings, original to the building, are anchored by the clean lines of a
steel-frame mirror. Taylor, 6-feet 7-inches (with his mom, Sherry), required a couch large enough to accommodate his height. This small cabinet
hides the television when it's not in use, doubling as a handsome display space for minimalist collections like these sculptural ceramics.
22 • AUGUST 2006 • JNPLATINUM