This week on HGTV Obsessed, host and HGTV executive producer Marianne Canada chats with Carmeon Hamilton just hours after the finale of Design Star: Next Gen. Carmeon shares all about her experience filming the show and her plans now that she’s won. She weighs in on her unique, modern bohemian design style and why including cultural influences and heritage in interior design is important to her work. She also talks about the pros and cons of social media, being an OG Instagrammer, and why she always greets her followers in the morning. Plus, an HGTV Gardening expert comes to the rescue of a newbie vegetable gardener.
This week on HGTV Obsessed, host and HGTV executive producer Marianne Canada chats with Carmeon Hamilton just hours after the finale of Design Star: Next Gen. Carmeon shares all about her experience filming the show and her plans now that she’s won. She weighs in on her unique, modern bohemian design style and why including cultural influences and heritage in interior design is important to her work. She also talks about the pros and cons of social media, being an OG Instagrammer, and why she always greets her followers in the morning. Plus, an HGTV Gardening expert comes to the rescue of a newbie vegetable gardener.
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Follow Carmeon Hamilton on Instagram: @carmeon.hamilton
Check Out Carmeon’s Website: carmeonhamilton.com
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Find episode transcript here: https://hgtv-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/hgtv-design-star-winner-carmeon-hamilton-on-diversity-in-design-veggie-gardening-101
[MUSIC PLAYING] MARIANNE CANADA: Hi, everyone and welcome to HGTV Obsessed, the weekly podcast about all things HGTV. I'm Marianne Canada, executive producer and HGTV lifestyle expert. And when I'm not watching HGTV, you can find me making crafty videos for HGTV Handmade, gardening, cooking, or let's be honest, working on my endless to-do list. Mike and Kat are taking some time away from the podcast, but I could not be more thrilled to step in and chat with you today because you guys, we have a Design Star on the podcast.
That's right. Today, we have Carmeon Hamilton on the podcast. She is an environmental curator, interior designer, merchandising consultant, blogger, and content creator behind the brand Nubi Interiors, and officially, as of yesterday, the newest member of the HGTV family. Carmeon was one of eight designers from across the country to compete on Design Star, Next Gen in a series of design challenges to win $50,000 and a chance at their own HGTV show. And yesterday, she was crowned the winner.
I mean, I have been following and watching every single episode the day they come out, so I just could not be more thrilled or excited to talk to her. She tells us all about how she felt when she won, what it was like to find out she was going to be on the show, how she celebrated her win, and what's next for her. We even get some inside intel on her new show. I cannot wait for you guys to learn more about Carmeon.
I've been a fan of her for so long now. And if you aren't m you're going to become one, too. Take it away, Carmeon.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Carmeon, oh my goodness. Thank you so much for joining us. I mean, literally, the finale episode just dropped, and I'm here talking to you. I'm just so thrilled. Congratulations.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Thank you. I am so excited that this is my first interview post-win. [LAUGHS]
MARIANNE CANADA: We like to really get in early.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yeah.
MARIANNE CANADA: So Carmeon, you are the winner of Design Star, Next Gen. I mean, I know for you the filming happened weeks ago. But has it really sunk in yet?
CARMEON HAMILTON: No. It has not sunk in. It is still very early. I'm technically two hours into my win. It's still very early in the day.
I cannot imagine what my phone is going to be like here in a couple of hours. I even woke up to messages this morning for people that were up at 4:00 AM to stream the episode. And I woke up to almost 40 congratulation messages at 6:00 AM. And I'm like, oh my God, this is going to be insane.
MARIANNE CANADA: That's when you know you have a dedicated fan base. Because I thought I was early. I got up, and I put it on at 8:00 AM. And then I get on Instagram, and I already see people tagging me. I'm like, wow.
CARMEON HAMILTON: [LAUGHS] It's been crazy. I'm like, oh my God. I'm trying to wait until this evening. My family is coming together to watch it, and I don't know if we're going to make it through the day.
Nobody's going to make it through the day. My aunt takes me at 6:00 AM. She's in Texas, and she's like, oh my God, my baby made it. Oh my God.
Oh, goodness.
MARIANNE CANADA: I think this calls for like champagne breakfast and just celebrate all day.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes.
MARIANNE CANADA: Because I mean, you were the last designer standing last night. And the whole world knows. So what are your plans to celebrate?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Well, we are going to one of my favorite restaurants in Memphis. It's called Catherine & Mary's. It's amazing. They have a private room with a TV. And so we're viewing it at the restaurant.
My dad and my sisters and all of my best friends will be there and just celebrating together, all the people that supported me while I was away and have supported my entire career. I'll get dressed up and schmooze a little bit.
MARIANNE CANADA: Oh my gosh. Well, I can't wait to see what you wear. That leather dress in the finale--
CARMEON HAMILTON: That's actually what I'm wearing tonight. I'm paying homage to the finale. I'm wearing that same dress.
MARIANNE CANADA: It's so perfect. I literally carefully chose my outfit today even though you can't even really see it because I was like, I have to do Carmeon justice. You have the most amazing flair for fashion.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Well, thank you. It helps that I'm a designer and can at least put colors together.
MARIANNE CANADA: Of course. That is helpful. And I love that you're able to celebrate in Memphis because you talk about in the finale episode how important it is for you, if you were to win Design Star, Next Gen, to have your show set in Memphis and really highlight the city. What does that mean to you to be there in your hometown celebrating?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes. Memphis has been like an incubator for creatives for so long. The love I have for the city just can't be explained. It's so amazing, and it's so filled with culture. And there are so many amazing things about it.
But I know it can be a million times better than what it is. And I want to be a part of bringing that to this city. And I know having a show here, bringing production here will increase value and the properties that I'm going to be designing and create jobs here and just being able to share the city with the world and prove to everyone that Memphis is not Nashville's little sister. Memphis is actually the better city of the two if you ask me.
So being able to highlight that, I'm so proud and honored to be able to be an usher for the rest of the world into the city.
MARIANNE CANADA: It's so special. And I'm actually based in Knoxville. So we are at the opposite corners of this very long state.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yeah. [LAUGHS]
MARIANNE CANADA: So I want to know what it feels like to get the call that you're going to be on an HGTV show. I mean, can you tell us a little bit about that moment when you found out you were going to be a contestant on Design Star, Next Gen?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yeah. The whole entire process was surreal. I've been talking to casting directors for years and going through the whole send us an interview, send us a video, do this, and do that, like jumping through hoops, and they always led to nothing. It always led to-- well, it's a little bit too different. You're a little bit too different.
We're not sure if we want to go in that direction. And so when I got this casting call, it was just like we're creating a new show. Actually, we're bringing back another show. We can't tell you what it is, and we think you'd be great. And I go through the whole process, and I'm literally like, this is the last time I'm doing this.
I don't want to do this anymore. And I get all these callbacks, and they're very excited. We really love you. And then the pandemic happens. And they're like, well, we thought we were going to be shooting the show.
But we're a little bit delayed. But we'll keep you posted. And that, it was radio silence for like three months. We didn't hear anything. And then I get this call-- actually, I didn't even answer the phone and Dean, the executive producers who actually called. And he left me a voice mail.
And he's like, Carmeon, it's Dean. I still have the voice mail on my phone now. It's Dean. It's a go. We want you on the show.
And I'm like, what? [LAUGHS] And then he sends me a text. He's like, are you going to call me back or not? [LAUGHS] I call him back, and I'm like, you know what? This was fun and all back in February, but my business has exploded.
I have a lot going on right now. I don't know if I want to let it go for the potential of winning a show and some money. I could lose a lot of business in six weeks that it takes to shoot a show. And my husband and one of my best friends was like, you're going to be an interior designer for the rest of your life. You can have your business for the rest of your life.
But when are you going to be able to be on a TV show ever again? Just do it. And with their help, I was like, OK. And that's when I called Dean back.
I was like, yeah, I'll do it. [LAUGHS] I'll do it.
MARIANNE CANADA: [LAUGHS] I love that because the show was done-- I mean, it was just so impressive how they handled shooting during a pandemic, shooting during the shutdown, keeping everyone safe. But because of that, you really were 100% isolated.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes. It was a huge bubble but the safest bubble we could have ever been in. Oh my God. It was so well run that two days into production we didn't even realize or notice like the whole safety precautions of it all because they had done such a good job of setting up the set and then having a furniture warehouse. So we're not running all over LA, trying to shop
I was like, that was a horrible idea anyway. I'm like, you know what LA traffic is like. We'll never make it back in time to finish this space. But it was incredible. We had no idea what we were getting into, but it blew all of our minds when we got to set.
It was insane.
MARIANNE CANADA: Yeah. As someone who loves decor and loves design and love shopping, that warehouse was just like, ooh, let me at it. Was there anything that you wish you could have gotten your hands on that wasn't available to you, or were they really able to anticipate your needs?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Well, the art department, like Veronica Valencia and her team, they did an incredible job of doing tons of recon on all of us before we got there. And so there was so much to choose from. The only thing, I think, was missing was the element of vintage. All of it came from Wayfair, which is amazing and has like one of the largest assortment of furniture and accessories you could pull from.
But a lot of us, especially like Chris and Arianna and I, all love vintage elements that we incorporate into our spaces because it creates that moment of soul. And so it's hard doing a space with all new things. But that's where you get creative, and you either design a new piece to be built. Or you're like, Chris, you rip some stuff apart and make it look vintage.
But that, I think, was the only thing that was missing. But, of course, that's just like hindsight looking back.
MARIANNE CANADA: Of course. I'm right there with you. I am a vintage lover, and I would really struggle with that. But what makes it nice is it does make it so approachable, and people can truly recreate the rooms that you all made. So I do like that part.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes, absolutely.
MARIANNE CANADA: So we all know that Design Star, Next Gen is inspired by HGTV Design Star, which ran for eight seasons. Had you watch Design Star before? And was being on the reboot what you expected?
CARMEON HAMILTON: I absolutely watched it before. I was a fan from season one with David Bromstad. I binged it all in real time back when it was premiering on HGTV. And then once I found out that we were shooting the reboot, I went back and watched every single season all over again. And by that point, I've already said yes, and I tried to ask as many questions as possible, like, are you going to make us live together?
What is this going to be like? I can't do this drama element that's been in every season up until this point. And they were like, no, you won't be living together. Thank God for COVID in that particular instance. We couldn't live together in any way.
But I was so incredibly nervous. The ingenuity that had to happen in all of the previous seasons, designing a space with a $500 budget and also running around trying to find these things, that's not possible nowadays. At least, it's not going to be great TV. I promise you that. But I knew after watching all of those seasons, if you can make it through Design Star, you can literally do anything.
You can do anything, have an amazing career. If nothing else, you have won the gladiator status of interior design.
MARIANNE CANADA: It's so true. It's like boot camp. And something I really-- I also am a huge Design Star fan. I watched all the seasons. I love David Bromstad. I love Emily Henderson.
But something I really enjoyed about the reboot of Design Star, Next Gen is that you guys really got time. Now, I know it's not enough time. I know that really it takes six weeks to design a kitchen. But still, you got three days for some of these challenges versus some of the previous Design Star.
They would get like five hours and an hour in Macy's to shop, so I really liked that you guys could. You had time to really make an incredible design.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Whoa, Yo, we got more than five hours for sure, but those three days were really like 18 hours. For a TV, yeah, technically, it happened over three days, but the first day is a half day. You get one full day in the middle. And then the second day is a couple of hours to finish. And even still, we got more time but yeah. I mean, I guess you could say we had time.
But when you're in the middle of it, 18 hours is not enough time to do anything. But we pulled it off somehow.
MARIANNE CANADA: You did. I mean, you pulled it off with high style. So the show had some big names coming in to judge the challenges alongside head judge Jonathan Adler and Lauren Makk. And we had Allison Holker Boss as the host. Did anyone you meet have you just starstruck?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Absolutely. During the season, I was a little starstruck when Maurice Harris came in from Bloom & Plume. He's an amazing creative. But when Tia Mowry walked on set, I was like, oh my God. This is my whole life flashing before my eyes with Sister, Sister, and then The Game, and then her whole cooking show.
And I followed everything that she's done, and she was the nicest of every single judge that were there. She was so approachable. She just was super down-to-earth and super encouraging. I was like, oh my God. I thought I was in love with her before but super in love with her now.
MARIANNE CANADA: And so beautiful. I loved that TV kitchen challenge.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Oh, that was, that-- [LAUGHS] that was a doozy. That was definitely the most nerve-racking and challenging and stressful challenge of all the challenges. Of course, they gave us the biggest challenge with the shortest timeline, like, oh, you have two days to do a kitchen. And behind the scenes, it was mayhem and madness.
My carpenters were amazing. But one of them completely walk off, saying, he's like, I can't do this. This isn't doable. We can't do a kitchen in two days. And literally, everybody everywhere was just falling apart.
But we pulled it all together in the end. He came back. I'm like, look, I owe you a six-pack or whatever your favorite thing is you like to drink. I totally get it. I was freaking out, too.
That's when I was painting. I just went to go paint my artwork. I can't handle what's happening inside this lab. I'm just going to go outside and kill some time and meditate with my artwork because it was insane.
MARIANNE CANADA: Well, that sounds bananas. I can't believe that one of your carpenters literally walked off set, and you still made that beautiful kitchen. And what I loved about one of that design, in particular, is you pulled out the Kuba cloth to use as the tablecloth in your kitchen. And we've seen that is one of your go-to design styles is going for bold geometric motifs in a lot of your rooms. And I really loved how you connected that to your culture.
So I mean, how important is it for you for your spaces to create a sense of connection with yourself and your culture?
CARMEON HAMILTON: It's absolutely the foundation of what I do. Creating a beautiful space is one thing, but creating a beautiful space that people connect to and actually want to be in and even see themselves in is a whole another science and what keeps me pressing and doing what I do when it comes to interior design. Beautiful spaces are great, but if people can't see themselves in it, it's hard for them to connect to it.
They can't relax in it and likely don't want to be in it for very long. But if you can incorporate pieces of humanity and pieces of people's culture or their past or their history or their family, then those spaces are that much more successful.
MARIANNE CANADA: 100%. And it's so genuine as well.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Thank you.
MARIANNE CANADA: So Carmeon, now that you are the newest member of the HGTV family, is there an HGTV designer that's on your bucket list to work with?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Oh my gosh. Well, I've been binging Rock the Block while watching the Design Star, Next Gen season. They're kind of happening at the same time. And seeing David Bromstad and Tiffany together the first and technically the last before me Design Stars, I'm like, I want to be-- I want to work with them. I want the whole Design Star alum to get together, including Emily, who's like one of my all-time faves.
She was my favorite winner of all the seasons. And I love how just amazing she is in person. But definitely David and Tiffany. I want what they have from what they're doing right now.
MARIANNE CANADA: I mean, sign me up. I want to have a meeting of the Design Stars. I think that would be so fun. David Bromstad is truly one of the funniest people on the planet. And Tiffany Brooks is just like hilarious.
You never know what's she's going to say. And I have also really loved watching them on Rock the Block. So we talked a little bit about the kitchen challenge. I feel like all of the challenges were so intense. I mean, you designed the inside of that caboose with Eli.
I mean, that might be another personal favorite. But was there a challenge that was your favorite?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Overall, my absolute favorite is my final challenge, the dream space. That one was definitely my favorite. The caboose was amazing, but I felt like-- and in the end, it was mostly-- it looked more like Eli than it did me. It felt great, but it looked more like Eli in the end. And I contributed a ton, but most of my contribution was in the spaces that weren't seen, the bedroom space and the kitchenette.
And it was fun. That is also the challenge where I completely broke down at the end. I had my first crying fit, and the producers are like, oh my God, it's going to be OK. Please just survive. It's going to be fine.
But after completing my dream space-- I actually finished my space probably five minutes early before Allison's on the bullhorn with her five-minute call. And I got to sit and study everything that I was able to accomplish. And I had never felt more proud of myself for a space than that particular moment.
Literally, it is exactly what I would have done in a real space in Ghana for my family. So definitely my dream space.
MARIANNE CANADA: Yeah. You could really feel that personal connection you had. And I could really envision. It felt like we were putting it out into the universe to speak it true, that you will one day own a home in Ghana with your family.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes, thank you.
MARIANNE CANADA: One thing that I thought was really fun about the reboot of Design Star is we were able to really incorporate things like social media into the competition because that's such an important piece of the puzzle these days. And in that very first episode, Jonathan Adler said you had an inner sparkle on camera, which I would just be like, you can just bury me now. Jonathan Adler told me I had inner sparkle. Where do you think that inner sparkle comes from?
CARMEON HAMILTON: I felt the exact same way when Jonathan said I had inner sparkle. I'm like, yeah. I can go home now. I'm like, it's the first challenge. I don't want to go home. But I've gotten the kudos that I've needed to get me through my real-life social media presence.
But the sparkle, I've been a part of the social media sphere for so long. I've been on Instagram since 2012 from the inception and have always just used it as a place to share what I do and who I am and have never shied away from that. So I'm super comfortable in front of a camera phone. Not necessarily a big huge HD camera but in front of my own camera and selfie format. I love it there.
I love connecting with people on the other side of the screen. And it's one of the joys of what I do, being able to educate people when it comes to design or bring them in on things that are important to me. And it's just a way to connect with other humans.
MARIANNE CANADA: Yes. I mean, you know I've been following you on Instagram for years. So when you popped up on the Design Star cast, I was like-- I literally said Carm, which is how-- that I really have followed you and Shavonda. And whether it's like your morning coffee routine or, now more recently, your episode recaps, you're really involved.
You're really connected with your audience there on Instagram, in particular. Is it effortless for you to share and be so open with your followers?
CARMEON HAMILTON: It really is. It's second nature at this point. I think in the beginning, it was a lot more-- I mean, Instagram was more of like, oh, let me show you what I ate for lunch today. That's-- [LAUGHS] show your salad from Jason's Deli or whatever. But as my business began to grow, I tried to carry it more towards a portfolio and design.
And then Instagram came out with Instagram Stories. And you got to share a little bit more behind the scenes of what happens behind these great designs. And that is truly when people were more interested in me than what I was doing. And I'm like, I can talk about me all day. I have no problems doing that.
So it really became effortless and just sharing who I am. And apparently, that was people's favorite part about coming to my little corner of the internet. They loved what I was doing, but they cared more about me in my daily life and my family and what I was wearing that day and what I cooked for dinner for my family that doesn't eat meat. It became this whole lifestyle corner.
And I'm truly grateful because I had a built-in cheerleading squad. When the show came out, I have a huge platform. But to have people that are rooting for you like no matter what, I have been shielded from the public portion where everybody's opinions are out there. And you may or may not prefer me versus Eli.
But to have my own community cheering for me on a daily basis, that's like the biggest gift anyone in the public eye could ask for.
MARIANNE CANADA: Truly. Having people that you know are on your side. But there is-- I mean, it's kind of a double-edged sword when it comes to being a personality and someone with so much knowledge and so many resources to offer. And something I love that you talk about often is having boundaries on social media. Can you tell us a little bit more about that and what preceded you needing to draw those lines?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Absolutely. And my boundaries really come from just being a good human being, not necessarily being a good human on social media. So I greet everyone on my platform every morning with a good morning post. And I grew up-- my parents never allowed us to come downstairs and start breakfast or anything without saying good morning to everyone in the house. And truly, I have carried that with me through college through work in the corporate space.
You greet people before you ask them for information before you move about your day. So just simply greeting people is what sets the tone. And I'm like, I tell you guys good morning every morning. So if you want information from me, you are asking me for something. You at least need to treat me like a human.
There's a human behind the screen and say good morning or hello or hey, girl, hey. Whatever it is, you just say hello. And if you don't agree with things that I say or I post, I mean, you're more than welcome to your opinion, but just know my opinion is mine. And there's nothing you can do to make me feel bad about the way that I feel or the way that I put myself out there into the world. I make it a point to never ostracize people for their beliefs.
And so you're not going to ostracize people here for theirs. And I make my decisions about my spaces for me and the people who are going to be in those spaces. So you and your feelings about what you don't like in this space don't really matter. So I really try to tell people when I want to give you the confidence to do what you want to do without feeling the pressure of trying to please people, because at the end of the day, it's just you and yours.
And those are my boundaries on social media. You show up to my space, and that's what you get. And if you think you have weight on my decisions or what I do, I'm sorry, but you're sadly mistaken. [LAUGHS]
MARIANNE CANADA: I love that. There is something about social media that just makes so many people completely forget their manners. And I don't know if it's that we're both Southern. And so that is just like so ingrained into us. But I love that.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes. Just simply be a good human. If you wouldn't say it to my face, don't text it to me. [LAUGHS]
MARIANNE CANADA: 100%. So I want to talk a little bit more about your design style because they're so distinct. They're so uniquely Carmeon. On the show, you described your style as modern bohemian. What are a few elements that we will always find in a space that you design?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes. So modern bohemian-- it's a very generic name. And give me a little bit. I'm going to come up with a cooler name for it. But in the end, the foundation of it is always clean mind, streamlined pieces.
The main pieces of the space are going to be pieces that are non frilly, fluffy. Yeah, that's a new word, fluffy. But they are layered in lots of texture and cultural items and life, which is where the plants come in and those personal effects. And bohemian is very-- and Jonathan mentioned it in the final episode. Bohemian can be very generic.
But really, what it is a collection of things that a person well traveled or a person that has lived a great life and what are these things to this person and then bringing them into a space that make that space feel that much more personal. So that's truly what every design of mine is. It's a clean foundation but layered with lots of texture.
I, of course, love bold, moody colors and then an element of life and culture to make it personal.
MARIANNE CANADA: I love that. I mean, it feels-- it does. It just feel so personal to you. And since we're talking about that, I'd love to tell our listeners more about your journey to becoming an interior designer. When was the moment you knew this is what you wanted to do?
Because you kind of had a-- you kind of came into it through an interesting path.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes. I like to say, apparently, interior design found me. I was running after physical therapy. I got an academic scholarship and picked the school that I chose, the University of Central Arkansas, for their amazing physical therapy program. I was just like-- my dad was like, you go to school. You get a good job.
And you make a lot of money. So I went to school. I started my physical therapy track. And two years in, I was like, I don't like this at all, but I guess I'll keep going. And it was hard.
I ended up becoming a resident assistant. And it's one of the only jobs and positions you're in where you get your own space. And it's covered by-- like that's part of your wages. So I had my own dorm room, and it was the first time I had a space of my own in adult years to really create a space for me. And with the help of my mom, I mean, I cringe thinking about it.
It was hot pink and zebra at the time, but I got custom drapes made. I found zebra rugs. I covered a lampshade with some zebra fabric and really changed the room around to make it feel like a little studio apartment. And one of my-- now, one of my best friends, she walked in. She was a fellow RA.
And she was like, what in the world. This doesn't look like anything else in the dorm. You really need to check out the interior design program. And I was like, our school has an interior design program? I had no idea.
I had no idea. Take it out the next day and literally change my major instantly. And with all of my chemistry and math and science classes, I have a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design, but I finished college early and was immediately offered a job even before I graduated for a health care company based in Arkansas who owned 300 over 300 health care facilities across the country. And so my first job out of college was designing physical therapy clinics and hospitals and nursing homes, so living spaces but also very commercial spaces.
And that's how I got my start. And I did that for almost five years. And it was the best start to a career I could have asked for.
MARIANNE CANADA: I mean, it sounds like it was really meant to be. There was a moment in the finale that really touched me, where you talk about not just wanting to win Design Star for yourself. I mean, sure. That's great, an opportunity to be on HGTV. $50,000, that's great.
But how you really wanted to represent women and people of color and shine a spotlight on Memphis, can you talk a little bit more about that, about what that means to represent so many different people and cultures and how important it is now more than ever to see that representation on television?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Absolutely. And I went into the process, knowing that it wasn't just about me, even just my immediate family. I was going to be away from my husband and son for over a month. And it had to be worth something for me to be away for that long but also understanding I'm going to be on camera for millions of people to see. And I wanted to be the best representation of myself and women and Black people and Olympian as I could possibly be because it's not seen on HGTV.
Of course, Memphis is not on HGTV, and there are very few people of color in the HGTV roster, especially in the design space. They may be carpenters or realtors in the flipping arena but not necessarily in design. And I wanted to one, showcase a different aesthetic than that's been seen on HGTV and also give a different voice and different face to what design could be and what life as a Black woman could be. And I carried that with me.
And I just wanted to make everything that I was connected to and everyone that I was connected to proud to support me and be a light that shines on all of those sectors, whether it's Memphis, whether it's Black people, whether it's women. I just wanted to be a light for all of them. And so I took that very seriously while I was there.
MARIANNE CANADA: It's so much pressure to put on yourself, but you carry it so well. And I hope it's just the beginning. I hope we can continue to see more inclusivity on all media.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Thank you. Yes, I hope so, too.
MARIANNE CANADA: So Carmeon, I mentioned earlier that we always see you start the morning with your coffee on Instagram. But what is a day in the life of Carmeon like? And how do you think it's going to change after today?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Well, as of right now, I still start with that morning coffee, followed up with a smoothie, and then a very hearty fiber-heavy breakfast. My diet is very important right now. And also, I'm in the middle of building a team for my forthcoming show. So I'm fielding calls. I'm taking interviews.
I'm also working a lot with brand partners on lots of social media content. So my days vary greatly. They can be extreme one day, can be nothing but content creation and photography and typing out captions and blog posts and things like that, and another day, it's nothing but phone calls, where I'm talking to producers. Or I'm interviewing candidates for an assistant, or going to a workshop, checking out a carpenter to see how great his work is.
So it's completely different, and it's just going to get even more different, especially when production starts on my show.
MARIANNE CANADA: Oh my gosh. It's so exciting. And I mean, we know that the winners of this show can go on to do amazing things. We've already talked about, David Bromstad, Emily Henderson, and Tiffany Brooks. They went on to have their own lines, their own shows.
Can you share a little bit about what's next for you on HGTV?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Well, the little bit is Memphis family and great design. That's what's coming.
MARIANNE CANADA: Oh my gosh. I mean, I personally cannot wait to see your inner sparkle literally everywhere. I know you have such a bright future ahead. As for the immediate future, I want to get you in the ring before we let you go for our next segment, which is called Defend the Trend. So we're going to give you a design trend, and then you give us your thoughts.
And I know this one is very near and dear to your heart. In fact, you are so passionate about this topic that you-- it even brought you to tears on national television.
CARMEON HAMILTON: [LAUGHS]
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MARIANNE CANADA: So Carmeon, you are known for incorporating plants into all of your design. And the popularity of indoor plants has skyrocketed in the past few years to the point where we now see homes that feel more like greenhouses. So today, I want to know, do you think this indoor jungle trend is here to stay, or is it too high-maintenance? And I know what people really want to know. Are fake plants ever OK?
CARMEON HAMILTON: [LAUGHS] So well, I will say the greenhouse effect of indoor plants is very specific to a particular homeowner. It's not necessarily what's sustainable for the typical homeowner. However-- hi, Jonathan. However, houseplants and indoor plants will forever be a trend. Incorporating an element of life into a space will always be important in design, whether it's bringing flowers in. But I'm not a flower girl.
They're temporary. I want something that's going to be there as long as I can take care of it. So houseplants aren't going away. The greenhouse effect, I'm not sure. I don't know how sustainable that is for a lot of people. I have a lot of plants, but it's not quite a greenhouse at my house.
Now, are artificial plants OK? They absolutely are, especially if you're not blessed in the green thumb department. But what I will say is, if you're going to purchase artificial plants, go for the good kind, go for the kind that look as real as possible, and keep them dusted. Keep them dusted. [LAUGHS]
MARIANNE CANADA: That's really a dead giveaway when you walk in and see a layer of dust on the plant.
CARMEON HAMILTON: [LAUGHS]
MARIANNE CANADA: Carmeon, thank you so much for joining us today. I know today is going to be jam-packed for you, and it was just so special to be able to talk to you like in real time. I'm just so excited. I wish I could just give you a big hug. Where can our listeners follow your work and follow along as you put together your show?
And where can we all binge Design Star, Next Gen?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Yes. So you can always find me on Instagram. I'm there every day, all day @carmeon.hamilton and my website where you can catch all of my recap, blog posts. I have been dedicated to recapping this show every week on my website at carmeonhamilton.com. And you can catch not only Design Star, Next Gen but every single season of Design Star on the Discovery+ app.
It's just like every other streaming service. You can put it on your phone, your tablet, your laptop, or your smart TV. And now, you get the benefit of binging all of them all together. You don't have to wait like the rest of us did, getting one episode a week. So you can binge every single episode now on the Discovery+ app.
MARIANNE CANADA: That's so true. And you can even get a free trial if you want to just dive in and binge them all at once. And, of course, you can also head to hgtv.com/podcast for the show notes from today's episode. And we will have links to all the photo galleries from each episode, so you can see all of the amazing spaces that we talked about today.
Thank you so much, Carm. Will you come back when your show is on HGTV?
CARMEON HAMILTON: Oh, I absolutely will. I cannot wait to come back and talk all about it.
MARIANNE CANADA: Fantastic. I can't either. Thank you so much. Bye, bye.
CARMEON HAMILTON: Bye. Thank you.
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MARIANNE CANADA: Ah. I mean, I think I have to agree with Carmeon. There's no way that plants are going to go out of style, but I do think that the indoor jungle is maybe out of reach for a lot of people. I mean, certain plants can be trendy. I don't think indoor plants are ever going to go out of style.
BRAD: Marianne, how many plants do you have in your house?
MARIANNE CANADA: I feel like I have a reasonable number of indoor plants. I'm going to do some counting really quick. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. I have 11 indoor plants. I feel like that's reasonable. Some of them are quite large.
BRAD: That's quite a lot of indoor plants.
MARIANNE CANADA: But they're spread out. There's not more than like two or three per room. I'm not a crazy plant lady, Brad.
BRAD: I'm trying to think. I was literally just at your house the other day for the first time, setting up the podcast equipment. But I don't remember any plants.
MARIANNE CANADA: You don't remember the giant plants in my office?
BRAD: You know what? In my defense, I was like-- I was being attacked by your dog.
MARIANNE CANADA: You were. You're being attacked by my dogs, and you were very focused on setting up my audio recording equipment, which I appreciate. So next time you come over, we'll have an official plant tour. But I have to say, I am more of an outdoor plant gal. I really love to garden.
I really love outdoor spaces. So speaking of plants, it's time for HGTV to the Rescue. And this week is all about starting a vegetable garden.
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It's that time of year everybody's thinking about, putting their seedlings into the ground, or heading up the nursery. So we have hgtv.com's very own master gardener, Kelly Smith Trimble, answering a listener question. This week, we have a question from listener Gavin about wanting to start a vegetable garden but not knowing where to start. I saw a lot of friends starting vegetable gardens last year. And I want to grow on this year.
But I'm completely starting from scratch. Do you have any tips for a first timer?
KELLY SMITH TRIMBLE: So Gavin, I do have a lot of tips. The first one would be to start small. A lot of people just get really excited about growing vegetables, and they go all in the first year. And then they're really disappointed because it can be really hard to just manage a ton of plants in a vegetable garden in a hot summer. So start small.
Another thing would be to choose some easier plants. A lot of people really want to grow tomatoes. And tomatoes aren't that hard, but they are a little bit harder than some other vegetables. So I would say if you're really timid, start with greens. So grow some lettuce, grow some kale, maybe even some peas.
But those are some easier vegetables that you can start with rather than going straight to tomatoes and peppers. Another thing would be to know your zone. So depending on where you live, that will determine when you start your garden and when you can harvest. So it's really important to know your climate and know your zone. And you can find that through the USDA or through hgtv.com actually.
I know a lot of people really want to grow from seed and see other people starting seed and indoors and then planting it outside. That's really kind of hard, so I definitely would recommend your first year to start with transplants that you get at your garden center. So those are just some tips for a first timer.
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MARIANNE CANADA: Kelly is truly-- she's not only one of my dearest friends and coworkers. But she is my garden guru. She knows everything about vegetable gardening. She helped me plan my first vegetable garden at my own home last year. And I'm just going to use the same layout this year when I start planting in a few weeks. I mean, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
BRAD: Well, what are you planning this year?
MARIANNE CANADA: Well, I don't have a ton of space. Even though we do have a lot of property, my space for my vegetable garden is relatively petite. So based on what I had success with last year, I'm going to put in a full herb garden. I cook every day. So having fresh herbs is just such a treat.
I'm going to grow some more tomatoes. My kids, in particular, love to pick cherry tomatoes right off the vine. And then I think I'm going to plant some beans. And then I also have some blueberry bushes on the ground that I really hope produce something this year. That is if we can get to it before the birds.
BRAD: Yum. So next time I come over, I'll check out your plants, and you'll cook me some food from your garden.
MARIANNE CANADA: Well, you're going to have to give me a few weeks. Spring just started. But yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Anyway, you guys, I am just so happy we were able to have Carmeon on today to chat and celebrate her Design Star, Next Gen when with HGTV Obsessed. You can go and check out all of her designs on hgtv.com/podcast.
And if you haven't watched it, go binge the show now on Discovery+. You don't even have to wait. I had to wait a week between episodes. It was like torture. I also really want to thank my friend, Kelly Smith Trimble, for answering today's HGTV to the Rescue question.
And don't forget to check out her gardening series at hgtv.com/digit. If you want to ask HGTV stars your own question, hit us up on our Instagram account. Just look for our post on Thursdays. And as usual, if you love today's episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to rate and review HGTV Obsessed. I mean, guys, I'm the new girl.
I need five stars, people. Don't forget to follow HGTV Obsessed wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode. And head over to hgtv.com/podcast for the show notes on today's episode. I'll see you guys next Thursday.
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SPEAKER 1: Beautiful. Sounding so good.
SPEAKER 2: Sounding so good.