We’re pretty sure this impressive woman may be the only fashion model who could build her own catwalk.
Growing up in Australia, Didiayer Snyder discovered a knack for
building at a young age. She was the only six-year old on the block to
have built her own playhouse. Sure, it was constructed of rocks, sticks
and brush, but it was beautifully decorated with bits and pieces she
slyly scavenged from the family home. Early in life, garage sales and
flea markets served as Didiayer’s creative playground, where she
discovered that one person’s trash proved to be a young designer’s
treasure.
Didiayer’s talent for art became apparent when her pastime of
painting and sculpting turned into a means of income. With design on
the mind, Didiayer started to experiment in creating 3D murals for
children’s rooms and organizing friend’s living spaces. Her fascination
with organization turned into a full-time pursuit when she became a
member of National Association of Professional Organizers and National
Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. By teaching others to eliminate
clutter and get organized, Didiayer has helped self-proclaimed
“packrats” to stay the course of functional living. To take it one step
further, this ambitious entrepreneur is in the process of developing an
environmentally friendly, toxic free line of household cleaning
products.
Ed Sanders
SPECIALTY: Carpentry and Interior Design
BIRTHDAY: May 10
HOMETOWN: Wimbledon, London, U.K.
DESIGNER BIO
At first we thought this guy just sounded like
he knew what he was talking about, with his confident British accent.
But then, like Michelangelo, he turned a pile of wood into a sculptural
piece of art/furniture, and, well, we were hooked.
Originally from London, Ed Sanders discovered he had a love for
acting when he was just 11 years old and, at 16, decided that he wanted
to make his living at it. He knew that the life of an actor was not an
easy one, so he decided to develop a skill that would allow him to stay
busy in between acting jobs. His father told him, “If you want to carry
on acting, why don’t you get some kind of trade behind you?”
Eduardo Xol
SPECIALTY: Carpentry and Interior Design
BIRTHDAY: February 19
HOMETOWN: East Los Angeles, CA
DESIGNER BIO
This suave charmer's musical and performance
talents make us swoon. (And, of course, those eyes...) Mix that with
his sharp multi-culturally-inspired style, and we've got one spicy
Extreme designer.
Before breaking ground as a star designer on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,
Eduardo Xol was an accomplished keyboardist and percussionist. Raised
in East Los Angeles, he was one of the youngest musicians to be scouted
and selected to perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, at
the age of only 10. But his passion for the arts extends beyond playing
music: While studying theatre arts at UCLA, he produced several hit
musical theatre and comedy revues that toured throughout the U.S.
Shortly thereafter he headed south to Latin America, where he found
fame as a star of music, television and videos. He starred in several
worldwide-syndicated telenovelas (soap operas), including Sentimientos Ajenos, La Jaula de Oro and Acapulco Cuerpo y Alma.
John Littlefield
SPECIALTY: Carpentry and Interior Design
BIRTHDAY: July 8
HOMETOWN: Easton, PA
DESIGNER BIO
We've watched this hunk play many roles over the
years. But in his best role yet, he plays himself—giving his all while
changing real families' lives.
Having found a love for acting early in his life, John
Littlefield (Johnny) pursued a career in theatre in college,
conservatory and finally receiving his MFA in theatre at Temple
University, where he also taught. Realizing he couldn't teach his
students the business-side of show business, having not done it
himself, he ventured to New York to seek his fame and fortune. Through
good times and bad, and his die-hard perseverance, he found his niche
in Off-Broadway, regional theatre, and TV.
Among Littlefield's credits is the role of Gary Sinclair on Another World, as well as numerous guest starring roles on Law & Order, Roswell, Navy NCIS and West Wing. He recently he co-starred with Anthony Hopkins in the motion picture Beowulf, and has also appeared in Fracture and Slipstream.
But Johnny still remembers harder times, when he honed the skills
learned from his dad as a do-it-yourself handyman and carpenter that
led to a career hosting such shows as Dude Room on the Discovery Channel and working with Habitat for Humanity for CMT's Home Blitz.
Johnny is thrilled as always to extend himself in humanitarian ways, be
it onscreen or off, especially with the hardest working people in show
business, his friends, and Ty and the design team. He and his wife,
actress Nadine Stenovitch, live in Los Angeles where, when he's not
working, watching his beloved NY Yankees, listening to Bruce
Springsteen at heart-pounding levels or perfecting his culinary skills
in the kitchen, he can be found on the beaches of Southern California
charging big waves.
Michael Moloney
SPECIALTY: Interior Design
BIRTHDAY: December 14
HOMETOWN: Palos Verdes Estates, CA
DESIGNER BIO
With his
extraordinary eye for finding amazing and unexpected treasures, we
can't think of anyone we'd rather go shopping with than Michael Moloney!
After 10 successful years in the fashion industry, Michael turned
his unique and luxurious design concepts to homes in 1990. Blending the
new and the practical with the timeworn charm of things "not exactly
perfect" has been Moloney's look from the beginning of his diverse
design career. This Palos Verdes, California native set out to combine
his love of shopping, knowledge of design, and entrepreneurial skills
to open two high-profile home design stores south of Los Angeles, where
he combines vintage finds from flea markets with new accessories and
giftware. Maison Luxe, one of the stores opened by Moloney and located
in Manhattan Beach, California, sells unique and plush home furnishings
to customers like Goldie Hawn, Candace Bergen and Rachel Hunter. His
fresh approach to decorating has led to working with such other
celebrities as Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest, and to
projects with The Walt Disney Company, the NFL and Oral-B.
Paige Hemmis
FAVORITE COLOR: Pink
PERSONAL DESIGN STYLE: Cross between Modern and Victorian Romantic
MOST CHALLENGING ROOM TO DESIGN: Living room or Great room
DESIGNER BIO
She's a tough
chick with pink power tools. She'll have to pardon us for staring.
Paige Hemmis may be an unlikely vision on a construction site, however
the statuesque beauty is an accomplished carpenter and skilled
homebuilder. Self-taught and with no formal carpentry training, she is
rarely to be found without a tool of some kind in her purse.
Paige was born in Wisconsin and grew up in Chatsworth, California,
with aspirations ranging from teacher to doctor to world traveler to
wedding planner. During college, she taught first aid and CPR to the
University of California, Santa Barbara student population. Later, she
became a licensed Emergency Medical Technician, after graduating with
degrees in both Theology and Psychology.
Paul DiMeo
FAVORITE POWER TOOL: Band Saw
FAVORITE ROOM TO DESIGN: The kitchen
FAVORITE HOBBY: Jamming with the band
DESIGNER BIO
He's known as the carpenter with attitude,
but we love that this gruff son of Italian parents is a real man who
wears his emotions on his sleeve. We're crying with you, Paul!
Paul DiMeo is renowned for his imaginative work on children's
bedrooms. With boundless warmth and his genuine nature, he remembers
his early Pennsylvania roots and in particular how, at aged five, he
began his affair with home renovation after the family home burned to
the ground. "My father and I embarked upon our own extreme makeover to
reconstruct the family home." Indeed, DiMeo's hallmark is his deep
understanding of family hardship that shines through in this rugged
carpenter with a heart of gold.
Tanya McQueen
SPECIALTY: Carpentry and Interior Design
HOMETOWN: Columbus, TX
DESIGNER BIO
She's a
small-town girl with big ideas and an even bigger personality, and if
we'd told her back in college that she was going to be designing homes
on television, she never would have believed us!
Tanya McQueen was born and raised in Columbus, Texas, a small town
about an hour outside of Houston. She attended local schools before
heading to college at Texas A&M. She graduated with a degree in
Education and went back to the Columbus area to teach school. McQueen
was later elected to the local school board and served several terms.
Sure doesn't seem like the path to becoming a famous designer...
Tracy Hutson
SPECIALTY: Interior Design
BIRTHDAY: March 18
HOMETOWN: Dallas, TX
DESIGNER BIO
We're still not sure how this devoted mother of two small kids is able to make time for writing, green projects and her EM:HE design work...we're happy she can. Just one look at the faces of the kids whose rooms she designs tells us why she does it.
Tracy Hutson has been a stylist and designer since 1999, when she
started her own Los Angeles-based design business. In 2003, she became
part of the design team on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Ty Pennington
SPECIALTY: Carpentry and Interior Design
BIRTHDAY: October 19
HOMETOWN: Atlanta, GA
DESIGNER BIO
Of course his
design and carpentry skills are top notch, but we can't get enough of
Ty's warm enthusiasm, his infectious smile and his endless supply of
hugs. And we can't think of anyone we'd rather have standing on our
lawn yelling "Good Morning!" at us through a megaphone. Can you?
The instantly-recognizable Ty Pennington has helped transform the lives of dozens while inspiring millions more as the host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Under Ty's leadership, the show has two Emmys and two People's Choice
Awards. In 2008, Ty took his talents to Great Britain for Ty's Great British Adventure, a community-improvement series airing on UKTV.
