Meet Kelly Edwards | DIY’er, Designer and Television Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Edwards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Out of high school, I went straight to college. It’s what you did. No clear path, no clear major, but a zest to live on my own out of a few egg crates. I ended up with a degree in business. A major that was non committal enough to take me anywhere. I realized quickly that corporate America wasn’t the path I wanted to pursue. I would watch the design shows on HGTV and TLC and dreamed of what it would be like to be creative for a living. To walk the aisles of Home Depot and make a chandelier out of a few pieces of rope and some chicken wire seemed more appealing than powerpoint presentations and spreadsheets. I quickly packed up my car in Chicago and headed west to LA. After a few jobs that kept a few dollars in pocket, I landed a job on a design show, behind the scenes, only to be followed by a job in front of the camera on HGTV’s Design on a Dime. In a year in a half I was a designer on one of the biggest shows on HGTV. My dream of chicken wire chandeliers came true. While my degree in Business has served me well, my creative career fills my soul. Almost like WD-40. Everyone should have something that makes them feel that way. Paint, scraps of wood, a glue gun, fabric samples, and a few DIY projects later, I feel whole.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have one of those “I lived in my car” success stories…well sort of. I grew up in Chicago, got a business degree and decided I wanted to live in LA on a whim. I jumped on a plane to visit a friend and called my parents 3 days later and told them they didn’t need to pick me up from the airport that I wasn’t coming home. I essentially lived on a friends couch with a suitcase, no money, no job, no car, but I did know that I wanted to work on a design show on television. I loved the idea of making DIY projects for a living. I mean…who doesn’t?! A year later I landed a job as a Design Assistant on Design on a Dime on HGTV. Jumping in and painting a wall when the camera cut was like someone gave me a million dollars. The best moment of my life. A year and a half after that, I landed a job as one of the on camera designers on the new Chicago Design on a Dime team. Not only did I end up back in Chicago where I started, but now I was a designer ON CAMERA on HGTV. Since then, I’ve been on several shows, hundreds of news stations, started two companies, written a design book and the list goes on and on.

I’ve been listening to a few podcasts lately about betting on yourself. I didn’t realize it then, but the trick is to always bet on yourself. If you believe in yourself, you can’t lose.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Fav west side spots.

Hike: Solstice Canyon or Temescal Canyon

Lunch: Blue Plate Taco or Reel Inn

Dinner: Cassia or Capo

Brunch: Casa Del Mar or Shutters

Drinks: Fairmont Lobby Bar outside by the firepits

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Tara Sandler and Jennifer Davidson, owners of Pie Town Productions. There was a time I wanted to give up LA and move back to Chicago. They bet on me, gave me a job on camera as a co-host and designer and changed the trajectory of my life. To them, I owe my career.

Website: www.kellyedwardsinc.com

Instagram: KELLYEDWARDSINC

Facebook: @kellyedwardsinc

Image Credits
Brian Lahiere