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I was very excited to hear that one of my favorite HGTV designers and host of Color Splash, David Bromstad, is coming to Los Angeles and making an appearance this Friday at Best Buy. I caught up with him for a short interview on his inspirations in design and art. I discovered his favorite color is acid yellow green and the first design style he embraced was French Country. Jump below for the full interview...

Apartment Therapy: How do you define your design style?

David: Eclectically quirky with a dramatic edge. I also believe rooms should have some sort of humor and make you smile. I don't want the space to be too serious because I want my clients to really enjoy their space.

Apartment Therapy: How has your style changed since you first started your career in interior design?

David: Dramatically. I grew up in Minnesota loving French Country - polka dots, bright colors, and patterns. Then my style transpired into old world, incorporating warm tones, dark reds, and crushed velvet. Following my love for old world, I developed an appreciation for the clean lines and sense of organization of contemporary design. I currently enjoy mixing a lot of different styles such as rustic, country, Asian, contemporary, and modern.

My style is always evolving as I find inspiration in my surroundings. I push myself as a designer and am constantly doing research and being educated by my clients.

Apartment Therapy: What is your first inspiration for a client's space? Does it start with paint, furniture, or art?

David: The first inspirations for the space starts with my clients. I ask them to tear out inspirations from decor magazines to help them communicate what they envision for their space. From their inspirational images, I put my own spin on the design.

Painting and art are my last design decisions. I start with selecting furniture, fabrics, and rugs. It is much easier to coordinate an unlimited selection of paint swatches to the furniture and fabrics.

Apartment Therapy: What is your favorite color and what does that color mean to you?

David: It is hard to choose just one favorite color, but I really love acid yellow green. I use it in my own home. Ever since I was a child I loved the color yellow. Acid yellow green is the perfect shade that is a little more dramatic than green, looks good with everything, and is happy and soothing.

Apartment Therapy: What is your favorite painting that you have ever created?

David: My favorite painting was for a client's dining room in San Francisco. The piece was of an English Bulldog, which represented their dog Petunia.

Apartment Therapy: What is your favorite design object?

David: A good painting can either make or break a room.

Apartment Therapy: What are some tips for incorporating art into your home when you are on a budget?

David: When you are on a budget, it is fun to create your own art. A really simple contemporary piece can be achieved by painting a canvas a solid color then painting a stripe down the middle. Another option is to pick up a few great prints from home decor stores. I also like to incorporate art from local artists because it is usually very inexpensive and generally their prices increase as their work gains in popularity.

Apartment Therapy: What are some of your favorite paint colors that make the biggest impact in a space?

David: Bright, bold, and saturated colors - fushia, lime green, turquoise, orange, red, navy, ultramarine, magenta, and black

Apartment Therapy: If you live in an apartment and can't paint the walls, how do you still achieve a bold color scheme without paint?

David: Buy a bunch of canvases to hang on the wall. Paint the canvases any color scheme you like or pick up a few color swatch guides from a local paint store. A safe bet for coordinating colors is to chose from the colors on the same paint swatch.

Apartment Therapy: What are your favorite resources for reasonably priced furniture and accessories?

David:

Apartment Therapy: What's next?

David: I have a lot of exciting projects that I am working on. I am developing a line of art work and bedding and bath products that will be available in retail stores in the near future.

MORE INFO:

Image: Courtesy of Mythic Paint

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