Ellen’s Design Challenge: Meet Miles

Written by

Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara is Apartment Therapy's News & Culture Director. When not scrolling through Instagram double-tapping pet pics and astrology memes, you'll find her thrift shopping around Boston, kayaking on the Charles, and trying not to buy more plants.
updated Dec 19, 2019
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(Image credit: Courtesy Miles Endo)

Name: Miles Endo
City: Providence, RI

Style: Contemporary, clean, and functional. I love clean, tapering lines and architectural inspirations.

(Image credit: Courtesy Miles Endo)

Carpenter paired with: Karl Champley

When did you realize you had potential in furniture design?

About ten years ago, when I got to college, I was so far away from home that I tried making furniture for myself. Much of those early pieces were quite experimental but they pointed me down a path that I have come to love. I actually first rejected the idea of being a furniture design major, and majored in Industrial Design. More and more of my projects became furniture through the years and in my final year in school, I won two awards for students who showed strength in furniture design. From then I knew it would be a major aspect of my design career.

(Image credit: Courtesy Miles Endo)

What are your design strengths?

I have built many of my own designs from start to finish, so I can work with a wide range of materials and tools. I try to pull in inspirations that are outside the realm of furniture design. I make mock ups from cardboard or plywood that help to quickly make design decisions in physical space before doing CAD to really hone in on the design. I am adaptable and work quickly when I have set out a direction.

What are your design weaknesses?

Sometimes it takes awhile to pick my final design. In a worst case scenario, this can mean changing my design halfway through the timeline of a project. That can cut my build time down significantly but thinking back, those instances have produced some of my best work.

(Image credit: Courtesy Miles Endo)

How did you end up auditioning for Ellen’s Design Challenge?

When the first season came out, I thought, this is great, one reality TV show that I could really get into. I watched every episode at least twice. I saw that they were auditioning the second season last summer, but I was in the middle of another project of course. I went online and found a weekend to fill out a long application and sent it off! A few weeks later, I got a call back from the producers, doing several interviews before finally getting a call from Ellen herself! I felt so honored to be picked from the hundreds of applicants.

(Image credit: Courtesy Miles Endo)

What challenge from last season would you have loved to compete in? Which one would you pass on?

I loved the first challenge where they created pieces from the empty box, and the junkyard challenge. I think having some material constraints would have really opened up my creativity. I would pass on the sofa build! Working with another outside resource on such a tight schedule seems so risky!

On a scale of 1 to 5 sweater vests, how amazing is Ellen in person?

She is 5 custom tailored sweater vests, at least 2 of them must be vintage Christmas sweater vests! She is hilarious, straight up and down to Earth. Her positive energy is contagious and I like that about her.

Episode eliminated: Episode 7

Thanks, Miles! Watch him compete on Ellen’s Design Challenge, Mondays at 9|8c on HGTV!