Tyler Wisler's Design Portfolio From HGTV Design Star season six 2011

Tyler Wisler (Design Star) biography pictures news forum Tyler Wisler from "Design Star 2011" is one of the contestants in Season 6 of the interior design reality competition series on HGTV. He loves to incorporate recycled materials, dark metals and wood into "industrial chic" spaces. He is a 35-year-old interior designer from South Orange, New Jersey.

After completing high school in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tyler Wisler ("Design Star 6") moved to the East Coast to attend Marymount University. Since earning a bachelor's degree in interior design 12 years ago, Tyler has worked as a professional interior designer in the New York City area. He believes that most of his design skills were developed by on-the-job experience with clients, who he says appreciate his attention to detail. Tyler says he enjoys the latest design trend of "industrial chic," which includes the use of recycled materials and dark metals paired with wood. As a professional designer, he says he always strives to give his clients the design they love, but will not hold back if he disagrees with a design decision.

Neutral Made New

Shades of oatmeal, ivory and beige don’t necessarily mean boring, as this comfortable and casually chic seating area proves. Gorgeous cream-lacquered nesting tables and floor lamp sit proudly alongside the intricate detail of a cloisonne drum stool, set off by lush printed linen drapery panels.

A Place for Reading and Relaxation

This tranquil reading space is quiet and relaxing. Wisler used a petrified teak wood stump aside a dark tobacco rattan lounge chair and ottoman. A hand-blown glass lamp illuminates the area.

Refined Neutral Bedroom

With unobstructed views of the East River, gorgeous modern art and a sprawling terrace, the last thing you want to do is overpower a room with distractions in the way of loud patterns and colors. The bisque-colored kid leather bed holds court in the room, but doesn’t deter from the splendor its surroundings offer.

Spice-Inspired Living Room

Smart and sophisticated, this modern living room celebrates the colors of the Turkish spice bazaar. Vibrant hues of saffron and paprika upholstery upon deep coffee-colored frames are peppered with accessories in bright aqua. 

Tranquil Bedroom

Keeping a muted color palette in a room is always a sure-fire way to ensure a sense of serenity, especially in a bedroom. Harmonious shades of aqua bounce around the room with eye-catching textural and pattern changes.

A Great, Great Room

A neutral color palette and smart space planning is the foundation unifying this large space, despite it being so multi-functional. Natural Belgian linens collide with supple ivory leather and rich chocolate ultra suede to give not only giving textural interest but practicality to this all-purpose room.

Karl Sponholtz's Design Portfolio From HGTV Design Star season six

Karl Sponholtz
Age: 42
Chicago, Ill.
As a kid, Karl says his love of design was “there from the beginning.” By age 10, he frequently rearranged his parents’ furniture while they weren’t home and was mesmerized by building blocks and floor plans. Karl, who studied architecture at the University of Illinois in Chicago, has more than 10 years of practical design experience and says that he can excite people with his passion for design. He characterizes his personal design preferences as “ultra-modern minimalist,” but often completes traditional designs for his high-end clientele. As the youngest of six, Karl says he is extroverted, loud and loves to live in the moment.

Traditional Meets Modern Kitchen

For the kitchen renovation of this historic Adams-style home, Sponholtz tried to stay true to the history while providing all the convenience of a modern chef's kitchen.

Family-Favorite Sun Porch

This new sun porch quickly became the favorite room in the house, says Sponholtz. "I really wanted to let the outside in, and with heated bluestone floors, it can be enjoyed year-round!," he says.

Book-Smart Family Room

Built-in bookcases frame sunny French doors in this family room addition.

Custom Bathroom Cabinetry

Sponholtz designed a custom skylight to let light into this his-and-hers bathroom addition. The center glass cabinet stretches to the ceiling for ample linen closet space.

Georgian Kitchen Addition

Sponholtz designed this kitchen addition, including the custom cabinetry and paneling. "I wanted to give the traditional Georgian architecture a modern aesthetic — dreamy!," he says.

Beadboard Bathroom

The beadboard wainscoting adds texture and durability to this bathroom addition.

Federal-Style Backyard Remodel

To open up this federal-style home to the backyard, Sponholtz added large windows and French doors. White railings on the balcony overlook the new brick patio.

Leslie Ezelle's Design Portfolio From HGTV Design Star season six 2011

Leslie Ezelle
Age: 43
Dallas, Texas
Leslie, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, cruise ship entertainer and mom of a blended family, has a wide variety of design experience ranging from remodels to home staging for real estate agents. Leslie, who describes herself as fun with a larger-than-life personality, helps clients “tame their domain” and believes that a stress-free, organized home offers the happiest and healthiest environment. With her preferred design style of “simple, traditional elegance,” she offers a less-is-more design philosophy that’s easy and inexpensive. Above all, Leslie considers herself a survivor. After winning a two-year battle with breast cancer, she is ready to live her dream as the host of a HGTV design show.

Restored Furnishings

These two chairs were found in the trash (Ezelle's favorite type of furniture). She had them reupholstered in off-white leather and created a geometric pattern with studs all around the arms. The coffee table is created from a piece of glass that she sprayed a frosted color and two small book cases she laid on their side for extra storage. 

Mod Living Room

Originally, this room had no light and was blocked off by walls to separate living and dining. By adding a sliding glass door and removing dividing walls, the 19x12-square-foot room feels twice as large. All the furnishings are white allowing the bright fuchsia wall to be a focal point of the space. 

Contemporary Office Setting

Inspired by "Set Fire to the Rain" (a painting by Leslie Ezelle 2011), the office has various shades of white in contrast with warm browns, metallic gold and platinum. It's important to have an office with a warm, home environment yet maintain a professional feel. Pictures of energy infrastructure and the firms products are used and presented in an artistic, edgy manner.

Contemporary Bachelor Pad

Ezelle designs a bachelor pad to create a masculine yet seductive look great for throwing parties. This 15x17-square-foot room needed to have lots of space and places to sit. The look is achieved by combining contrasting colors of green ottomans with light furniture and warm browns.

Kid-Inspired Artwork

"This framed artwork is an original of one of my kids, framed and sitting proudly in our living room," says Ezelle. Framing and displaying your child's artwork serves not only as a beautiful decorative piece but also as a huge ego-booster to a child's self esteem.

Relaxing Master Bedroom

Combining stone grey, warm earth tones with amethyst lavender accents and bold linens in white, this bedroom becomes a perfect peaceful retreat. The neutral linen covered chair, originally found in someone's trash, is saved and redesigned by LeslieChristine Designs.

Modern Casual Patio

With strict instructions to create a patio that was not too girly, the neutral color palette from inside the living area continues to the outside. Custom-made cushions by LeslieChristine Designs combined with lush green foliage accents offset the heavy rich brown patio furniture that provides seating for up to twelve. 

Modern Living Space

When dealing with a beautiful wall-to-wall window view, less is more. It's important not to compete with the view by keeping each decorative choice to a bare minimum.

Sea-Inspired Girl's Bedroom

Ezelle uses a combination of various blues and greens along with two custom abstract painting of the sea to give a seven-year-old girl "a room that is the color of the ocean."

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Contemporary Dining Room

This dining room features cornice boards that are constructed from core poster board covered with batting and velvet assembled with a hot glue gun. With a light-weight cornice board, it's much easier to install by simply placing on top of the curtain rods hidden beneath. The Asian-inspired buffet dictates the color and style of this dining room.

Bret Ritter's Design Portfolio From HGTV Design Star season six 2011

Bret Ritter from "Design Star 2011" is one of the contestants in Season 6 of the interior design reality competition series on HGTV. He loves to create mid-century spaces that include eco-conscious building materials. He is a 30-year-old construction project manager from Brooklyn, New York.

Growing up in a military family, Bret Ritter ("Design Star 6") spent his childhood moving to different countries around the world, including India, Germany, Panama and Japan. He soon discovered a love for design because with each move he learned how to make every new space his own. Bret, who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Art Center Design College in Tucson, Arizona, is a project manager for an eco-conscious construction company in New York City. Bret says he loves mid-century design that includes environmentally friendly, energy-efficient building materials. Although he describes himself as nice guy, he has been known "to get very intense when he works."

Modern Tile Bathroom

This tiled bathroom has touches of both classic and modern, with a timeless tile shower enclosure and stained cabinetry with modern fixtures.

Modern Kitchen Installation

Modern cabinetry, recessed lighting and stainless steel appliances give this kitchen a whole new look.

Mark Diaz's Design Portfolio From HGTV Design Star season six 2011

Mark Diaz from "Design Star 2011" is one of the contestants in Season 6 of the interior design reality competition series on HGTV. He has a passion for edgy, modern styles and loves to include Asian-inspired minimalism and postwar industrial designs. He is a 33-year-old interior designer from Miami, Florida.

Mark Diaz ("Design Star 6"), who grew up in a large Cuban/Italian family, says he always had a natural knack for design. After winning a scholarship for his design work in high school, Mark went on to earn a B.A. degree, Design in Architecture, from Florida International University. With a self-described passion for edgy, modern styles, he moved to New York City where he specialized in luxury hospitality design. Despite a successful career, Mark says he missed the Florida sun and returned to Miami to start his own firm. His favorite design styles, which include mid-century modern, Asian-inspired minimalism and post-war industrial, combined with his love of martial arts, are the inspiration for his current line of chandeliers that are crafted from brass knuckles.

Natural and Modern

Organic and contemporary materials are combined to create a modern guest bathroom. Amazonian wood floors ground the room, and Diaz chooses a custom-designed floating vanity and a glass tile feature wall to create some wow-worthy moments in the space. 

Contemporary Master Bathroom

The master bathroom features Wenge floors and ceiling. A monolithic marble tub overlooks the bay, while a cantilevered vanity for two and sleek pendants fit in perfectly to the contemporary design.

Modern Miami Home

The 5,500-square-foot home on Palm Island in Miami features teak ceilings and decking. The modern structure has glass stair railings, custom stainless steel scuppers and a two-story vertical wood and aluminum louvered ribbed screen.

Elegant Dining

Rustic meets contemporary in the main bar and formal dining area of Barolo Ristorante. Sheer curtain panels allow filtered light into the space, while oversized mirrors help to expand the room visually.

Barolo Ristorante

For the Barolo Ristorante in Miami, Fla., Diaz designs an unexpected wine bottle display for their wine tasting bar. Dark woods and low lighting give the space a cozy, inviting ambience, while a large column is covered in mosaic tiles for a touch of sparkle.