This spring we’re going to see a whole lot more of Trading Spaces favorite Vern Yip, and we’re very excited about it.
Yip, one of the most popular designers from the original run of the TLC show, has design sense as big as his four dogs. Seriously, his dogs weigh over 400 pounds combined! Yip is participating in the reboot of Trading Spaces, which aired on April 7th.
Yip originally left Trading Spaces before the days of Pinterest and Instagram. A decade ago, the concept of ordering something to your door within two days was foreign and probably laughable. Design was not yet accessible to the masses. Yip is excited to revisit the same show within the new age of design.
“It’s kind of unbelievable. The idea of rebooting things is coming back with Roseanne, Will and Grace, etc. I think Trading Spaces is in that category because it holds a special place in people’s hearts,” Yip said, “It was the first show that really introduced the concept of design and entertainment in one show.”
Not only is he featured on the reboot, Yip also just shared a new fabrics and trimmings collection for Trend, a Fabricut line, published his first book and will be chatting about both at the DCH Spring Market on April 26th.
During Market, Vern will share insider tips and design formulas from his book, Design Wise: Your Smart Guide to a Beautiful Home, and discuss the design process and inspiration behind his new collection, but GDG of course, wanted a sneak peek.
Everyone asked when the HGTV star was going to release his first book! Vern answered on his own terms.
“I felt strongly about putting out a book that was going to fill a hole, that was going to be purposeful,” Yip explained. “I don’t want to have a fabric line or lighting line or trend line if it’s just to slap my name on something, I want products that serve a purpose. This book fills a void that other design books weren’t addressing.”
To Yip, most design books belong in two categories. First, books in which lots of pertinent information is buried deep in paragraphs and not super accessible to the untrained reader. Second, books that we all have and love, and place on our coffee table, filled with lots of pretty pictures, with little to no explanation. Both books are important and serve purposes, whether it be to relax and be inspired or learn a tip or two, but this designer wanted something different.
“Being a busy dad of two kids, and 400 pounds of dog at home, I need information that is accessible. I need bullet-points with the most critical information. And readers need rules that are relatable to all design, whether you rent or own, live in a tiny apartment or mega-mansion,” Yip said. So he combined the two!
Questions like how high to hang a light fixture over a dining table – 66 inches, and how high to hang art pieces – 60 inches, unless over a fireplace, mantle or headboard, are answered in clear language. These variables are independent of the size of the room, the length of your dining room table or how tall you are.
The second part of his book evolves from fast facts to a photographic journey that features Yip’s 700 sq foot NYC apartment, 2,600 sq ft Florida home and 7,000 sq ft Atlanta home. The pictures are pretty to flip through, but they also serve the greater purpose for universal inspiration no matter the size of the reader’s space.
Yip also expands his strive for a sense of purpose within his collections. In his second collection for Fabricut, Yip set goals for himself yet again.
“Fresh and Timeless are the two key words I use for the benchmark for anything we put into the collection,” Yip said. “It’s easy to have things that are fresh. It’s easy to have things that are timeless. But, it’s really difficult to put things out that are both fresh and timeless.”
It’s important to Yip that his designs that feature classic chinoiseries, gender-blurring abstract florals, neutral palettes, and nature-inspired motifs, provide a touch of the unexpected, yet remain timeless. For example, overdone leopard and zebra prints are replaced with an antelope print that goes with everything, but maintains its WOW factor.
In addition, the collection features a book of velvets spanning from rich jewel-toned emerald, sapphire and ruby colorways, to soft pastels and neutrals, as well as a high-performance textile that feels like chenille.
“Fabrics have to withstand family life. I don’t want clients to worry about their kids sitting on the sofa eating ice cream or their dog getting cozy,” Yip said. “It’s important that a home can be beautiful and reflective of a personal aesthetic, without ignoring the day-to-day realities of having a family.”
Join Vern Yip for more insights and insider info during the DCH Spring Market opening keynote from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m on Thursday, April 26th. Explore his livable luxury Trend collection in Fabricut showrooms within the DDB Suite 915, DCH Suite 3022, and the PDC Suite B470.