Jason Champion found his niche in life early. By the time he was 10, the Home and Garden TV designer and stylist was rearranging the furniture in the house on a regular basis.
“The only thing I wasn’t moving was the piano because it was too heavy,” he says over the telephone in his Southern drawl. “And once I was 13, I was moving that, which irritated my mother, because every time I moved it, it would throw it out of tune.”
After graduating with a degree in Applied Arts from the Southern Institute Division of Virginia College, Champion went on to work with design elites such as Stark Carpet and JANUS et Cie. Wanting more creative freedom and expression, Champion created his own design company, Great Spaces, Inc., and Jason Champion OUTDOOR, which he describes as “elegant, innovative funkiness and youthful charm.”
At only 33, Champion’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Elle Décor and House Beautiful. Accolades have included the Design Industry Fighting AIDS “Best in Show” and the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center Design Excellence Award for “Best Interpretation of Theme.”
His newest venture is that of reality star. He’s a contestant on this season’s HGTV series, “Design Star,” in which designers compete against each other and are eliminated on a weekly basis. The show debuts its new season on Sunday, July 19.
WATERMARK: Do you still live in Sarasota?
JASON CHAMPION: I’ve lived in Sarasota for three years. My husband and I were living on the East Coast (Florida) where he worked but we had friends that lived over here. We kept coming over to visit and we said, “this is beautiful, let’s move here.” Because I work from home, I can work anywhere.
Where all have you lived?
I was born in Arizona, grew up in Mississippi, lived in Atlanta, and moved to New York City.
How did you get started designing for outdoor living space?
I had worked in the interior design field for 16 years and I had a friend that owned a garden boutique that asked me to come work with them, and I said, ‘I don’t know anything about plants.’ But I found out, the sky is the limit, literally. I didn’t have to worry about being restrained by four walls any more.
Do you test the fabrics and materials for your company at home?
Absolutely. When I’m testing a prototype, I just set it outside and let the dogs run all over and let kids play on it.
I’m guessing Florida’s brutal summers are a perfect for testing the limits of the materials.
Florida is perfect for the summers and Minnesota for the winters.
Have you designed many backyards in the area?
I have done some private residence on the East and West Coasts of Florida—but most of my business is in New York and California. A lot of people’s homes in Florida are second homes so they just aren’t putting the same kind of investment into them as they would be a permanent residence.
Are people spending more time inside or outside these days?
That’s a great question. People are definitely staying home more, partially because of the economy. And technological advances in design are bringing the indoor and outdoor together—there are kitchens and entire entertainment centers outside now. Outdoor living is huge, especially in the Southern states and California where the weather is nice most of the year.
What’s the biggest design challenge you’ve had?
Event planning can be really challenging. You have to do something really memorable in a short period of time. One that comes to mind was a party at Lakewood Ranch was for one of the Sarasota film societies. I had 30,000 square feet that I tented in white fabric and I put a cabana over the pool in a matter of days.
You mentioned your husband. How long have you been married?
We’re together six years in September and we’re married two years in July. We did it on the fly in Massachusetts. Jim had business there and he asked if I wanted to go, and I said, “Sure, I can work off a lap top.” So we’re on the plane and he asks me to marry him. I was like, ‘It could have been business class or better, baby.’”
So is there anything new for the new season of Design Star?
We’re in Los Angeles this year. And judges Genevieve Gorder, Candice Olson and Vern Yip are back, but there will be a new judge as well. There will be a few twists.
