An Introduction (its a long one)...

Thank you for being here! 

First and foremost, I’ll be updating you all with HGTV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; when the show airs, my memories on our wonderful families and special guests, my own experience, design tips and tricks that we implemented, thoughts on the special builds, etc. 

I’ll also be offering my thoughts on trending interior design, walking you through some of my own builds, showcasing some simple DIY projects while implementing and presenting different tools of the trade, etc.

So, what makes me an expert designer? 

Drumroll please… I’m not.  At least, I’d never attest to it.

I’m a guy that gravitated toward something that I loved and somehow found myself doing that very thing on HGTV.  As a carpenter and designer, I’m ALWAYS learning.  And I think that’s true of anything we find ourselves passionately chasing.  That’s part of the magic of it all.  That new tool or trick that you discover by chance that might spin you in a completely different direction.  Your tastes will change, trends change, your experience level will grow. Whatever your passion, we’re always learning.

What I strive to offer is a fresh eye on design.  I see a pattern, or a line, or a color that inspires me and I’m immediately set afire to get in my shop and create.  And I hope, whenever possible, you’ll see me lending that same innovation and passion for design on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  Simply put, I love design and I love to fabricate.  And I hope I can offer you some knowledge and entertaining stories along the way.

Where are you from?

Northern Ireland but it’s complicated…

I was born in Northern Ireland.  But moved to the States as a lad.  I moved around a lot as a kid.  Mostly middle America; Ohio, Iowa, Tennessee.  I spent a lot of time as a chameleon, integrating myself into new places with new faces.  Whenever possible I went back to spend summers in Ireland on my Uncle John’s farm.

I remember the hay bales my cousin’s and I played in, my Great Uncle John tucked into his breakfast nook having a cup of tea and his John Wayne-esque smile that followed, raiding all of the short bread and chocolate biscuits when I thought no one was looking,  soda bread, corn beef and butter sandwiches, the smell of manure on a freshly fertilized field, the way my Uncle favored his left side as he walked through the fields because one leg was shorter than the other, the sound of the tractor coming up the switchbacks mixed with the fresh bouquet of burnt petrol, my Dad working the field with my Great Uncles, the concrete lion statues that flanked the front door of modest farm house, peering down the hill to the patch work fields bordered by the traditional stone hedgerows below, and so many other quintessential moments that make Ireland home.

My Mother’s family; The Hewitt’s were proud men and women, hard workers, jack of all trades, veterans of WW2, and the best people.  They had booming and infectious laughs that rattled the walls.  They encompassed the great mannerisms that have made Ireland famous; grit and toughness tempered with proper kindness.  There was never a dull moment when my family gathered --   

Hey Pal, it’s just an introduction. Give me the short version.

Oh, right.  Got it. I’ll try…

I moved to Los Angeles from Columbus, Ohio in 1998 to pursue a career in the film and television industry.  Bucking against my Father’s practical sensibilities, I caught the acting bug and decided to drop everything (including school) and move to Hollywood.  And as testament to my Father’s wisdom, there were many times in which I had wished I had pursued a more practical path.  I’m sure he wished the same many a times.

I waited tables in Ohio to save up for my journey and picked up a second job working for my best friend’s Father whom was a local contractor.  I was basically a gopher and a grunt.  I’d tear down walls and sweep the floors with ‘green sweep’.  I didn’t have a tool to my name.  When I look back, it was there that I learned the very basics of building.  I’d glean as much knowledge as the tradesmen were willing to spare.  And if I was lucky got to operate the Boom lift.  I remember spending a summer swinging a sledgehammer, demolishing the 70’s stone façade of a huge lakefront home.

I moved to LA with what amounted to pocket change.  A sweet old couple in the San Fernando Valley took a chance on an eager fresh faced twenty-three old whom promised them he’d pay the balance of the security deposit at months end.  There was a pool and palm tree right out my front door but alas they weren’t meant to be mine.  Finding a restaurant job in LA was like booking a Steven Spielberg film.  Weeks later, I finally found a job, but I was a day late and more than a dollar short for rent.  I used whatever money I had left to rent a moving truck and a storage unit.  I couldn’t face that sweet old couple, instead I deposited the keys into a manila envelope with an apology letter and slid it under their door.

I slept in my car for a while before a kind friend let me crash in his spare room.  Dutch, if you’re out there.  Thanks Pal.  Through the course of the next fifteen years I firmly planted myself in Los Angeles.  And it wasn’t the last time I’d sleep in my car or on a friend’s couch, but I always dusted myself off and kept moving forward.  I took an obscene number of acting classes, worked at an obscene number of restaurants to pay for them, and regularly drove from one end of the city to other dropping off glossy 8X10’s of myself in pursuit of an acting job.

I was fortunate enough to work on shows like ‘Lost’, ‘Sons of Anarchy’, ‘NCIS’, ‘Lie to Me’ and a handful of others with feature film roles in between.  I got very close to booking a couple of network pilots.  I remember very vividly, confidently walking out of one such experience, sitting on the edge of the fountain in which the “Friends” cast danced in their opening credits and wept because I knew my life was about to change.  I didn’t.  The other guy got it.

And like most actors, there was always numerous survival job.  Blockbuster Video was one of them.  But while studying at a local acting studio I met a fellow actor whom was also a handy man.  We formed a friendship built a couple of back drops together before teaming up as a remodeling outfit.  He’d been in the construction game for years and recently lost his crew.  So, it was perfect timing for me.  I knew enough to make myself dangerous (and when I say dangerous, I mean I once cut through a gas line with a Sawsall).  We weren’t the fastest crew around (there was just two of us) but we worked hard and did good work. 

Luckily, he was a perfectionist.  I recall once I framed out a doggy door while he went on a tool run.  He came back and while I wasn’t looking tore the whole thing out and started to rebuild it.  I was fuming.  I left for the day.  But he was teaching me a valuable lesson; Do it right the first time.  If you don’t know, just ask.  So, I continue to try and emulate that same work ethic now. 

Over the course of five to six years we tackled a handful of kitchen and bathroom remodels.  He got a contractor’s license legitimizing our endeavor.  It’s where I cut my teeth on design and building.  We still team up to this day and I’m thankful for his tutelage (no matter how frustrating it sometimes was).  Time lends perspective.

Where does Drumcree Designs come into the picture?

First, I should clarify where the name “Drumcree” came from:  On an emerald slope in Northern Ireland, overlooking the River Bann, located in the townland of Drumcree, stands Drumcree Parish.  This is church where I was baptized and where my grandfather Cecil is laid to rest.

I realized that my favorite part of the remodeling process was putting a bow on it.  I liked researching the trends and recommending a specific color pallet, tile pattern, counter material, flooring, etc.  I loved watching all the mediums come together into one cohesive space.  I enjoyed the custom work, so it seemed natural to combine the two. I wanted to create something unique. Something my client couldn’t find anywhere else. I’ve always been handy with sketch pad. I think furniture design is an extension of that imagination.

By that time, I had an arsenal of tools and no where to put them.  I had recently moved into a new apartment and convinced the landlord to let me overhaul the unit for a break in rent.  Out of necessity I did much of the work in the front yard of the building and kept working long after I moved in; transitioning into my own designs, hoping the neighbors wouldn’t notice.  I started making one of a kind pieces for friends and family.  I made buck here and there but mostly I built things just to build things.  I was testing myself and honing my skills.

Around about the time I received my first commission work, I got a call from my landlord that the neighbors were completely fed up with the noise pollution.  Reflecting on that time, I’m embarrassed.  It was audacious running loud equipment feet away from my neighbor’s windows.  I was lucky to recieve a warning from the landlord and not a knuckle sandwich from my neighbor. But sometimes when you’re driven for something, you wear blinders.

It was time to expand my endeavor and rent a space.  But in Los Angeles work spaces are at a premium.  I wanted a small garage.  A place to start.  I couldn’t find one that fit my budget.  I remembered there was a member at my gym that was renting a house not far from my apartment.  I didn’t really know him that well at the time, but I asked if I could rent his backyard for a week to build my commissioned table.  “Of course! Come over! I’ll leave the key.  Help yourself to the refrigerator”, he said.  It was simple gesture, but it was one of the kindest and most generous gifts I’d received in the City of Angels.  And I was practically a stranger no less!  He believed in me.  Or at the very least, he believed I wasn’t going to rob him.  And that was enough for me!

I built the commissioned piece in his backyard, delivered it, and got paid!  I offered to pay him for the space (many times), but he wouldn’t accept a dime from me.  Two months later he called to tell me that he had bought a house and the garage was mine to use.  How much, I asked?  “Buy me a beer. The space is yours”, he said.  And just like that, with the kindness and generosity of my friend, John Hong, Drumcree Designs opened for business.  I had a space to set up shop in.  And I begin gobbling up as much work as I could.  John and I formed a good friendship.  He’d pop out to watch my progress, we’d visit with one another, and kick back a couple of beers.

John moved to Texas a year later to be with his family.  And I rented a space downtown.  Not too long after, John passed away suddenly.  It was a shocking kick in the gut.  We had an informal celebration of John’s life in Los Angeles and there were so many stories of him helping others achieve their goals.  There truly are angels among us.  John was one.  Without John Hong, there’s no Drumcree Designs or the opportunity of Extreme Makeover Home Edition that followed.  I’m sad he never got to witness my Progress in person.  But I believe come February 16th, he’ll be watching with a plate of his famous marinated short ribs.

After moving downtown and setting up shop I started investing more in my Instagram page.  And that was the moment things really shifted.  I began getting work from complete strangers whom ran across my profile.  If there was ever any doubt attached to opening an Instagram page, it was quickly dashed.  From there I started getting work from local interior designers whom sought me out for custom builds.  I’ve fabricated my designs for celebrities, Grammy Award winning musicians, and co designed restaurants.

Let’s talk about Extreme Makeover: Home Edition…

That’s a whole journey and fantastic story in-itself but I’ll save it for future posts, including the casting process. This post is long enough and it’s a great story!

I will say that I’m over the moon excited to be a small part of something so much bigger than myself.  The families we’ve chose are amazing, and I can’t wait until America gets to know each one of them. I’m writing this on Thanksgiving Day. And while I’m enjoying time with my own family, I can’t help but think of them in their new homes; cooking, laughing, and being together.

I remember watching the EMHE myself and how much it meant to people; a series that helped individuals that were down on their luck but continued to give back to their communities.  I remember their emotional and heartfelt journeys.  There was never a dry eye.  It was and continues to be an American Story; communities coming together to help their neighbor succeed.

I’m beyond blessed to be a part of the new incarnation.  And I’m so very thankful to the talented designers that paved the way.  I think we’ve captured and honored the same spirit forged before us. And I’m blessed to work with perfect strangers whom have become a perfect family; Breegan Jane, Carrie Locklyn, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and a wildly talented crew.

To be a part of the HGTV and Discovery Inc. family is an absolute dream.  When I say that HGTV is the soundtrack in my parents’ home, it’s not an exaggeration.  It’s ALWAYS on.  I’m VERY proud to be a part of it all and can’t wait to see how this journey unfolds.

Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me.  I’ll post more as I go along!  Cheers!