Don’t get robbed by bad design

Colin and Justin, the Scotland-born hosts of HGTV’s Home Heist, have become quite attached to Canada. They’ve bought a condo here, looked into citizenship and now want to share some of their secrets, in book form. The Colin and Justin’s Home Heist Style Guide gives readers insight into the designers’ decorating ideas and tips on how homeowners can transform their spaces. At a recent chat, the witty pair shared their thoughts on a variety of topics, including what living and working in Canada has taught them about design.

On the book

Colin: The book tells how to take an ordinary home and make it extraordinary. The Style Guide reader can learn more about the thinking behind a design and its inspiration.

On doing things yourself

Colin: Way back when, before we were in the fortunate position we are in now, Justin and I bought a property that we flipped, where we did all the work ourselves. The second property we bought, we installed a kitchen. The third property, we built the partition walls. This puts us in a really strong position when we employ people, because I can determine whether they are doing it properly.

Justin:We’re big advocates of DFY, rather than DIY. DFY is “done for you.” We are happy to let a professional do what he or she does best.

On Mike Holmes

Justin: What full-grown man wears dungarees? But, really, he’s adorable. We get along really well with him because we are designers and he is a builder who creates incredibly proud homes. We do different things in the same industry.