Utahn wants to be 'Design Star' on HGTV

It probably wasn't what her professors at BYU thought they were training her for, but NataLee Callahan's degree in broadcast journalism helped land her on HGTV.

The Utah woman is a contestant on Season 4 of the cable network's "Design Star" (Sunday, 11 p.m., HGTV), a show that rewards its winner with his or her own TV show.

"I'm not uncomfortable in front of the camera. I'm not shy," Callahan said in an interview with the Deseret News. "So, by doing this show, I was hoping to combine my two loves."

Those loves being broadcasting and interior design. Because, unlike many reality/competition shows, "Design Star" requires both skill sets. Not only are contestants required to turn out beautiful designs each week, but they have to demonstrate TV hosting skills as well.

"You have to be a great designer, and you also have to have a good personality that can carry an audience — keep their interest," Callahan said. "And you kind of have to be a Jack- or Jill-of-all-trades. Carpentry skills are good. Designing skills are good. You kind of have to do it all."

She has more formal training as a broadcaster, but more practical experience as a designer. Callahan is largely self-trained.

"As far as formal training, I took a couple of classes in college. But they didn't offer that as a program at BYU," said Callahan, who was trained in floral and wedding design.

"That kind of got me in the design world," she said. "I started doing a lot of stuff at home. My mom made me take sewing lessons when I was younger, so that gave me the opportunity to do things at home. And I taught myself how to reupholster furniture and all these different things.

"Some of my neighbors started asking me for help, and people started offering to pay me. And real estate agents that I worked with asked me to stage their clients' homes, and I staged all of my clients' homes. And one thing led to another and I ended up doing design full time."

She's designed homes for the Utah Valley Parade of Homes and at Daybreak in South Jordan. Callahan has worked on a few commercial projects, but her main focus is residential design.

And she describes her style as "transitional, fun, comfortable and unexpected."

She certainly ran into the unexpected on "Design Star." As prepared as she thought she was, Callahan quickly discovered you can never really be ready for what it means to be on a TV reality show.