d o u gCompiled in part from various web sites and articles — though knowing how accurate (not!) journalism can be, some errors may have crept in. Additions and corrections gratefully accepted; email me or leave a message in the guestbook. Douglas Arthur Wilson was born November 4, 1964, the fourth of five boys. (Doug also has a half-brother from his father's first marriage.) He was raised in Broadlands in rural Central Illinois, and his father still farms. School daze
Doug still holds his junior high school's record for the high jump. Of course, the school closed after Doug graduated... Even at a young age, Doug's design sensibility was controversial — he was booted out of school in the 11th grade for painting some walls fuchsia. (I guess the principal didn't have a sense of humor.) Doug didn't go back to that school, but instead switched to Unity High School in Tolono, Illinois, where he graduated in 1983. He went on to study voice at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) for three years. While attending university, Doug completed a more successful decorating project when he soundproofed his fraternity house with carpeting on the ceiling, walls and floor. During those years, Doug also performed in local musical theater productions such as Fiddler on the Roof,The Sound of Music and Sweet Charity. Not content with small-town life, in 1986 Doug got the highly original idea of moving to New York City to become an actor. He spent some time at the National Shakespeare Conservatory, a now-defunct drama school. Taking a page from Harrison Ford's Guide to Paying Your Dues, Doug worked as a carpenter for several years while waiting for his big break, eventually in 1996 becoming ranked as one of New York City's top-rated Handy Men in The Keen On New York Survey of Top Rated Services. Designer genesSome of Doug's earliest professional decorating work was special-effect painting for theater sets in off-off- (and did I mention, off?) Broadway plays. He forged his way into the design industry by first becoming known for decorative finishing, particularly tinted plaster walls. As his finishes got more recognition, he was able to demonstrate his design skills by showcasing paint finishes and interior design together in one space. Doug cites his design influences as coming from the 1930s and 40s — art deco designer Jean-Michel Frank and his contemporaries. According to his resume, Doug devotes himself to "forging imaginative new uses of paint, tinted plaster, colored pencils and unusual found objects" because, of course, it would be silly to use lost objects since they're, um, lost. Doug has worked with or done work for "big names" like Albert Hadley, Alexa Hampton, Kate Spade, Barbara Walters (decorative finish on her dressing-room wall) and Brooke Astor (designed a library). He also maintained the home of Michael Bloomberg for several years. Doug's work as a designer/decorative artist has been featured in many decorator showhouses, mainly in New York City. Doug's work has been highlighted in many publications, including The New York Times, Newsday, Elle Decor and House Beautiful, but it was an article in House & Garden that grabbed the attention of the Trading Spaces producers and got Doug an audition for the show. The rest, as they say, is history. Doug says some of his creations on Trading Spaces have found their way into his other design work, though he usually spends more time on them with a paying client! Doug also takes credit (though it may have been in jest) for a wood/metal wall art that appeared in an episode of Sex and the City — it closely resembles a piece he did in Trading Spaces' New York: Linda Court ("Mediterranean Madness") episode. After receiving a paragraph in The New York Times for his convex mirrors at the 1999 Kips Bay Decorator Show House ("This irreverent spirit was captured on Douglas Wilson's stairway walls. Acting on every boy's desire, Mr. Wilson took colored pencils and drew freehand along the town house's proper classical moldings. He glamorized his swirls with convex rearview mirrors purchased at Jack's 99-Cent Store." —Patricia Leigh Brown, "Designer Show House: At home alone with me, myself and I," Apr. 29, 1999), Doug made them a trademark and tries to leave behind a three-inch convex mirror in all the Trading Spaces rooms he does — though he's missed a few due to the rush at the end of Day Two. In November 2001, Doug received the Illinois 4-H Alumni Award for serving as a role model for youth. Doug currently resides in Manhattan's Upper East Side — in a 500-square-foot spartan rent-controlled apartment that he hasn't had time to decorate! More info: On the TLC site:
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