Did You Know? Who is Kristina Crestin? Here Is Her Journey

While Kristina Crestin's design skills speak for themselves on 'Farmhouse Fixer,' not much is known about this soft-spoken designer.

Who is Kristina Crestin

Jonathan Knight might be a well-known celebrity, thanks to his stint on 'New Kid on the Block, but his 'Farmhouse fixer co-star Kristina Crestin is a celebrity in her own right, as well, having been voted as the HGTV's Designer of the Year for 2019.

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Keen Eye For Interior Design 

Unlike many designers, Crestin always had a keen eye for interior design and knew she wanted to be a designer. In an interview with Scout and Nimble, she explained, "I had a pretty direct line to interior design. I was always obsessed with Legos and building. When laying houses in Legos, I’d never mix colors!

Passion For Designing 

Her passion for designing led her to Endicott College in Beverly, MA. "I went to Endicott College in Beverly, MA, which was a lovely place, small classes, right on the ocean, and a new place to me - the North Shore of Boston. I fell in love with the area.

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Senior Internship 

I got a great senior internship and worked at that firm directly after school for about eight years. Endicott’s program is very internship focused and helped me learn what interior design was vs. what you think it is," she explained.

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The Resignation 

Eventually, she decided she wanted to branch out on her own, so she resigned from her job and set up her interior design firm based out of New England, Kristina Crestin Design. On her firm's website, she explained her love for colors and creating stunning spaces.

"She creates atmospheres infused with light and creativity with her signature styles; modern farmhouse, modern beach house, as well as her, take on traditional," states the website.

The Special Love 

Her special love for restoring and redesigning old homes led to a brief stint on PBS's iconic show 'This Old House.'

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A Part Of The PBS Show 

Crestin explained how being a part of the PBS show pushed her out of her comfort zone and allowed her to explore other avenues.

"Participating in a season of This Old House was "where I got my feet wet on being both the interior designer and the talent that has to carve out time to do the filming. That was my moment of feeling like I wanted to do more," she recounted.

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The Farmhouse Fixer 

Her stint on the show piqued the attention of several producers, who reached out to her at various times. But unfortunately, nothing panned out until 'Farmhouse Fixer' came along. "Since then, I've had production companies reach out and go through the first stages of Skyping and interviewing, but nothing ever panned out.

The Interview Scene 

I didn’t proactively take on looking for it either. I got a call one day from the production company sharing some info about the show and asking if I would want to interview. They told me my friend Jon was hosting the show but needed a designer and asked if I would be interested - the answer was, of course!" she shared.

Role Of Farmhouse Fixer 

After that, it was a cakewalk for Crestin, who landed the co-host role on 'Farmhouse Fixer.' "I had the benefit of the host knowing my skills and making a suggestion as well as their market research around the area.

My experience at This Old House was probably helpful. Candid interviews and just being myself was my take on the process and then sitting back to see what they thought," she replied when asked how she landed the role.