Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s Paul DiMeo to Appear at the Indianapolis Home Show on Saturday, February 6

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s Paul DiMeo to Appear at the Indianapolis Home Show
Answers questions about Extreme Makeover, Remodeling & Central Indiana ahead of appearance on Saturday, February 6

Indianapolis, Ind. – Best known as the carpenter with attitude on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” Paul DiMeo is also an established actor, a man’s man and the first to cry on this hit show. With boundless warmth and his genuine nature, DiMeo is particularly renowned for his imaginative work on children’s bedrooms. He also pioneered the Loft Living project, working on the renovation of lofts and brownstones, and as master carpenter, renovated the Landmark Brownstone of Aaron Burr. DiMeo will appear at the Home Show on Saturday, Feb. 6!

Q: You will have been to Indiana twice – by the time this story appears – for “Extreme Makeover” in the past year. What’s your impression of Indiana?

A: We’ve done some great builds in Indiana. I always have a very, very good time. We love coming to Indiana.

Q: In this economy, many Hoosiers are deciding to makeover their homes themselves. People are always looking for sound do-it- yourself tips. As a carpenter, what are some basic tips you can offer for Do-It-Yourself Hoosiers?

A: I encourage people to do the little things that will save them money in the long run, things like weather stripping for windows and doors, caulking and installing energy-efficient, fluorescent light bulbs. Homeowners can paint their interiors themselves rather than hiring a professional to do it. Anything Hoosiers can do themselves to save them some money right now is a good thing.

Q: Your bio states you have an imagination for children’s bedrooms. How did this come about?

A: I’ve always been focused on children’s passion and the things they love. In home design, though, you have to be careful because their interests can change on a whim. My passion for theater led me to my love of designing children’s bedrooms. I put myself in a child’s environment, where they are king, and my imagination gets me started. I like working with children because they travel down that imaginary road with me every time and that’s’ fun.

Q: How rewarding is it to reveal the final “makeover” home on Extreme Makeover?
A: I want to make sure that each home we reveal is the right fit for the family. What first brings us to a family is their commitment to their community, that they’re doing good in their community. We want to make sure that we give them the tools to be able to continue doing that good. Each of our reveals is extremely satisfying. Our reveal is the big moment in our show, the one we all wait for. It is a life-changing moment for the families.

Q: You have done some amazing things on the show. As a carpenter, what is the most challenging project you have worked on?
A: The most challenging project was the pilot episode of “Extreme Makeover.” No one knew who we were or what the show was really about for really the whole season. I did a lot of the work myself and that work was very labor intensive past the conceptualizing phase. In all projects I work on, I try to keep my imagination open enough to keep doing innovative things, like the construction of our Lego building. It was fun changing the scale of the pieces into much larger Lego pieces. I could make them into whatever I wanted. That was extremely fun.

Q: Indianapolis has seen a little bump in urban living and probably more to come in the next few years. Do you see that in your travels?
A: Both my wife and I are big fans of the urban environment. We live in the city. We have no children, so we bought an old firehouse and fixed it up to our taste. There are no walls. In fact, we have only one wall that we roll around on wheels so when we have company, we can create some privacy for them. We embrace the city and certainly see others doing the same. Our love for the city typically takes the show into downtown areas like New York City and Los Angeles.

Q: What’s tops for you? Broadway? Off-Broadway? Films? TV series or TV reality?
A: I like it all but I’m leaning toward reality TV right now. I’ve had the chance to see a lot of middle America and small-town America. I like the Mom-and- Pop personal approach to hardware stores rather than the big corporate chains. In the small stores, there’s lots of love and concern about what happens inside that store and beyond. Personally, I’d like to see an “Extreme Makeover Corporate Edition,” where corporate America meets middle America and a blend occurs for the sake of humanity.

The Indianapolis Home Show continues its 88-year tradition of offering the best in home products, decorating, construction and remodeling ideas for visitors to gather ideas and compare. For more information, please call 317- 705-8719 or visit the Indianapolis Home Show Web site at www.IndianapolisHomeShow.com.

TICKETS: $12 – Adult
$5 – Children ages 6-12
FREE – Children 5 and under

SHOW TIMES:
Thursday 2/4 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday 2/5 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Saturday 2/6 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sunday 2/7 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.