By Sarah Ribeiro
HGTV’s hottest new show Brother vs. Brother takes John and Drew Scott, stars of the hit series Property Brothers, and pins them against each other in a sibling rivalry of design and ingenuity. Interior designer Christy Biebrich, an organizing specialist, joined Drew’s team for the ultimate renovation showdown — a task she was more than ready to face and knew how to overcome. “The biggest challenges were the time constraints,” she reveals. “We were doing massive renovations in timeframes as low as 48 hours. There were value-increasing choices that could not be completed simply due to time, so it definitely required strategic thinking.” Despite her prowess in design, she was unfortunately sent home on Sunday night’s episode.
Related Link: ‘Design Star’ Champion Leslie Ezelle Offers Relationship Advice for a Happy Home
As the owner of Christy B. Designs, she has years of experience in interior design, which helped her make quick and efficient decisions on the show. As a self-proclaimed addict to improvement, the skills she offered her team come second nature to her. In fact, the designer has been renovating since she was a child. “From the time I was little, I was always looking around me and visualizing how I would improve spaces – from my room to my treehouse. I even had a renovation laid out in my head for the barn on our family farm!”
Though it is sad that she was ousted on Brother vs. Brother, the talented designer now has more time to focus on her personal life. Biebrich is tapping even further into her love for design with her upcoming wedding – and it hasn’t been as easy as one would expect. “People think that, because of my line of work, I would be like a fish in water with wedding planning – not so!” she says with a laugh. “I’ve been happy to have others helping me through this process because it’s very overwhelming. It’s how I imagine people must feel when they come to me with a renovation or redesign project – they’re out of their element, and they need me to walk them through the process, to make it easy, make it fun and make their vision come to life.”
And, of course, the West Hollywood native is implementing her design aesthetic into her big day. “I love Art Deco, and we have several subtle hints to that style in our décor,” says Biebrich. “Our centerpieces are very sculptural and architectural, and I like that they feel more like modern art than a bouquet of flowers. My wedding dress and my bridesmaids’ dresses are very simple, elegant and contemporary. There’s not a lot of frills, and I like it that way.”
Most importantly, Biebrich’s fiancé has been helping her throughout the planning process. She even admits that he has the stronger opinions and vision on the ceremony — a real role reversal. Then again, they’ve always had an interesting relationship. “We met on Match.com, but it wasn’t your typical online dating story,” she shares. “I wrote him a critique of his profile because I thought he had the worst headline I had ever seen. Remarkably, his ego was not bruised, and he didn’t care what I wrote. He thought I was cute and asked me out! He caught me off guard; I said yes; and we started seeing each other.”
Biebrich credits her fiancé’s dependability, kindness and good heart for their successful relationship. “We get along so well because we are very silly,” she says. “Laughter is the secret to a healthy everything! Neither of us take ourselves very seriously, so there’s no butting heads or arguing. And the biggest thing is that we don’t bring our work problems home with us or take our frustrations out on each other. We remain grateful, appreciative and respectful of each other and try not to take each other for granted.”
Related Link: Do-It-Yourself Date Night Advice from HGTV Host Monica Pedersen
Once the wedding is over, the designer will face yet another challenge: moving in with her new husband. She believes that all couples should take each others’ design styles into account once they share a home. “I’d be completely unrealistic if I thought that I wouldn’t have to consider my fiancé’s likes and dislikes when it comes to design in our home. I like to think of it as an opportunity to expose myself to style possibilities I might not have considered before, and to become more well-rounded. Luckily, he’s already said he will defer to me when it comes to our house, but of course, I will want to know his input because I love him!”
For more information on Biebrich check out her website, www.christyb.com/.
