10 Things You Didn’t Know About Nicole Curtis

Nicole got her TV start by fluke, when she moved to Minneapolis and got her real estate license. She ended up going into the antiques business, supporting herself by selling items on Craigslist. When a DIY Network production assistant was scanning for blonde real-estate agents for a new show, Nicole’s photo popped up from her website, they ended up meeting and the rest is history!

Nicole’s interest in restoring old homes comes from watching her great-grandmother’s 1890s house get sold to someone outside her family.

Needless to say, that experience deeply impacted her. She recently bought back her grandparents’ old home and is currently rebuilding it, working off of pictures for inspiration.

Growing up in Lake Orion, a small town outside of Detroit, Nicole’s love for restoration started from a young age with the help of her history enthusiast father. Together, they would seek out old, torn up furniture to restore and make new again.

She comes from a family of DIYers. “My Gramps was a self-made businessman, and my Gram was right there by his side. It meant huge sacrifices and true commitment, but they did it. My Gramps still has a shed with “spare parts,” and my Gram still says, “Oh, that’s too expensive; I can make that.” I would not be who I am today without growing up in such an environment.”

She doesn’t let anything go to waste. By reusing and recycling, she ends up saving thousands of dollars on her projects and tries to maintain as much of the home’s original integrity.

Nicole tends to stay away from over-the-top colour and accessories and relies on the beauty of a home’s architecture to make a statement. She loves being able to preserve a home’s original charm.

The busy mom loves learning. She went to school in Georgia, Florida and Michigan and had originally planned on studying law. Instead, she ended up in education.

Nicole’s determination and dedication to succeed started at an early age, putting herself through college by working at Hooters.

Nicole has an adorable rescue puppy named Lucy, whom she credits for bringing so much joy into her life. She has said that the best things in life are old, loved and rescued.