Turkish-born architect John Gidding has certainly led an intriguing life.
After moving to the United States from Europe, he majored in architecture at one Ivy League school ( Yale University ) and received his master's degree in the same field at another ( Harvard University ). Along the way, the handsome Gidding worked as a fashion model.
Fast-forward some years, and he has become a television presence, having been on the ABC Family show Knock First as well as the HGTV series Designed to Sell, Curb Appeal and Curb Appeal: The Block.
Gidding's portfolio also includes work on the Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York's Union Square, the campus plan for Carnegie Mellon University and a pavilion at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He also has his own company that is based in New York City and Atlanta.
Windy City Times sat down with Gidding at the recent Chicago Flower & Garden Show, where he was a featured speaker.
Windy City Times: You certainly are a presence on television.
John Gidding: Yeah, although I spend more time designing these days.
WCT: I assume you like that more.
John Gidding: Yes, I do. It's always been a dream of mine to have a design firm of my own, and we're in our third year.
WCT: And you're based in New York and Atlanta?
John Gidding: Yes—as well as wherever I happen to live, which is San Francisco.
WCT: That's a lot of traveling right here.
John Gidding: Oh, yeah. My butt is in the shape of an airplane seat. [Laughs]
WCT: That's okay; I think mine is in the shape of a couch. [Gidding laughs.] What drew you to design?
John Gidding: When I was in college, I thought I would do fine arts, English or something like that. Then I took an architecture course, and I was hooked. I had a great professor; he was very inspirational, and opened my eyes to a variety of [concepts]. I think I've taken that multiscale approach throughout my life so sometimes it's landscaping, sometimes it's furniture and sometimes it's the building. I try to stay light on my feet in terms of what kinds of projects I take.
WCT: You've [been part] of a lot of large-scale projects. Which would you say was the most challenging?
John Gidding: I would say this: That Beijing project was crazy difficult—and not for the reason you might think. It was great going to China, working with the Chinese, and trying to source bamboo and stainless steel. It was a cool experience, but I didn't get along very well with my boss. He's a talented architect and I was a young, eager architect but it just wasn't working out—so I had to quit that job. I just didn't get along with the guy.
And that was in contrast to my previous employer, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. Michael is the landscape architect of the century. He's so brilliant, and he heads the landscape project at Harvard. So after having that experience I wasn't going to spoil my day-to-day, so I quit.
I was putting my resume together when I hung out with a good friend of mine: [interior designer] Taniya Nayak, also on HGTV—but I knew her back when she was a bartender in Boston. She introduced me to a guy who turned out to be her producer. He was actually looking for a girl [for the show] at the time; I submitted to HGTV, and two weeks later I was working on that [network].
WCT: What's the one trend regarding home design that you wish people would stop?
John Gidding: I feel like Curb Appeal is devoid from trends; it deals with architecture and the fabric of the neighborhood. So it's rare that you can identify trends BUT I will say this: Fountains were a trend for a while, and I typically tell people to stay away from them. They always end up breaking, people never spend enough time or money on them—you always have to make sure the water moving, for example, to avoid mosquito problems. The problems with fountains are so many.
WCT: I read in a press release that having an attention-getting front door makes a difference.
John Gidding: Yes—for many reasons. It draws the eye to the entrance, which is what you want to do anyway; you can use a good path, lighting. It can also allow the homeowner to express a little personality and a stylistic approach that the rest of the house cannot afford. A front door can hold a bright color fine, or it can have a classic look. I say go bright and go bold.
WCT: Any other helpful tips?
John Gidding: I really like house numbers. In fact, I've been accused of being an aggressive house-number designer. [Smiles] For me, house numbers are a great first-impression maker, and they go with your architecture, character and personality. Also, you can get great numbers these days. Back when I started Curb Appeal, I had to custom-make all my house numbers. Now the technology and the market have changed.
WCT: Is there anything a city resident should pay attention to, as opposed to someone in the suburbs or country?
John Gidding: There aren't a lot of urban front yards, but you do have opportunities for container planting. The show [had] classes on that here; Tu Bloom had people lining up for his classes. There's the concept of "the thriller, the filler and the spiller"—with the thriller being the tall plant; the filler being, well, the filler; and the spiller cascading over the side of the pot. Container planting is a nice way of bringing in the landscape feel to an apartment building.
WCT: Lastly, what's something about you that a lot of people don't know?
John Gidding: I got married a year ago to a ballet dancer named Damian Smith, and it's been a whirlwind year and a half.
WCT: How'd you meet?
John Gidding: We met online. You go out on a date and you're like, "We should do that again," and you keep in touch. He proposed to me three months after we met—and I was looking for a ring at the same time. When it's right, it's right.
