Bromstad Brings Color to Commencement

Arts & Culture

As David Bromstad prepares to give the commencement address for Ringling College of Art and Design’s graduation ceremony Thursday, the HGTV television personality and Ringling class of 1996 graduate sought out some wardrobe advice.

“Can I wear pink pants?” he asked Jim Dean, Ringling College’s dean of admissions. “If you didn’t, I’d be mad at you,” Dean responded.

After winning HGTV’s Design Star in 2006, Bromstad hosted his own HGTV show, Color Splash, where he was known for his bold use of color and personal artwork. He’s now a home design and fashion aficionado, designing a fall luggage collection and hosting a new show, HGTV’s My Lottery Dream Home. But he found his artistic start in the Ringling College Illustration Program. “The campus has changed incredibly,” Bromstad said. “I mean it was a tiny little campus.” He marveled at how large it had become on a tour a few years earlier. “But I still see buildings that were here,” he said. “They’ve kept the integrity of what it was and they’ve just added to the fabulousness.” 

Ringling College also helped inspire his love of color. “They taught me color theory, and that was such an important part of what my career is because I’m known as ‘The Color Guy,’ ” Bromstad said. Just don’t ask for a favorite. “Every color has a different expression, a different emotion, a different feeling,” he said. “I can’t choose a color—and I won’t. It’s unfair; I don’t want to make the other colors jealous.”

Bromstad touted gold accents as a new design trend and the future of white silver in color palettes, something big in the fashion industry now. Other things to look for include natural elements, but with a little bling here and there. Do-it-yourself projects and repurposing items, especially after the recession made getting in touch with your handy side a necessity, are still great style options. It’s about “taking your Grandma’s furniture that you would usually just sell at an estate and painting it a bright pink,” he said. 

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