Out Spotlight

Today's Out Spotlight is an award-winning architectural and interior designer who gained national acclaim for his expertise in transforming homes and restaurants in his private design practice and on prime time television. The designer, TV personality, businessman, and activist is also a proud father of two. Today's Out Spotlight is Vern Yip.

Vern Yip was born June 27, 1968, in Hong Kong before moving to the United State with his family. He was raised by his mother, who was a loving and strong presence in his life. Yip has a sister, who lives in Hong Kong.

Yip attended high school in northern Virginia at McLean High School graduating 1986. After earning two degrees, just prior to entering a pre-med program, he changed his mind, and decided to get into architecture. With a Bachelor of Arts in economics from The University of Virginia, a Master of Science degree in management and a master’s degree in architecture from The Georgia Institute of Technology, he has used his varied educational background to build a distinguished business.

He has said he would have been quite happy running a design company, and never intended to become a television personality, but felt it was what he was meant to do.

He began his television career appearing on TLC's Trading Spaces and was known for frequently including silk, candles and flowers in the rooms he designed.

Yip hosted four seasons of HGTV's show Deserving Design and he is one of the panel of judges on HGTV's Design Star. He also hosted an HGTV special called Urban Oasis, in which he designed a Chicago loft in the Trump International Hotel, to be given away to a winner.

He runs his own design company in Atlanta, Vern Yip Designs, and vernyip.com, where design tips are dispensed with consumer value in mind.

His creations and room transformations range in budget from frugal to eight-figure projects for high-end clients, including the design for a high-profile Oscar party in 2006. His eclectic style is influenced from his world travels, which include childhood trips to Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Vip, who describes himself as a classic overachiever, has garnered an impressive list of design awards, such as the 2003 Distinguished Southerner Award from Southern Living magazine, 2000 Southeast Designer of the Year, 1999 Best New Restaurant for Fusebox restaurant in Atlanta and 1999 Best New Night Club for DeuxPlex Bistro and Night Club in Atlanta. In addition, he has been prominently featured in various publications such as Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times and USA Today. He is frequently seen on such television shows as Today, The Early Show, Oprah, CNN and Live! With Regis and Kelly.

He continues to be involved in nonprofit efforts and has served as honorary chair for ‘Eleven – the Event,’ the 2009 fundraiser for The Ulman Cancer Fund, where he established the Vera Yip Memorial Scholarship in honor of his mother. He also works closely with UNICEF to help raise awareness of the needs of children around the world. Since 2009, Vern has designed the UNICEF snowflake ball in New York. In addition to the designing the organization’s 2011 ball, Vern also has been designated with the honor of lighting the UNICEF Snowflake that hangs above New York’s famed 5th Avenue.

Yip and his partner, Craig Koch, welcomed son Gavin Joshua Mannox, born by surrogate, on January 6, 2010. The couple's second child, Vera Lillian Beatrix, was also born via surrogate on March 12, 2011.