Vern Yip is an award-winning architect and interior/product designer who doubles as a television personality. Yip has hosted several HGTV series, including Deserving Design and Urban Oasis. He is best known for his role as a judge on HGTV Design Star from 2006 to 2012. The show has launched many interior designers to stardom, including the energetic David Bromstad. Other notable television appearances Yip has made can be seen in episodes of Trading Spaces, Good Day Live, HGTV Showdown, Live! With Regis and Kelly, First Time Design, Today, The Early Show, Oprah, and Home & Family. His latest show Home Reimagined premiered on December 30, 2023.
Traveling through different continents like Asia, North America, and Europe as a child influenced Vern Yip’s stylish designs. He still draws inspiration from globetrotting, distinguishing himself from other designers with his varied educational background. A Southeast Designer of the Year award winner, Yip’s unique design techniques include using silk, flowers, and candles to create dynamic spaces. Beyond creating world-class designs and entertaining television audiences, Yip is a serial philanthropist. When he is not demolishing walls for some amazing transformations, Yip is probably involved in some non-profit efforts to serve humanity. He has accomplished various projects as a UNICEF ambassador, including designing the snowflake ball in New York.
1. Vern Yip Was Born In 1968
Vern Yip has been in the spotlight for a long time and fans often wonder how old he is. Yip was born on June 27, 1968, in China. He is two years older than his partner, Craig Koch, who celebrated his 50th birthday in October 2020. Now in his 50s, Yip is very proud of his accomplishments in his career and family life.
2. Vern Yip Is Originally From China
While he is widely known as an American interior designer, Vern Yip’s ancestry can be traced to China. He was born in Happy Valley, Hong Kong, China where he spent his early childhood before relocating to the United States. While he doesn’t share much about his childhood and birth family, Yip spent his early years traveling the world. He still upholds that globetrotting tradition with his husband and children.
3. He Has An Atlanta-based Design Company
The Atlanta-based interior designer gained national acclaim for his state-of-the-art transformation of homes and business spaces. Yip achieved this through his private practice as a designer and his television appearances. Based in Atlanta, his design company, Vern Yip Designs caters to both frugal and high-profile projects. In essence, Yip’s amazing designs are not only for the rich and influential. As a UNICEF ambassador, Yip has designed many projects for the organization, including the 2011 ball.
4. Vern Yip Studied Architecture and Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology
For his high school education, Vern Yip attended McLean High School in Northern Virginia where he graduated with the class of 1986. He later graduated from the University of Virginia with a double major in Chemistry and Economics and went on to bag a master’s in Architecture and Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Yip’s diversified educational background is a huge contributor to his successful career and business.
5. His Career Boasts an Impressive List Of Design Awards
Throughout his extensive career as an architect and interior designer, Vern Yip has gained national recognition and a plethora of coveted design awards. In 1999, his designs scooped the Best New Restaurant for Fusebox restaurant and Best New Night Club for DeuxPlex Bistro and Night Club both in Atlanta. Yip won the 2000 Southeast Designer of the Year and the 2003 Distinguished Southerner Award from Southern Living magazine. In addition to the foregoing, Yip has been featured in prestigious publications like The New York Times, USA Today, and Entertainment Weekly. He has also made television appearances on CNN and Oprah among others. Vern Yip is also a New York Times best-selling author.
6. Vern Yip Is Married To Craig Koch
The amazing Design Star judge is openly gay. Vern Yip is married to Craig Koch, his life partner and biggest support system. There are no verified details about their love story and when they exchanged vows but Yip and Koch have been together for over a decade. They are parents to two children, a boy and a girl born through surrogacy. Yip’s son, Gavin Joshua Mannox was born in 2010 while his daughter, Vera Lillian Beatrix, was born in 2011.
Vern Yip and his family share a close bond which he often flaunts on social media. The Trading Spaces alum spends quality time with his husband and children. As seasoned globetrotters, they love traveling to different countries and trying various cuisines. Yip’s social media pages are filled with priceless moments spent with the family in different locations across the world. You can also read about the close bond between HGTV’s Property Brothers hosts.
