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Photos by Wing Ho of Canary Grey for HGTV (Rentfluencer); Ian Grant (Culture Quest); Discovery+ (The Laundry Guy); HGTV (The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project)
Patti Wagner
Designer Patti Wagner knows a thing or two about rentals. Not only are she and her husband, Brian, landlords for nine units in the Twin Cities, but when she and her family immigrated to the U.S. from Laos when she was a kid, they spent years hopping from rental to rental, unable to afford a house but willing to do anything to make rentals feel like home. This renter/landlord know-how makes Wagner the perfect host of Rentfluencer, an HGTV web/IGTV series in which Wagner remakes a room in a local renter’s home—in just one day—using renter-friendly hacks like swapping out ceiling light fixtures, adding peel-and-stick wallpaper, and transforming furniture using new paint and drawer pulls so even a temporary lease can feel personal. “It’s a short and sweet makeover show for renters that could also translate to homeowners who are looking for budget-friendly design ideas,” Wagner says. “I was able to empathize with both parties—respecting the homeowners’ properties while creating a space that their renters would love and feel at home in.” The six-episode series (each one around 10 minutes) is available on hgtv.com and @hgtv on Instagram. —M.B.
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Patric Richardson stars in The Laundry Guy
Yes, laundry can make you cry. And we’re not just talking about in the I have a mountain to fold way. Mona Williams owner and Laundry Evangelist founder Patric Richardson stars in The Laundry Guy, a Discovery+ series in which he shows guests how to clean and rehabilitate treasured items like baby blankets, letterman jackets, and stuffed animals. His gentle but no-nonsense demeanor allows clients to immediately trust him with their most prized possessions, which come out looking better than ever after a careful cleaning—which Richardson teaches how to do yourself. The series is streaming on Discovery+. —M.B.
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Ian Grant In western Mongolia
Minnesota man Ian Grant wears many hats. Some of you may know him from his International Market Square showroom–turned–custom furniture business, Björling and Grant. Others recognize him from the Daytime Emmy Award–winning Travel Channel series The Relic Hunter with Ian Grant (2009), where Grant traveled the globe in search of unique ancient goods and artifacts. Now, Grant has returned to the small screen for a second gig. Through his new television series, Culture Quest, Grant immerses us into a world of wanderlust and explores the intersections of art and culture, showing us how locals live in places like East Timor, western Mongolia, Australia, and Ghana. Catch the series on PBS stations now. —M.N.
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Nate Berkus (who hails from Hopkins) and Jeremiah Brent
Husband-and-usband team Nate Berkus (who hails from Hopkins) and Jeremiah Brent’s newest venture brings them into people’s homes—and hearts. In their new HGTV show, The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project, the pair works with clients who are going through big changes or who are amassed with sentimental objects, and they redesign homes to honor the past while looking forward to the future—in a way that feels right for the current moment. The six-episode series is available to stream on Discovery+ now. —M.B.
