Amy Devers
American carpenter and television host
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amy Devers (born July 2, 1971) is an American furniture designer, carpenter, television personality and design blogger.[1] She currently is the host (with Alan Luxmore) and design expert on A&E's Fix This Yard, the host of Victory Garden’s edibleFEAST on PBS, and a design and carpentry expert on OWN’s Home Made Simple.[2][3][4] In the past she has hosted design oriented programs such as Freeform Furniture on DIY, Designer People on Ovation, and was a carpenter on TLC’s Trading Spaces.[5][6][7][8]
Early life and education
Devers grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where she attended Ypsilanti High School. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York with a two-year degree in fashion buying and merchandising before deciding to pursue furniture design.[4] She studied furniture design at San Diego State University and graduated with a BA in 1997.[9] After a spell working as a machine shop foreman, Devers attended graduate school at Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned her MFA in Furniture Design in 2001.[10]
Career
Television
Devers began her television career in 2003 as a home-improvement expert on the DIY Network series DIY to the Rescue, which she co-hosted with Karl Champley.[11][12][13] The series ran for 9 seasons and included specials at the Grand Ole Opry[14] and a post-Hurricane Katrina rebuild special in collaboration with Dr. Phil.[15]
She hosted Freeform Furniture on DIY, a series which featured Devers demonstrating how to build her original modern furniture designs using diverse materials and techniques.[16] In 2007, she hosted DIY's interactive series, Blog Cabin.[17][18] In 2008 she joined the cast of TLC’s Trading Spaces as a carpenter.[7] In 2009 Ovation premiered a second season of Designer People with Devers as the new host.[19]
In 2010 A&E launched Fix This Yard, a landscape makeover series, with Alan Luxmore and Devers as co-hosts and design experts.[20][21] She makes regular appearances as a design and carpentry expert on OWN's Home Made Simple.[4][22] On PBS, Devers is the host of Victory Garden’s edibleFEAST, a documentary series that highlights local and sustainable food stories.[23]
Podcast
Devers hosts a podcast titled Clever with Jamie Derringer of Design Milk in which they interview designers and artists about their life and work.[24] Clever hosted a live podcast and conversation series as part of WantedDesign Manhattan in 2019.[25]
Art and Design
She runs a design and build studio out of Los Angeles called Amy Devers Art/Design.[9] In 2012 she participated alongside Tanya Aguiñiga in Natalie Chanin's chair restoration project as a part of MakeShift conference.[26]
Author
As an author, Devers has served as an advice columnist for ReadyMade Magazine and Modern Ink Magazine.[27][28][29] She is the co-author of DIY to the Rescue 50 Home Improvement Projects published by Lark Books in 2006.[30] This book is a compilation of projects from the hit DIY TV series with step-by-step instructions and photos.
Educator
Devers is faculty in the Furniture Design department at the Rhode Island School of Design.[31]