Designer Bio
She's a tough chick with pink power tools. She'll have to pardon us for staring. Paige Hemmis may be an unlikely vision on a construction site, however the statuesque beauty is an accomplished carpenter and skilled homebuilder. Self-taught and with no formal carpentry training, she is rarely to be found without a tool of some kind in her purse.
Paige was born in Wisconsin and grew up in Chatsworth, California, with aspirations ranging from teacher to doctor to world traveler to wedding planner. During college, she taught first aid and CPR to the University of California, Santa Barbara student population. Later, she became a licensed Emergency Medical Technician, after graduating with degrees in both Theology and Psychology.
In 2001, Paige founded a real estate company that bought houses, renovated them and developed innovative rent-to-own solutions for tenants who cannot afford the steep down payment usually required to purchase. Without deep pockets, she used her tenacity and resourcefulness to learn all aspects of construction, including drywall, cabinetry, electrical and plumbing. She auditioned for Monster House in order to win tools so she could fix more homes. When she appeared on the Christmas episode, she was discovered by the producers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Lucky for us!
In her years in the construction industry, Paige found a void in the marketplace when it came to women's tools and products. "I had such a hard time finding gloves and tool belts that fit me. I would constantly have to take men's gear and drill extra holes or use duct tape in order to get equipment to fit me." With that in mind, she founded Tuff Chix, Inc., dedicated to performance workwear for women that's durable and fashionable. Tuff Chix is inspired by Paige's own hard work and determination and features such items as pink work gloves, boots and tool belts. In 2006, she released her first book, The Tuff Chix Guide to Easy Home Improvement, to inspire other women to tackle DIY projects with confidence. She is currently working to develop TV & film projects through her Tuff Entertainment Group. In early 2010, she plans to launch a Tuff Chix Foundation, aimed to promote successful women and help young women realize their utmost potential.
This summer, Paige debuted on ABC's competition reality show, The Superstars, in which she and partner Bode Miller took second place. She also serves as a spokesperson for several charities, including Habitat for Humanity and the Starkey Hearing Foundation. When she isn't busy filming or helping out charities, she enjoys traveling to exotic locations, dining out, curling up with a good mystery book and hanging out with friends and family.
Paige considers her role on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition a blessing and feels extremely fortunate to make her living helping others. "It's amazing that we get the opportunity to travel our country helping families redefine the place they call home. It's an honor to help, and my life will be forever changed by it."
New to ABC.com?