Launched in 2018 to tell stories behind the talent at Wray Ward, today, the Inspire series captures intimate portraits of industry influencers and thought leaders whose ideas and passion are fueling innovation in the home and building category.

Brian Patrick Flynn, interior designer, Instagram personality, and host and designer since 2015 of the HGTV® Dream Home and HGTV® Urban Oasis, took a different path into the interior design world. After film school, he worked as a television producer in South Florida and gained a reputation as the go-to person for home renovation and décor content. Telling stories about how we live in our homes became his sweet spot. Today, he takes viewers behind the scenes in his new show, “A Mind for Design,” on the Magnolia Network for a glimpse into the teamwork behind his story-infused designs.

I sat down with Brian to talk about what inspires him and how HGTV has influenced the way we live in our homes.

DH: What do you think your nontraditional design background brings to your work?

BPF: I look at rooms through a storytelling lens. What does this space say? What does it say about the person living here? I think of the story I’m trying to tell and fit it into the room from a practical standpoint.

DH: Why is design important? Why should people care about the interiors of their homes?

BPF: Spaces affect the way you feel and your mood. For example, the typical doctor’s office waiting room is impersonal, so you want to leave quickly. When space is personal and has things in it you haven’t seen before, it makes you feel like you want to kick your shoes off and stay longer.

DH: Where do you look for inspiration?

BPF: Adventure travel. I love seeing how colors and textures play together in nature. I enjoy learning how houses are built, from a materials perspective, based on where you are on the planet. I like taking these things and making them my own.

DH: What do you think Mother Nature does best when it comes to color?

BPF: She really nails it because every color you see, whether it’s sky, trees, bushes, flowers or dirt, they all play together harmoniously. There’s no rhyme or reason — it just is. And that’s my favorite thing about interior design: If you get the balance right, it doesn’t matter what your background is.

DH: What design trends are you most excited about now?

BPF: I love that people are starting to embrace more complex colors, such as mustards, blushes and burnt sienna. Those are very complicated hues that are hard to pair with other things, and I’m excited to see them used in new ways.