Paul DiMeo (born February 12, 1958) is an American

television personality Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

building designer Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically a licensed architect. Smaller, less compli ...

, and

carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. ...

who was a regular cast member of the

reality television series Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

'' Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''.

Early life and education

Paul DiMeo was born and raised in Media, Pennsylvania. He is the youngest of five children, and at 5 years old his house burned down. His father Jack worked to reconstruct it, sparking his love of home renovations. DiMeo graduated from

Penncrest High School Penncrest High School is a public four-year comprehensive high school in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is a part of the Rose Tree Media School District. The district, and therefore ...

, class of 1976, where he was quite active in student activities such as play production and the student council.

Career

New York City

DiMeo was the organizer of a renovating project entitled "Loft Living." The organization renovated lofts and

brownstone Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material. Type ...

s in and around New York City. DiMeo later moved to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

where he continued the "Loft Living" project.

Los Angeles, California

In 2003, DiMeo was cast in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (138 episodes/2003–2012). According to DiMeo, he landed the job because the casting department was amused by his "grumpy" demeanor on the day of his audition. In the first season, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program. At the show’s peak, it was spoofed on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'' on Dec. 14, 2019 on NBC. DiMeo was highlighted due to his propensity to cry frequently during many episodes of ''Extreme Makeover.'' DiMeo worked with master carpenter Rob Hickman on the restoration of the Landmark Brownstone of

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

. Has renovated celebrity homes, including those of Madonna, George Hamilton and Glenn Close. In 2011, he was asked by

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

to design the MLB Fan Cave, where Mike O'Hara and Ryan Wagner watched every baseball game of the 2011 season. He hosts an

infomercial An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of dire ...

for the WORX Trivac. DiMeo starred in the reality TV show '' Building Wild'', which was cancelled by the

National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television television network, network and flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel owned by the National Geograp ...

after two seasons.

Personal life

Currently, DiMeo lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Kelly Lynn.

References

External links

Official Website of Paul DiMeo
on ''

Sidewalks Entertainment ''Sidewalks Entertainment'' (1988–present) is a weekly American television series that is a combination of a talk show, magazine show and variety show featuring celebrity interviews, music, artistic and novelty acts, and rising performers. The ...

'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dimeo, Paul Living people American television personalities American interior designers 1958 births People from Media, Pennsylvania