BY KAREN YOUNG
Sherman Oaks resident Wanda Colon is quite the hyphenate – interior designer/television personality/screenwriter/filmmaker – or simply, a modern day renaissance woman.
With an infectious energy and imaginative style, Colón has turned her passion for creativity into a unique career that finds her thriving in several different arenas. As one of the most prominent Latina personalities on cable television, she is currently seen as host and designer on the popular TLC program “Home Made Simple.” The third season of the show finds Colón traveling to Washington D.C. and Atlanta, bringing a spirited enthusiasm and common touch into a new private home every week.
Wanda Colon
When she’s not traveling and working on air, she maintains an impressive list of private clients for her own design firm, creates her own artwork, and, most recently, produced and starred in her own short film, “Salt,” based on her own screenplay, which is currently being circulated to film festivals.
Raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, Colon is the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants. Fascinated with the world of theatre as both a designer and an actress, she worked her way through college as a bank manager before deciding that she had the determination and skill to pursue a life in the arts.
Relocating to California, Colón continued to hone her acting skills in classes while finding her design skills were in demand – first in commercial and film production work, and then designing for private clients, including Cher and Kelsey Grammar.
Wanda’s easy-going personality and careful attention to the needs of her clients made her a natural for the camera, and she found herself designing and appearing on a number of shows on HGTV, including the popular “Designer’s Challenge,” “Designing for the Sexes,” and “24 Hour Design.”
Recently, Colón has expanded her body of work to include, appearing in an infomercial for Body By Jake and signing on with Febreeze. This summer she is joining a USO tour to visit troops in Japan, Korea, Guam, and Okinawa.
“As a designer and as a person, I can’t pretend to be anything but who I am,” says Colón. “Whether in acting or design it really comes down to being true to oneself…follow your heart and it will lead you home.”
Here is Wanda’s view of the Valley.
Q: How long have you lived in the Valley? Eight years.
Q: What brought you to the Valley? The entertainment business. I majored in theatre and was in a few movies on the East Coast and had a contact with an agent and decided to take the plunge.
Wanda’s easy-going personality and careful attention to the needs of her clients made her a natural for the camera.
Q: How do you describe the Valley? Coming from the small town of Reading PA what I love about Sherman Oaks is it has a great sense of community…fun entertainment.
Q: What’s the best thing about the Valley? Every street has access to the freeway.
Q: What’s the worst thing about the Valley? There’s no beach in the Valley, but I have a pool.
Q: What can you get in the Valley you can’t get anywhere else? Some loving from my cats and Henry’s Tacos
Q: What is the most misunderstood thing about the Valley? Valley Girls
Q: What’s the Valley’s number one treasure ? Iroha Sushi best sushi pegow ever! Pegow for Puerto Ricans is crispy rice.
Q: What is the biggest misconception about the Valley? There’s no nightlife.
Q: What are some of your favorite finds? Sherman Oaks Park & Fryman Canyon. You can get a great workout at either place.
Q: What do you usually do on a weekend morning? Have Mimosas at Hugo’s, with breakfast of course.
"Whether in acting or design it really comes down to being true to oneself...follow your heart and it will lead you home," says Wanda.
Q: What are some of your favorite restaurants? Hugo’s, Iroha Sushi, Stanley’s, Versailles, Risotto, Jumpin’ Java…So many to chose from!
Q: What are some of your favorite stores? Voila in Valley Village and all the decorative boutique shops on Ventura Blvd.
Q: If you could have something (place, thing, person, business) in the Valley that’s not here right now, what would it be? Me. I’m always on the road with my job.
Q: What is a quintessential Valley place? Laurel Tavern
Q: Where do you go when you want to get out of the Valley? Manhattan Beach
Q: If you didn’t live in the Valley, where would you live? Closer to the Beach.
Karen Young is the Publisher/Editor of MY DAILY FIND.
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