{"id":518956,"date":"2026-11-05T02:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T02:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/518956\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T02:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T02:08:14","slug":"this-signal-hill-designer-just-won-hgtvs-a-very-haunted-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/518956\/","title":{"rendered":"This Signal Hill designer just won HGTV\u2019s \u201cA Very Haunted Renovation\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. For SK Stokes Kennedy, every room has a feeling, and a story to tell.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Homes, rooms and tiny details flourish into rich stories in her capable hands, most recently as the winner of HGTV\u2019s new show \u201cA Very Haunted Renovation.\u201d\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The series\u2019 inaugural season tasked Stokes Kennedy and five other designers with renovating and redesigning a notorious Victorian-era home. Working with a rich history, pushing herself to new capabilities and pouring her passion into every project, the Signal Hill-based luxury designer walked away with a $50,000 prize, a newfound confidence and a reaffirmed purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though Stokes Kennedy has run her independent business, Stokes Kennedy Design<\/a>, out of Signal Hill since 2015 (and has designed much longer than that), she said the casting call for \u201cA Very Haunted Renovation\u201d came at the perfect time in her life. Recently burned by a contractor she worked with, Stokes Kennedy was questioning her career path when kismet stepped in with a call.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was kind of a crossroads where I had to say, \u2018Am I going to close this or am I gonna do everything I can to keep my business going and thrive and push through,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI happened to get that casting call at the same time \u2026 I think the timing, plus the concept being so fresh and new and interesting, I was really interested to see where it led.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"(From left to right) Designers Patrick Peel, Diana Vogel, John Ryan, host Anna Camp, Logan Wright and SK Stokes Kennedy, as seen on HGTV\u2019s \u201cA Very Haunted Renovation.\u201d Signal Hill-based designer Stokes Kennedy won the inaugural season and the $50,000 cash prize. (Courtesy of SK Stokes Kennedy)<\/p>\n

Stokes Kennedy packed her things to be away from her wife for six weeks and set out for Fremont, Ohio, to live in and redesign the mysterious Bihl Manor<\/a>. Built in the 1890s, the mansion has no shortage of haunted tales to tell across its three stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Having more reverence for spirits than fear, Stokes Kennedy joked that she was more nervous about the show coming off as \u201ccorny,\u201d but was pleasantly surprised at the respect and care HGTV gave to the subject matter. Stokes Kennedy and the five other designers (Patrick Peel, John Ryan, Bershan Shaw, Logan Wright and Diana Vogel) went room by room across the six episodes of the show, diving into various projects and working together to rehaul the mansion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be hard to work with other established creatives because everyone has their own view. Everyone has their own perspective,\u201d she said. \u201cThey want things to go a certain way and you\u2019re competing so you want your stuff to stand out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since winning \u201cA Very Haunted Renovation,\u201d Stokes Kennedy said she\u2019s been elated with the number of Black women who have reached out and said they are loving the show and watching with their daughters. Stokes Kennedy reminisced about\u00a0 shoving couches, beds and desks around her bedroom and living room to rearrange the space when she was younger.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"SK Stokes Kennedy was recently named the inaugural winner of \u201cA Very Haunted Renovation,\u201d an experience she said pushed herself to new heights. Stokes Kennedy spoke about how meaningful it is to be a queer Black woman winning a national show in the design industry. (Courtesy of SK Stokes Kennedy)<\/p>\n

As the child of immigrants, she had no idea that design could be a career path. Now, she said she\u2019s happy to create that example for young Black girls, to show them that the design industry is ready for them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the age-old idea that you need to see it to believe it,\u201d Stokes Kennedy said. \u201cI don\u2019t know any designers that look like me. I very, very rarely meet a lot of Black designers, and then on top of that, someone who is so outwardly queer and different, I have never met. That doesn\u2019t mean we don\u2019t exist.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Stokes Kennedy, the show proved to be exactly what she needed to remind herself what she is capable of. \u201cA Very Haunted Renovation\u201d also reminded her of the passion she had ever since she was little: storytelling through design.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From a game table and a new floor to a swoon-worthy kitchen, Stokes Kennedy conjured up stories about the types of people who would be living in the centuries-old space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The kitchen, which was Stokes Kennedy\u2019s tour de force<\/a> and the project that stamped her win on the competition, was an apothecary\/chemist\/cooking station featuring hidden spice racks, an eye-popping arch, custom food shelves, hanging herbs and an upcycled secretary desk-turned-coffee station.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLiterally the night before, I sat down and I made up a person,\u201d Stokes Kennedy said. \u201cI made up a name, I said how old she was, what she did. She ran a bed and breakfast, but she kind of has this apothecary vibe, she makes tinctures, but she also serves guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

With rich colors, functional set pieces and subtle details that were born from her art of storytelling, Stokes Kennedy said it\u2019s the project she\u2019s most proud of in the home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She not only pushed herself creatively, but physically as well. While Stokes Kennedy usually outsources the more \u201cDIY\u201d projects during a redesign with her business, she was forced to handle every step of a project herself, such as painting, upholstering and building items.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely went into it nervous, but I do think it\u2019s what I needed. It\u2019s encouraged me to re-evaluate a lot,\u201d Stokes Kennedy said. \u201cIt really put me back in my builder bag. I\u2019m eager now to be doing work in the studio and I\u2019m continuing to build things out myself instead of calling a guy and I realized that really came from the show, really being inspired to use my hands again and build and perform the way I used to when I was first starting out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

With a renewed sense of inspiration, Stokes Kennedy said she wants to focus on building up her Signal Hill clientele and telling stories through the homes she works on. She\u2019s also diving into the industry-side of her career, talking on panels and helping inspire other women interested in design.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To learn more about Stokes Kennedy Design or inquire about her services, visit stokeskennedy.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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