Kyle Carlson Interview

Kyle Carlson started out his career modeling with his twin brother. Now he’s moved on to a career in construction and home renovation, one of his true passions. TheCelebrityCafe.com’s Ellen Stodola spoke with Kyle about his modeling career, his construction company, C|3 Construction, and his upcoming work on the OWN show, Home Take Over.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: When did you first decide that you wanted to model?

Kyle Carlson: I never wanted to do modeling actually. My brother was at a mall in Midwest, and there was a talent scout. He suggested that my brother try modeling, and then my brother mentioned that he was twin. At first, I said no way. Neither of us really wanted to do it, but the curiosity got to us. We really didn’t want to tell our friends about it at first, but we told our family and they were pretty excited. It all happened pretty quickly. We worked for Abercrombie & Fitch and from there it really blew up. I’ve worked for Calvin Klein and a lot of other places, and my brother is still actively modeling. One of the great things about it was that it was a great opportunity to travel. The money was good, but the best thing was the ability to travel and meet new people and that inspired me. And I don’t think I’ll ever regret it because I probably wouldn’t be out here in California and I probably wouldn’t have met my wife if it weren’t for modeling. I wasn’t going to stay in Los Angeles, but then I met her and thought I’d stay out here for a few more months. And I’m still here.

TCC: Why did you decide to move on from modeling to construction and eventually appearances on home renovation shows?

Kyle Carlson: Through the modeling I built up connections with producers or anyone in the production who was looking for talent. This is how I got my first jobs on home renovation shows. They probably did some research on me. I think that I probably had an appeal that men and women will be visually attracted to as well as the fact that I was able to back it up with my contracting knowledge. I’m a legit contractor in Los Angeles. I’ve worked on numerous residential shows. My father had a company out in Minnesota so this has always been a part of my life. When I came out to California, I knew I had to get my own license.

TCC: How is your television show, Home Take Over, going to be similar or different to home shows that are already on the air?

Kyle Carlson: The basic concept is that it’s two designers bringing the show over from Sweden. They needed a contractor to help on all of their designs. I’m fitting that role as the contractor. They design it and I build it. These guys are hilarious, so the show is just like comedy hour. These guys hit certain bullet points about the design, but then they just let go and it’s hilarious. There’s a cool dynamic between those two, and then I come in and am just a contractor. I tried to joke around too, but I end up being just very matter of fact. But the project is great.

TCC: Why did you decide that now was a good time to get involved in a show like Home Take Over?

Kyle Carlson: The guys and the show hired a production company and they ended up looking at multiple applicants. It came down to the two designers and the production company, and I did a couple of auditions for the show. I really know what I’m doing, and I think that this is what separates me and makes me a good choice because I’ve grown up with the construction and contracting and am knowledgeable about the subject.

TCC: How do you choose which networks/shows to appear on? Do they approach you for certain construction needs?

Kyle Carlson: It’s the same sort of process that I went through for Home Take Over. My HGTV appearance was through a production company. For another show that I worked on, The Outdoor Room, it was more my knowledge of construction and that I could speak clearly on TV and help viewers to understand just what we were doing.

TCC: Does your work on television take you away from Los Angeles where your construction company is based, or do you try to stay around the same area?

Kyle Carlson: The OWN network show was in Oklahoma, Alabama and Arkansas, so I had to spend some time away from Los Angeles. I brought my brother in to Los Angeles for the time that I was going to be gone.

TCC: So you’re starting to work with your brother again?

Kyle Carlson: Yes, I think that now is a good time to work together again. We did well modeling together, and I needed to hire someone to help me. I want to team up with my brother who I respect. I know that he gets the job done. He also brings in financial side because he was running a couple nonprofit organizations. As far as new jobs, I’m going to let him get new contracts and take over on some of my projects if I’m out of town. He also really helped to remarket company logo.

TCC: Are you still doing modeling or planning on doing it in the future? And what’s up next on your list of things to do?

Kyle Carlson: I definitely want to get another home show going sometime. If I get a call for modeling, I would probably do it. I did a shoot yesterday, and before that, I hadn’t done a shoot in a long time. This was for American Crew and I had worked with them before, so I agreed to do it. I think I’m going to try to stick to construction, though. I’m really trying to work with my company to build brand awareness for C|3. I may want some endorsement as well, maybe team up with someone who does construction clothing. I’m looking for business deals down the line to really build up the brand. I have to continuously be in media and doing my thing in Los Angeles. I plan to continue to build for restaurants, bars and commercial buildings as well.

You can check out Kyle’s company on his website, c-3construction.com, or on Facebook.