About® John DeSilvia
John DeSilvia (aka "Johnny D") is one of the most visible hosts for DIY Network and the host of three of the network's programs. A tough-as-nails Brooklyn native, licensed contractor and former union carpenter, John is the host for the network's hit shows: Ten Grand in Your Hand, Run My Renovation, and Blog Cabin.
John began his career in the corporate construction world, then started his own general contracting company, owned his own restaurant and then moved on to start his own development company. He began his television career after being approached by a friend who owned a television production company and asked John if he wanted to host a show about his business. A television career was born and John was hired to host DIY's Under Construction, a show that gave viewers an in-depth look at the real world of contracting. On Under Construction, John demolished, built, renovated and refurbished projects all over the Big Apple.
On the hit show 10 Grand in Your Hand John shows real homeowners how to cut up to $10,000 from their renovation and remodeling projects. He offers homeowners smart advice on new materials and technologies, plus essential how-to info on doing some of the basic work themselves. Homeowners are amazed how much he can shave off their total budget, leaving serious cash available to spend on another project, a vacation or a new toy.
On the new interactive DYI show Run My Renovation, John helps homeowners with a renovation project free of charge. The twist is that neither John nor the homeowners have any say in what goes into the renovation. Through the choices that John and his team provide, online voters decide what kind of cabinets, flooring, countertops, paint, lighting, and other elements the team puts into the renovation. John reveals the winning votes on the materials throughout the show and then teaches the homeowners to handle the entire build out.
Blog Cabin has the same premise of Run My Renovation as online voters decide what goes into the cabin, which is not owned by anyone. The difference is that someone will win the cabin in a sweepstakes contest with millions of online voters. For each episode of Blog Cabin, a different expert DIY host is brought in to complete a part of the home.
A "Division A" licensed contractor, John earned a degree from Pratt Engineering School. After graduation he learned the ropes with two of the world's leading construction firms, then took the plunge and opened his own company, Brooklyn's Design Tech.
John lives in Brooklyn with his wife and twin girls and he loves what he does for a living.
