Lights, camera, construction: Folsom interior designer lands HGTV pilot ‘Wasted Space’

Folsom Interior designer Leyla Jaworski made a splash this week with a new entry in HGTV’s already saturated home improvement genre. Her special twist: the use of sensors to remodel homes.

Jaworski’s show, “Wasted Space,” premiered Monday and took viewers on an hour-long ride showing a $200,000 rebuilding project for a Loomis family home.

Before work began, sensors were placed within the home to record the family’s normal traffic and activity patterns. Jaworski, the founder of Design Shop Interiors and The Shop by Design Shop in Folsom, then used the sensor data to reconfigure the home without adding square footage over four months of construction.

Jaworski, who usually rocks jeans and a pair of Converse shoes, gave the go-ahead to tear down the home’s walls and move its plumbing among other significant changes. In the end, a new home was created within its existing footprint.

Produced by Big Table Media of Sacramento, “Wasted Space” is currently in a trial period as the first show was a test of viewer interest. If enough viewers tuned in and remained engaged, HGTV will greenlight at least nine more episodes.