Here, we chatted with the gorgeous Spelman alum about design, HGTV and her natural hair journey.
ESSENCE.COM: Why were you the perfect host for Design Star?
TANIKA RAY: I’m a total design freak! It started in college — I couldn’t just move in my clothes and have bare walls. I had to freak my space! Your space is your sanctuary. It should reflect who you are 100 percent.
ESSENCE.COM: Your new show, “HGTV’d,” debuts in September! What’s it about?
TR: On this show, randomly picked fans get to have their homes redecorated by one of HGTV’s design stars! It’s been such a blast feeding off the their years of experience. It validates my own amateur design skills!
ESSENCE.COM: And now, on to what’s important… your hair! We’re huge fans! How long have you been natural?
TR: For about ten years! I got fed up with my hair and chopped it all off. When it grew out, I was like “Look at those curls… cool!” And I never looked back!
Check out Tanika’s hair gallery for more of her natural hair tips, tricks and product suggestions!