Todd Oldham rocks his own house

Half the fun of meeting Todd Oldham is getting to hang out in his Tribeca apartment, a quirky funhouse of bright colors, high-end artwork and kitschy knicknacks.

If you want a window into the psyche of Oldham, the multi-tasking designer known for his modern and playful style, you'd need only to scan the living room: The walls are coated in a pattern of yellow and orange vertical stripes, which clash harmoniously with the pink and green oversized rugs, and an ottoman upholstered in lady bug fabric. Artfully arranged stacks of books coexist with stuffed animals, including a sock puppet.

There's a blue bowl formed by melted plastic soldiers and a framed Playboy photograph of a topless Bettie Page hanging a Christmas ornament, signed by Hef himself.

The space is a little bit flea market, a little bit Pee-wee Herman - and all Oldham, who rose to fame in the '90s as a high-fashion designer before expanding his business into interior design and other endeavors.

"I don't try to describe it," he says of his personal taste. "I guess if I put words to it, I don't know, it's maybe eclectic and comfortable. ... I have more of a psychological and emotional approach toward design, just trying to make a place where people can feel fantastic or exude some part of their personality."

The 46-year-old is the feel-good mentor to 13 contestants on the Bravo reality series "Top Design," which tosses aspiring interior designers into a series of rigorous challenges aimed at whittling down the competition to one winning designer. The show began its second season this week.

Oldham - whose resume includes designing hotels, restaurants and a line of dorm room furniture for Target - said he wouldn't have the guts to compete in the series, which follows the structure of Bravo's "Project Runway" and "Top Chef."

"I would not want to be a contestant on this show at all," he says. "It's just too brutal. I said it before, but this is the only show I know on TV that is a thousand times harder than what it looks. It was way, way harder than what it looked like."

Could he hack it?

"Oh, I could totally hack it! I'm just not up for it," said Oldham, whose favorite challenge was one in which his mentees were assigned to make over bomb shelters.

The season brings back judges Jonathan Adler, Margaret Russell and Kelly Wearstler. New to the series is leggy fashionista India Hicks, who replaces Oldham in the role as host (and utterer of the elimination catch phrase: "We can't live with your design.").

Oldham, who juggled hosting and mentoring duties last season, said his hectic schedule allowed him to reprise his preferred position as the show's well-liked, neutral cheerleader - the Tim Gunn to Adler's Michael Kors and Wearstler's Nina Garcia.

The chatty, sunny Texas native - a regular guest on the former MTV show "House of Style" - said he wouldn't feel comfortable on the judges' panel.

"I understand how subjective design is. ... I could promote both sides and never come to a solution. I'm a bad fit for judging like that. Pecking orders confuse me, so I don't think like that," he said.

One thing he is not confused about is how to multi-task.

The boyish designer has multiple plates spinning at all times, whether it's overseeing the design studio he founded in 1999; appearing on TV; or tending to his most high-profile gig, creative director of Old Navy.

The clothing retailer hired Oldham last fall to revive the Gap Inc. brand, which faces heavy competition from trendy mass market stores like Forever 21 and H&M.

"I have 160 designers that I work with, and it's peculiar and challenging but it's working," he said. "It's very organic. You just try to keep people united and talking. ... It's just a matter of leaving out some less pretty colors and making sure it's all nice. We're trying."

Oldham's influence - readily visible in the current fall collection in the design of a blue blazer with pink trim - has garnered positive reviews. He recently introduced flashier styles in the stores, with sequins added to minidresses, tank tops and vests.

"June was the first stuff I've worked on, which also was the first month we've become profitable in a long time. ... I'm not claiming I have anything to do with it, I'm just noting the coincidence," he said, laughing.

Oldham, whose grandmother taught him how to sew at age 9, was ready to return to the fashion prominence after a long hiatus.

Last year, "I was either going to go to Europe and revamp a couture house ... or find a way to reach people with something interesting that didn't have anything to do with money or the spectacle of fashion. And so Old Navy to me looked like it was a very very most interesting group that had the most possibility. A future leaning success. So hopefully, I think, I chose right."

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