Debra Lillian Salmoni was born on July 17, 1985, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. At 15, she began offering informal design advice at Bombay Company, a furniture and home accessories retailer, helping customers select pieces for their homes. Though interior design was her passion, she enrolled at Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto, where she earned an advanced diploma in Business Administration – Marketing in 2008 — a decision she credits as essential to eventually running her own business. 

After graduating from Seneca, Salmoni took on marketing and sales roles before landing at Timothy Johnson Designs in 2010. Over the following decade, she developed her interior design expertise and eventually founded Debra Lillian Design, her own boutique firm. Her TV break came when a makeup artist working with her husband mentioned her name to a casting director. This led her to the HGTV show, Scott’s Vacation House Rules. 

Scott’s Vacation House Rules premiered on HGTV Canada in 2020, with Salmoni serving as principal designer alongside Scott McGillivray. She also appeared as a guest judge on Renovation Resort Showdown Season 2 in 2025. Off-screen, she continues to be involved in her design firm.