HGTV Design Star

Home and Garden Television's (HGTV) Design Star is a reality competition show that has interior designers competing for their own HGTV design show. The contestants are given a new interior design challenge each week and are a judged by a group of star interior designers. The judges are either interior design stars from other shows such as Genevieve Gorder and Vern Yip or well-known designers such as Cynthia Rowley.

During the weekly challenges contestants are asked to think outside the box and come up with a design that is creative and smart. Past challenges have asked contestants to design everything from a New York City townhouse to a wedding reception to a Hawaiian hotel suite. Many times contestants need to design a living space with items not usually found in interior design showrooms such as items from a 99cent store or a pet store. Contestants are also often asked to incorporate non-traditional items such as things from a yard or a musical instrument into their design.

HGTV Design Star likes to see how contestants work together. Often, they are placed into teams both large and small in order for the judges and the viewers to get an idea of how well future stars work with others. With the addition of a team captain, we also get a glimpse of how well a contestant can take on a leadership role.

To add to the excitement, contestants are often put under budgetary and time constraints. In some episodes contestants have less than 24 hours and under $500 to design an entire room. The following week contestants may get over $10,000 and a few days to complete their design. The fun part is that contestants just never know what they will be up against that week ,and while a designer may flourish one week, the next week they will be at the bottom.

The highlights of every show really are the designs themselves, the transformation from a blank slate to something amazing. In a day or two a plain bedroom is turned into a work of art complete with textures, wall coverings, art work, functional furniture, and lighting. Contestants even spend time coming up with new furniture ideas. In one episode a contestant repurposed a side table into a stylish and functional ottoman with just a floor rug.

HGTV's Design Star is not just about the competition. That's fun, but the real fun is seeing the final product. These contestants are creative and offer up great ideas for your own home. Currently in its seventh season, Design Star is here to stay.