‘HGTV Design Star’ Turns 20: Where Are the Winners Now?
The show that helped launch the careers of several HGTV stars is turning 20 years old.
This year marks two decades since HGTV Design Star debuted back in July 2006. The competition series followed groups of aspiring interior designers as they showed off their skills in a series of weekly design challenges. The last designer standing received the ultimate prize: the chance to host their very own HGTV show.
HGTV Design Star ran for eight seasons from 2006 to 2013, and aired a spinoff miniseries titled HGTV Design Star All Stars in 2012. Several stars hosted the show over the years, including Clive Pearse, Vern Yip, Tanika Ray, and Season 1 winner David Bromstad.
In 2021, the series was rebooted under a new title, Design Star: Next Gen. The revival, hosted by Allison Holker, only ran for one season.
In celebration of the show’s milestone anniversary, take a look back at the show’s winners and catch up with what they have been up to since winning HGTV Design Star.
Season 1: David Bromstad
Perhaps HGTV Design Star‘s most recognizable winner, Bromstad has been an HGTV mainstay since he won the show’s premiere season in 2006. Following the show, Bromstad launched his first-ever HGTV series, Color Splash, which ran from 2007 to 2013.
Since then, Bromstad has hosted and appeared on countless HGTV shows, including Bang For Your Buck, Beach Flip, Rock the Block, Brother vs. Brother, and House Hunters. He has also served as the host of My Lottery Dream Home since 2015.
Season 2: Kim Myles
Myles succeeded Bromstad as HGTV Design Star‘s next winner during Season 2 in 2007. Her debut series, Myles of Style, premiered the following year. She has appeared on several HGTV shows over the years, such as Battle of the Bling, Rock the Block, and Battle on the Mountain.
In 2022, she hosted the Discovery+ series High Design, which followed Myles as she renovated cannabis dispensaries across the country. In addition to her TV and design careers, Myles also works as an artist and hair salon owner, per her website.
Season 3: Jennifer Bertrand
Bertrand beat out the competition to become the Season 3 winner in 2008. Her debut series, Paint-Over! with Jennifer Bertrand, ran for one season in 2009. Though she hasn’t appeared on many HGTV shows since, she has served as a longtime host and designer on Lifetime‘s Military Makeover. Off the small screen, Bertrand works as an artist and participates in many speaking engagements, per her website.
In January 2025, Bertrand was accused of hitting a Missouri school staff member with her car after skipping the student pickup line. A warrant for her arrest was issued at the time, though Bertrand has not publicly addressed the incident.
Season 4: Antonio Ballatore
Ballatore followed Bromstad as the show’s second male winner during Season 4 in 2009. Like the winners before him, Ballatore went on to host his very own HGTV series, The Antonio Treatment, which aired from 2010 to 2011. He went on to host the Animal Planet series Animal Cribs, which ran from 2017 to 2019.
Though he has taken a break from the small screen, Ballatore continues to keep fans up-to-date on his day-to-day life via social media, including sharing several adorable photos of his dogs.
Season 5: Emily Henderson
Like Ballatore, Henderson has not done much TV work since winning Season 5 of HGTV Design Star in 2010. After the show, she went on to lead her debut HGTV series, Secrets from a Stylist, which ended after two seasons in 2011.
Henderson now runs her own interior design company and blog, and frequently shares her latest design projects and tips via social media.
Season 6: Meg Caswell
Caswell was crowned the winner of Season 6 in 2011, after which she hosted Meg’s Great Rooms for two seasons on HGTV. She also hosted the 2019 The Design Network series Welcome Home Angel, on which she helped renovate spaces for children with special needs and chronic illnesses.
Caswell continues to work on design projects through her company, Meg Caswell Style, and shares updates about her professional and family life via social media.
Season 7: Danielle Colding
After winning Season 7 in 2012, Colding went on to star on the one-season HGTV series Shop This Room. Like many of her fellow HGTV Design Star winners, Colding now operates her very own design firm, Danielle Colding Design, based in New York City. In 2020, she was named to Elle Decor’s A-List.
According to her website, Colding is a “frequent contributor” to organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House, DIFFA, and New York’s Housing Works “Design on a Dime” event, and is a member of the Black Artists and Designers Guild.
Season 8: Tiffany Brooks
Brooks was the last winner of HGTV Design Star during its initial run, having been crowned the victor of Season 8 in 2013. Though her debut series, $50k Three Ways, only lasted one season, she has appeared on a number of HGTV shows since, including HGTV Smart Home specials, Brother vs. Brother, and Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge. In 2021, she teamed with Bromstad to compete on Season 2 of Rock the Block.
Off the small screen, Brooks continues her design work through her company, Tiffany Brooks Interiors, and shares her latest projects and design advice on social media. In September 2025, Brooks revealed via Instagram that she was doing well after undergoing a kidney and pancreas transplant.
'HGTV Design Star All Stars': Leslie Ezelle
Though Ezelle didn’t win Season 6 of HGTV Design Star, she was one of several former contestants looking for a second chance at victory on HGTV Design Star All Stars in 2012. Unlike the typical HGTV Design Star prize, Ezelle didn’t get her own series after the competition, but rather a cash prize and the opportunity to make an appearance on an HGTV show.
Today, Ezelle continues to run her Dallas-based design firm, Leslie Ezelle Designs, and shares updates about her latest work with her social media followers.
‘Design Star: Next Gen': Carmeon Hamilton
Hamilton was the first and only winner of Design Star: Next Gen, which premiered in 2021. The rebooted series kept the original show’s same prize, and Hamilton went on to host HGTV’s Reno My Rental. She went on to appear on Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt‘s 100 Day Hotel Challenge in 2024.
Similar to her HGTV Design Star successors, Hamilton owns and operates Nubi Interiors and Hamilton Media Inc. and runs her own blog. She also uses social media to keep fans updated on her work and personal life.
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