Deserving Design

In many markets, "House Hunters" TV series are a few clicks beyond the reach of basic cable, airing on HGTV. For happy subscribers, though, "House Hunters" follows individuals and couples in hot pursuit of new homes under the skilled professional guidance of a realtor. Watching people compare, contrast, and ultimately choose among three competitively priced properties, viewers learn how to assess the value of an existing home, and how to close the deal on a desirable property. At the end of each episode, "new" owners take viewers on a tour of their house, showing changes and improvements they have made since moving and getting comfortable. "House Hunters" airs nightly, and episodes repeat at various times throughout the week. In recent years, the producers have yielded to viewers' pressure, showing purchase prices and locations. They often devote entire weeks to major markets, showing an array of neighborhoods and home styles.

House Hunters International TV show hosted and narrated by Whitaker, has concentrated on properties all over the world, particularly in Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, Japan and South America. Home hunters and their real estate agents check out all sorts of architectural styles and work through the idiosyncrasies of buying real estate in other countries. In any language, home buying is an emotional experience.

Yard Crashers TV show follows intriguing landscape transformations. You never know what you're gonna bring home from the home improvement store -- maybe some new patio chairs or a bag of cement -- or it could be professional landscaper Ahmed Hassan. It's like winning the landscape lottery: Ahmed waits at stores looking for the perfect weekend warriors who could use his help. People go in thinking they're just buying a bag of mulch, but instead come home with Ahmed and his team, who completely transform their landscape. It's ambush landscaping at its best!

To understand and appreciate "Color Splash," viewers need a little prior viewing experience with HGTV. Specifically, they need conversational knowledge of "HGTV Design Star," the network's "reality competition," which promises the winner his or her own show. Making good on that promise, HGTV hooked-up champion David Bromstad with everything he needed for his break-out show "Color Splash." Like HGTV headliners Vern Yin, Genevieve Gorder, and Candice Olsen, Bromstad demonstrates how charisma influences quality design, inspiring critics to use the word "vibrant" in descriptions of both the host and his rooms. Bromstad's aesthetic develops from one frighteningly simple principle: "Color is the root of great design." In the midst of economic recession, color probably doubles as the least expensive way to bring about an extreme home makeover. Working with ordinary if somewhat design-challenged homeowners, Bromstad "transforms tired rooms into vibrant, unforgettable spaces." Carpenter extraordinaire Danielle Hirsh co-hosts "Color Splash," complementing Bromstad's skill-set and adding the essential woman's touch to his concepts. Together, Bromstad and Hirsch show hapless homeowners how to draw all the drama and dazzle from carefully chosen tints and hues.