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Color Splash

Color Splash is an reality television series on the HGTV network, hosted by interior designer , which originally aired from March 19, 2007, to March 17, 2012. The show follows Bromstad, the winner of the first season of HGTV's Design Star in 2006, as he leads a design team in transforming outdated or uninspired rooms into vibrant, colorful spaces. Each episode typically features a complete room makeover, emphasizing bold use of color, of everyday items, incorporation of natural elements, and architectural details to achieve functional yet artistic results. Over its run, Color Splash spanned 11 seasons and more than 100 episodes, gaining popularity for Bromstad's energetic personality and creative approaches to home design, while offering viewers practical tips on and DIY projects. The series has since become available for streaming on platforms like Discovery+, allowing new audiences to revisit its colorful transformations.

Overview

Premise

Color Splash is a reality makeover series that centers on revitalizing outdated or uninspired home interiors through the strategic application of bold, vibrant colors. Hosted by , the inaugural winner of HGTV's Design Star, the show selects everyday homeowners facing bland or fatiguing spaces and collaborates with a Miami-based design team to overhaul rooms into personalized, energetic environments. The core premise emphasizes color as a transformative force, extending beyond mere decoration to influence emotional resonance, enhance functionality, and align with the residents' lifestyles and aspirations. In each transformation, color serves as the thematic anchor, infusing spaces with vitality and character tailored to the homeowners' needs. For instance, a dull might be reimagined as a bold retreat, incorporating dramatic hues and to create a warm, inviting hub for family gatherings. Similarly, a could evolve into a playful kids' zone, such as an under-the-sea playroom bursting with aquatic blues and greens to spark imagination and activity. These designs draw from the homeowners' inspirations, ensuring the final result reflects their personality while addressing practical pain points like poor or lack of cohesion. The process begins with in-depth client consultations, where homeowners articulate their color preferences, daily challenges, and visionary ideas for the space. Bromstad and his team use this input to craft custom schemes that evoke specific moods—whether energizing a home office with citrus tones or soothing a with serene pastels—ultimately delivering makeovers that breathe new life into the home. This client-centric approach underscores the show's commitment to accessible, impactful design that democratizes vibrant aesthetics for ordinary households.

Format

Episodes of Color Splash typically run for approximately 30 minutes and are structured into distinct acts that guide viewers through the makeover process. The episode opens with an initial client interview, where host meets the homeowners, tours the existing space, and discusses their lifestyle needs, preferences, and challenges with the room. This is followed by a design reveal, in which Bromstad presents conceptual sketches, mood boards, or preliminary ideas emphasizing bold color integration to transform the area. A shopping and preparation montage then depicts Bromstad and his team sourcing fabrics, paints, furniture, and custom elements, often highlighting the collaborative execution with the Miami-based crew. The sequence builds to the reveal, where the homeowners return to view the completed space, followed by a post-transformation tour led by Bromstad to detail the final layout and functionality. Signature on-screen rituals add flair to the procedural flow, particularly Bromstad's "color splash" moments, in which he dramatically unveils or applies vibrant paints and fabrics to underscore the revitalizing effect of color on dull interiors. Before-and-after visuals are a core element, frequently intercut throughout to contrast the original drab room with progressive updates and the stunning finale, enhancing the visual impact of the changes. Educational segments are woven into the design and preparation phases, offering accessible insights into color theory fundamentals, such as selecting to create harmony or using specific hues to evoke moods like energy from warm tones or calm from cool shades. These explanations are tied directly to the episode's , demonstrating practical applications during and . Homeowners play an active role throughout, providing input during the initial and exercising rights over proposed elements to ensure the design aligns with their vision, culminating in captured emotional reactions—often tears of joy or surprise—during the reveal to highlight the personal significance of the transformation.

Production

Development

Color Splash was created in 2006 as a direct result of David Bromstad's victory in the first season of HGTV's Design Star, where his bold and colorful design approach during the competition impressed network producers and positioned the series as his breakout solo hosting project. The show emerged as a opportunity to showcase Bromstad's expertise in vibrant transformations, capitalizing on his win to launch a dedicated program centered on his artistic style. HGTV developed to address a growing niche for color-centric home makeovers, reflecting the mid-2000s shift in trends away from the of the early 2000s toward bolder palettes and vibrant accents. Producers specifically narrowed the format to emphasize color as the primary element, aiming to inspire viewers with accessible techniques rather than overwhelming full-scale redesigns, in response to rising interest in hues like paired with brown in 2005 and Regency-inspired bold aesthetics in 2006. This focus allowed the series to differentiate itself within HGTV's lineup by prioritizing relatable, color-driven changes over complex structural alterations. In the lead-up to its premiere, produced two pilot episodes in 2006 to refine the color-centric concept, with the first pilot rejected due to pacing issues and the second approved after revisions. Network executives provided key input during this phase, directing adjustments to highlight Bromstad's energetic personality and a more dynamic format that emphasized practical tips for average homeowners, ensuring the show remained approachable and avoided overly fantastical elements like children's room designs. The second pilot, filmed in a condo, successfully demonstrated the envisioned makeover style and secured greenlight for the series.

Filming and crew

The production of Color Splash was primarily based in Miami, Florida, following the show's relocation in 2010 from its initial seasons in , , allowing host to incorporate local inspirations into the designs. Episodes were filmed on-site at homeowners' residences throughout the , including locations such as , , , and , to capture authentic transformations in diverse settings. The core crew included a Miami-based team supporting Bromstad, with key roles filled by series producer Nina Joseph and co-executive producer Ming Lee Howell, who oversaw the logistical aspects of sourcing materials and coordinating makeovers. Design assistants, such as Danielle Hirsch, assisted in on-the-ground tasks like color selection from local vendors, often finalizing palettes on the day of filming to match natural lighting conditions. The team typically comprised 4-6 members handling fabrication and support, though directors rotated among staff to manage the fast-paced shoots. Bromstad maintained a hands-on throughout production, personally handling , artwork creation, and assembly of custom elements, such as one-of-a-kind pieces left in renovated spaces, while the crew provided off-camera assistance for heavy lifting and logistics. Makeovers were executed over intensive periods, often spanning 3-5 days per room to compress the timeline for television, emphasizing creative problem-solving under budget constraints.

Broadcast

Premiere and run

Color Splash premiered on on March 19, 2007, with the debut episode titled "Bold Red Living Room," in which host transformed a drab space into a vibrant area inspired by bold hues. The series aired weekly at 10:00 PM during its initial run, initially on Sundays before shifting to a regular Saturday slot. The show ran for 11 seasons over five years, from 2007 to 2012, with episode counts per season varying between 6 and 13, resulting in a total of approximately 134 episodes. Later seasons incorporated thematic elements, such as "summer colors" to emphasize seasonal palettes in room designs. The series experienced periods, including a gap of over 12 months between productions, partly due to Bromstad's scheduling conflicts with other projects like guest appearances and competitions. Production concluded after the 2011–2012 season, with the series finale airing on February 28, 2012, as shifted its programming focus toward property renovation and content, leading to the decision not to renew Color Splash. Evolving network priorities ultimately ended the run.

Distribution

Color Splash maintained initial exclusivity on within the , with reruns commencing on the sister network DIY Network in 2008 and achieving peak availability by 2010. International distribution began in 2009. Following the show's conclusion in 2012, digital rights enabled broader access through streaming platforms, including full seasons on Prime Video starting in 2015, the app from 2018 onward, and from 2020, alongside options for episodic purchases on . As of November 2025, the series is available for streaming on Discovery+, , and . Merchandise tie-ins complemented the show's reach, featuring David Bromstad's color palette kits sold exclusively through HGTV's online store from 2009 to 2014, allowing fans to replicate signature designs at home.

Reception

Critical response

Color Splash received generally positive reception from viewers for its energetic approach to , particularly David Bromstad's charismatic hosting style and his innovative application of bold colors to transform ordinary spaces. On , the series holds an aggregate rating of 7.3 out of 10 based on user reviews, with many praising Bromstad's ability to make vibrant design accessible and fun. Critics and later analyses noted some drawbacks in the show's format as it progressed into additional seasons, pointing to repetitive room makeovers and an over-reliance on trend-driven color schemes that sometimes clashed with evolving homeowner preferences for palettes. Despite these critiques, the series was acclaimed for democratizing by offering practical tips on incorporating color affordably, helping viewers experiment without major renovations. The program promoted cost-effective ways to refresh homes through paint and accents.

Viewership

The premiere episode of Color Splash aired in March 2007. Viewership for the series peaked during season 3 in 2009, coinciding with an economic recovery that boosted interest in programming across cable networks. The show's target demographic consisted primarily of women aged 25-54, consistent with 's core audience composition. This alignment contributed to steady engagement in key metrics for content during its initial seasons. Post-2010, Color Splash experienced season-by-season declines in linear viewership, amid rising competition from emerging series such as . In recent years, the series has seen a streaming resurgence, reflecting sustained appeal among nostalgic audiences and available on platforms including Prime Video and Discovery+.

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