How to Decorate

How to Decorate is produced by Ballard Designs, the home furnishings retailer, but it works as a genuine design education resource rather than a prolonged advertisement. Hosts Caroline McDonald, Taryn Schwartz, and Liz Anderson rotate through episodes that feature designer interviews, trend analysis, and practical how-to content. With 466 episodes in the archive, the show has covered an enormous range of topics — aging-in-place design, smart home integration, kitchen and bath trends, color selection strategies, and seasonal refresh ideas. A fan-favorite recurring segment is "Trials and Triumphs," where the hosts talk through their own home projects with honest accounts of what went wrong and what they learned. Episodes typically run 45 minutes to an hour, giving enough time for depth without dragging. The conversational format makes it accessible for homeowners who are not professionals but want to make better decorating decisions. The host roster has evolved over the years — original host Karen Mooney has moved on — but the show has maintained its practical, approachable tone throughout. At 4.4 stars from 821 ratings, some listeners note uneven chemistry between certain host combinations, but the design content itself remains consistently useful and well-researched.