HGTV Design Star Finale: Winner announced

This week on HGTVDesign Star the final two designers competed for their very own HGTV design show. We’ve got the details on the exciting final show and thoughts from this season’s winner – Meg Caswell!

The challenge of all challenges

The final episode of this season’s HGTV Design Star aired Monday and the last challenge was a doozy. Karl and Meg were the last two designers left standing after Mark was sent packing last week (cue the violins please, because we loved Mark) and their mission was to create potential HGTV pilots for their own design show.

At the beginning of this season, Karl and Meg were not early picks for the win, but both proved themselves worthy contenders by improving week after week. Karl had design savvy, but was nervous on camera. Meg was a natural pro in front of the camera, but had an issue with time management.

Drumroll please

Though both finalists were successful in presenting their own HGTV show pilot, only one could be crowned this year’s HGTV Design Star. The judges overwhelmingly picked Meg as this year’s winner.

Meg’s thoughts on the big win

SheKnows: Your clients for the mock pilot challenge on the finale seemed over-the-moon with the results in their living space — what was it like revealing the space to them?

Meg: I felt so honored to be able to give them such a beautiful room. She had been in the hospital the night before with contractions so the baby was due any minute and to know they were going to be able to bring their baby home to such a beautiful space and have their family around them in such a warm and elegant environment was really rewarding. We all cried throughout the reveal and hugged about thousand times. I really wanted to be able to give them everything they wanted and once I saw their faces I was so relieved to see that we had accomplished our goal!

SheKnows: What was going through your mind when they announced that you were the next HGTV Design Star?

Meg: Right before they annouced I was the winner, you can see in my face that I’m terrified. The moment we had been waiting for all those weeks was finally here and for some reason right before Tanika annouced it, I just couldn’t believe that we were only seconds away from learning who was going to win.

Karl is such an amazing person and designer so I knew whoever was going to win was going to be great. So, right when she said my name I almost collapsed. I have never felt such an overwhelming amount of emotion at one time. I have always wanted my own show and my dream was coming true right in that moment!

SheKnows: Can you tell us a little bit about your new series HGTV Great Rooms?

Meg: HGTV Great Rooms is about updating and creating beautifully designed, multifunctional rooms customized for my client’s passions. I’m listening to the homeowners ideas and wishes for their underutilized rooms and taking them one step further to create amazing spaces. I am always thinking about how to make spaces bigger and better. The first episode airs this Saturday, September 17th at 6pm. I can’t wait to watch it with my friends and family!

Check out more of Meg’s design inspirations on HGTV Great Rooms Saturdays at 6pm on HGTV.

More about HGTV Design Star

HGTV’s Design Star recap: Dream kitchens or disasters?
HGTV Design Star: Design tips from finalist Mark Diaz
HGTV Design Star Recap: Finalists compete on The Nate Berkus Show