EA and HGTV Are Bringing ‘Fixer to Fabulous’ Challenges to ‘Design Home’ — We Chat About How This Collab Came To Be (Interview)

Design Home is one of those games that has indeed taken me and my wife by surprise. As a couple that loves playing games like House Flipper 2? Design Home has also become a daily staple for us to jump into. Comparing how we would tackle the same house is a joy. Now that HGTV’s Fixer To Fabulous is heading to the gorgeous mobile game, we’ve got even more ways to play. I had the opportunity to chat with Electronic Arts about how the collaboration came to be, what players can expect, and more.

‘Design Home’ is one of the most downloaded apps on the Google Play Store and App Store. How did this collaboration between HGTV and ‘Design Home’ pan out? 

So, it was a natural fit to bring HGTV’s world-class brands and shows into Design Home. And similarly, for their hosts to use our game as inspiration for their latest designs. As a design game with a large player base that uses real-world brands and furniture, we are always looking for ways to make our players feel like true designers. 

Is this going to be a limited-time collaboration, or will the HGTV content be available for the foreseeable future? 

HGTV-inspired challenges will be available weekly starting on February 19. So, we encourage players to participate in as many challenges as they can. 

When it came to working with Dave and Jenny Marrs from ‘Fixer to Fabulous’, how did they influence the content? 

Dave and Jenny Marrs use their expertise to transform historic homes around Bentonville, Arkansas, into amazing livable spaces. With this Design Home collaboration, we wanted to put players directly into their shoes. Through new challenges such as “Bentonville Beauty”, players are transported to unique rooms in Arkansas where they can get a little taste of what the Marrs do on a day-to-day basis. While also creating designs that are completely their own. We will also have new challenges based on HGTV’s House Hunters that players can look forward to soon! 

Can we expect Dave and Jenny to pop up during gameplay, or is the focus going to primarily be on the housebound efforts they’ve put toward ‘Design Home’? 

The focus will be on the new challenges that allow players to create their own designs based on Jenny and Dave’s work in Fixer to Fabulous. However, players who’d like to see more can tune into the upcoming Season 6 episode of Fixer to Fabulous on March 25 at 8|7c on HGTV, and available to stream the next day on Max and Discovery+. Hosts Dave and Jenny Marrs will take a break to play Design Home challenges and show off their creativity to each other.

As one of the most accessible free-to-download games on mobile storefronts, what goes into ensuring that ‘Design Home’ hits that perfect mark between accessible and challenging? 

Our goal for Design Home is to give players the opportunity to step into the shoes of an interior designer. To create the designs of their dreams in exciting spaces all over the world. To facilitate this, we think it’s important to have easy-to-navigate menus and a gameplay system that puts challenges and aspects of interior design, such as buying and arranging furniture, at the forefront.

We are always adding new challenges, events, and more to keep players engaged and test their abilities. Plus, our design voting system allows players to see what other fellow designers are creating. Favorite the ones they like the most, check out the top-rated designs, and even follow other designers. There are so many ways to earn rewards and be the best designer they can be!

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I would like to thank Electronic Arts for taking the time to speak with me regarding the Design Home x HGTV Fixer to Fabulous collaboration. This event will be going live on February 19, 2025. Design Home is free to download on iOS and Android.