Hallmark+ is expanding its original programming lineup with Home is Where the Heart Is, a home renovation series that brings a deeply personal touch to design. Hosted by Hallmark fan-favorite Luke Macfarlane, the show merges heartfelt storytelling with home transformation, making it a unique addition to the network’s catalog.
Blavity’s Shadow and Act chatted with Macfarlane, co-host and designer Olivia Westbrooks and executive producer Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh at the 2025 SCAD TVfest about the show’s upcoming premiere.
A different kind of home design show
Unlike traditional home renovation series, Home is Where the Heart Is prioritizes the emotional connection families have with their homes. Westbrooks explained how the show sets itself apart.
“What I really love about our show is that we do engage with the families in a way that is very personal to who they are, to the history of their families, to the history of the home that we’re working on, to the memories that they built with their families,” she told us. “It has a very heartwarming [feel]… I say it feels like a hug or like a bowl of soup, or gumbo. I keep throwing that out, but it’s very comforting and it tells the human story. It’s really story-forward more than design-forward. There’s beautiful designs, but it is—all the foundation of it is the story of the family.”
Macfarlane, who also executive produces, echoes this sentiment, highlighting the show’s people-first approach.
He said, “We’re not telling you what good design is and do this. We’re saying, ‘Who are you?’ And I think that is different for a lot of people. I always think of that show Say Yes to the Dress, and it’s really about the person being convinced that this is right for them rather than saying like, ‘What do you really like?’ We spend a lot of time drawing who the people are out.”
Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh, an executive producer on the show, further elaborates on its emotional depth.
“It’s an emotional design show, so you’re really looking at how to create design through a narrative lens as opposed to it just being objects that you’re putting in a room,” she said. “It’s like how can your house tell a story about who you are?”
A first for Hallmark
Hallmark brand is known for its signature heartwarming stories, but Home is Where the Heart Is marks its first foray into home renovation programming. Macfarlane recognizes the challenge of blending the format of a home makeover show with Hallmark’s signature style.
“Home renovation shows have a unique sort of thing in that you’re always trying to get the audience through the entire episode,” he said. “And no matter what, no matter if it’s daytime television or primetime television, a built-in sort of thing about home design shows—you wanna see the before and you wanna see the after. So when Hallmark said they wanted to design, I think we were always like, but how can we do it for you guys, because they want that. People watch design shows through the end because they want to see what it looks like. So the unique challenge for Hallmark was like how do we do that within the Hallmark sort of framework.”
The series premieres March 20 on Hallmark+.
