Ballard Designs was founded in 1983 by Helen Ballard. Ballard got her start in the retail industry after winning Metropolitan Home magazine's home decorating contest. When the photos of her Ansley Park condo were published, more than 500 readers contacted the magazine asking where they could buy Ballard's furniture and accessories, especially a dolphin-based table. A year later, Ballard quit her job, sold her home and started Ballard Designs. The first catalog was a two-page black-and-white brochure featuring a replica of the dolphin-based table from her home. It became Ballard Designs' first big seller. In 1996 Ballard Designs merged with Cornerstone Brands, publisher of several home and apparel catalogs, including Frontgate, Garnet Hill and Smith+Noble. Cornerstone Brands was acquired by IAC/InterActive Corp in 2005 and later became a subsidiary of HSN, Inc. In 2007, Ballard Designs opened its first retail store in Tampa and expanded less than a year later to Jacksonville. Ballard continued to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Ballard Designs until she retired in 2002. She also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Cornerstone Brands. In 2010, the company partnered with award-winning designer, Suzanne Kasler, to create its first designer collection. In December 2012, Ballard Designs launched the Ballard+ app, an augmented reality shopping application developed by Marxent Labs which allows consumers to interact with the Ballard Designs catalog using their iOS device. The app has since been discontinued. Two years later, renowned interior designer and entertaining expert, Bunny Williams, became the second major designer to offer a signature collection under the Ballard Designs brand. Internationally noted designer Miles Redd was welcomed by the brand in 2017 with a collection of furniture and accessories inspired by classic architecture and old Hollywood. That same year, Ballard's parent company, HSN Inc., was acquired by Liberty Interactive, owner of QVCHome Shopping Network. Liberty Interactive was renamed Qurate Retail Group in 2018. Today, Ballard Designs circulates more than 45 million catalogs annually, operates an e-commerce website, and maintains a decorating blog and podcast. The company's retail expansion continues in 2018 with the opening of its flagship store in Atlanta, and a second Texas location in Dallas.
