Bell Media has set Oct. 16 as the premiere date for The Search For Canada’s Next Designer, the first original design series to debut on food and lifestyle channel, Gusto.

Produced by Bell Media’s in-house production team, the six-part 30-minute series will air on Sundays at 9 p.m.

Hosted by design expert Tommy Smythe (The Marilyn Denis Show), the series sees six budding designers using IKEA Canada products to demonstrate their prowess and avoid weekly eliminations. The winner will receive a design contract with IKEA Canada.

The partnership with IKEA is Bell Media’s “first foray into a series-wide integrated partnership on a specialty channel,” said Alyson Walker, VP, brand partnerships, Bell Media, in a press release announcing Canada’s Next Designer‘s launch. 

Beginning on Oct. 20, encore episodes will air on CTV Two on Thursdays at 10 p.m.

Last month Bell Media announced its in-house team would produce The Search For Canada’s Next Designer, while Gusto Worldwide Media would produce two new series The Urban Vegetarian (15 x 30 minutes) and The Latin Kitchen (15 x 30 minutes) and well as new seasons of  A is for Apple, Fish the Dish and One World Kitchen.

In May, Bell Media acquired the rights to the Gusto TV brand in Canada and made the decision to tap a broader audience by expanding the channel’s remit, which previously focused solely on culinary content, by adding fashion, travel and lifestyle series. Then last month, MuchMoreMusic was pulled from from the air to make room for the new Gusto channel.

The Search For Canada’s Next Designer is executive produced by Michelle Crespi and co-executive produced by John Simpson.