Carter Oosterhouse: Biography, HGTV Career, Wife and Life in 2026
Carter Oosterhouse is an American carpenter, television host and businessman from Traverse City, Michigan. Viewers first met him as a carpenter on TLC’s Trading Spaces, and many now associate him with HGTV, the US home and garden network, through Carter Can and later projects. In 2026 he returned to the spotlight as a mentor on Totally ’90s House and as a newly announced contestant on Rock the Block. This guide separates confirmed facts from repeated rumour, covering his age, career, marriage to actress Amy Smart, business interests and charity work. Details were checked on October 15, 2026.
Who Is Carter Oosterhouse from HGTV?
Carter Oosterhouse’s HGTV searches usually point to a carpenter turned host who moved into television in the early 2000s and has since worked as a judge and brand spokesperson. The table below summarises the verified basics.
| Detail | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Carter Nicholas Oosterhouse |
| Birthday | September 19, 1976 |
| Age | 50 (as of October 15, 2026) |
| Birthplace | Traverse City, Michigan, United States |
| Education | Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools; B.A. in nutrition and communication, Central Michigan University |
| Profession | Carpenter, television host, former model |
| Wife | Amy Smart, actress |
| Marriage date | September 10, 2011 |
| Best known programmes | Trading Spaces, Carter Can, Red Hot & Green, Million Dollar Rooms, The Great Christmas Light Fight |
| Business connection | Co-founder of Bonobo Winery with his brother Todd |
| Charity | Founder of Carter’s Kids |
Carter Oosterhouse Biography and Early Life
Where Was Carter Oosterhouse Born?
He was born in Traverse City, a lakeside town in northern Michigan known for its cherry harvest and wine region. He grew up there, attended local Catholic schools and still keeps a farmhouse in the area, where he and his family spend summers. Family details beyond his brothers Todd and Tyler, both carpenters, are not well documented by reliable sources, so they are left out.
Carter Oosterhouse Age, Birthday and Height
His birthday is September 19, 1976, so he turned 50 in September 2026. Some older profiles still list him as 49, which is now out of date. No reliable official source gives his height, so this article does not state one. Online figures vary and are usually unsourced.
Carter Oosterhouse’s Education and Carpentry Background
He began learning carpentry as a child by apprenticing with a neighbour who was a carpenter. One biography says he started at age 10, while a 2013 press release says 12, so the exact age is uncertain. His older brothers Todd and Tyler also became carpenters, and he kept working in construction through his school years. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and communication at Central Michigan University, graduating in 2000 according to the university’s alumni reporting.
After college he moved to Los Angeles to pursue film and television. His first industry work was behind the camera: he worked as a production assistant and tape coordinator on Project Greenlight before auditioning for a TLC series.
How Carter Oosterhouse Became Famous
Carter Oosterhouse’s Career Before and After Trading Spaces
Oosterhouse joined Trading Spaces in 2003, during its fourth season. The show paired neighbours who redecorated a room in each other’s homes, and Oosterhouse worked as one of the resident carpenters. He remained with the programme until 2007. Trading Spaces aired on TLC, not HGTV, so the common label “HGTV star” reflects his later network rather than his breakthrough. His Carter Oosterhouse HGTV career began only after he left that show.
During those years he also appeared on CBS Sunday Morning in 2004, remodelling a correspondent’s office, and contributed to NBC’s Three Wishes in 2005. He later moved to HGTV, which announced his first solo series in 2007.
Carter Can and His HGTV Career
His HGTV debut as a solo host came when Carter Can premiered on October 4, 2007. Each episode followed Oosterhouse as he rescued homeowners whose projects seemed too costly or complicated, using his building skills. A companion programme, The Inside Job, aired on the DIY Network. Sources disagree on when Carter Can ended, so no end date is given here.
Red Hot and Green and Sustainable Design
Red Hot & Green arrived in early 2008, co-hosted with Nicole Facciuto. It promoted eco-friendly materials for earth-friendly living, explaining to US viewers how greener products could work in ordinary homes. This was a natural extension of Carter Can, which already featured green solutions such as bamboo flooring and environmentally friendly countertops.
Million Dollar Rooms and Other Television Projects
Million Dollar Rooms, hosted by Oosterhouse, toured extravagant spaces inside luxury homes. Its first season aired in 2012, and listings show three seasons. Some biographies place the show in 2008, which conflicts with episode records, so 2012 is the safer start date.
Since 2015 he has co-hosted The Great Christmas Light Fight on ABC alongside designer Taniya Nayak. He was still co-hosting in season 13, which premiered on December 4, 2025. No 2026 season announcement had been confirmed at the research date.
Carter Oosterhouse’s Career Timeline and TV Shows
The table below lists his main TV shows and separates when each programme launched from Carter’s own involvement. Where a start or end year could not be confirmed, none is given.
| Year or period | Programme or milestone | Carter’s verified role | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 to 2007 | Trading Spaces (TLC) | Carpenter, from season four | Trading Spaces reference page |
| 2004 | CBS Sunday Morning | Guest remodeller | Biographical summaries |
| 2005 | Three Wishes (NBC) | Contributor | Biographical summaries |
| From October 2007 | Carter Can (HGTV) | Host | Episode records, press coverage |
| Early 2008 | Red Hot & Green (HGTV) | Co-host with Nicole Facciuto | Press release, biographical summaries |
| From 2012 | Million Dollar Rooms (HGTV) | Host | Episode records |
| From 2015 | The Great Christmas Light Fight (ABC) | Co-host and judge | Reference page, ABC coverage |
| August 2026 | Totally ’90s House (HGTV) | Design mentor | HGTV, trade coverage |
| Announced October 2026 | Rock the Block Season 8 (HGTV) | Competitor with Paige Davis | HGTV announcement |
Carter Oosterhouse and Amy Smart
How Carter Oosterhouse and Amy Smart Met
The couple met through environmental work. TV Insider reports that they began dating, became engaged about seven months later, and married in 2011.
When Did Carter Oosterhouse Marry Amy Smart?
He married Amy Smart on September 10, 2011, in his hometown of Traverse City. Both People and Us Weekly reported the wedding at the time. In 2026 they are approaching fifteen years of marriage. Oosterhouse paid tribute to Smart on her 50th birthday in March 2026.
Carter Oosterhouse’s Daughter and Family Life
The couple have one daughter, Flora, born in December 2016 through a surrogate, as Smart explained publicly in 2017. They split time between California and a century-old farmhouse in Traverse City that Oosterhouse renovated. Beyond these confirmed details, this article leaves the family’s private life alone.
Allegations From 2017
In December 2017, a former makeup artist from Carter Can told The Hollywood Reporter that he coerced her into sex acts during 2008. Oosterhouse acknowledged an intimate relationship but said it was consensual. No court ruling on the claims was found in this research, and a Michigan credit union suspended its marketing partnership with him. He remained a co-host of The Great Christmas Light Fight in later years.
Carter Oosterhouse Net Worth, Earnings and Business Ventures
What Is Publicly Known About His Earnings?
No verified figure exists for Carter Oosterhouse’s net worth. He has never published a financial disclosure that this research could find, and reputable outlets do not report one. Websites do publish estimates, but they range widely, from low single-digit millions to well above ten million dollars, with no stated method. Several of these pages recycle each other or add invented details, so none is repeated here.
What can be documented is the kinds of work that plausibly generate income, without assigning any amounts. These include:
- Television hosting on HGTV, ABC and earlier TLC programmes, the core of the Carter Oosterhouse HGTV career.
- Brand work, such as the face of Nautica’s Voyage fragrance and past advertising for Nivea, Bud Light and Gillette.
- A media campaign in April 2026 that promoted products from brands including Dremel and Serta Simmons Bedding.
Fees for these jobs are not public. It is also important not to confuse business revenue, a company’s valuation, a property’s price and personal wealth. A winery’s sales, for example, say nothing reliable about one co-founder’s finances.
Carter Oosterhouse and Bonobo Winery
Bonobo Winery sits on Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City. Its official website says Todd and Carter Oosterhouse founded it. A 2014 launch announcement dates the founding to 2010 and described an opening planned for that October. Todd is described in a local profile as owner and general manager. Carter is documented as a co-founder, but the ownership split and his day-to-day role are not public, so no further title is assigned to him.
Carter Oosterhouse’s Sustainable Home Improvement Work
His environmental credentials rest on specific projects rather than general advice. Carter Can built green choices into renovations, and Red Hot & Green made eco-friendly materials its central subject. He has also attended Environmental Media Association events, and in 2011 his charity worked with that organisation and Rebuilding Together on a community revitalisation in San Fernando, California.
Carter’s Kids Charity and Community Work
Carter’s Kids is a nonprofit that Oosterhouse founded in 2006. Its stated aim is to build and improve playgrounds in underserved communities, encouraging fitness and self-esteem while addressing childhood obesity.
Documented history includes:
- Playground and club renovations in the 2000s and early 2010s, including a Dallas Boys and Girls Club project with basketball player Dwyane Wade’s Wade’s World Foundation.
- Six playgrounds in Michigan by about 2016, including Traverse City and Holland.
- A 2022 playground at KIPP Destiny Elementary School in Dallas, described as the organisation’s 86th build, alongside almost 90 playgrounds in 22 states.
The 2022 figure is the latest total this research confirmed, so it should be read as historical rather than current. The organisation’s website remains active, though its newest project figures could not be verified.
What Is Carter Oosterhouse Doing in 2026?
Two verified developments define the latest Carter Oosterhouse news in 2026. First, he appeared on Totally ’90s House, a six-episode HGTV competition that premiered on August 26, 2026. The winning team earns bragging rights and $25,000 for its chosen charity. Hosted by Jaleel White, it paired 1990s television stars with dated houses, and Oosterhouse and Sabrina Soto acted as mentors.
Second, HGTV announced on October 6, 2026 that Oosterhouse will compete on Rock the Block Season 8 with his former Trading Spaces colleague Paige Davis. Ty Pennington hosts. Four teams will each renovate a house in the Nashville area, with seven weeks and a $275,000 budget per team. HGTV lists the season for early 2027 and has not given an exact premiere date. A show’s return alone would not prove his participation, but here the network itself named him, which is why the Carter Oosterhouse HGTV comeback can be reported as fact.
FAQ
How old is Carter Oosterhouse?
He is 50. He was born on September 19, 1976.
What is Carter Oosterhouse best known for?
He is best known as a carpenter on Trading Spaces and as the host of Carter Can, Red Hot & Green and Million Dollar Rooms on HGTV.
Is Carter Oosterhouse married to Amy Smart?
Yes. They married on September 10, 2011, and remain married as of 2026.
Does Carter Oosterhouse have a daughter?
Yes. Their daughter, Flora, was born in December 2016.
What is publicly known about his net worth?
No verified figure exists. Published estimates vary widely and lack disclosed methods.
What is his connection to Bonobo Winery?
He co-founded the winery with his brother Todd, who is reported as its owner and general manager.
What is Carter Oosterhouse doing in 2026?
In the latest Carter Oosterhouse HGTV news, he mentored teams on Totally ’90s House and is announced for Rock the Block Season 8, due in early 2027.
Conclusion
The Carter Oosterhouse HGTV story began with a childhood trade, a break on Trading Spaces and a long run of home improvement television, and it is still being written. The strongest facts are his 1976 birth in Traverse City, his 2011 marriage to Amy Smart, his co-founding of Bonobo Winery and his work through Carter’s Kids. The weakest claims are net worth figures, vague show dates and unsourced profile details. With Rock the Block Season 8 on the way, further updates should be checked against HGTV’s own announcements.