[Alison] Tonight on Windy City Rehab...
I'm in Vegas. This house, total custom.
Has to be completely redone.
I'm so happy that my best friend's engaged to Christian,
my general contractor from my Vegas house.
Bam!
[Alison] She's gotta plan a wedding,
so if I can make her dream home truly a dream, like, I'll do it.
I am in Paris.
Could you tell us, like, the price of this one?
[Daisy exclaims]
[Christy speaking]
[both laughing]
Working with friends can sometimes be a little sticky.
So you're doing what with this fireplace?
-Well, she was gonna move it this way. -We're not moving it that way.
No!
It's playing kind of the middleman.
-How do you do the bedroom... -I know.
...and not bathroom?
-No, babe. -What are you doing?
-What are you talking about? -No.
It's refereeing some things.
-Every line item we have here is gone over. -No.
-Wow. -There goes our budget.
[Alison] It's a real dance.
Christian will not be happy if we get out of hand.
-[singing] It's called compromise. -Compromise.
I don't know what that word means.
I don't even know how to spell it.
[both laugh]
Tonight, I'm having dinner with Christy
and her boyfriend, Christian.
Christian was the GC from my Vegas house.
We're at my favorite restaurant in Chicago.
I'm Greek, it's Greek, it's so good.
-Hello! -[Christy] Hi!
-Oh, my God. -Hi, gorgeous.
So good to see you.
Christy and I have been friends since we were... 20?
It's one of the most important friendships and relationships in my life right now.
We have some really exciting news to share.
-God. Did you? -Bam!
[Christy and Alison squealing]
If I could handpick someone for Christy, it's Christian.
And I've never felt more sure about anything in my life.
[Alison] Met him in Vegas, of course, she lives there.
He lives in Chicago, so she was out here visiting the whole summer.
I hope this means you're spending more time in Chicago.
[Christy] No.
Well, as you know, I had a construction company
with a couple of partners for about 10 years.
And I think it just makes more sense for us to expand in Vegas.
-Which is still cool. -[Christy] Yes.
'Cause I'm trying to expand in Vegas.
So that means you're still gonna come out here?
-Oh, yes. -Yes!
We're actually looking to buy a house together.
And I would love nothing more for you to be a part of this.
-To help design and create the most beautiful space-- -Yes!
I'll take "design my house" over bridesmaid any day.
We definitely need your help
to be able to keep us in budget.
[Alison and Christy laughing]
Christy has a very expensive taste.
Yeah. Yeah, I know.
So you do know that her and I have the same taste.
[Christian] Well, I don't know how that's gonna work.
I can rein her in, but here's how I could help you with budget.
I can help you save in certain places to afford her budget.
[Christy laughs]
I'm so happy that my best friend's engaged.
I love her new fiance.
She's got to plan a wedding.
She's got a lot of things she's gotta do,
so if I can take some of that off of her hands,
and make her dream home truly a dream, like, I'll do it.
[upbeat music playing]
Christy and Christian just closed on a house in Summerlin.
And, really, Summerlin is such a beautiful place.
It's got really high-end shopping and restaurants.
Right out of college, I got hired by a home builder.
This house...
-I did. -[Christy] Yeah
There was a lot of things that I loved,
but there was a lot of things I did not love.
-And, one... -I love it all.
-...is the street here. -What do you mean you love it all?
[rhythmical music playing]
I love the whole house. I wouldn't change a bit.
You guys are going to have a little bit of a struggle
'cause you are like me, where it's, "Spend, spend, spend."
Now, now, now.
But then I also have parts of you where it's like,
"Here's where we can save, save, save."
-We're both alphas, so we both wanna get our way. -Three alphas.
And if she doesn't get her way, it's...
See ya.
I think it's great to have you.
You're like the mediator in between what she wants, what I want,
and just finding the happy medium for both of us.
[Alison] So let's start with the living space.
We're in Vegas, right? It's indoor-outdoor living.
You're walking in the front door, this is the moment.
-And the moment gets stopped... -[Christy] Right in front.
-[Alison] With this. -[Christy] Yeah.
She's gonna smash her face into that.
Associating cost with this, this isn't a little walk in the park,
let's just put a big beam here and it's done.
What if we just eliminate one column?
I will compromise in other areas.
This is something that's so important to me.
This is the "Aha! Slap in your face, wow."
This is another important thing.
Yes! You have a whole courtyard!
[laughs] I just hit this column.
You just hit the column! He just hit the column.
You just ran into the column you didn't want to take out.
There goes our budget.
[Alison] First decision, done.
Now we're gonna lose the columns,
and then we're gonna open up the living room
with giant glass multi-sliders.
We're gonna have a marble mantle on one side
and we're gonna do the arch built-ins recessed on either side of it,
and on the other end, we're gonna have a beautiful custom bar,
even more arches in the shelving
along with antique mirrors.
If we're talking money, let's go to the money spot.
The kitchen is where you're gonna spend a lot.
-This is the money pit. -[Alison] Yeah.
You've got a lot of, like, moments, right?
You walk into the courtyard, "Wow."
You walk in the front door, "Wow."
-You walk into the column, "Ow." -[Christy] "Ow.
[Alison and Christy laughing]
-That was good. -[Christy] Pa-dum-pum.
-That was good. That was good. -That was like...
[Alison] You come in here, and it's like, okay,
this is super underwhelming.
Let's just say...
we're gonna bring in white cabinetry all the way to the ceiling,
an island with reeded wood panels
and waterfall edges with the countertop.
The stone's gonna have a ton of beautiful veining and movement
that's gonna run from the countertops all the way up the backsplash.
-We need to finalize a scope. -Yes.
'Cause if we don't finalize the scope of work,
we can't come up with a budget,
a realistic budget, 'cause it's constantly changing.
Yeah.
The budget situation is already crazy.
I almost have to become the voice of reason
for the two of them and rein in the budget which, by the way, no.
That's, like, crazy that that's the storyline here.
[rhythmical music playing]
Let's move to the family room.
This house is 4,500 square feet,
-why does this feel like the smallest living room? -[Alison] So tiny.
I would love to take down this wall and do an addition.
That's money well spent. You're adding square footage.
-We're adding square footage to the house. -Yes.
-Do you wanna go to where the covered patio is? -Yes, exactly.
So you have a big, big family room and a nice, open space.
And we save money 'cause the headers are already in place.
[Alison] So with the extra space,
we can put a dining room and family room off the kitchen.
In the family room, let's add another fireplace and a mantle.
I wanna see the main, but first the entryway.
I literally designed that pattern.
[Christy] Yeah, I think a really fun pattern in here.
[Alison] Total custom.
-Yes. -It'll cost, like, only, like, 20 grand.
-Only 25. -[laughing]
-All right, this stays, save money there. -I love it, yay!
What about going with a big porcelain tile?
-No, babe. -What are you doing?
-What are you talking about? -No.
-[Christy] Don't insert your selfish desires. -Let's go upstairs.
Yeah, stop being cheap in places.
Come on.
[Christian] I think I'm outnumbered. Okay.
How fun.
The love lair.
-[Alison coos] -[Christy] Isn't it great?
This is something.
All right, can we not keep these?
-Do you like these? -I'm not mad at 'em.
-[Christy] Wow! See, this is the problem. -[Alison laughs]
-One of the things we've had a lot of issues with... -Okay.
...is how far away we are from the kitchen.
So I would really love to have a water bottle refrigerator,
or maybe have a cup of coffee,
so I don't have to go up and down when I need something.
Oh, Coffee bar! Coffee.
And that leads to the main bath.
You know I love arches,
-so I do love the arch on the shower. -[Christy] Me too.
I love this drop-in tub, you're a big tubber, this is a moment.
-This has to be like, "Wow." -Uh-huh.
-[Christy] It's supposed to be that focal point, 100% -Right? Yes!
It's gonna be a big job, and, you know, I do this for a living,
Christian does this for a living.
Christy dabbles in this and she's really good at design.
But it is going to be a little bit of a struggle.
I'm gonna ask you guys a question,
and you're gonna answer it at the same exact time, okay?
What's your budget?
[both] 250.
Oh!
I don't want it to be.
-You're on the same page. -Yeah.
But we also have some things already done.
-So, also, you have to understand... -What do you mean?
Like, $50,000-worth of appliances.
-We have the appliance-- -You're not counting that in this--
No, that's part of it.
So then our budget isn't 250, our budget is 290.
Be realistic. You are not on the same page.
What she wants would be about 400.
This is almost 4,000 square feet,
and every square inch of this has to be completely redone.
And we're not talking just little things.
We're talking major, major construction in some spots.
I think they're looking at, like, 450.
[Alison] Christian agreed to remove all the columns in the living room.
Now that's $13,000 right out of the gate.
It's a big price tag, but the columns are in the way of everything.
So, I am in Paris,
and why not blend a little work in while I'm here?
I really wanted Christy to come with me.
She loved my old home in Chicago,
and that was very Parisian.
Like, this is the size that we need. Like, across from the bar,
that's gonna be the fireplace wall,
and we need it to be, like, this massive showstopper.
Look at this. You're gonna die.
[Christy] I have to see... Yeah.
I'm telling you right now, like, this is the winner.
That is absolutely stunning.
Honey, if you don't get it, I'm getting it.
No, I'm getting it. I absolutely want it. I want it so badly.
Well, we need to figure this out
because I'm the one that's supposed to keep you on track financially,
and that's very difficult. [chuckles]
Because these are not cheap.
-Daisy? -[Daisy] Oui?
-This is my friend Christy. This is Daisy. -Bonjour,Christy.
I wanted to show her this. Would you tell us, like, the price of this one?
[Alison speaking French]
[Daisy speaking French]
-Ooh! Voila. -[Daisy chuckles]
-[Christy] Ooh! -[Daisy laughing] Ooh!
Is that in pesos?
-You chose the perfect one. -That's not in pesos.
[Alison] That's not in pesos, that's in euros.
-[Christy laughing] Oh, my God. -[Daisy] Yes.
So, would you be able to do any better on that price, so Christian doesn't kill me?
The price is, uh... [muttering]
I remove 2,000 euros.
-[Daisy] But I need a photo of the wedding. -Yes!
Oh, my God, I'm so excited! Thank you, thank you, that was awesome.
-Vendumeans "sold." -[Daisy] Oui.
I love you so much.
[Alison] I can't wait to bring this home. You're gonna die.
I'm sorry, Christian.
I wish I knew how to say that in French.
[mellow music playing]
[Alison] Things are really moving at Grand.
Exterior demo for the addition's underway,
the support beam to carry the load of the house
where the columns were is being installed.
And the openings for the multi-sliders are finally getting framed.
It's going great.
Hmm.
Well...
I made some miscalculations,
and you can see that the window wall is completely off-center.
But I need to cut these six inches
and move each one over because the whole reason, my love...
[laughs]
The whole reason why I wanted to take this wall down
was because this family room felt so small.
[Christian] You're only saying that because--
-[Alison] Hello. -[Christian] Hello.
-[Christy] Hey, girl, hey. -[Alison] Hey!
I'm in Vegas, so it just makes sense for me to come out.
Plus I now that there's a bunch of struggles with, like, decision-making.
Coffee bar's gigantic.
-It's gorgy. -Gorgy.
So, this is the kitchen, and I have a question in regards to the sides.
I saw a couple photos that I liked
that they had, like, cutie little insets where you could put stuff in.
-You mean niches? -[Christy] Niches!
[Alison] How much do I love niches?
I think two little niches...
-You don't like 'em? -[Christian] Yeah, but not in the kitchen.
Yeah, no [bleep] in the kitchen!
-I think it'll be so cute. -[Alison] You know where I typically put niches?
Is on the left and the right of the range wall.
Spices, olive oils, the whole thing.
What about just putting shelves?
-[Christy] In a niche. -In a niche, yeah.
[Christian] You do see that the walls are up already,
and one of the walls has drywall.
Yeah, but we talked about it.
-I would do arches. -This-- What?
-I love it. -[Alison] Yeah.
This is another question I have for you.
So I actually measured the windows incorrectly.
-Christy's vision is, wherever the window starts... -Yes.
...determines where the dining room starts.
So now what she wants to do is not only shift the windows
-further towards the back of the house... -Okay.
...but now she wants to shrink the windows.
She wants to cut the windows out.
Well, why can't you keep the window size and then shift the windows?
I just want it to be shifted, and I want my two feet.
I want my bigger family room, which is what I wanted from the beginning.
When we see this room, you gotta remember,
-this is a room that we're creating with furniture. -[Christy] Yes.
[Alison] This is your family room.
So you're doing what with this fireplace?
-Well, she was gonna-- -Now that we [bleep] that way.
-Don't you dare move it this way. -[Christy] Six inches.
-No! -Oh, [bleep].
Fireplace stays exactly where it is.
It's off and it's not even what I wanted to do, which is move these in.
-I guess they don't need to. You're right. Okay. -[Alison laughing]
[chuckling] I guess they don't need to.
I know her so well that I know her, like, wheels are turning,
but there's too many of them turning at the same time.
[Christy] I'm sorry. I'm sorry. [kisses]
[Alison] I'm treating this as my own home.
I'm not taking sides here. I'm saying what I believe to be true,
and what I think is gonna look best.
[upbeat music playing]
[Alison] Christy's in town for two days.
I'm like, "You gotta come to Chicago. This is where we antique."
-'Cause there's really not a lot in Vegas. -No, there really isn't.
[Alison] Christian told me
and I said, "Yeah, you know, Christy's coming shopping with me."
He's like, "I'm so scared."
-[laughing] -Oh, yeah.
And he's like, "Babe, take the credit card."
I was like, "Oh, my God."
-I've never had a guy say that to me. -"That's so sweet."
But he gave her the credit card so he could see what you were buying.
[both laugh]
[Stu] Hey, ladies.
-Hi, Stu! -Hi!
-How are you? All is well? -Good.
-Good to see you! -Good to see you.
So, favorite things in life.
-Sleeping, antiquing, and drinking. -Right.
We got you covered with all that.
[rhythmical music playing]
-Cheers. -Like, reeded.
-Cheers. -Cheers.
[Christy] This is incredible. What is it called again?
-[Alison] Reeded. -Reeded.
I bet I could sell this to Christy. [laughs]
[Christy] I know, I'm actually looking at it like, "Hmm."
She says yes to very expensive items.
I've been telling you
about the piece that I wanna see in the kitchen.
-Right now, there's this big, old, clunky, stupid bar. -Ugh, it's horrible.
[Alison] It's like, it was cool back in the day, but--
I don't even think back in the day it was cool.
-It was cool 'cause I built it. -Oh.
[both laughing]
-This is your kitchen. -[Christy gasps]
[Christy] Oh, my God, this is perfect.
-Remember when I said... -This is so perfect.
-...when we find the piece, we build the house around it. -Yeah.
This is the piece. Gorgeous.
[Christy] It is. It's sick.
-You said you had measurements. -Yes.
-Family room and-- -You ready for this?
I know.
So 6'1" is what we have right now. It's 6'9".
-Let's get you a pen 'cause I'm not following you. -This is protruding out.
[Alison] I'm gonna use my eyeliner because I have nothing.
[Christy] Okay, watch. Ready?
[Alison] But don't smash it 'cause I still wanna use it.
Like, super light. Go light, light, light.
-[Christy] Oh, for sure, that'll fit. -[Alison] Let me get the tape.
Yep. six feet.
Nailed it!
-Perfect. -Sold!
We don't know how much it is.
Yes, we do!
This is only-- Don't look.
It's $9,500.
I bet you that Stu will do something. We're very special.
Hey, Stu?
-Oh, my God. We're gonna do this now? -He's right there.
Okay. What do you think the deal can be?
Uh, um...
[Alison] Hey, Stu?
What do you think the deal can be?
Uh, um...
We'll always make you a deal.
-[gasps] -That's for sure.
We would do 15% or 20% off.
-I'm having a moment. -[Alison] I like it.
It's a moment.
-[Alison] 'Cause it means something to you. -[Christy] It really does.
[Alison] It speaks to you and that's when you know that's the right piece.
[Christy] And it's not about me anymore. It's about us.
Our plan, our budget, and I have to keep him in mind.
Did you do that when we bought from Paris?
-No. -[laughs]
[Alison] So, in Vegas, the cabinetry's delivered.
All of that's getting installed today
along with the build-out for the coffee bar in the kitchen.
And Christy and I are both in Chicago this week.
Christy and I talk pretty much every day.
I think she's kind of like hitting a bit of a roadblock, and I hope I can help her.
I'm so happy we're talking
-because it does feel like so much coming in. -You're overloaded.
The wedding, new house--
-Gutting the house. -Yeah, gutting the house.
-Relationship. -And all within one year of knowing each other.
[Christy] I feel like we're building the plane as we're flying it.
-Of course. -Especially with this budget.
You know, I understand where he comes from.
He's like, "This is what the agreement was."
I'm just working through the haves and have-nots
of what I can have and what I can't have and--
And how are you gonna handle the can't have, though? That's the part that--
-That's what I need help with. -I know.
Listen, you're asking me to help you do something
that I couldn't probably do myself.
She's self-sufficient, you know?
She's got her business, she's super successful with it,
and she's used to calling the shots.
One thing I love about him, is he honestly is like,
"Babe, I don't care, whatever you want, just stay within the budget."
You've gotta help him be realistic with the budget.
Yeah, and I also wanna be respectful.
-I'm more emotional towards it. -I know.
To where he's just matter-of-fact.
-He's business. -Yes.
But you're his business now. You wanna love where you live.
[Christy] Yeah.
But he also needs to compromise on the beauty part of it.
Do you know what I'm saying?
Comp-ro-mise.
If we get to that point where certain things are not gonna be met,
what are we willing to give up
and what do we absolutely need?
-[Alison] Then maybe you need to make those lists, right? -[Christy] Yes.
-What do we want? What do we need? -Yeah.
But I'm still gonna be overbudget.
-Uh, thank you for being realist. -Yeah.
He's gonna appreciate it when it's done.
-Yes, I know he will. -That's the thing.
[Alison] In Vegas, the arches that Christy loved so much in my Tierra Bonita house
are now getting framed up in hers.
The addition's almost completely done,
and tile started in the guest bath.
Christy's still in Chicago and it's always better to pick slabs in person,
so we're gonna hit up one of my favorite stone yards.
-[Christy] Oh, my God. I'm so excited. -It's like a candy store.
Every single thing is absolutely gorgeous.
Let's talk kitchen first.
Your eyes match this slab.
Let me see. Hold on. Okay, there it is. Now look at me a little.
Shoulder up-- Oh! There it is.
[both laughing]
But, hold on, 'cause this is my baby right here.
-I'm not joking, like, this... -Is everything.
Is everything.
In love with this. Like, almost jealous.
The movement on this is something you don't see a lot.
This is left to right, this is up and down, these tones, like, the green?
I'm obsessed with this.
This is the artwork in your kitchen.
-That's why, no tile. -Yeah.
-Slab.
All the way up.
-1,000%. -It's incredible.
Honed.
-Honed, all day. -All day.
-Main bathroom. -Yep.
-Which I talked to Christian about on the phone today. -Okay.
He's like, "You need to talk to her about the scope."
I go, "Why am I talking to her about the scope?
You guys have to be on the same page with the scope."
And he said, "We're not doing main bathroom."
-How do you do the bedroom and not the bathroom? -[Christy] I know.
We discussed sieving the major renovation of the bathroom after
because of how this budget is going.
-Well, I already told him the main bathroom's happening. -[both chuckle]
So that's happening.
-You are not not doing it. -Okay.
-You have the plumbing. You have the flooring. -We have everything.
-So now we need the tile and the countertops. -Okay.
-[Alison, singing] It's called compromise. -Compromise.
[Alison] I don't know what that word means.
I don't even know how to spell it.
[both laugh]
[upbeat music playing]
[Alison] Things are really coming together over at Grand,
windows are going in,
dry wall's complete on the arches behind the living room bar.
And upstairs, the luxury vinyl's going down.
Meanwhile, Christy and Christian are still in Chicago.
[Christy] Today, I'm coming to Christian's office
and we are going to finalize what our scope of work is.
Are you ready to do this?
-Let's do it. -Let's do it!
I feel scared, only because I know
that I'm not gonna be able to get everything on my list,
but I'm here to compromise and find a medium where we both can be happy.
So, where exactly are we at right now?
So, our original budget was 250 grand.
[Christy] Where are we at right now?
I think we blew the budget already.
Every line item we have here is gone over.
No!
-[Christian] We're at 271. -[Christy] Okay, we're over. 271.
[Christian] The mantle put us over the top.
The countertops put us over the top.
This is when I was like, "Oh, Paris mantle. Yeah, check. Hutch. Check."
Christy made selections
without really reviewing the budget.
Without thinking. I had my best friend with me.
She made commitments which put us over.
Yes, that's true.
A $250,000 budget, for most people, is a decent-sized budget.
Now we're acting as the GC, so we're saving probably 100 grand
'cause we're doing it ourselves.
Yeah.
[Christian] We need to really figure out what the scope of work is.
If we are gonna include the bathrooms, the main bathrooms,
we're gonna increase 10% to 20%.
-No. -And you just mentioned you wanna put a closet now.
So your closet is worth more than the mantle. It's just ridiculous.
Your closet is the size of someone's bedroom.
-Yes. And your closet is beautiful. -[laughs]
I just added 20 grand for the bathrooms.
We're at 291 right now, we're gonna be over 3.
-No! -Yeah.
If we were to put 10% for contingency just
'cause you don't know what's gonna come up once we open up the walls,
that puts us at 330.
This isn't your first renovation.
-Mm-hmm. -You've done a couple renovations.
This is what I do for a living,
so this should have not happened to us.
I got a bathroom.
And I can no longer spend any more money.
Yes.
330 is our number.
The bottom hit the top.
-Yes, it did. -[both laugh]
[upbeat music playing]
[Alison] Grand is overbudget, but they took my advice to add the main bathroom
and Christy's closet to the scope of work.
Meanwhile, all of the tile on the mezzanine level's coming out,
the French doors to the courtyard are going in,
and, in the living room, the next step is to get the bar installed.
I'll be out in Vegas in a few days,
but I'm really still looking for that perfect piece for their bedroom bar.
At Salvage One. I'm missing one piece for Christy's house,
and it's the upstairs main bedroom.
We want to do, like, a liquor cabinet.
That's actually really pretty.
Oh, look, look at the key!
Hello.
What is your hair?
Your hair... [laughing]
[Christy] Yeah, it looks like an '80s long mullet.
[Alison] It's very like, um, Three's Company.
All right, I got fun news for you.
Found something for your main bedroom.
-[Christy] Ooh, I can't wait. -Like a sexy bar.
[Christy gasps] Oh, my God, I do love that.
-Oh, my God. I love that. -[Alison] Yeah.
It is absolutely perfect.
[Alison] What I like, too, is it's got this raised thing Look.
-With this raised wood. -[gasps] That's dope.
So interior lighting,
then you got this beautiful, like, washed lighting on the lower part
with another mirror.
And I can see it. It's exactly what we want it to be.
You have that archway that we're creating.
So now, look, you've got the arch on this side,
so you can sit and have, like, a nightcap.
Tons of storage.
[Christy] Yeah, I need storage. This is such a great find.
I think it's just a cool piece.
-I love it. Sold. -Right? I'll put it on hold for you.
The bar got loaded onto Christian's truck,
and it's gonna be heading to Vegas.
At Grand, they're tearing out the courtyard.
Cabinets are on site, ready to go in,
the addition's been drywalled, and the main bath has finally been demo'd.
I'm back in Vegas for the holidays with Christy and Christian.
They're staying at my house.
Every morning, they are waking up at 6:00
and they are out the door at 6:30.
-Look at that. Like, this is the next... -Oh, my God.
Wow. Back it up. Look at this.
This looks like an alley in Chicago.
[all laugh]
The multi-sliders are in, and they are huge.
But they're perfect, and I envision it
like the doors all the way opened.
This is true indoor-outdoor living at its finest.
Oh, my God. This is, like, your bar with the arches.
We want this to be movie.
We want this to be more masculine.
We want this to be kind of the strength of the room
where this side is the serenity.
What is the front of the marble?
The whole thing is marble.
[Alison] The whole thing is marble, so it's all waterfalled.
[Christy] Yes.
-Okay, this is antique mirror. -[Christy] Mm-hmm.
-These are glass shelves. -[Christy] Yeah.
Are you running pucks through this?
It's illuminating like this from the bottom-up.
I would illuminate from the peak of each arch
to shine light down and through.
That's what I would do.
Fireplace here, mirror above, beautiful sofas.
So, really light and airy, but also very, like, Parisian parlor.
And just kind of clear all the way to the bedroom.
-Ta-dah! -[Christian laughs]
-Yes. -[Christy] Lookie, lookie.
-[Alison] The floor! -[Christy] I know, isn't it gorgeous?
[Alison] I know, it's my favorite floor.
And the bar goes here, so what you need to do,
is all these components need to move here.
[Christy] Yeah, that's fine. That's okay.
-Let's get it in, let's paint it black. -Okay.
But then I feel like you have these two swivel chairs, right here.
[Christian] So we're just gonna box these off, right? Drywall?
[Alison] Yep. Uh-huh.
Remember you wanted to use a real thick trim on here?
I think you gotta look at cost.
-Once you do this, guys... -[Christy] It'll be fine. Okay.
[Alison] ...it's gonna be beautiful, so let's not start adding.
[Christian laughs]
I'm the voice of reason.
[Christian and Christy laugh]
[Alison] All right, let's look in here.
-Ta-dah! -[Alison] Yeah, see what I mean?
[Christian] So we're extending the shower--
[Alison] Good. So making it bigger.
Another window I might have to take out is that one.
'Cause of my mirror.
[Alison] That's okay, take it out.
-[Christian] We're getting rid of the soffit? -Soffit's gotta go.
Uh, why?
We'll just get rid of the drywall first,
see what's behind there before we start...
-[Christy] Yeah, we made a big mistake. -[Christian] Not "we."
-I said, "It's ugly." So he goes, "Okay." -So it was an "I".
And then he rips it out, and what's underneath? The stairs.
[Alison] Oh.
-And now we have to do this origami soffit downstairs. -Oh, God. Okay.
-That's why you're hesitant. -Yes, that's why he's like--
'Cause you don't know what's behind that.
There might be a vent there, I don't know.
So we'll open up, we'll take a look at it.
[Alison] There's no need for a window in there.
That stuff takes time, and it takes money.
And if they were already overextended,
again, this is a decision that they have to make and they have to live with.
Christy and I are back in Chicago.
I don't want to get to the end of the project
only to have Christy stress about all the stuff to fill all of the shelves,
so I'm just taking her to some of my favorite spots.
[Christy] Wow.
I mean you just say "wow" now but your head's gonna spin off.
[Christy] Oh, my God, it already is. There's so much.
I mean, come on, this is gonna be crazy.
Last time we went shopping, in Paris,
they depleted, you know, their bank account by 16 grand. [chuckles]
Rightfully so, by the way.
Oh, my God. This is awesome.
[gasps] For the bar. Oh, I totally have to have this.
She's having fun, see?
But with the mantle and the built-ins and the cabinets,
there's a lot of open shelving.
Oh! A pipe holder. How cute is this?
Open shelving is an opportunity to really express yourself.
-Look at these. -Oh, those are cute.
-These are fish? -These are awesome. Yes.
Those are the memories you're trying to create,
and a home is all about those memories.
Look at this decanter. [gasps]
-[gasps] That is gorgeous. -This is one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen.
-So it's a C. -Christy and Christian.
-Oh, my God. C and C fun factory. -CC. Hello.
-[Christy] I love this. -29 bucks, the answer is yes.
-This in your powder room would be a statement. -Yes.
-I think I need that. -This is a powder room mirror.
Okay, that's a powder room mirror.
-And if you don't get it, then I'll buy it. -Nope.
[Alison] So I figured out how to get Christy to buy something
that I feel strongly about.
All I have to say is, like, "I think I'm gonna get this."
And then she'll be like, "What? No! I'm gonna get this."
-Wait a minute. No. -How much do you think that is?
-A lot. -Let's say we were in Paris.
-Okay, a lot. -How much is it?
Five grand.
-You're too high. -Oh, what? That's good.
A thousand?
You're too high.
-No way! -Yes.
-$730. -Shut up. Shut up.
This is what I'm saying. Okay, sold.
[Christy] This is inspiring. You're actually lighting up the creative juices.
[Alison] Okay, good.
You see that? That beautiful cabinet?
I bought something like that and that's where I put all my handbags.
-So you know how you-- -[Christy gasps] That pop-in.
-[Alison] Please look at this table. This coffee table. -Oh, I saw this!
There's no better table to go in front of the mantle from Paris than this.
-Okay. -'Cause I don't want anything heavy,
I want it to feel really light around it,
so, like, you just focus on the fireplace.
Killing it!
We're gonna do this guy.
-[man] The giant mirror? -[both] Yeah.
[Alison] Has to go home with you.
I'm very, very, very envious of your stuff.
[upbeat music playing]
[Alison] We are few weeks away from finishing Grand, finally.
The upstairs hutch is here, it's painted, the guys are putting it in.
Downstairs, the bar cabinets are going in,
and the last multi-slider in the addition's being installed.
In the main bedroom, mirrors are going up, countertops are going in.
And in the entryway, the guys are working on that hexagon tile.
I like this. I'd like to see more of these ones, if we can play with that.
Yeah, this installation's going to be very expensive.
-Why? 'Cause I'm doing this? -Yep.
I'm back in Vegas.
Christy and Christian are back,
so I have one day and it's like there's a lot going on over at Grand.
-[Christy] Hey, girl! -[Alison] Did you get a new shirt?
[Alison and Christy laughing]
[Christy] This is the entry tile.
It's beautiful.
And the color-- Where's, like, a piece of the wood?
[Christy] To go with the wood.
-[Alison] Like, the honey tones in there. -[Christy] Yes.
-Really pretty. -[Christy] Nailed it.
You know I was going back and forth with this one,
and Christian pushed me, he was like, "This is the most cost-effective."
I had to step in and help you guys out.
-[Alison] Thank you! -Yes, we appreciate you.,
-Such a designer now. -[Christian laughs]
What we were going through is to move these tiles around
so it's not just one section is white
and then we have some sections that are busy.
Yeah. If you're gonna blend, which you have to blend
because you will never find any consistency in natural stone,
is like, for instance that piece has to shift with this so everything's still flowing.
Oh, so it's going that way.
[Alison] Like this is going the right way, that is going the right way.
-[Christy coos] -Look!
Okay, can you please put the mantle in today?
-We can put it up just so you can see it. -[Alison] Dream crusher.
Oh! [laughs]
-Oh, my God, the color's perfect. -Look at this edge detail.
I still think it was overpriced.
[Alison laughs]
[Christy] It came from a castle.
[Alison] And it's 400 years old.
This room is, I think it's like kind of the grand ballroom of their home.
All right, so doors installed.
[gasps] Oh, my God. It is so sick.
-Those make the room. -Oh, my God. This is so perfect.
It's exactly how I imagined it.
-So this is gonna be the new dining room area, right? -[Christy] Yeah.
All right, let's get this hutch installed.
I can't wait to see this, I'm so excited about this.
[Christian grunting]
This looks like it's been there the whole time.
See, this is like when you're good, you're good. You know?
[laughs] Yeah.
Everything has a sight line. Everything. From here.
Fire place. Niches. The hutch.
[Christian] There it is.
This have shelves?
Yes, but it had wood shelves.
-We're gonna put the glass shelves. -Got it.
-[Christian] So this has got to be some thick glass? -Yeah.
No. We don't have to do thick glass.
-The thicker you go with the glass, it's green. -I don't like that.
And we want it to be as clear as we can without having to spend tons of money on it.
-This, like, big-- -How much was this?
-[Alison] That was, uh, $7,000. -Yeah.
How much was this?
-[Alison] That was, uh, $7,000. -Yeah.
[Alison] That's not bad.
[Christy] For history.
[all chuckling] You know what it is, though, it's--
Christy has a way of always getting her way.
That's what I was just about to say.
[Alison] You know, I'm ready to get my friends back.
They have been working their butts off.
It's just cool to see them, like, finally turn a house into a home.
Sometimes working with friends can be, like, a little sticky and a little iffy,
and it was both.
[chuckles] Their budget was not realistic at all.
No way, no how. No, thank you.
But we're still friends. We love each other more.
[Alison] The house is stunning.
I'm so excited to see it.
[gasps]
[exclaims in excitement]
Look at this!
Isn't it amazing? I know. I know.
You know what this room's missing?
-[Christy] What? -Columns.
Four columns. Multiple columns.
[Christy laughing]
-Please, please, have a first cocktail at our bar. -Have a drink.
-You remember this mantle gave you a heart attack? -Yeah, it did.
[Christian] Mantle looks great,
still a little overbudget, but looks great.
[all laughing]
Now I know what a moment is, 20 grand later.
That's what gets you, that moment.
Going to Paris is my favorite thing in the world.
Finding something for my best friends
that's now in their house forever
that you will bring to the next house and the next house,
and then we just added the niches.
It's art. I feel like it's a beautiful piece of art.
[Alison] This is a magazine cover.
[Christy] Every single thing has a beautiful position.
-This. -I know. I'm obsessed with it.
[Alison] It's such a masculine-feminine marriage of material.
-But this, going shopping with you in Chicago. -[Christy] Oh, my God.
And I know you had a heart attack every time we shopped.
-Oh, yeah. -Oh, yeah.
-[Alison] How's the heart doing? -Oh, it's fine now.
[Alison] Yeah? 'Cause you're home.
-Budget's way over, but it's fine. -I knew it'd be over.
You did say...
Yeah. I said right where you are is where you'd be.
-Back to the marble. -[all laughing]
I think we went 400.
-Close to it. -Yeah. Almost $400,000.
-But we did it. -[Christian laughs]
-And we needed it to happen. -[Christian] Oh, yeah.
-[Christy] I love this room. I love this room. -[Alison] God.
-[Christian] Remember we had a wall here before? -[Alison and Christy] Yeah.
-[Christy] I'm obsessed-- -[Alison] Look at the built-ins!
Look at the fire-- You wanted that fireplace all the way over there.
[Christian] Oh, it's perfect.
-[Alison] Do you remember that? -[Christy] Yes.
Like, these doors open, you still have so much outdoor space.
-And that. I mean, come on! -[Christy] I know. This...
This, to me, is like old and new.
And it's Chicago. I mean, we got it... That's where we're from.
-And now it lives in your space. -I love it.
[Alison] These pieces of history are part of your story now.
[Christy] Yeah.
-Look at this kitchen. -I know, I'm obsessed with it.
This is my heart.
-Oh, and the reeded island and the waterfall. -[Christy] I'm obsessed.
[Alison] The ledge. The niches.
You wanting and really fighting for the windows.
And just the look of this
with, like, housing the fridge, freezer, wall oven.
You know, microwave, drawer space,
but it doesn't cut off from the rest of the house.
I agree.
-You see the moments now? -I see it now.
I love these stairs so much.
So this is one of the areas where we actually saved money.
We were able to use the same product of the floor on the stairs.
Yes.
And we were able to just adjust and modify the balustrade,
and it all worked out.
[Alison] It's stunning!
Even the sound.
[both vocalizing]
[both laugh]
-No, this is where we do the karaoke. -This is where we karaoke.
-[Alison] Take me to your boudoir. -[Christy] Our boudoir.
-[Christy squeals] -[Alison] Oh, I love it.
-[Alison gasping] -[Christy] Remember those columns?
The columns were too much. It's just clean now.
[Christy] It's comfortable.
-[gasps] -It's so relaxing.
-And look what I-- -I know. I know.
This is so Chicago.
[Christy] It's beautiful.
[Alison] And now, this is where you'll sit, and you'll have coffee.
-[Christy] Yeah. -It's so perfect.
I cannot wait to show you my closet.
-[Alison] Okay, cool. -It is a dream.
-Okay, what are you being? Like a soap opera star? -[Christy] Yes.
Look into the camera now. It goes, "I can't wait to show you my closet."
-[Christy] Okay. Ready? -[Christian laughing]
I cannot wait to show you my closet.
No, you're supposed to pause and look at the camera.
I can't wait... to show you my closet.
It's my closet. It's my...
[all laughing]
[Alison] It's a boutique!
Obviously, it doesn't hurt that you've got the best wardrobe of anybody I know.
Hey, can I borrow this purse?
-Look at it with my dress. -I know, it's so fun.
Oh, my God.
-You make me proud. -Thank you.
I love it, I'm so obsessed.
And because I showed you all these awesome pieces, I will take this as a gift.
[all laughing]
[mellow music playing]
[Alison squealing]
Oh, this is stunning.
The marble, the way it just goes and flows from the floor up.
-And the shower. -I know. I know.
[Alison] So worth taking some closet space, you know?
-[Christy and Christian] Yeah. -So worth it.
-Just so you know... -[Christian] Let's just make mine smaller.
-This, we took from Christian's closet right here. -I know.
[Alison] This is, you know what, so worth it.
[Christy] Do you love the floor?
[Alison] I love the floor.
And you know what I love? That you didn't make this an afterthought.
The last thing I wanted was you guys to move in, have this house done,
and then the next thing you know,
you're gonna rip this out. I'm glad that you did it.
-[Christy] Me, too. -Are you?
Yeah. [laughs] I'm excited.
I love it.
[upbeat music playing]
Alison, you have been such an amazing friend in this whole process
and, like, bringing things to our attention to detail
and showing us direction on how we should really be putting these things together.
And you guys are still together.
-Cheers. -[Christian] What the...
[Alison] I would say that's a victory.
-Sante. -[Christy] Sante!
-[Alison] I love you guys. -I love you.
I love you. I'm so proud.
Can you believe we did it?
At the end of the day, we came together,
looks great,
and we learned a lot about each other.
[Christy] We did.
We definitely learned a lot about each other.
I learned that you're my best friend.