Here you are buying your first house together.
And planning your wedding at the same time.
-Yes. -Yeah.
Just a couple weeks away actually.
Oh, my gosh.
[narrator 1] Michelle and Stephen are excited
to start their lives together.
You know, I can't wait to have a new son-in-law.
He's a great guy.
-He really is good. -He really is.
[narrator 2] And no one is happier for them
than Walt.
He's a wonderful father
and he can fix or make just about anything.
We've been working with Walt for years now.
We've gotten to become a family.
Can we help the father of the bride
renovate an old house for these newlyweds?
Whole thing has rotted away.
This is turning into a much bigger project
than we all thought it would be.
-No way. Oh, my gosh. -Oh, wow.
-This is amazing. -Holy cow. This is awesome.
These blueprints are gonna be reality.
Let's go.
[narrator 1] Brian and I know a thing or two
about building custom homes
on fast timelines.
There's always a reason
why they need their home done in 100 days.
Second baby is on the way.
Turkey season is around the corner.
[narrator 2] And now,
we're expanding to renovations too.
We're gonna flip flop everything in this house.
We don't know what's behind the walls.
[narrator 1] Whether it's a new build
or a renovation,
each project has its own set of challenges.
This is the exterior of the town home.
If we raise that a foot, it's a lot of work.
[Mika] I know. I know it is.
[narrator 2] But the look on our client's faces
makes it all worth it.
-Oh, my God. -Oh, my gosh.
[woman] I am in heaven right now.
[seagulls cawing]
[playful music playing]
-[Michelle] Hi. -[Brian] Hey, guys.
-Oh, my goodness. -Welcome to our house.
-Your first guest. -Yeah, thanks for coming.
This neighborhood is so cute.
[Michelle] Awesome. Thanks.
It's a cool neighborhood for sure.
Oh, man.
So we took a trip south down to Sarasota,
famous for its beaches and the Ringling Circus.
[Mika] I love the circus
because we're always juggling a lot of jobs
-and... -Yes, we are.
Brian, you're somewhat of a clown.
-I'll take that. -[chuckles]
Tell us a little bit about how you found this hidden gem.
We were thinking about, like, renting it first
but ran the numbers
and this house kind of made sense for us.
-[Brian] Yeah. -[Michelle] And thought it'd be really cool
to just have a home together
-right when we get married. -[Stephen] Yeah.
There is so much excitement
with all these big milestones coming up.
We're meeting with Walt's younger daughter.
-Yup. -Michelle
and her fiance, Stephen.
Walt asked us to help renovate their starter home.
[Mika] I mean, we've been working with Walt for years now
on a lot of projects.
We've gotten to become a family.
And we're just so excited for those two
to start their new chapter.
So I was there the day
that you called your dad and Stephen, you proposed.
I was actually helping your dad move a bathtub.
[Walt] Michelle?
[squeals]
Walt's daughter just got engaged.
[Walt] Woo!
[Michelle] Daddy, what's on your face?
[chuckles] You made me cry.
[Brian] Congrats.
I love you guys.
[Michelle] Thank you so much.
I mean, to be part of that moment
and now here we are standing
in front of your personal dream home...
-[Stephen] Yeah. -[Michelle] Yeah.
[Brian] I mean, it's really special.
I mean, location to me,
most important, right?
Sarasota is so beautiful.
-You've got the best beaches. -Yeah.
[Stephen] Well, I've lived here all my life
-pretty much and... Yeah. -Really?
-Okay. -But I also work for the fire department
about five minutes down the road.
-[Brian] Oh, nice. -[Stephen] Yeah.
[Michelle] Right now, I live an hour north
up in Brandon.
We've been doing the distance relationship
-for two years now. -Yeah. Mmm-hmm.
[Stephen] So it's been tough at times
not being able to see each other as often as we'd like
but it made us grow fonder of each other.
-So... -[Michelle] Yeah.
It'll definitely be an adjustment,
living together for the first time
and sharing one bathroom will be interesting
but I think we'll make
-the most of it. -Yes.
Looks like the bones of the house are good.
-I mean it's a cinder block house. -Yeah. Yeah.
[Brian] So I think you made a good investment here.
Exterior needs a little bit of updating.
[Michelle] Yeah, definitely.
So Brian and I, we're used to doing new builds
but there is just something exciting
about tackling this renovation
and bringing something old back to life.
[Brian] Plus, I mean, we always like to learn
and grow in our field,
so we're always up for a good challenge.
How much have you guys saved
to renovate your dream home?
[Stephen] Our budget is $35,000.
[Mika] I feel pretty confident we can do that
because your dad is your contractor.
We know you're gonna save money there.
-[Brian] I think he'll give you a good deal. -Yeah.
[Brian] Should we check out the inside?
-[Stephen] Let's do it. -[Michelle] Yeah, let's do it.
Terrazzo.
So I mean, this type of flooring,
it's a bit retro
but terrazzo's been around for decades.
-You know it's making a comeback, right? -I know.
I maybe prefer the kind of wooden plank look.
-[Mika] Okay. -Yeah.
I can't help but notice
the AC unit that's inside the wall.
I think that's an antique at this point.
-Watch your head, Brian. -Whoa.
[laughter]
[Michelle] Yeah, if there's some way we could...
-Oh, my gosh. -Oh, gosh.
get rid of that. Ooh.
Oh, no.
So guess what, demo starts today.
This wall is very confusing to me.
-It's almost like a Tetris piece... -[Stephen] Yeah.
the way it's kind of shaped here, like,
there's a puzzle piece that should just
[makes sound] right in the middle.
[Stephen] Yeah, they've done some interesting things with this house.
[Mika] Wow, refrigerator.
[Brian] Whoa. This thing is huge.
I mean, once this is open, the kitchen is gone.
[Michelle] Yeah. Ooh. And there's that.
And my head was almost gone. Okay.
I'm wondering if we could remove this wall,
which they kind of already gave us a head start here
and then tuck the fridge kind of behind this wall
to open up the entire kitchen.
-[Mika] Maybe. -Oh, man. Yeah.
That's a good idea.
[Brian] And then this wall opens up.
[Michelle] Yeah. I think it might be cool
to have like maybe a bar or something as well.
[Brian] I like that.
I love a little, you know, bar top here.
My only concern is this is a newer countertop.
Hopefully it's not discontinued yet
and we can just get one extra slab.
That would be very nice.
-[Michelle] That would be awesome. -[Stephen] Yeah.
[Mika] In this case, the goal should be to add
some additional storage, right?
-[Michelle] Yeah. -[Stephen] Mmm-hmm.
[Mika] There's not really any uppers.
What about the paint color?
[Michelle] I actually like...
[Stephen] Yeah, you like green.
-Do you like the green? -Green is...
-[Mika] Green is good? -Yeah, I don't mind it.
[Mika] All right. Then let's keep the green.
Stephen, you're gonna be a great husband,
'cause you just agree with everything Michelle says.
-Yes. -It wears off over time.
-Yeah. [laughs] -I will say.
Where are you guys envisioning furniture placement?
-[Michelle] Hmm. -[Stephen] We're still kind of
trying to figure that out.
That opening is, like,
-dead center of that wall. -Yeah.
[Brian] You're gonna need more wall space.
-[Michelle] For sure. -[Stephen] Yeah.
What if we shifted this opening
down to about here,
close that in,
and now all of this is wall space?
[Michelle] Yeah.
[Brian] The same square footage in here.
-[Michelle] Yeah. -[Stephen] Yeah.
[Brian] Just kind of re-thought out
a little bit better.
-Yeah. I like that idea. -Sounds good. Yeah.
We should probably check out the other rooms too.
-[Michelle] Yes. -[Stephen] Yeah.
[Mika] The bathroom actually has nice new countertops.
Yeah. Mmm-hmm.
-Cabinets look pretty new. -[Brian] Yeah.
[Stephen] Yeah, they did some updating on the bathroom.
So what are you guys thinking for this bathroom
to kind of make it your own?
I'm thinking of adding some tile maybe.
[Stephen] Kind of set it off from the rest of the floor.
So LVP throughout the entire house
and then tile in the bathroom?
-[Stephen] Yeah. -[Michelle] Yeah.
-[Brian] All right. -[Mika] Bedrooms.
-Check out the bedrooms. -Let's go check it out.
[Brian] Okay.
What's going on with the curtains?
[Michelle] I don't know.
[Brian] Must have been an early wedding gift.
Yeah, there you go.
Is this gonna be your bedroom
or would this be a secondary room?
[Stephen] Michelle works from home.
She's a graphic designer,
so she's gonna need like an office space.
-So this is your new office? -[Michelle] Yeah.
[Mika] Should we go see your room?
-Ooh, la, la. -[Brian] Yeah.
[Mika] Okay. So I mean, this room
just needs some updating basically.
-[Michelle] Yeah. Mmm-hmm. -[Brian] Yup.
And I can also see you got a lanai out there.
I have a cat, so she'll love to hang out out here on the porch.
[Mika] Oh, this is the cat room,
-the other family member. -[Michelle] Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Fresh coat of paint, some new screens.
-This will be the cat haven. -Yeah.
Would you keep the terrazzo out here?
[Michelle] I think so. Yeah.
[Mika] All right. So we're keeping
some of the original character of this house
that was built in the '60s.
It's a good starter home.
It's convenient to his work. Cute neighborhood.
But layout right now is not the best.
So normally a renovation like this
would probably run around $50,000
but Walt's the contractor,
so that can save about 30% of the labor cost.
Which will bring them down
to the $35,000 budget they have.
A couple weeks, you guys will be husband and wife
and hopefully maybe a couple months
we have this ready for you.
[Brian] Because this is a smaller reno,
I actually think we can get it done
under 100 days.
-Awesome. Right. -That would be great.
So we have to be really strategic
with a smaller renovation budget.
[Mika] So we're gonna allocate this budget
$8,000 to fix the flooring.
-[Brian] Mmm-hmm. -[Mika] $10,000
to fix the kitchen and dining room space,
$6,000 for the living room,
$5,000 for the bathroom and the bedrooms,
$3,000 to repair the exterior
and $3,000 to update the lanai.
We're gonna do our best to make it happen.
It's definitely been a lot to handle
trying to close on a house and also planning a wedding,
so we'll definitely be excited to have all this finished
and have some peace and quiet
-once we move in. -[Stephen] Yeah.
Looking forward to a new life together.
So we have one other question.
[Stephen] Yeah.
Would you wanna come to our wedding?
-You serious? -Oh, my God.
-[Stephen] Yeah, absolutely. -Of course.
We would love to come.
-Yeah. -Awesome.
-[Mika] I'm so excited. - It would be great.
[Brian] Now we have to figure out
what to wear at the wedding.
[Mika] I'mma go shopping.
[upbeat music playing]
[Mika] Michelle and Stephen, I know y'all have
so much on your plate right now.
I mean, wedding is coming up so soon,
so thanks for penciling in some time today.
-Yeah. -You found a perfect house
in a great location
but I feel like it's lacking
in those personal characteristics
that are gonna make it your home.
The biggest challenge I think
is how do we add things that are functional,
things that are gonna add value like storage
is definitely something they don't have a lot of while
also making their small budget
stretch as far as it can.
Right now, you have a yellow house.
So I didn't know if you were thinking
of changing the paint colors.
What are you envisioning?
I don't think yellow.
Yeah, I'm not a fan of, like, coastal.
-Maybe doing something more neutral. -[Mika] Maybe.
White and, like, some darker tones to contrast it,
-making it look as modern as possible. -[Stephen] Yeah.
[Mika] You both are going towards that modern vibe?
-[Michelle] Yeah. -This may not be
the exact feeling that we're going for
in your home exterior
but I wanna show you another house
that's gonna be completely different.
-Cool. Sounds good. Yeah. -All right.
-Follow me. -[Stephen] Yeah, let's do it.
Yeah, I like the look of this one.
[Michelle] Yeah, honestly,
I really like this color combo.
It's really nice.
-[Mika] This has the brick detail. -[Michelle] Yeah.
[Mika] Have you given thought to adding
any extra materials?
You've got stone.
I mean, we can do board and batten siding.
-Yeah. -There's a lot of different options there.
Yeah, I like that idea of the stone
if it looks modern maybe.
Yeah, that would look cool.
And if it's not too much money
-or work. -[Mika] Yeah.
I feel like we can make it happen.
I think your dad would say yes
because he's so excited for both of you, so...
[Michelle] Yeah, he is.
If you want the stone,
it's gonna go on the house.
-Okay. -[Stephen] Okay.
[Michelle] And, like, I like how this brick
is like a warm tone, so maybe adding
some wood color or something
-to offset the black and white. -Oh, yeah.
-That might be nice. -[Stephen] That's a good idea.
That would look nice.
[Mika] Okay. Y'all are too agreeable on everything.
I'm kind of just going with what she wants
'cause I've liked her style.
[Michelle] So he has a little bit more
of a bachelor pad-style right now.
[Stephen] I have this cow skin rug
that I had in my room
that Michelle didn't really love.
I'm glad you trust my judgment.
[Mika] Let's take a look at some interiors.
-[Michelle] Yeah, sounds great. -[Stephen] Absolutely.
[Mika] All right. Come on, love birds.
[rock music playing]
[Michelle] Ooh, this is awesome.
[Stephen] Oh, yeah. This looks nice.
-[Mika] Come on in. -[Michelle] So cute.
This fireplace is super cute.
I did grow up with one. Just looks cool.
You always get cold too, so...
Yeah, that's true. I'm cold.
Something to warm the area would be nice.
Yeah.
[Mika] Ah, so the fireplace...
In this house,
there's actually a staircase behind it,
so they were able to kind of have the fireplace
cheat in to that and make it flush.
The only thing with your layout
is if you did a fireplace,
I feel like it would probably come out two feet,
just thinking it's gonna eat
-so much into the space... -Yeah.
and you still gotta fit furniture in there.
Ooh.
[soft beat music playing]
[Michelle] I mean, I really do love this fireplace.
It's super cute.
[Mika] I wanna make sure that we're thinking
about the big picture and the overall layout.
The layout right now is not the best.
-Watch your head, Brian. -Whoa.
[laughter]
I think with renovation,
it's definitely a different perspective
because there's certain things
that I know that we can't change.
And there's probably some items
that are gonna be on the wish list
that aren't not gonna be realistic.
If you were to do a fireplace,
like we wouldn't have the same scenario
-that we're seeing right now. -[Michelle] Mmm-hmm.
[Mika] It would probably come out two feet.
Plus a fireplace, it can range anywhere
from $5,000 to $7,000.
-Oof. -So unfortunately,
I would say probably
-not do the fireplace. -Gotcha.
[Mika] But it is a nice charming focal point.
-[Michelle] Mmm-hmm. -So let me figure out something
to be a focal point in the living room.
Let's check out this kitchen area.
I feel like we do need to kind of problem solve
adding a little bit more storage to that kitchen.
Yeah, I like the shelves like this.
[Mika] Open shelving is mostly decorative.
You guys are about to get a lot of wedding gifts.
So maybe it's a combination of open shelving
but then maybe one wall that we can add a cabinet.
-[Michelle] Mmm-hmm. -Yeah.
What about the light fixtures? Statement lighting
can really elevate the design in a small space.
Yeah, it'd be a nice to have a statement piece
but I'm not as sure about the style.
It feels a little more traditional.
Maybe just something modern and could be funky.
-[Stephen] Yeah. -It could be a really fun thing
to pick those out together for you guys.
[Michelle] Yes. I think it'd be good to see it in person.
You like the modern on the outside of the house
and it sounds like on the inside too.
Yeah, I think so.
-[Mika] Okay. -I like modern.
Bring it all together.
[Mika] I feel like in this kitchen,
you've got a lot of the modern pops of gold.
I've always liked gold.
I don't know if you like it as...
Yeah, it's one of the wedding colors too.
-A-ha. [laughs] -[Michelle] Yeah.
I like the gold fixtures and handles.
-It looks nice. -[Mika] Very cool.
I mean, obviously by us knocking down that wall
now you are gonna have like a little area
-where you could put bar stools. -Right.
So, I mean, swivel chair like this.
I like because it's gonna be like...
[Michelle] Oh, yeah.
kind of attached to the living room.
So if you did have all your family over
and you needed to use that seating
that could kind of like [makes sound]
-swivel around... -[Michelle] That's a good point.
and be part of the party, right?
-[Stephen] That's a good idea. -Yeah, I like that idea.
[Mika] I think the biggest challenge
is taking a home that was built in 1969
and adding that modern aesthetic
that they really, really want.
But definitely the pressure is on.
They need their own space
as they start their lives together as a family.
[upbeat music playing]
All right, father of the bride,
-how you feeling? -[chuckles]
I'm great, man.
You know, I can't wait till I have a new son-in-law.
He's a great guy.
-[Brian] He really is, dude. -[Walt] He really is.
Couldn't be more pleased with how he treats Michelle.
I love that.
To be able to help them renovate
and make this look really cool,
I'm really looking forward to seeing their faces
when they see it.
This is an older house but, you know what,
we can bring it up to some new stuff.
Oldie but a goodie,
-just like Walter. -Oh, boy. Thank you.
So I used to flip homes back in the day
but it's been a while since I've done a renovation
but it's like riding a bike, right?
Construction is construction.
Or is it?
You said no?
-You ready? Come on. -[Walt] Yeah, let's do it.
[Brian] Luckily this wall isn't load bearing,
so opening it up wont' be an issue.
-Here we go. All right. Ready? -Yeah, go.
[Brian] Look at this plaster.
They don't build them like this anymore.
[Walt] That's what's behind all these walls.
-[Brian] I know. -[Walt] It's not drywall.
[Brian] It puts up a bigger fight than drywall does.
[Walt] Ooh.
Back in the '60s, they did not use drywall,
they used plaster which is super messy.
Plaster is actually thicker material...
Look at that.
Which was great for soundproofing
back in the day
but it cracks really easily.
Drywall is much softer and it goes up in sheets,
which is a huge cost savings.
[drill whirring]
Good, you're almost there. Good, good, good, good.
-[Walt] Wow. -[Brian] There we go.
Next wall.
[upbeat music playing]
[hammering]
[drill whirring]
-Walter, where'd you go? -[chuckles]
I'm so glad you came and helped us out
'cause it's really cool we're building this together.
Here we go. There you go.
This makes so much more sense.
When you helped build our dream home
for our daughter, so I mean, it's the least I could do
to renovate this house for your daughter.
-She's got a piano... -Yes.
that, you know, can maybe go in the corner still.
-Yeah. -And then, her couch there
and a TV there.
We didn't increase the square footage,
but it feels like we did.
We improved it.
Yeah, what a mess.
[Brian laughs]
[upbeat music playing]
Are you sure you don't wanna keep
-this beautiful lighthouse? -[Walt laughs]
[Walt] Nice.
Perfect.
I'm so glad those shutters are gone
and it's gonna look even better
once this cactus is gone.
I mean, thorny plants
aren't the most welcoming thing at your front door.
Here we go.
You got it.
[Brian] Bye-bye, cacti.
That's a nice wedding gift.
[birds chirping]
[soft acoustic music playing]
[priest] I pronounce Stephen and Michelle
husband and wife.
[cheering and applause]
[Brian] I didn't know you had moves like that.
Yeah, there's a first time for everything.
[Brian] Nah, you look good out there.
That was a fun night.
Ooh, I'm gonna have to find some energy today.
I am worn out from Michelle and Stephen's wedding,
but it was so much fun.
And I'm glad we convinced Stephen and Michelle
to keep this terrazzo on the patio.
[Walt] You know, this floor is probably over
50 years old.
There are so many steps
in making this floor beautiful
starting with sweeping,
moving on to scrubbing, then sealing.
[Walt] But I think it's gonna really
come back to life again.
It looks really, really in good shape.
[Brian] Speaking about coming back to life,
show us those dance moves.
A little left, a little right.
[laughs]
You... Hey, you mind if I cut in?
-You gotta get the dip. -[Walt] Uh-huh.
[Brian] With them officially married now,
we have a ton to get done
so they can finally come home.
Once we get the enhancer on here,
it's gonna sparkle.
Let's bring these floors back to life, my friend.
-[Walt] Look at that. -[Brian laughs]
[Walt] Look how pretty.
Brings out the color and it seals it, too.
[Brian] What a difference this makes.
Look at all the colors that are popping through now.
[Walt] Yeah. Yeah.
[Brian] I'm gonna send a quick video.
-[Walt] Cool. -Stephen and Michelle.
Hope you're having a fantastic honeymoon.
Check it out.
I cannot wait to see you guys
and welcome you home.
Something old is now something new.
This looks great.
This terrazzo looks so good
and it's gonna look really good on their budget, too,
'cause let's face it, we put pavers back here,
it would be a ton more money.
You know what's not looking good?
[Walt] Uh-huh.
[Brian] Some of this paneling out here.
This thing is completely rotted through.
Oh, my gosh. Look at that corner.
[Walt] Yeah.
Whole thing is rotted away.
Yikes.
-This comes off so easily. -Wow.
[Brian] Look at all that. Look.
You can see where all the water
-kind of wicks up here. -[Walt] Yeah.
So we were just supposed to be focusing
on the terrazzo floors today.
-[Walt] Yeah. -It's like paper coming off.
Turns out the entire exterior of this patio
is completely rotted.
We just can't ignore it.
Oh, my gosh.
Whole thing is rotted away.
-Yikes. -[Walt] Wow.
[Brian] Oh, my gosh. Yikes.
-[Walt] Wow. Yeah. -[Brian] This is like interior trim wood.
[Brian] This is the wrong type of wood to be outdoors.
It really is.
The entire exterior of this patio
is completely rotted away.
[Walt] Water damage.
[Brian] This is exactly why I love
building from the ground up brand new.
You don't deal with rotted wood.
But renovation or new build,
we still need to get it done within 100 days.
I thought you said this is gonna be a small renovation.
[Walt] It keeps growing, doesn't it? [chuckles]
[Brian] We'll do a brand new cement board
all the way on the exterior,
-a new screen. -Yeah.
[Brian] Fixing this porch
is not only gonna cost us a day
but probably Stephen and Michelle about $2,500.
So hopefully we can make up time and money later.
New marriage, new house, new future.
And they're both gonna last a long time.
[upbeat music playing]
[doorbell ringing]
-[Walt] Hey, Mika. -[Mika] Hello.
How are you doing? I see you have a few samples there
-for Michelle and Stephen. -Yes.
Where can I find those love birds?
Oh, just go in through the house to the back.
[Mika] All right.
Hey, come on. Where are you going?
Hello, hello.
-[Stephen] Hello. -[Michelle] Hey.
Hi, guys. Back from the honeymoon?
-[Michelle] Yes, we are. -[Stephen] Yes.
So I've lived next door to my parents
for quite some time.
My house is, like, attached to theirs,
it's under the same roof but it's its own townhouse.
And now Stephen is there as well.
[Stephen] A little bit of an adjustment
for the drive in the mornings.
He has an hour long drive to work.
I'm so excited just to start a new beginning with Stephen.
-[Mika] How was the honeymoon? -It was really nice.
Weather was great. We ate a lot of food.
[Mika] Oh, man, that's awesome.
[Stephen] Back to the grind now. Yeah.
[Michelle] Uh-huh. Back to real life.
I'm glad that you have that refresher
before we dive back into work mode.
-[Michelle] Yeah. -[Stephen] Yeah.
[Mika] Well, Maya already is selecting
-some finishes for you. -[Michelle] Oh, no.
-She wants an opinion on this. -[Mika] All right.
We are gonna start with dressing up
the outside of that house.
Adding some stonework
either to the bottom of the home
or even by the entryway can make it pop.
With stonework,
an inexpensive way to make a huge difference
-on the outside facade. -[Michelle] Right.
[Mika] So what's your first impression
on these three choices?
I think I'm feeling this white the best.
And even though it doesn't have
a ton of, like, contrast in color,
as soon as you put this on there,
you're gonna notice that dimension.
[Michelle] Dimensions, yeah.
Yeah, I like it, too.
-[Mika] All right. -[Stephen] Let's do it.
-[Michelle] I agree. We have some visitors. -[Mika] Oh, we have visitors.
[Stephen] We have some visitors.
[Mika] Hi, hi.
So far so good,
they've made an awesome selection.
[Walt] We're doing stone?
Well, I feel like it would dress up
the exterior a little bit.
Are you thinking the whole house
-or just... -[Michelle] No.
Just a little accent.
I think so. Yeah.
[Mika] Look, they're both nodding yeah as well.
-Yeah. -Sorry for that.
Well, I think... Well, yes, too, then, I guess.
-[laughter] -It's got a little bit of sparkle.
-It does. -[Michelle] Yeah.
Now, we need to look at countertops,
which I honestly wasn't anticipating.
But we cannot find a perfect match
-for that bar area. -Ooh.
[Mika] So I have been looking everywhere
to try to matchup this quartz countertop
that's in Michelle and Stephen's current kitchen.
This is kind of like a newer countertop.
I would hate to have to replace it.
Unfortunately, there's not any more of it.
We're either going to have to mix-match the countertop
and just try to find something that complements
or replace all the countertops altogether,
so which will cost about $2,000 more
than just finding one new one for the bar area.
-Okay. -Oh, no.
-Yikes. [laughs] -Yikes.
[upbeat music playing]
[Mika] So unfortunately, we're either going
to have to mix-match the countertop...
-Oh, man. -or replace all the countertops altogether.
-Oh, no. -I have seen people pick
two different countertops in a kitchen,
-Ooh. Okay. -so it's not unheard of.
[Mika] So this one is probably the most similar
to what's already in the kitchen
-but... -[Stephen] If we did that,
it would just look like we were trying to match it
but not quite...
[Michelle] But didn't quite get it right.
I agree with you, Stephen.
If they're, like, close but not quite,
then it's gonna seem like it was a mistake.
So maybe something just, like, plain white would blend in.
And everything is already kinda white
-in the kitchen. -Mmm-hmm.
-[Maggie] That's a wise choice. -[Mika] That mean,
-it's gonna match anything. -[Michelle] Okay.
-Do you guys agree? -I agree.
-I think that's a better choice. -[Mika] Cool.
Not having to replace
the existing kitchen countertops
plus upcycling the terrazzo floor in the lanai
allows us to stay within budget.
Now, we can cover the unexpected costs
of replacing all the rotted wood on the lanai.
We'll get the orders placed.
And before you know it, the house is gonna be done.
[Michelle] Crazy, yeah. You could slow down.
[Walt] You want me to delay it a little more?
-Yeah, just a little bit. -It's delayed a year.
Sorry.
[Mika] How are you guys feeling like?
[Maggie] Hmm. Kinda sad.
Yeah.
It's tough but it's exciting.
I was really enjoying the time
-that they've been here. -Yeah. Mmm-hmm.
-So we get to really know Stephen, so... -[Maggie] Yeah.
It is so exciting to welcome Stephen
-into the family. -Yeah.
[Maggie] He's everything we would want for our daughter.
And the time has been really special
to have them here in the townhouse
'cause they come over and have coffee every day.
And it's been fun to get to know Stephen
on a deeper level
that we will be sad to see him leave.
-Gosh. -Oh, I know, it's--
Maybe this is on back order.
-Would you know? -Back order, yes.
-[laughter] -[Maggie] Yes.
[Mika] Time goes by so fast.
I'm thinking about Jade and I'm like,
"Oh, no. Uh-uh. No, girlfriend.
I'm gonna be living in your backyard."
[laughter]
[upbeat music playing]
This week, we've made a ton of progress.
Drywall's been installed,
we've got brand new luxury vinyl plank floors
throughout the house,
tile floor in the bathroom.
I thought Stephen is supposed
to carry Michelle over the threshold,
not us carry the countertop over the threshold,
but here we go.
We have so much going on today
and a lot of it's in the kitchen.
We're installing the new countertop for the bar.
-Yeah. -Nice.
[Brian] The countertop blends really nicely
-with the current stuff. -Yeah.
[Brian] And then, we're installing upper cabinets
and open shelving to give them maximum storage.
What a difference it made
-opening this wall up. -I know.
I mean, even though we didn't add any square footage,
-it's like twice as big now. -[Walt] Yeah.
My only concern is we need to figure out
-that whole corner. -[Walt] We really do.
-What are you thinking? -So, I mean, I like the...
-This... Oh, my God. -[glass breaking]
I told you we need to move that light.
[Walt] We need a new light now.
[Brian] Uh, clean up on aisle six.
-[Walt chuckles] -Yeah.
Hey, watch out for this light.
We were planning on taking that one down anyway.
Just go in a bit more carefully.
All right. Take two on the fridge.
-Watch out. -[laughing]
The idea was to have the front of the fridge
-kind of flush with this wall. -[man] Right.
My only concern is if it's flush here...
Yeah. We're losing a lot of room over here.
[Brian] We lose a ton of space back here.
What if we did some type of banquette sitting here,
so we could almost cheat
that whole dining room table this way
and even gain more room?
I think that's a great idea.
We just have to move that light over.
Yeah. That's not a problem.
Hang on a second.
Did we just come up with a special project?
I think so. But I think we better run it
-by the boss first. -[Brian] Good point.
-Okay. So pending approval. -All right.
Now, we just need to figure out how to hide the back
and the side of that fridge.
Mark, what are we thinking?
-We'll put a panel here. -[Brian] Okay.
And then, a... And then, a panel straight to the back side?
-[Mark] Yeah. And then, we hang a cabinet here. -[Brian] Okay.
Okay. That will give them storage inside the kitchen
'cause honestly, they need it.
And then, turn around and put the same cabinet
that we have here on the back side here.
-[Brian] Love it. -It gives them something
-on the back side, too because like I said... -[Walt] On both sides.
we're less than ideal for storage.
-[Walt] Yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. -I think it's gonna look good.
Sounds like a plan. Let's do it.
[Walt laughs]
[upbeat music playing]
-[Mika] Okay. Michelle and Stephen... -[Stephen] Wow.
I don't wanna overwhelm you all,
but lighting can really, like, set a mood
-in the space. -Yeah.
It's also a little tricky, though.
Sometimes it's hard to know the scale,
what size you need.
It should contribute
but it shouldn't be overwhelming.
You don't have a ton of square footage,
you've got the kitchen
and your dining area.
Let's start with the dining room light.
I know you're an artist, so what kinda speaks to you?
I'm kinda drawn to the spiky one.
-[laughs] -[Mika] Oh, this one over here?
[Stephen] Yeah, that does look interesting.
[Mika] The ceiling height is about 8 feet
but I feel like you might bump your head into it.
-[Stephen] That's true. -[Mika] We've got a lot of options.
Let's keep traveling.
[upbeat music playing]
[Michelle] This is fun. I like the angles.
[Mika] It does hang pretty low.
This one's another cool looking one.
-[Mika] Ooh. -[Michelle] I like the modern vibe to it.
-It does hang pretty low. -[Michelle] Right.
Unfortunately, I feel like this whole section
is just, like, too large for the room
-that we're trying to light up. -[Michelle] Yeah.
There's gotta be something in here.
[Mika] There is. There's gotta be.
So these are all adjustable
so we don't have to have it hanging quite as low
-over the table. -Okay.
-Yeah. That's helpful. -Mmm-hmm.
[Michelle] This one's fun. How are you feeling about this one?
Yeah, I think this one looks pretty cool.
[Mika] It is kind of fun.
And I think it would be a nice focal point in there.
-Mmm-hmm. -[Mika] You guys are both lighting up to that one?
-[Michelle] For sure. -[Mika] I love it.
All right. The dining room is gonna be fun now
when you guys are having dinner.
-Great. -[laughter]
Let's talk about the kitchen.
I like the gold fixtures
and handles, it looks nice.
[Mika] I think that green and gold look amazing.
[Michelle] Yeah.
[Mika] Okay. So over here, we've got a lot
-of the gold finish in this area. -Mmm-hmm.
Let's see. Ooh, what about this one?
It's kind of high up to the ceiling.
Oh, this guy all the way at the top?
[Michelle] Yeah, you wouldn't hit your head on that.
[Mika] I probably would've missed that.
[Michelle] Yeah, I like the movement to it.
[Mika] Oh, that's fun. That'll, like, take
the elevation design style in that kitchen
-to a whole another level. -Yeah.
I do think that one complements the dining room light perfectly
and it's fun that it's not the same exact finish.
-Yeah. -Mmm-hmm.
So, are you guys both set
on this one for the kitchen?
-Do you like it? -I think so, yeah.
-Okay. -Yeah, I like it if you like it.
-I'm good with it. [laughs] -This is easy.
Maybe I'll just only work
with clients that, like, recently just got married.
-[chuckles] -Yeah.
[upbeat music playing]
[Walt] It's looking great, isn't it?
[Brian] I mean, yeah, it looks fantastic.
I love the horizontal lines along with the cut stone,
-the black and white. -[Walt] I know.
-Woo. -[Walt] Woo-hoo. [laughs]
[Brian] And you know what I love?
The fact that this window was not centered
really kind of bothered me,
but now that we're doing stone to the left of it,
it's almost gonna be like an optical illusion,
-and it's gonna look like it makes sense. -[Walt] Yup.
It really does. It looks good like that now.
-[Brian] It's awesome. -[Walt] Yeah.
So we're doing slats and stone today?
-Slats and stone. Yeah. -Let's do it.
[upbeat music playing]
[machine whirring]
-[Walt] All right. -Okay.
[Brian] Where's that corner piece?
[Walt] It's in the window sill.
Uh, Brian, I think we got a problem.
Stand back here and look at the slats.
I just noticed that.
They looked level.
Yeah, they're level.
-[Brian] Oh, my gosh. -[Walt] You see it now?
I wish I didn't see it now. But yes, I see it now.
-[upbeat music playing] -[machine whirring]
[Brian] Oh, my gosh.
You see it now?
I wish I didn't see it now. But yes, I see it now.
So that is like this one, this one, and this one.
-[Walt] Okay. Yeah. -They're all too dark.
[Mika] Oh, look at the boys working.
[laughs]
[Brian] We got company, Walter.
-[Walt] Okay. -[Mika] Hello. Hello.
-Mika, look at this. -What's that?
[Brian] So, look at our slats.
-You notice anything? -Yeah. Whoa.
Look at the color change between each of them.
[Mika] This is kind of like how I start
at the beginning of the year
and then towards the summer.
[laughter]
But what happened?
Was it just ordered wrong or what?
[Walt] It's got different dye lot.
They could have manufactured this at one plant
and this at another plant
-or a different time. -[Mika] Mmm-hmm.
And the mixture is not exactly the same.
Yowzers. Okay.
We do have some more in the... In the garage.
I just hope they are this color.
Well, hopefully, fingers crossed,
we have enough material to change out the ones
that are not matching.
Okay. This one is too light.
This one might be good.
Uh, Mika, can you let us know?
-I feel like this is right. -It really is.
[Brian] You can tell how dark these are.
-[Walt] I'm just glad -we saw it now...
-[Mika] Yes. -[Walt] and not when we're done.
I guess we need to uninstall and then reinstall.
[Mika] All right. Well, at first,
I need your help unloading some statement lighting.
Actually, it's perfect timing, electrician just got here.
-Ooh. -[Walt] Oh, wow.
[Brian] Here, stack them up.
[Mika] You are tall, but, oh, boy.
[Walt] All right.
Wow. Square footage feel bigger now
just without having that wall right there.
[Walt] Mika, look at the storage up here too.
[Mika] More storage. See?
And that's the tricky thing too in a smaller square foot.
I think you have to make everything count.
[Brian] Speaking of storage,
I feel like this is the perfect opportunity corner
for a special project.
It's clearly a dining room space,
but we made it smaller
because now the fridge...
-[Mika] Mmm-hmm. -[Brian] pushes back in.
What if we did some type of banquette seating here
so we could almost cheat
that whole dining room table this way?
Yeah, that is a great idea.
Did we just come up with a special project?
I think so, but I think we better run it
-by the boss first. -[Brian] Good point.
-[Walt] Well, yeah. -Okay.
-So pending approval. -All right.
What if we did banquette seating with storage
-underneath the banquette seating? -[Mika] I think that's great.
I think this is a great special project.
-Good spot? Okay. -[Mika] Yeah.
-It's a gift for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. -And dinner.
-Watch my head. -Oh. I have the light fixture that's going here
-and this is gonna... Problem solved. -[Brian] Good.
-Electrician will probably get that installed today. -[Brian] Yup.
Hey, I know... I know you guys were talking
about a special project.
I was thinking I would like to do one too.
[Brian] What are you thinking?
Well, remember we had the TV right here?
-[Mika] Mmm-hmm. -[Walt] The only issue was it there,
there's not much room for furniture.
-[Mika] Okay. -[Walt] Okay?
So why don't we put the TV
in that corner, okay?
-At an angle. -Mmm-hmm.
-And then... -We'll see.
we'll use these slats to make an accent wall.
TV up here.
TV up here and, get this.
I want a fireplace underneath, an electric fireplace.
[Mika] What?
[Walt] And maybe some storage underneath,
so they can put all their components in it.
-Okay. The fireplace... -[Walt] Okay?
I would never imagine could work in here.
-[Brian] Mmm-hmm. -You're an inspiration to us.
We saw a house with a fireplace
but we just didn't think it was a possibility
for this space.
You guys get cold too, so...
Yeah, that's true. I am cold.
something that a warm area
-would be nice. -Yeah.
A corner fireplace sounds like...
Okay. That's a pretty good idea.
I would expect nothing less.
This is his baby girl. This is her journey.
I know if it was Jade's house,
I would be going above and beyond
to sprinkle in every single thing that I could imagine,
so it's really nice, sweetie.
My only concern
is this special project might be better
than the one we just came up with.
It'll be like the battle of the special project.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the main event.
In this corner, we have Walter,
and his special project, featuring a fireplace.
In this corner, we've got the reigning champion,
Ms. Mika, building a banquette.
May the best special project win.
Ha!
[laughing]
-[laughing] -This is gonna be cool.
[Brian] Bring it on, Walter!
[upbeat music playing]
We're on Day 70 of this renovation
and we're moving along nicely.
The stonework on the exterior is complete.
Out on the patio, all of the rotten wood has been replaced
and the entire space has been repainted.
While we're painting our breakfast nook...
Oh, there it is.
[Brian] Walt's getting his fireplace installed.
Check that out.
[Walt] Nice.
[Mika] Bring it on in, sir.
Ooh, I like this green. This looks really good.
Oh, boy, who gave Brian the piano?
[piano playing]
I think we need to, uh, tune this bad boy.
[Walt] Yeah.
[laughing]
See what you did?
At least we have a nice soundtrack
when we're working today.
It is the final push to get all the furniture
in the rooms.
Ta-da!
We still got to fit a desk in here.
-[Brian] Oh, gosh. -It's a music room.
It's an office. It's a flex space.
We're working in a space
that's less than a thousand square feet.
If we put this here...
But then you're facing...
-Yeah. It's got to go there. -the dining area.
It's got to go there, Brian.
-Here? -Yeah.
We wanna make sure
that we really pay attention to every nook and cranny.
Oh, yeah.
[Brian] Like a glove.
-It's good. -And extra storage.
We're putting all the final touches
on our special projects.
[Brian] So we decided
that neither one of us won the special projects.
The true winners are Michelle and Stephen.
-But I mean... -I really hope this is dry.
-Can we see you standup? -[Kevin] It might be...
-It might be a little-- -Turn around.
-You're good. -[Brian] Good.
Your butt is not dry, but the paint is.
You promised less than a hundred days
and that's what we're gonna deliver.
[upbeat music playing]
[Mika] Oh, this cat tower is like a little playground.
This is gonna be fun.
You know, they sell this already assembled.
-I'm just saying. -[Mika] Now, how much longer would it be to do that?
[Walt chuckles]
[Mika] We have lighter color tones.
We definitely don't want it darken
and make it too heavy.
Everything in here has got organic, modern vibe going on.
I gotta say, this right here, is definitely the cat's meow.
Love it.
Ping.
[rock music playing]
[Mika] Oh, this dining area looks so nice.
Perfect.
Oh, my gosh, this room.
So this renovation is extra special to us.
And we've known Michelle forever.
We're at the wedding, and now here we are
at the reveal.
Love these floating shelves.
It's really happening. [chuckles]
-Are you feeling nervous? -A little bit.
I'm excited for this new chapter.
[Brian] My only concern is they might drive right by.
[Mika] They might. It does look a lot different.
-Here they are. Here they are. Here they are. -Oh, my gosh.
[upbeat music playing]
[gasps] What?
-Holy cow. Look at that. -[Michelle] No way.
-That stacked stone. -That does not look like the same house.
-Here they are. Here they are. -[Mika] Oh, my gosh.
[Michelle gasps] What?
-Holy cow. Look at that. -No way.
-That looks awesome. Look at that stacked stone. -That's so amazing.
[Michelle] That does not look like the same house.
[Brian] I can see their smiles from here.
I see the mustache moving upwards.
That means smile.
Look at the newlyweds.
[Brian] There's the newlyweds.
-[Mika] Look at you guys. -[Stephen] Hello.
-[Brian] Hi. -[Mika] Hello. Hello.
-[Brian] Rested from the honeymoon. -[Stephen] How are you doing?
-I mean... -[Stephen] This is awesome.
-What do you think? -[Michelle] this is crazy.
-[Stephen] It's so good. -[Michelle] It looks amazing.
-[Mika] It's got that modern touch. -[Michelle] Yeah.
[Mika] The black and white neutral with the wood tones,
-everything you kind of described. -[Michelle] I'm obsessed.
We're adding the fresh coat of paint, the stone accent.
It makes me feel like it's a brand new home.
[Michelle] Yeah, it really does.
Your dad works his tail off,
-I'm gonna say. -Yeah, he really did.
You guys ready to check out the inside of your house?
-Yeah, I'm excited. -Yeah, let's take a look.
After you, newlyweds in the new home.
[Michelle gasps] No way.
-[Stephen] Oh, wow. -Oh, my gosh.
-This is amazing. -Holy cow. This is awesome.
What?
It doesn't even look like the same house.
-[Michelle laughs] -[Stephen] Holy cow.
This is amazing. Oh, my gosh.
-That is so cool. -There's a fireplace.
They did the fireplace.
[Mika] So I know you guys really wanted the fireplace
during the inspiration tours.
Yeah. But how did you guys fit that in there?
-It's so crazy. -[Michelle] That looks so legit.
-Legit? Okay. -So should we tell them?
So as much as I wanna take credit for this,
this fireplace was your dad's idea.
-[Michelle] What? -It's awesome.
[Michelle] That's amazing.
We added storage underneath the fireplace.
-Oh, wow. -There's are your remotes.
[Michelle] That's really cool.
[Stephen] Oh, that looks so cool.
So we really wanted to maximize
every square inch of this house.
It feels so different.
-[Stephen] Yeah. -[Michelle] This is insane.
-[Stephen] And the counter too. -[Mika] Go check it out.
-[Brian] Yeah, check it out. -The countertop looks awesome.
-That looks amazing. -[Stephen] Yeah.
I love how it opens up the whole house.
You can see the living room from the kitchen.
[Brian] And I love how Mika did swivels stools there,
-so when you're sitting there... -These are cool.
you can actually be part of this room.
-It's really cool. -Well, let check it out.
-Yeah, try it out. -All right.
So you're in the kitchen, and now you're in living room.
-[Michelle] It's so cute. -[Stephen] This is awesome.
I am obsessed.
[Brian] We didn't add any square footage,
-but it feels twice as much. -[Michelle] Yeah,
-it really does. -[Brian] Right?
[Michelle] I love looking into this kitchen.
[Stephen] And all these extra cabinet space.
And the fridge too?
That looks way better back there.
Yeah. I love the addition spaces.
[Brian] Before the fridge was kind of here.
-[Stephen] Yeah. -[Brian] And this kitchen didn't make any sense.
I love the feel of it now. It's so open.
[Brian] The ceilings feel higher
with all these light fixtures.
-[Michelle] It really does. Yeah. -[Stephen] Yeah.
[Mika] Obviously, opening this up,
we wanted to give you the dining here
at this little peninsula bar,
but also come check this out, you guys.
-All right. -This was our special project
-that Mika and I worked on. -[Mika] Yeah.
-Oh, wow. Look at that. -Oh, this is so cool.
[Brian] So custom banquette seating.
[Michelle] Yeah, this really utilizes the corner so well.
[Brian] But we also added additional storage...
-[Michelle] Oh, wow. -[Brian] underneath.
-[Mika] Look at that. -[Stephen] Oh, that's awesome.
[Michelle] I definitely appreciate the extra storage.
[Mika] And then, you can also enjoy the view
of your dad's special project...
-across the room. -[Michelle] Yes.
Why don't we check out the backyard area?
Because you also have indoor, outdoor living here.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
-[Michelle] Wow. -[Stephen] Oh, man.
[Michelle] The floors looked amazing.
-[Mika] The terrazzo. -[Brian] There is a terrazzo.
I like it out here.
[Stephen] Yeah, I feel like it fits the vibe.
[Michelle] The porch looks so much better.
[Brian] A lot of this is rebuilt.
This is all brand new with all new screen.
-It looks awesome. -[Mika] And also,
I feel like this is gonna be
-like Maya's hangout spot, right? -Oh, yes.
[Mika] And she's got a little lounge area over there...
-Oh. She will love this. -[Mika] she can party.
[Mika] All right. Let's check out the two bedrooms.
-[Michelle] Oh, look at the piano. -This looks awesome. Yeah.
[Michelle] I love it in front of the window.
-Yeah, that's great. -Yeah, perfect place to practice.
[Mika] I say this room is the epitome
-of work and play... -[Michelle] Yeah.
all in the same space.
Do you guys wanna see the main bathroom?
-[Stephen] Yes. -[Brian] Perfect.
Ooh.
-[Stephen] Wow. -Wow. Look at this light.
-That's so cool. -[Stephen] Oh, that looks great.
-And the tile too. -[Michelle] The tile looks great.
[Stephen] Tile looks awesome.
New light fixtures,
new floor tile,
-it freshens it up so much. -[Brian] It really does.
[Stephen] Yeah. It looks awesome.
Is it time to check out the honeymoon suite?
I think so.
[Mika] Right this way.
[Stephen] Oh, wow, this looks awesome.
[Michelle] Oh, so cool.
And the doors looked great here too.
[Mika] Adding the trim to the closet doors,
something quick, easy, and expensive
to just dress it up a little bit.
[Michelle] Yeah, it looks good.
Thank you so much.
It really does feel like home now.
-Yeah. -Yay!
[Michelle] I love it.
[Brian] Now, let's settle back
where your guests are gonna be spending a lot of time.
-[Mika] Oh, yeah. -[Stephen] Yeah.
This is an awesome spot.
It's kind of crazy to think you guys
that when we started on this journey,
none of these moments on the wall had happened yet.
-[Stephen] Yeah, you're right. -[Michelle] Yes.
It's been an honor to be a part
of not only your wedding,
-but also your dream home. -Oh. thank you so much.
Yeah, we're so grateful for you all and my dad.
I've never seen him be more excited...
-[Michelle] Oh. -about a project
and he was working on this house.
-That is the truth. -He worked so hard
to get this done.
-We owe him a lot. -Yes.
Well, speaking of owing him,
-we came in in exactly $35,000. -Nice.
[Mika] No interest, zero percent.
You know what, though? Kudos to you guys
for knowing it had that potential.
[Michelle] It was like '70s vibe.
Now it looks so modern and fresh,
so it's just wild to see how much it's wild
to see how much it's transformed
in such a short amount of time.
You guys are gonna start so many new memories here.
[Brian] New memories for the newlyweds
in your newly renovated dream home.
-Nice. -Nice.
-Yeah, it's awesome. -[Mika] Enjoy, guys.
-Congrats on everything. -Bye, guys.
-[Michelle] Thank you. -[Stephen] Thank you so much.
-[Michelle] We really appreciate it. -[Brian] See you.
[Michelle] It's definitely been a bit of a whirlwind
lately with the wedding
-and this house... -Yeah.
and the whole process
just been a lot of decision making.
We're just ready and enjoy being newly married,
-so yeah. -[Stephen] Yeah.
[Walt] It's exciting to see you guys in your house.
You've got this new chapter
where you've got your own place.
I couldn't have done it without you all
-and I'm just so grateful. -[Stephen] Happy life.
[Michelle] We owe you like crazy.
You like that, Maya?
-Aww. -She's already making herself
-at home there. -[Walt] Yeah, she loves it.
[Maggie] I think it's just the perfect place for them.
That's okay. We have to...
You have to let them go, eventually.
So you're gonna start hosting all the, um, holidays now
so we can come down and see you guys.
If you make the drive, yeah. [laughs]
[Walt] You know I'll make the drive.
[Michelle] Okay.