Which Design Stars Have Filmed Their Own Home Renovations?
The stars of home renovation TV shows typically transform houses for clients. But every so often, the designers, builders, and restoration experts take on a personal project—and they film it, giving viewers an inside look at the process. Seeing as devoted fans are invested in their personal and professional lives, this blend of the two has undeniable appeal. So we’ve compiled a list of the best times design stars have opened up their homes to us, literally, and took themselves on as clients. From Erin and Ben Napier’s country house in Mississippi to Alison Victoria’s Chicago dream home, all of these projects are fascinating to watch (or rewatch!). We’ve even included a highly anticipated renovation that hasn’t hit the small screen yet but is slated to air this year.
Christina Hall’s Kitchen Renovation
For season four, episode 15 of Christina on the Coast (“The 16 Year Kitchen”), Christina and Josh Hall renovated the “robotic” kitchen of their California home. The original kitchen had stark white cabinetry and a long island with a raised bar. A bit harsh, the modern design didn’t align with Christina’s preference for a soft, organic feel. To bring her vision to life, they installed black cabinetry, white oak floating shelves, white counters with gray veining, black appliances, and a pair of concrete pendant lights that weighed 250 pounds each. Want more details on the other ways they revamped the kitchen? Read our episode recap.
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Erin and Ben Napier’s Country Home
To kick off season seven of Home Town, the Napiers took viewers through the renovation of their country home near Laurel, Mississippi. They worked with close friends to transform the property into a haven where they could slow down, let their children play, and make lasting memories. The resulting home features special wallpaper, custom wood furniture (naturally!), a reconfigured kitchen, and a few other surprises.
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Jenny and Dave Marrs’s Farmhouse
When Jenny and Dave Marrs recently decided to renovate their farmhouse in Bentonville, Arkansas, they didn’t intend to film it for their HGTV series, Fixer to Fabulous. Jenny shared on their website that they planned to wait until they were done filming so they wouldn’t be pressured by production schedules. But then their filming schedule was extended, so they squeezed it in so they could be settled before Christmas. Featured in season five, episode 16, the remodel involved a big main suite, bathroom, and closet overhaul. They also shuffled around their kids’ rooms, updated the living room, and turned an unused garage bay into a home gym.
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Hilary Farr’s North Carolina Home
In 2020, Hilary Farr purchased a property in Raleigh, North Carolina. She completely overhauled it, featuring the transformation in season 19, episode two of Love It or List It. The highlights of the charming bungalow include a steel fireplace in the living room, a kitchen inspired by an all-marble one she once saw at an Airbnb in Paris, and dramatic bathroom wallpaper.
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Chip and Jo Gaines’s Hotel
Chip and Joanna Gaines have featured several personal projects on their TV shows—from their own home to a handful of business ventures. Perhaps the most thrilling one for fans to watch as of late was Fixer Upper: The Hotel, which details the process of building their boutique hotel, Hotel 1928, in Waco, Texas. Curious about what it’s like to visit? Read our editor’s in-depth review based on her stay.
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Another one of the Gaineses TV projects that blends personal and professional is the expansion of the grounds at the Silos, the shopping complex they own in Waco. They documented it in Fixer Upper: Welcome Home.
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Chip and Joanna Gaines’s Farmhouse
Chip and Jo’s farmhouse renovation is, of course, even more personal to them than their hotel. When they first started filming Fixer Upper for HGTV, their home was completely under construction. In Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, they detailed the process of building and designing a living room addition to expand its footprint for their growing family.
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Mina Starsiak Hawk’s Family Lake House
While Good Bones came to an end after eight seasons, Mina Starsiak Hawk landed a spin-off series that’s slated to air in 2024 but doesn’t have an official release day quite yet. The two-part special will follow the HGTV star as she and her husband renovate a lake house for their family outside Indianapolis.
Alison Victoria’s Atlanta Loft
A few years ago, Alison Victoria purchased an Atlanta home that was originally intended to be a flip but quickly became a place where she wanted to put down roots. The loft in a converted textile mill was featured on the cover of House Beautiful’s February/March 2022 issue and in season three, episode four of Windy City Rehab. She’s been trying to sell the place—which is currently listed for $899,000—for a few years with no luck.
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Alison Victoria’s Chicago Dream Home
In the 2023 spinoff series Windy City Rehab: Alison’s Dream Home, Victoria renovated another one of her homes. This time, she turned a 6,700-square-foot warehouse built in 1927 into her own residence. It turns out the dream didn’t last too long: Victoria put the home on the market for $3.5 million.
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Nicole Curtis’s Lake House
In the three-episode miniseries Rehab Addict Lake House Rescue, Nicole Curtis completes the restoration of her historic lake cottage in Michigan. It took eight years to finish, so it was certainly a long time coming. Along with her lake house, Curtis has restored many other homes on her series Rehab Addict, which ran for nine seasons, that she currently maintains as Airbnbs and uses to store her collections of estate sale and antique shop finds.
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