Help! I Wrecked My House, Season 3 Episode 8

Project Overview:

THE HOMEOWNER:

Andi and Bryan

THE BUDGET:

$85,000

THE STORY:

Andi and Bryan have been living in their Huntington Beach home for six years, two of those years filled with unfinished home projects. Some parts of their home had been renovated, like their beautiful kitchen, however, some parts of the house they started ripping up but never got around to finishing. Bryan hurt his back on the job as a Fire Captain, had two spinal surgeries, and he simply can’t risk getting hurt again. Before the couple would finish a project, they would attempt to start a different project in the home. Bryan and Andi struggled making decisions, which delayed working on and finishing the various projects around the house. It was a hard pill for the couple to swallow to have to ask for help, but I was eager to give Andi and Bryan their finished, construction-free dream home.

THE PLAN:

While Andi didn’t exactly like the unknown (like a lot of people), I knew the couple had to hand over their house and allow me to make all of the decisions. They needed to let go because the decision making process was holding them back. I wanted the couple to learn how to make decisions together, and finish home projects that they started. Their fireplace had been a five year project, and the electrical was not finished in the bar area. My plan was to finish and fix all of the projects they started—the family room, fireplace, wet bar, main bedroom, closet, and main bathroom. Andi and Bryan were headed on a family road trip, and I had seven weeks to complete the project. With a design style described as neutral, earthy, and moody, it was important that our renovation matched the rest of the home, which was the challenge in this project.

The Inspiration:

The Family Room:

While the fireplace was the focal point of this room (we’ll get to that later!), I wanted to add new luxury vinyl plank floors, new lights, a multipurpose custom table behind the sofa, and spruce up the bar area that Bryan and Andi started. By adding two chairs on each side of the rug and rounding out the seating with comfy chairs, this finally felt like a finished space. With the new furniture, there would be more room and give easier access to the pool out back.

The Fireplace:

With the fireplace being a five year project for Andi and Bryan, I was more than ready to finish it for them. They had attempted to take the tile off of the fireplace, and they couldn't agree on whether or not to remove the hearth. Andi wanted the fireplace to be leveled out, and I had just the material in mind. I used a soapstone slab for the fireplace; it was already built out and ready to install when it arrived at the house. The soapstone gives off a really pretty look by complementing the gray and white marble that is used in the bar area. The deep gray color with white veining gives it a modern touch. On both sides of the fireplace, I wanted to do custom cabinets for storage. With the pool out back, this is a great place to store pool towels and toys for the family.

Special Project: Multifunctional Sofa Console

A custom console behind the couch added another element of storage while saving space in the family room. After this piece was built, we cut the baseboards and slid it into the space behind the sofa. We installed USB charging ports and plugs, so everything would be right there (and could be charging) when sitting at the couch. It was almost like this piece was part of the couch, and it’s really a game changer!

Wet Bar:

Since Andi and Bryan never finished their bar area, it was my job to get it done. I gave them the floating shelves they wanted, but made them in metal and painted them black so they contrasted the design in the rest of the room. I also wanted to add wallpaper to the bar to make the shelves pop even more, so I went with a gray plaid wallpaper.

Primary Bedroom

In the main bedroom, I wanted to turn the upper area into a closet. The window (with the infamous hanging blue striped towel covering it) was put in but never correctly finished—let me tell you, light coming in through the bottom of a window is not a good thing. I fixed the window, added a wall to make it a beautiful walk-in closet, and incorporated two bookcases of built-in storage next to the doors. These bookcases face into the bedroom and start on the second step so that they seamlessly blend in and provide even more storage space. The main floor of the bedroom was mostly furniture, but finishes like baseboards, door casing, fresh paint, and some really tranquil layers made this feel like the moody main bedroom Andi and Bryan have always wanted.

The upper space in the primary bedroom is now their dream closet! It’s a separate area for storing all clothes, shoes, accessories, and luggage. Utilizing shelving, baskets, drawers, and hanging space, it’s plenty of room and a proper primary closet for Andi and Bryan. With a seating area included, it’s also a space to unwind from the day with a good book or journal!

Primary Bathroom

Old leaks and termite damage in their previous bathroom were very dangerous, and ultimately it set the tone of this budget. In order to add more space to the bathroom, I closed the closet door so there would be one entry to the bathroom, moved the toilet, added new double vanities on the wall with two mirrors, and brand new brass faucets. With Bryan’s injury, he really wanted a steam shower in his new bathroom. I wanted to make this happen, so we added a glass door and made the previous closet into a wet room with a tub while enclosing the whole thing in order to make it a steam shower.

By contrasting wood elements with gray stone tones of the tile in the bathroom, this would help tie in with the design of the rest of the house. For the floors, I loved this large format porcelain, that almost looks like concrete. I decided to straight stack it for that evident modern look. And in the wet room, the floor was made up of smaller mosaics of the same material. We went with white longer pieces stacked together all the way up the wall to make the shower feel even bigger and also continue with that modern vibe. I used mirrors with a black finish and then they were installed with mirror brackets for a functional, different, and cool look. My hope is that this primary bathroom feels like a relaxing oasis for Andi and Bryan now.

That’s a wrap! Thank you all for following along. I hope Bryan and Andi love their finished home and learned how to make home-making decisions a bit easier with compromise and narrowing down options. I’m really excited that they have a tranquil space to call their own that goes along with the rest of their beautiful, renovated home.

Be sure to tune in next Saturday at 9 p.m. on HGTV for the next episode of 'HELP! I Wrecked My House'. There’s only three episodes left this season, so don’t miss out! And don’t forget you can stream the entire season on Discovery+.