Original subtitles

-[engine starts] -[Mike] Let's go!

[chuckles]

[Gray] We might be biased, but we believe

that Summerville is

the most beautiful town in America.

We're the Benkos.

I'm Mike.

And I'm Gray.

We live in the beautiful resort town

of Summerville, South Carolina,

with our two kids,

Farris

and Charlie,

our two dogs,

our two dogs,

one cat,

-and seven chickens? -Mmm-hmm.

-What in the world... -Why is the chicken inside?

-Ahhh! -Ahhh! Oh, my gosh!

[Gray] Summerville is filled with historic homes,

and we are committed to preserving that charm.

-[Mike] Hello. -Come on in.

[Mike] Renovating a historic home has

its own set of problems...

This is gonna have to come out.

...but we have a lot of fun working together.

She brings all the design, color,

and the creativity to these projects.

[Gray] Well, that's not really true.

Mike's the one who does all of our client drawings,

Mike's the one who does all of our client drawings,

and he does all the hard work.

[Mike] I love working with my hands.

[Gray] But whenever we run into a hiccup,

that's when we call in my dad, Grumpy.

[Mike] Grumpy grumpily oversees

-all of our projects. -Do you like it?

-Not yet. -[laughs]

What's the matter with you?

[Gray] But I mean, he has been doing this

for 40 years,

and so, his expertise is what allows us

to make colorful, happy homes that are also really solid.

And it means a lot to us to be able

to bring that happiness

into the homes that we work on.

[all exclaiming]

My gosh!

Whoa!

I'm honestly gonna cry!

[all exclaiming]

Oh, my gosh!

Wow!

[Charlie] Is the house that you guys are going to today

an old house?

It's not as old as our house.

-I think it was built in... -Like, 19 and 20-something?

[Gray] ...1926, I think.

Ours is a little bit older.

1815.

1815, that's right. You're so smart.

That's smart!

Our house was built in 1815,

Our house was built in 1815,

and making it our own has been a true labor of love.

My business was birthed out of people liking

what I did in my own home,

and asking me to help them with theirs.

Wouldn't you say? [chuckles]

Yes.

Gray has converted me to a lover of historic homes.

Bye, kiddos.

-You can finish my tea if you want. -Okay.

-Watch out for bears. -Flick, and I'm gone.

[Gray] Don't burn the house down.

[kids squealing]

[Gray] All right, so today we are gonna be meeting...

-Hi! -[Gray] ...the Webbs, Colt and Madonna.

Madonna is a neonatal nurse.

Colt is an engineer.

It's gonna be interesting

because the whole charm with old houses is

everything's a little bit wonky.

-Right. -You know?

Colt definitely seems like the type

that likes his clean lines.

So, he's anti-wonk.

[chuckling] He's anti-wonk.

That's not gonna be any good.

He bought the house,

-so he's gotta be used to some wonk by now. -Yeah, but I think

-so he's gotta be used to some wonk by now. -Yeah, but I think

he wants to, like,

fix everything so that it's perfect,

so that'll be interesting to try to work around.

[Mike] Yeah.

[Gray] Colt and Madonna just recently bought

this historic home,

and they're about to be empty nesters.

I can't wait to get inside their house,

and see what we're working with.

-[Colt] Come on in, let's show you the house. -[Madonna] Come on in.

I'm so excited.

-Thank you so much for having us. -[Colt] Yeah. This is it.

Okay, so tell us a little bit about the house.

Well, it's four bedrooms. It's about 3,100 square feet.

Well, it's four bedrooms. It's about 3,100 square feet.

It's on a nice, big lot.

That's one of the reasons we fell in love with it,

-and all the trees. -[Mike] It is beautiful.

-[Gray] Ah! Ohhh. -[Colt] And just the character of the home.

It's got so much of the original structure

-from 1925... -[Gray] I can see that.

[Colt] ...and we want to retain that,

but just give it some modern touches

with the same charm that it would have had in 1925.

-And when did you guys move in? -Early February.

-So, like, four months? -[Madonna] Four months.

-Well, we can't wait to see it. -I'll show you around.

-Awesome! Thank you. -Nice. Let's do it.

-This is the dining room... -Oh, nice!

-...that is really not a dining room. -Oh, wow.

-Oh. -[Gray] But you'd like this to become a dining room?

-Oh. -[Gray] But you'd like this to become a dining room?

-Yeah, I think so. -Yes.

-Okay. -Definitely.

[Gray] This does look like it's supposed to be

a dining room, so that will be great.

Right behind us, there's a couple doors missing...

-[Gray] Yeah. -...but they are downstairs in the basement.

-Wow. -Oh, my gosh. Can we put them back on?

I would love that.

-Is that an old butler's pass over there? -[Colt] It is.

-[Gray] That is so pretty. -[Colt] It just passes through to the kitchen.

[Gray] That is really special.

-I'm excited about that. -Yeah, it's very unique.

-Yes. -Yeah, I love that.

And then, the other side has the built-in...

-[Gray] Okay. -[Colt] ...and that the china

-that Madonna and I got as a wedding gift. -Aw, I love it.

Uh, this will be 25 years.

Uh, this will be 25 years.

-Wow! -Oh, my gosh. Wow.

And until two months ago,

that china never came out of the box.

She said, "It's just been waiting

for the right home."

-Nice. -Oh, great!

I can't wait to have some wonderful family meals

on that china.

And on your new dining room table.

-[chuckles] -Yeah.

[Gray] We're going to put the original doors back on,

refresh the room with some bold color,

and give you a dining room table

where you can use your wedding china.

-[Colt] It just needs a face-lift. - [Gray] Yeah.

Shall we go see the kitchen?

-Yeah, let's go. -Nice.

-Lead the way. -Thank you.

So, here's the kitchen.

[Gray] Nice! Okay.

[Colt] As you can tell, this is a renovation,

and it doesn't fit 1925.

-In like, the early 2000s? [chuckles] -[Colt] Yeah.

-Something like that. -[Gray] Okay.

-Yeah. -An open concept kitchen

was not a thing back in 1925.

I think it would be really great

-to just add a wall here... -[Madonna] Mmm.

[Gray] ...and then, you could gain

-extra kitchen cabinets... - [Madonna] Mmm-hmm.

[Gray] ...and instead of having an island,

maybe find a nice table.

Yeah. I love that idea.

I actually work at the children's' hospital,

and there's a chaplain that I work with...

-Okay. -...and he does amazing woodwork...

-Okay. -...and he does amazing woodwork...

-Oh, yeah? -...and builds tables.

-[Mike] Wow. -[Gray] Okay. Amazing. Um, and how do you feel

about these beams?

[Colt] Yeah, so these are the old walls

of the original kitchen,

and this one seems to smile at you.

-Right. -It doesn't seem to be

-supporting the weight upstairs correctly... -[Gray] It's structural.

[Colt] ...so if there's something we can do

to make them look a little bit more interesting,

-I'm definitely open to that. -[Gray] Okay, great.

How do you feel about,

since we would be gaining cabinets over here,

losing this cabinet system altogether,

and exposing the brick?

[Madonna] Oh, I love that idea.

[Mike] What if we were to build an actual cart,

[Mike] What if we were to build an actual cart,

and then, it become part of the countertop space,

-where you can move it in and out? -Oh, that's good.

Oh yeah, I like that. You pull it in and out.

-Like a bar cart? -Yeah, a bar cart.

-[Madonna] Okay. -[Grace] I feel like you specifically

-could help out with that. -[Mike] Yeah.

-It's gonna be awesome. -[Madonna] Oh, that would be wonderful.

Yay. Okay.

Tell me about the area just beyond this.

[Madonna] It looks like it used to be the back porch,

and it's just a really long, awkward room.

[Colt] Yeah, and because we want our bedroom downstairs...

-[Madonna] Yeah. -[Colt] ...how do we give

our guests a bathroom to use?

-[Madonna] The bathroom's missing. -[Gray] Yeah, I notice

-you don't have a bathroom for your guests. -[Madonna] No.

Okay, here's my thought.

So, you have this hallway

So, you have this hallway

that comes down past the kitchen.

What if we took this door and moved it

so that it lines up with that hall...

-[Madonna] Okay. -[Gray] ...and then, you could create

this section here

that becomes your powder room,

and then, we could put

a mudroom right inside the new door?

All right, what are you guys thinking

about this space, in this part of the room?

[Madonna] Yeah, this space has kind of puzzled us...

-[Gray] Okay. -[Madonna] ...so I was kind of hoping

-to hear some creative ideas that you might have. -Okay.

I'd love to change out these windows.

I'd love to change out these windows.

They're not true

to the original architecture of the house,

and Mike, maybe you could build them some banquettes,

kind of like you did at our house.

Or a foosball table.

-As soon as I saw this, I was thinking foosball. -[winces]

-Would you rather have a foosball table? -No.

-Mmm-mmm. -No, okay. [chuckles]

-Sorry, no. -No, I'm not a foosball player, so...

And that's why she's the boss.

[all chuckling]

[Gray] All right. Will you show us

-the next room? -Yeah.

All right, in here it's just a very empty space right now.

-[Gray] Yeah. -[Madonna] I would love

to have a bedroom, and not have to climb upstairs.

[Gray] 'Cause you're upstairs right now?

[Gray] 'Cause you're upstairs right now?

-[Madonna] Yes. -[Gray] Okay.

[Colt] And then, it feeds into

-the only bathroom downstairs right now. -[Gray] Okay.

-[Madonna] And as you can see, it's pretty small. -[Gray] Yeah.

-Um... -This is teeny.

Yeah. I can't imagine this being our primary bathroom.

There's gotta be a way to create a closet space...

-[Madonna] All right. -[Gray] ...and then, turn this room

-into your primary bathroom. -[Madonna] Oh, wow.

I never would have come up with that idea.

That's why you pay me the big bucks.

[all laughing]

-Do you want to show me this other room? -[Madonna] Yeah.

Okay.

We have plenty of rooms

to make this an amazing bathroom.

to make this an amazing bathroom.

We can put a his-and-her vanity over here,

we can add a little potty room,

and that bathroom becomes

a little hall with a walk-in closet.

The other room we can make the primary bedroom,

and then, you'll have an amazing primary suite.

-[Madonna] Wow. -[Colt] Yeah, I think that would be great.

Okay. You guys feel good about everything?

-[Colt] Yeah, I do. -Yeah.

You're staying here during renovation, correct?

-[Madonna] Yeah. -Oh, yeah. We're gonna be living

in the front of the house, and upstairs.

-That's gonna be fun. -Yeah, I'm thrilled.

[Gray] Where are you gonna cook your foods?

We have microwaves.

[all chuckling]

I am so excited to get started

I am so excited to get started

-on this project. -No, you're not.

-I am so. -I'm excited.

-I'm the most excited. [chuckles] -[Mike] No.

Let's just agree that we're both excited.

These guys have a space that truly can be transformed

by what Gray wants to do, and it's gonna be amazing,

and I think this is an opportunity

for you to really give them

something that they're gonna love

for the rest of their lives.

I concur.

[Mike] We just kicked off demo,

which is my favorite part,

but super, super exciting to go in there,

and start tearing things out.

You never know what you're gonna find.

[Gray] And while it's very exciting,

we also need to have a plan first.

Up, up.

Watch your finger.

[Gray] We're gonna take out the countertops,

we're gonna take out the cabinets and the island,

we're gonna expose the brick,

we're gonna pull up the floors,

and then, in the bathroom,

we're going to remove the tile

and the drywall.

Charlie wants to know if he can come help.

-Yes, but we gotta find something for him to do. -[Gray] Will you let him

-like, swing a hammer or something? -Of course.

Demo week's always super busy,

and I miss getting to see the kids,

so any time Charlie, my son, gets a chance to stop by,

it just makes me so happy.

There's baseboard all along the house.

All this stuff is really old, and Mr. Colt wants to save it,

so can you help me get some of these pieces off?

-[Charlie] Mmm-hmm. -[Mike] Let's do it.

I love it, because Charlie's so eager to help and learn,

and it reminds me of me when I was a child,

and I would help my dad.

Now, push towards the wall.

Now, push towards the wall.

There you go!

So, you got this, right?

You're gonna have to finish the entire downstairs, okay?

-You're kidding. -[Mike] No.

[chuckles]

We're really busy, buddy. I need you to help us.

-I love you. Do a good job in here. -[Mike] Peace.

You too, Dad. See you, guys.

[Mike chuckles]

[Gray] So we finished demo, and it has revealed

a couple of tricky problems.

My dad, Grumpy, oversees all of our projects.

Today, we're meeting at the Webb house,

because I have a few questions about the kitchen that

I'd like to run by him.

Okay, so here's the kitchen.

I wanted to show you this chimney.

Well, Madonna likes to see the lap behind it.

It sort of shows the bones of the house.

Give up on the sawtooth,

Give up on the sawtooth,

and let the laps show from the back.

Or, we could just have a board made that sits across,

and I could keep the sawtooth.

You want to have a big hole there?

Yeah. The whole thing is a big hole.

I can't go there with you.

Okay. Well, I will take your--

If you're gonna go there, don't expect me

to hold your hand while you go there.

I don't need any hand-holding. I'm a big girl, now.

Okay.

But, I do have one question,

if you could just hold it a little bit.

Sure.

What about the ceiling? What do we do up there?

Uh, let the drywall wrap right back into it,

Uh, let the drywall wrap right back into it,

put some blocking, and let that ceiling roll back in,

and then, have the lights up in there.

But my concern is this beam that runs

from that wall

to that wall.

It is sagged down from the second floor load,

so you can't just leave this.

You're gonna have to take the sag out,

which means you'll have to jack the ceiling up,

take this beam out,

and put a new beam in

that is sized to carry the load.

This is a 100-year-old house,

This is a 100-year-old house,

and 100-year-old houses have warts,

but as warts go in 100-year-old houses,

this beam's a big one,

even if it's not structural,

which I'm pretty certain it is.

-That beam needs to be replaced. -[sighing] Okay.

I wish you wouldn't call them "warts,"

because it's really gross.

This room, where we're standing right here,

is going to be the powder room...

Yes?

...and I'm gonna paint the whole space black.

-All black? -[Gray] All black.

-All black? -[Gray] All black.

-Walls, ceiling... -Yes.

-...trim? -Yes.

-It's gonna be great. -How about the floor?

Why not the floor?

It's great working with him,

because we really balance each other out...

I'm not gonna paint the floor, but it's gonna be moody,

and then I'll bring in pops of color with art,

and rugs, and brass.

...but he does have a problem thinking outside of the box.

Oh, really?

Yes. Yes, you do.

-I certainly do not. -Right.

Mmm, I...

I think I can start to see that,

I think I can start to see that,

-so... -Thank you. It's gonna be good.

-[Grumpy] And you know what? -What?

-[Grumpy] You can always change it. -They're not gonna change it.

-We'll see. Fair enough. -Okay.

When you get too far out, I'm here to rein you back in.

Well, but oftentimes, I just cut the tether,

and fly off anyway

[chuckles]

into the abyss.

Whoosh!

It's the abyss we're trying to avoid.

I love the abyss.

Goodbye.

Love you, Dad.

[Grumpy] Love you, too.

-Hello! -[Madonna] Hello!

-Hi, how are you guys? -[Madonna] Hi.

Today is the Webb design consultation,

and I'm a little nervous.

I have imposter syndrome, I think,

'cause I don't have a formal background

'cause I don't have a formal background

in interior design, per se,

so it just makes me a little bit nervous going in,

'cause I want them to like what I do,

and I'm not always beaming with confidence,

so... [chuckles]

Honestly, though, I am really excited

about the designs that I've come up with,

and I'm excited to show it to them.

So, Mike was kind enough to do some little sketches.

So, this is your kitchen.

I picked out

this beautiful blue for your cabinets,

and this stone tile for your backsplash,

and then, a complementary green

for the walls.

for the walls.

So, for the table, you mentioned

that your chaplain was gonna build one for you...

-[Madonna] Mmm-hmm. -[Gray] ...and he was gonna do a bench?

[Madonna] Yeah.

-[Gray] Do you like it? -[Madonna] Mmm-hmm.

-I love it. Colt? -It's perfect.

I'm gonna have to be honest with you on this.

[Gray] Okay.

I can't wait to see this kitchen...

-[chuckling] Oh, my God. -...'cause I'm super excited.

I really love the colors,

and I really can't wait to see it all done.

Just don't do that to me, Colt.

You were holding your breath.

-[Gray] I was scared! -[all chuckling]

Um, let's go to the next room.

This is your breakfast area.

This is your breakfast area.

We're gonna build you banquettes,

and paint this entire front room,

minus the powder room, too.

-So, are the banquettes the same color as well? -Yes.

And then, you're gonna have custom seat cushions...

-[Madonna] Mmm-hmm. -[Gray] ...this table,

these velvet chairs,

and this rug that we felt pulled in all the colors.

-Do you like it? -[Madonna] Mmm-hmm.

[Gray] Colt? [chuckles]

Would I normally come out and do this all on my own?

Absolutely not,

but, um,

I'm willing to trust you.

[Gray] Okay. I think it's gonna be great.

[Gray] Okay. I think it's gonna be great.

The powder room, as you know, is pretty small,

so I wanted to make it very dramatic,

by painting the whole thing black,

with fixtures bringing in that little pop of pink

that we've seen in some of the other spaces.

[Madonna] Oh, I love that.

-[Gray] Do you like it? -[Madonna] Very much. Yes.

-[Gray's cell phone ringing] -Um, this is my dad.

He's actually...

He was gonna be peeping in at your job site today.

-[cell phone clicks] -Hello?

[Grumpy on phone] Hi, sweetie.

Hi, Dad!

[Grumpy] I'm over here at the Webbs',

[Grumpy] I'm over here at the Webbs',

and I think you really need to seriously consider

rethinking that whole black bathroom.

[all laughing]

[Grumpy] It's gonna feel like it swallows you

when you walk in there.

-Oh, truly. -What did you say?

I'm going through a tunnel.

-[blows air] -[Colt laughs]

[Grumpy] What? You know... You know what?

-Oh, I think I lost you! -[laughs]

Oh, sensing.

Okay, I wish I had not picked that up.

So,

in your bedroom,

this is the only space

that we're going to do wallpaper,

'cause I know you're not so sure about it.

'cause I know you're not so sure about it.

However,

I may have secretly been working with Madonna on this,

-and we have found one... -[all chuckling]

that she thinks you both will love,

so this is the wallpaper that we picked,

and we're going to paint your ceiling green.

That is your headboard,

and we're gonna get you

some big, floor-to-ceiling, green curtains,

to really up the moodiness,

and Madonna told me explicitly that she wants it to feel

-romantic in your bedroom. -[chuckles]

Is that right?

She did.

[Colt chuckles]

[Gray] It's gonna be beautiful.

[Gray] It's gonna be beautiful.

I'm gonna roll with it, and...

I'm telling you, the wallpaper is going to make this room.

and I really, really, really believe that

you're gonna be happy with it.

-I'm trusting you. -[chuckles]

[Gray chuckles]

[Gray] Okay,

so what we decided to do with your bathroom was

bring that wainscotting up the wall.

On the shower, we're going to tile

-with Italian tiles... -[Madonna] Mmm.

[Gray] ...paint the wainscot this blue color

that blends with the tile...

-[Madonna] Mmm-hmm. -[Gray] ...and then,

from the top of the wainscot up,

we'll paint it a nice, green color,

so that it all blends in.

so that it all blends in.

[Colt] And what's on the floor, in the tile?

A really nice pattern of black and white hex.

-It's awesome. -[Madonna] Sounds great.

I can't wait to see it.

[Gray] Actually, I really think

it's gonna be beautiful,

and last but not least,

-let's talk about your dining room, okay? -Okay.

[Gray] So, this is your dining room,

and if you're open to it,

I thought we could just leave this room a fun little bit

of a fun surprise.

What do you think, Colt?

-I just don't want to leave it the way it is now. -Okay.

[Madonna] I don't know, I love surprises.

[Madonna] I don't know, I love surprises.

[chuckles]

-Okay. -All right.

[both chuckle]

Colt, are you really excited about that?

[all chuckling]

-We could do that thing. -Okay.

[all laughing]

It'll be fun.

It'll be fun.

[Gray] You just can't peek.

[Gray] Hey!

What's going on?

-[Gray] Who took this wall down? -[chuckles]

-[Gray] Did Colt do this? -I think so.

-Sorry, why are we wearing the same color shirts? -Hey.

I don't know. This feels embarrassing.

I literally got dressed first.

-I was dressed. -[grumbles]

[Mike] You know,

this is not a battle that I care that much about,

so I will let you think...

-Okay. -...that you wore the white shirt first,

but she didn't.

but she didn't.

[Gray] This is awesome.

Madonna was looking

for a place to store her plates.

That wants to be a great little plate rack.

-[Mike] No, I agree. -[Gray] I mean, we're gonna...

We have to use it.

[Mike] It's gonna need some serious work,

but you know, we could make it look good.

[Gray] You just gotta paint it. It's cute.

No, we're gonna have to make sure it's functional.

[Gray] Okay, well, we're not pulling off

all this tongue and groove. That's gonna stay there.

-Okay. -[Gray] Okay?

-I agree. -[Gray] Okay.

Uh, but Houston, we do have a problem.

This right here is, like, treehouse construction.

This right here is, like, treehouse construction.

They didn't have the proper board

to go from end to end,

so they took a bunch of short boards,

nailed them together, and called it a big board.

-[chuckles] -That is not the way it's supposed to be done,

so this is gonna have to come out.

Well, hey, guess what? Good news.

-What? -[chuckling] It's coming out.

Good.

There are people who live up there,

-[Gray chuckles] -...and if that fell,

it would have been really, really bad.

[Gray] I concur.

I need to get home to check on the babysitter,

and you need to go change your clothes, please. [chuckles]

I'm not changing.

[Gray] You were wearing a different outfit.

[Gray] You were wearing a different outfit.

You came in and changed into that,

'cause you wanted to look just like me.

[Mike] You're correct.

I'd rather look like you than me.

I will see you at dinner.

-[chuckling] Oh, my God. -[Mike] Okay, bye.

I needed to stop by the Webb house

to check on a couple things.

I walk in, and I think,

"This is funny. This isn't the way I drew it."

[cell phone dialing]

I think I'm gonna call my dad, and see if I can figure out

what in the world's going on here.

I have a sneaking suspicion

[chuckling] he might have something to do with it.

[phone beeps]

Hi, Dad.

[Grumpy on phone] Hi, sweetie.

[Gray] I'm at the Webb house,

and there's this room here

that isn't supposed to be there.

[chuckling] Do you know anything about that?

[Grumpy] Well,

there's still a powder room there,

but there's also a laundry room now.

[Gray] Oh, wow.

[chuckles] Were you gonna tell me about this?

[Grumpy] Well, I guess I just assumed

[Grumpy] Well, I guess I just assumed

that you knew by now.

This all sort of happened one day

when Colt and Madonna were there,

and we drew it up on the wall,

and they said, "Yes, let's do that."

[Gray] Well, where are the plans?

Are they here?

[Grumpy] Look on the wall.

-Oh, my gosh. -[Grumpy] Walk over

-towards the door that leads outside... -No, I see them.

-They're on the wall. -[Grumpy] ...and then, there they are.

[Gray chuckles]

[Gray] I guess I can kind of see it,

but it's...

There's a...

There's some framing in front of it now.

Like, there'll be a door

sort of on the left that just swings open?

sort of on the left that just swings open?

That was just a quick sketch that I did on the wall.

After that, I came home,

drew the whole space up on CAD, with dimensions.

Kudos, because I think it was a good idea

to put the laundry room here. It is good.

-[Grumpy] And it's a better use of space. -You're right.

I agree.

Did you pat yourself on the back?

[Grumpy] I do it every day.

[Gray chuckles]

Well, love you.

-Okay, see you later! -I just wanted to tell you that you were right.

You know I like that.

You know I like that.

[Gray] Next time, maybe just tell me.

[Grumpy] Buh-bye.

Oh, he hung up before I could.

[chuckles]

He always does that!

[laughs]

[Mike] There's a lot to do at the Webb house.

We got the door relocated,

making room for the new entrance.

And the steel beam has finally been put up,

replacing that happy, smiling beam.

Well, not quite a smiling beam,

Well, not quite a smiling beam,

but a grimacing beam.

Which did turn out to be a structural problem,

but that's been fixed now, so we can move forward.

So I wanted to bring you in here

because everything is so exposed.

[Mike] Gray met with a historic preservationist,

just to make sure that

everything is staying as historically accurate as possible.

Mike told me that this was mixed with horse hair.

[preservationist] Possibly.

When plaster was installed in a house, they used livestock hair...

-[Gray] Okay. -...um, as, like, a binding agent.

[Mike] Gray and Lauren discussed

[Mike] Gray and Lauren discussed

whether or not to replace the light fixtures

in the plaster ceiling.

[Gray] If we take it down,

we'll probably have to repair the plaster underneath.

Yes, but it's still manufactured today,

so you could contact a historic plaster specialist.

[Grumpy] Almost every space needed new drywall.

The kitchen, the sun room, and the primary bath.

We've added new plumbing for the new primary bath,

and we've got the backer board down

for the tile in preparation for setting it.

We've done a lot, but we're about 90 days out,

We've done a lot, but we're about 90 days out,

and I haven't even started on this bar cart,

so I'm gonna go get working on it.

[Mike] I have a plan to build a mobile bar cart,

that you could push from their kitchen

into their dining room, to serve drinks.

I'm not much with metal,

so I'm gonna make it out of wood.

A lot of what I do came from being raised,

if we wanted something, we had to earn it.

if we wanted something, we had to earn it.

And if we couldn't earn it, we would build it.

My dad, without any training,

would tear about a Harley and rebuild it, and extend it.

My dad showed me that if you don't know how to do something,

you still gotta try to do it.

And you'll learn how to do it by doing it.

[Gray] Today is gonna be a very fun day.

We're going to meet Chaplain Bill,

who works with Madonna at a hospital.

-[Bill] Welcome! -[Mike] Michael.

-Michael? Gray? -Hello! I'm Gray. How are you?

-So nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.

Pleased to meet you too, as well.

[Gray] Not only is he a Chaplain,

he is a woodworker as well.

Madonna just loves you so much, so...

Oh, it's a treat to work with her.

-[all chuckle] -Yeah.

He's gonna be building Colt and Madonna a table for the kitchen.

[Gray] Tell me about the wood used for this,

[Gray] Tell me about the wood used for this,

-'cause this looks really special. -[Bill] This is amazing.

And so this wood is from the chapel

-at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. -[Gray] No way!

-[Bill] And it was the pews in the chapel. -[Gray gasps]

[Gray] Oh my goodness!

[Bill] Um, the chapel was built in 1941,

-and was torn down 75 years later. -Wow.

[Bill] And it's just been sitting out in the weather.

So any of the imperfections in this,

-like these scratches down here? -[Bill] Yeah?

[Mike] You're just keeping them the way they are,

-and polishing right over it. -Yeah, yeah.

-Permanently keeping it...that is awesome. -Yeah. Yep.

Because, to get rid of that, removes the finish.

Because, to get rid of that, removes the finish.

-[Mike] Right. -[Bill] Removes the patina to it.

[Mike] I'm just so excited to be here.

I love other people who have this

weird desire to just use old stuff. [chuckles]

[Bill] Well, if it didn't have a story,

I would look at it and think, ah, you know, it's an old table.

You're making a bench for them as well,

-is that right? Okay. -I am, yeah.

And it'll be out of the same wood.

It sounds like they share a pretty tight bond,

because of the highs and lows,

dealing with the beauty of childbirth,

but also the struggles of health ailments in children.

but also the struggles of health ailments in children.

And there's just so much feeling

and meaning and emotion behind that table,

it's gonna fit perfectly in their house.

-Well, thank you for coming down! -Thank you for your time,

and thank you for showing us this,

'cause this is so beautiful. They're gonna love it.

[Gray] The Webb house is really starting to come together.

All of the trim work in the powder room has been installed,

-and it's ready for a coat of that high gloss paint. -[Mike] Whoo-hoo.

[Mike] We've already got the banquettes

[Mike] We've already got the banquettes

and the built-ins in the breakfast nook.

And in the primary bathroom, we've got the trim work up,

and we've prepared the floor for the tile.

-Hey, Lauren! -[Lauren] Gray!

So happy to have you here.

[Gray] So the Webb house is 100 years old.

So I really wanna try to do everything

as historically accurate as possible.

So I'm going to meet the master of plaster,

to look at some options for a plaster medallion for the dining room.

to look at some options for a plaster medallion for the dining room.

My gosh! Lauren, this is beautiful!

[Lauren] I thought this would be great for that project.

-It's not super ornate... -Yep.

I thought the scale of it would be pretty good.

And this is the second one,

-I thought you might kind of like to see. -Okay.

Oh, we haven't taken 'em out yet? Okay.

No, this is exciting.

-So this is the first unveiling? -Yeah.

[Lauren] So what we like to do is turn plaster on its side.

-[Gray] Okay. -There we go. Okay.

Yeah, now if you'll help me turn it over.

There we go.

There we go.

So we'll kinda set him down gently.

Okay, and then we kinda start to work around the edge.

Oh my goodness!

[Gray gasps]

That is so pretty too!

-[Lauren] They're very different, aren't they? -[Gray] Yes!

So to hang a light fixture...

-[Lauren] So we would just-- -[Gray] We'd have to cut a hole?

[Lauren] Yep. Just pre-draw the hole.

I am blown away. So how do you make the rubber molds?

A lot of historic medallions were made by clay sculptors,

and then a rubber mold was made of this.

-That is so cool. -[Lauren] Mm-hmm.

-That is so cool. -[Lauren] Mm-hmm.

These are both beautiful.

But, you know what I'm noticing,

this is gonna sound ridiculous,

this is very reminiscent of a spider web. [chuckles]

-Yeah? -And their last name is Webb!

-[Lauren] There you go! -[Gray] Yeah!

[both laugh]

-Perfect. Fate. -I feel like it was meant to be theirs.

-Uh-huh! -Oh my goodness.

[Gray] They don't even know that we're doing this.

-[Lauren] Oh? -So this will be a really,

really fun surprise for them.

-So exciting. -Yeah!

All right.

Let's go in through the window.

I am meeting our lead project manager, Chelcie,

over at the Webb house.

And since it appears that we no longer have a door,

I'm just gonna have to find another way in.

[exhales]

-[Gray] ...Hi? -[laughs]

[Gray] How did you get in here?

There's a front door. [laughs]

[Gray] Oh. No regrets.

Chelcie and I are here to witness the momentous moment

when the plaster medallion gets put on the ceiling.

That changes the entire room.

[whispering] Sh, I'm so nervous.

[chuckles]

[Gray] It's so precious, and I spent so much

time creating them.

[squeals] It's so nerve-wracking,

but it's looking so pretty. I'm so excited.

[laughing nervously]

[laughing nervously]

-[builder] Next, we'll touch up the little holes... -[Gray] Okay.

...we'll fill around the edges, and the gap around the edge...

-[Gray] Oh... -...will be ready to paint.

Yeah!

-[Chelcie] Good job! -[builder] Thank you.

Yeah.

So this is the kitchen.

[Mike chuckling] I see.

Basically, these two rooms and their bedroom,

is their entire house right now.

-[Mike] It's looking a little college-y. -[Gray] Yeah.

[Mike] I mean, there is a microwave

-in their living room. -[Gray] Yep.

[Mike] Along with a refrigerator

-in their entryway. -[Gray] Yep.

[Gray] So I am just realizing that Colt and Madonna's

twenty-fifth wedding anniversary is six weeks away.

Do you feel like maybe, if we push it,

Do you feel like maybe, if we push it,

we can be done on their anniversary?

-We have to. -What a good surprise it would be,

to be able to give them the gift of their house back...

-it would be great. -...on their wedding day.

I know how we would feel in this situation.

And they truly have not complained even one time.

So I just feel like time is of the essence.

Let's get this thing done.

All right, why are you still standing here?

-Go! -Let's go.

[Gray chuckling]

[Mike] Today, I'm at work on the bar cart, for the Webbs,

and it's gonna have three levels,

but two separate stacks,

enacted by eight individual legs.

So what I did was, I spun all these things with lathe.

Tried to make each one of them resemble

some type of beverage holder.

The bottle of champagne, a bottle of gin.

And now that they're gonna be using this dining room a lot more,

and their kitchen is gonna be so much more open,

I think it was important for me

to make the bar cart kind of stand out.

to make the bar cart kind of stand out.

Glue, glue, glue!

All right.

We've got 'em attached, at least.

Now I gotta make it work so it's solid

and it's functional, and not just...

...fantastic to look at.

[power drill whirring]

We are just few days out from our deadline.

Things are getting a little crazy.

The bed should be centered with the light,

which is centered in the room.

[Gray] But, honestly, I feel like a part of my creative process

is very chaotic in and of itself,

so, um, I'm right at home.

[Gray] Oh my gosh, that's very heavy!

The furniture also is finally here.

So it's always a fun day,

until I realize that we have to now put it all together.

Rollin'.

Rollin'.

Okay, there we go.

By "we", she means me.

[Gray] Hold it up...

-[Mike grunting] -[Gray squealing]

Good thing I didn't get that manicure.

[Mike] Me too.

Can't believe how fast everything's coming together,

and we're still on track to be able to give them

their home back by their wedding day.

They're going to be so happy.

-What's wrong with you girls? -Okay...

-What's wrong with you girls? -Okay...

-Whoo! -[all laughing]

[Mike] Some assembly required. [chuckles]

Here we go...

[Gray] Mike is busy re-hanging the doors in the dining room.

And my dad is almost finished hanging the last of the lights.

[Mike] Chaplain Bill just arrived with the new for their kitchen.

[Mike] How's that?

[Gray] And while they work out what to do with the furniture,

I'm gonna find a few ways to add

some pops of color into the black powder room.

[Gray] I like that one. That's the one. That's the one.

To me, fabric is one of a few things

To me, fabric is one of a few things

that can easily transform a house, just like that.

-[Gray] This is perfect. -[Chelcie] Yeah.

[Gray] Look at it.

[Chelcie squeals] Love it.

[Mike] Oh, man. That is pretty!

-[Mike] Here, have a seat! -[Bill chuckles]

Oh, yeah.

I can't tell you how much Colt

and especially Madonna are gonna appreciate this.

-It's really special. -Yeah.

They're gonna love sitting here for a long time.

[Elizabeth] Knock, knock!

-Oh my goodness! -Hello!

-How are you? -Thank you so much!

To me, no space is complete without fabric.

Fabric is really where you can start to bring in

a lot of color, and the life,

and the whimsy into a space.

-[Gray] Oh my goodness! That's so good. -[Elizabeth] So pretty.

[Gray] Elizabeth Wheaton is our seamstress.

[Gray] Elizabeth Wheaton is our seamstress.

She just drove all of this fabric

from Greenville, South Carolina, it's, like, a three-hour drive.

We could not have done it without you.

I am so thankful to people like her

who just have gone above and beyond

to help my vision come to life.

-[Gray] I love it. -Good choice.

-Are we gonna be able to carry this? -I can carry this myself!

[Mike] The bar cart is finally done,

and I'm really excited to see if it fits in the space.

[Mike] Now don't break it!

If it doesn't, I'm gonna be the proud owner of a bar cart.

If it doesn't, I'm gonna be the proud owner of a bar cart.

Oh, that's gonna fit!

[Gray] So just a couple more finishing touches,

and we'll be ready to give the Webbs their house back.

And I'm just so excited for them to see the transformation.

[Gray] All right.

[sing-song] Let's do it!

[Gray] Finally, the day has arrived.

We can give Colt and Madonna their house back.

They no longer have to wash their dishes in the bathtub.

So this is a day full of surprises,

so in that vein, a while back,

Madonna told me that she really loved donkeys,

so I've set up a little

donkey scavenger hunt for her.

Like, with real donkeys?

Like, with real donkeys?

-Little bitty donkeys that aren't real. -Aw...

-Are you guys ready to have your house back? -[Madonna] Yes!

-[Gray] Colt, you grew hair! -[laughing]

-The renovation was going so smooth! -[Gray] I'm not even kidding!

It actually made me grow hair.

-I was, like, where's Cole? -That is awesome.

You look great. You gotta grow it out.

-[all chuckling] -You are crazy.

-I thought it was their son. -Mm-hmm.

Literally had no idea that was Colt.

[Gray] You guys have been living

with your kitchen in your living room,

-for five and a half months? -[Madonna] Mm-hmm.

-for five and a half months? -[Madonna] Mm-hmm.

-That ends today! -[all laugh]

Nobody's more excited than us.

I know. Let's cut the small talk. I'm really excited.

-Okay! -All right.

We're giving them their home back

on their anniversary of 25 years.

Talk about a massive present.

[Gray] Here we go!

We're gonna save the surprise dining room for last.

-[Mike] All right, let's go! -Okay!

-[Gray] Welcome to your new kitchen! -Oh my goodness!

[laughing]

-[Madonna] This is not the same! -[Gray laughs]

-[Madonna] This is not the same! -[Gray laughs]

[Madonna] Oh my goodness.

-[Madonna] There's so much to take in! -[Gray] I know!

Exposed, awesome, I mean, the bricks...

-I mean, this pot closet... -[Colt] The pot closet.

[Gray] ...that we did not even know was there...

-[Madonna laughs] -[Gray] And now you get to use it again.

-Even your beam looks good. -Oh, the beam!

-[Mike] The beam! -[Colt chuckles]

-[Colt] Beam looks good! -[Gray] The beam, the dreaded beam.

[Colt] It looks great.

It's just, it's almost an asset, now.

-I love that it's the same color as the ceiling... -The way that you...

[Colt] ...and yeah, it's phenomenal.

[Mike] Cabinets, the countertop, backsplash.

-[Gray] Yeah. -[Colt] So...

-[Madonna laughs] The bar! -[Gray laughs] Ah!

-[Madonna laughs] The bar! -[Gray laughs] Ah!

Oh my goodness!

-[Mike] So if you take a look at the bar cart... -[Colt] They're bottles!

[Mike] Yeah, they're different bottles and glasses,

they're different cocktails.

So I spun all of those.

The bottom were made out of four by fours,

uh, and it's red oak, the top is maple,

and so I was trying to make every single leg unique.

-I'm so touched. -It was fun.

[Madonna] It's gonna be a family heirloom.

-[Mike] Oh, good! -[all laugh]

Speaking of family heirlooms,

this table that Chaplain Bill made for you,

this table that Chaplain Bill made for you,

I know that you and he have a very strong, special connection,

and he's the sweetest man in the whole world.

And I know that he put so much heart and soul into this for you.

I know that it's just as special to you as it is to him.

You know, between the bar cart,

and the table that, uh, Chaplain Bill made,

it really lends itself to overall

feeling of warmth in the kitchen,

you know, like, it gives it a soul.

[Gray] Okay, so, Madonna.

I remembered how much you love donkeys,

I remembered how much you love donkeys,

so I just wanna tell you before we go any farther,

that I have hidden a little donkey for you in every room.

[all laugh]

-So just see if you can find it! -[chuckling]

-[Gray] It's really hard to find dolphins... -Ah! [laughs]

[all chuckling]

-[Gray] Donkey number one! -[Madonna] That's adorable.

[Gray] We still have so much more to see.

I'm so excited to show you.

-Are you ready to see the sun room? -[all chuckle]

[Gray] This room was a lot of fun,

and may be one of my favorites, so...

-Oh, my goodness... -[Gray laughs]

-Oh, my goodness... -[Gray laughs]

-[Madonna] Oh my god! -[all laugh]

Oh, I can't wait to drink coffee sitting right there!

[Gray] I know! Isn't it a neat coffee spot?

[Colt] Oh, wow.

[Mike] The way the sun comes up, I mean,

you're gonna get light in here, you can sit here,

you can read a book, you could play games...

Let's also talk about the fact that we moved the door...

-[Madonna] Mm-hmm. -So if I just stand here and look through,

I mean, you get a straight shot into the rest of your house, now.

[Madonna] I never, never could have imagined...

-[Colt chuckles] -[Madonna] ...or come up with these ideas.

-[Colt chuckles] -[Madonna] ...or come up with these ideas.

It's amazing.

[laughs] The donkey!

-[Gray] The donkey! -[others laugh]

-[Madonna] I'm supposed to find the donkey! -[all laughing]

[Gray] Take a look at your powder room.

-Y'all go ahead first. -[Madonna] Okay.

-Obviously, there is your... -[Mike] The laundry room.

-Yes! -[all chuckle]

-[Madonna] Downstairs laundry. -[Gray] I know. That's the game changer.

-[Madonna] Thanks to the Grumpster. -[Gray] Yes!

-Thank you Grumpy! -[Gray] You have a laundry downstairs, yeah.

[Mike] And then moving along...

[Gray] If you wanna go and see your powder room.

-[Mike] This is my favorite room. -Oh my goodness!

-[Mike] This is my favorite room. -Oh my goodness!

-[Colt] This is awesome. -[Madonna laughs]

-[Mike] We love this color! -[Madonna] I do too!

-[Gray] Do you like it? -[Colt] I love it. I just, I love it.

-Absolutely love it. -I know. I love all of the colors.

-Oh... -Oh, we got a pink sink!

-[all laugh] -You had to put pink in something!

I mean, I did give you an entirely black room, so...

-[Madonna laughs] -[Colt] Yes. It looks great.

-[Madonna] That is so cute. So cute. -[Colt] I love it.

So, I'm very excited to show you your bedroom.

-Can we do that? -[Madonna] Yes!

Follow me!

-[Colt] Oh my gosh! -[all laugh]

-[Madonna and Colt] Oh my gosh! -[Gray laughs]

-[Madonna] This is so gorgeous! -[Colt] Oh, wow.

[Madonna] This is, like, a grown-up's bedroom.

-[laughing] -This is amazing.

[Colt] Wow.

[Gray] Well, I know that you said that you wanted it

to be romantic and cozy...

-[Madonna] It is exactly like that. -[Gray] I feel like...

Exactly that.

[Gray] There was a doorway here

that doesn't even exist anymore.

[Colt] Mm-hmm.

This room was kinda off my radar, but, yeah.

This room was kinda off my radar, but, yeah.

This is pretty cool.

[Madonna] It's gorgeous.

[Gray] All right, primary bathroom.

-[Madonna] Mike's favorite room? -[Mike] My favorite room!

-[all laugh] -[Mike] Hands down!

[Gray] Here is your bathroom!

[laughing] Oh my gosh!

[Madonna] I love it so much.

-[Gray] We wanted to... -[Madonna] Look at this art on the floor!

[Gray] Yeah. He did a really great job.

[Colt] I mean, with the tile on the floor

matching the tile in the shower,

it almost feels like a walk-in giant shower, I just love it.

[Madonna] And this used to be a bedroom!

[Madonna] And this used to be a bedroom!

[Gray laughing] I know! It's a perfect color.

[Madonna] That is gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful.

[Gray] All right, last room,

if you wanna step into your new dining room.

-All right. -[Gray] Okay!

[Mike] The moment of truth for you, Gray.

-[Gray] Don't look yet! -[Mike laughs]

[Madonna] Okay, I'm not looking!

-Oh my gosh! -[both laugh]

-[Colt] Oh... -[Madonna] Oh my goodness.

[Colt] It fits. Love it.

-[Mike] I love the colors! -[Gray] I know this room was the one

-[Mike] I love the colors! -[Gray] I know this room was the one

-that you had no idea what was happening. -No!

[Gray] And you let us have free reign.

-[Madonna] Oh, I'm so glad I did! -[all laugh]

So Colt, I know you were not big on the idea of wallpaper.

-[Colt] This is, this is-- -[Gray] This is a mural,

and this felt like, I really felt in my heart, like,

you would love it, so I hope you do.

[Colt] I do. I like it.

[Gray] The ceiling is plaster.

-[Madonna gasps] -The medallion is plaster, made just for you.

-[Madonna] Wow. -[Gray] And look, it looks like a web!

-[Madonna] Wow. -[Gray] And look, it looks like a web!

-[Gray] And, look. -[Mike] Your doors are back.

-[Gray] And your doors! -[Colt] Yeah.

[Colt] There's so many little things that, like,

I'm not even paying attention to.

-[Gray] I know, I know! -I'm just taking in the room, and its transformation.

[Madonna] Do you remember this was a sitting room? Like--

-[Gray] I know, I know! -[Madonna] It was not even a dining room.

-[Gray] It wasn't even a dining room. -[Colt] It's great.

And I know today's your anniversary.

Have you noticed the china?

-Oh! -Oh my gosh!

[Madonna] I didn't even notice!

[Colt] I was too busy looking up,

and I couldn't even look down and see the china.

How does it feel to see your wedding china?

On it, like, out, and able to be used?

Oh, it just looks so perfect here.

Feeling very blessed.

Blessed to have this opportunity.

Blessed to get to know you and Mike.

And most of all...

-Quit, you're gonna make me cry! -[all laugh]

-Happy anniversary, guys. -Yeah, seriously.

Doing this work for the Webbs was so satisfying.

Doing this work for the Webbs was so satisfying.

Just to see the smiles on their faces,

they are just thrilled.

[Grumpy] I'd like to propose a toast to you two.

You've been living with this,

with a hot plate and a microwave for six months.

I would have gone out of my mind.

We wish you many, many years

of being happy, to be in your home.

-Oh, thank you. -Thank you.

-[Gray] Cheers. Happy anniversary. -Cheers.