My Houzz: Kristen Bell Treats Her Sister to a Bright New Basement
“A little sister always looks up to her big sister, no matter what age you are,” says actor Kristen Bell. Recently, the former Veronica Mars star and voice of Anna in the Disney hit Frozen decided to show her appreciation for her big sis Sara by surprising her and her family with a full-on basement remodel. “She’s honestly in my eyes a superwoman,” Bell says.
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This was an amazing story. Kristen is the real deal! We need more actors like you that are unselfish and care about more than their careers and politics! LOVED the basement!
Amazing transformation!
This is a great overview of how Houzz works. Growing up in Metro Detroit it was fun to see a local celebrity helping out her family and seeing familiar sites - JD.
like this vedeo so much, I have watched it twice+twice+twice
I am so proud of you Kristen!
We are so thrilled be a part of transforming the basement for Kristen's sister. It was an amazing experience and hope it inspires others to do the same. #myhouzz
your awesome Kristen, brought a tear to my eye.
Aunt Kristen, you ROCK! Melissa took your vision and ran ... really incredible transformation of a basement. Very inspiring!
So proud that our Aria Prom Prom window curtains were used. Great job, Kristen!
WOW!!! Kristen Bell is AWESOME ... and Houzz .... YOU ROCK!!!!
What an awesome sister you are!!
That was great. Loved it!
What paint color was used on the basement ceiling? Looks great!
Brought tears to my eyes. Sisterly love! Thanks for sharing with us Kristen.
@shewitt2 glad you like it! The paint color we used on the basement ceiling is Match Benjamin Moore CPS-185. Hope this helps!
loved absolutely everything.....and learned a few things that I can use as tools when showing clients :)
Ashton Kutcher as the director. THE Ashton Kutcher?
The transformation is amazing. My favourite has to be the yellow wall. I caught a glimpse of it in the video and had to pause to look at it. I'm a suckered for bright colours.
Thanks for sharing the inspiration and the subtle user guide for how to use the app :)
The rug in Lucy's room is gorgeous. This basement layout is so sensible. They must feel like they have a brand new home.
We are SO THRILLED as the great feedback from the renovation we did! Thanks everyone for the nice compliments!!
Kristen Bells sister and her family were at our design studio today for a viewing party. I can promise you that they are so touched by this project and appreciate this new space more than words can say. Lovely family and they deserve all the best in the world.
Thanks for showing an average suburban metro Detroit house for a redo project. My first reaction to the lead photo was recognition as it being local to my area. It encourages the average person that they also can have inviting spaces without living on either Coast. The designer, Melissa, did an awesome job.
LOVE that they have a second bathroom now! That is SO COOL!!!
Hi Gina Wallace, we used clear epoxy on the floors with no stain. Hope this helps :)!
Melissa and Meadowlark did such a phenomenal job. This was awesome!
amazing transformation
A heartwarming story and a wonderful overview of how Houzz works. My husband and I used Houzz with our contractor when renovating our kitchen, bathroom, and pool area. "A picture is worth a thousand words".....so helpful when deciding what will and won't work.
Amazing transformation. Love that it showcased Houzz and a normal family home into a beautiful but completely livable space not an untouchable magazine page.
Well done to Melissa the designer for pulling it all together.
Well, that was just the sweetest thing ever, and very well done!
Nice one. Reminds me a bit of fixer upper and a tad to much houzz self-advertisment for my taste, apart from that it was pretty cool. Exec Producer listet Aston Kutcher. THE Aston Kutcher or do they just share the same name?
@missmgrrl Hi, If you can't get the above video to work, please try our YouTube channel -
https://youtube.com/watch?v=OvgqJOWGQfU
I hope this helps,
Luke
Everything is absolutely beautiful. My dream is to do something like this for my mom.
Thank you houzz.
Thank you Melissa
Thank you Kristen
Loved this! More please!
I Love makeovers if all kinds. I Love Houzz.
Home is the place you are drawn to. Home should be a vacation. Kristen Bell your quotes are spot on.
What a wonderful gift to give to your sister, brother in law, nieces and nephews. Best gift ever.
Kristen Bell is officially my favorite Hollywood star!!! To be selfless and do this for her sister was amazing! And knowing that she grew up in the D makes it that much better for this Grosse Pointe Park, MI Houzzer!!!! You go girl!!!!
I really enjoyed watching all the elements that went into this surprize. I'm a big fan of Kristen Bell and her husband . Such a beautiful thing to do for someone you love and someone so deserving. I like the way the designer and Kristen could work together with houzz. I would consider trying this myself. The designer Melissa was very open to Kristen's idea and she made it real. Thanks for sharing.
Сделано от души и с любовью!!!!
The Painted-out ceiling is GREAT! As a realtor we have advised clients to jazz up their basement spaces with this, but we did it in black (as per another HOUZZ article) The white is great... I would recommend this treatment in a flash, and also know that if in an older home where the basement is not so high, we can still put in some recessed lighting here and there between the floor joists....! Bravo!
That pulled on my heartstrings - what a fabulous transformation!
Love this. Home should be a place you escape to...I couldn't agree more!
Beautiful renovation. Well done!
Great Story
A story that unfolds to a beautiful gift!
Beautiful re-design! What a thoughtful, heartfelt gift. The designer, Melissa, could be a twin to Anne Hathaway - talented and so beautiful! You hit it out of the park!
Where is the new laundry room?
Love Veronica Mars, the whole sloth thing and now this. Kristen Bell is the greatest.
Sarah's house looks so much like my little bungalow I had in Rhode Island. I had the same huge basement that I didn't do enough with. Wish I had seen this back when I lived there.
Awesome family Kristen,I am a fan of yours, saw some great ideas for my basement.
HGTV is in trouble!!! haha
This is an an incredible transformation! I love how open it feels and that every space was used to achieve lots of needs for this sweet family. It's amazing how much bigger the space looks even as it offers more uses than the previous space because no space is wasted! I especially loved learning how useful and wonderful HOUZZ is for more than just inspiration photos. Melissa did an amazing job working with Kristen. I enjoyed seeing how this all came together. Thank you!
really sweet story and a beautiful family and a great functional design. I love the lamp by the sofa.
I love the wall décor in Lucy's room (esp that fun abstract-like painting)...do you know where that is from?
Sweet!!
Lovely make-over and great ideas!!
Well done to the designer and to the actrice!!
I love Kristen's Bell's definition of home, and I love how she walks us through the inspiring reno of her sister's basement with the help of Houzz!
Good looking girl and smart-looking projects. Impressed. Very impressed.
Tons of love put into this project making it a beautiful renovation.
What a great gift to a deserving family. Great job to the designer and houzz!
What a delightful, heart-warming story giving me reason to love Kristen even more. It's encouraging to me that we could open our basement ceiling as they did and get rid of ceiling tiles. God bless everyone involved. Great job.
Love Kristin Bell and love houzz this was excellent!!!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I like to watch this side of celebrity life. To see that they have regular siblings, regular parents who have a life like any of us, who live in a houses like most of us. I love to see how well-to-do Hollywooders help their family members who stayed in their hometowns to live an ordinary life. I love how stars talk about their family members, with warmth, respect, and love. It's like they talk about me because I can relate to their relatives. Keep doing these episodes, Houzz TV!
Wish I had your eye for design Kristen ! You and Melissa did a beautiful job. It especially touched me the way you created a space for your niece. Congratulations on a wonderful job, and for being such a great sister !
executive produced by ashton kutcher! whaaa! also, love KB, and love what they did to that house!
What an amazing story of love and family. I may have cried...a little bit...at the reveal. Well done Kristen and Melissa!!!!!
Aww! I actually watched the whole video! Love Kristen Bell (and her show!) and this was so sweet of her. And Houzz, the designer, Kristen, and her brother-in-law did such a great job! I want to do it to my basement! Now I only need my sister to fund the whole thing. hee.
What a wonderful thing to do for a sister! Loved it.
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing Kristen! And thank you Ashton Kutcher for producing ~ great job!
Wow it is a wonderful Project, this is an awesome job, congratulation.
I had a good cry. Creating a lovely environment shows how we value the people living there. Space matters because people matter! Nicely done!!!
Now I love Kristen Bell even more! Such a sweet and inspiring video.
A very wonderful video. Love between sisters has no boundaries. I know little sister is so happy to thank her big sister. Houzz you did a fabulous job.
I love her given spirit. Now I want to upgrade my basement.
I never knew Houzz had these remodel videos & I LOVED watching it‼
This was really darling. I didn't know Kristen Bell was so adorably kind. If you like before & afters & joy, you'll love this!
Fantastic!!! Great job EVERYONE ~ of course, family is everything so I definitely am wiping away happy tears. I think Houzz will continue to flourish and grow - I am amazed by the effectiveness of bringing the vendors, examples and ideas together to make the idea book become a reality just by clicking on it. Thank you!
Such a beautiful and touching story about the love of family. To do something like this for family is so awesome.
Loved the basement, and to give your niece something to call her own made me teary eyed
So, when I finished crying, I only smiled. What a fabulous story. This is spot on! I love the Houzz has helped me communicate my ideas clearly while working on our new house. Life would have been much more confusing and expensive, considering I would have purchased about a hundred more design books had I not had the Houzz site. More please!!!!
Congrats Melissa and Meadowlark! Eric Hartz
Wonderful!
Great design, great family and great sister!
all the design-piration - This is awesome!
can anyone tell me what they did to finish the floor in the basement. Love it! I'm in the midst of renovating my basement and need advice on what to do over unlevel concrete floor with low ceiling.
I loved this story...great job!
Absolutely fantastic! The makeover is gorgeous and makes the most use of the basement space. Great job Meadowlark Designs! Question - What photo did Kristen use as inspiration for her niece's room?
Loved the transformation. Great job by Meadowlark Design+Build & what a thoughtful sister Kristen Bell is!
Awesome story and renovation! Brought a tear to my eye as other commented. lol Excellent job to Melissa Kennedy, reno workers, executive producer Ashton Kutcher and mostly Houzz! Loved this!
Beautifully done! But....I do* have a question....Where did the washer and drier end up. I didn't see them in the reveal.
love this!
I love Kristen Bell in The Good Place and after watching this I love her even more!
The process for the floors was to sand the existing concrete then add clear epoxy finish. Attached is an up close picture of the floor. Hope this helps :)!
I have been on the Houzz website for almost two years now after seeing a redo that Ashton Kutcher did for his mom. For the most part it is a very user friendly website and I have 'built' a Dream House that will never be built. With this site and an active imagination it has been an education and loads of fun. Kudos to the stars for doing such a nice thing for their families!
What an awesome thing for one sister to another. Sisters are the best. You want to help them when you can! Thank you Kristen Bell. and Houzz is awesome too. I teared up, cause I love my little sister like you love your big sister. Wish I could help my sister, and I do in small ways. Love and hugs to you all.
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing.
Sounds like some of the commenters missed Ashton Kutcher's basement project on Houzz TV. It's here:
https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/47752602/video/ashton-kutcher-surprises-his-mom-with-the-basement-of-her-dreams
Fantastic......all around! What a wonderful gift!
The transformation is amazing. Great job to Meadowlark and Kristen for their collaboration efforts!
Hi @Mcharlieferret! The laundry area stayed downstairs. You can catch a quick glimpse of it at 15:41 in the episode. Hope that helps!
Well done!
Sister Love is the best! This made my day. Houzz is the best online product and care service!!!
So, did anyone else notice how much Melissa Kennedy (the designer) looks like Julia Roberts? That fantastic smile especially!
LOVE LOVED LOVED this entire piece, the back story, the fact that it was Kristen Bell (who doesn't love Kristen Bell??) and of course that Ashton Kutcher is behind the scenes....nothing but pure awesome!
That was amazing!!!!!!
Amazing renovation! Sisters are the best & Kristen Bell is Sister of the Year! And Lucy must think you are definitely the "cool" Auntie Mame!
So sweet! Glad I saw this today, a day where we have been celebrating womanhood, sisterhood and empowerment. Thank you for sharing and exemplifying what we as sisters can be and should be to each other.
Kristen Bell inspired me so much that I am treating my mom to a new kitchen. Thank you Kristen and Houzz!
very nice & great
This video was nothing shy of amazing!! It felt emotional to follow this journey... the love and respect Kristen has for her big sister is exemplary. The finished result was perfect, thank you for the inspiration. The power of HOUZZ!! Love it!!
What a fun surprise. I think people forget that celebrities are people too with real lives and real families. So great of her to let us into her life and the life of her family and share this wonderful transformation with us. I love the way they took the space and they made it appear even larger than it was and also increased usability. And of course every girl needs her own space, so that was a great addition. We don't have basements here in Dallas where I live and I have always envied those that do - it REALLY adds to your space options. Great job and kudos to Kristen for being so generous with her family.
So very very awesome. You did a great job, its beautiful.
What a lovely family and how wonderful that a sister is able to do this for her sister! This video also makes it clear to me how to use Houzz Pleas Please bring it to South Africa
It's really sweet what you did for your sisiter and I also got an idea.
Kristen Bell is awesome!...doing this for her sister shows that she is not only beautiful on the outside but inside as well. What a great example she is for sharing her wealth and success in life with her sister. Goes to show that they have a fabulous sister/sister relationship. Thanks HOUZZ for this inspiring piece!
What a wonderful story of love and generosity and the amazing things Houzz can inspire! Thanks for sharing! LOVE the renovation - so beautiful for this family!
Kristen, I love you even more, now that I know the person behind the actress.
@skateriegs You can shop the collection from the episode here! https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/81031359
Amazing transformation, love the art work too.
That was delightful to watch. What a lovely family!
Any DIY advice on how to remove the ceiling panels in a basement, and paint it all to cover up all the electrical, duct work, etc. ?
What an awesome gift from one sister to another!
I loved this...how beautiful...both the renovation and the family!
This is wonderful. Kristen + Houzz are great!
Looking forward to more stories like this...
Have you ever tried to tell someone about the multi-faceted Houzz? This video, in the most efficient and non-invasive way, showed what could be utilized by Houzz website; it was covered quickly up front, and then the remaining bulk of the video was all about the transformation. Nicely done. Precious family.
Beautiful job Melissa and Kristen.
Kristen that is so sweet. I wish I could win the lottery because I would love to help my family like you helped yours. Very thoughtful. God Bless. Keep up the goodness.
Awesome story!!! Love it so much, I am sure Sara's family is already making beautiful memories in that great basement!
such a great aunt and sister ! love it !
Adorable..Love it.
@hanksne You can catch a glimpse of it at 15:41. It's still in the basement, but wasn't shown fully.
It's beautiful! As the oldest of three girls too I feel the love in this space. Well done!
Thanks..I completely missed that when I watched it when it first was released last week.
Great story. Great use of space...one of my fav stories
Fab aunty & sister. Looks great!
This is what I wish to do for my little sister and her family and for my mum
Hi Kristen ! Fortunately, there are still people like you in this world. This is a very beautiful project. Well done ! Best regards, Rute (from Disneyland Paris)
A wonderful transformation, and a beautiful gift!
watching the video bring tears to my eyes. what a beautiful, generous sister Kristen is, and what a beautiful, loving family she belongs to. so obvious that they respect and love each other.
A very wonderful and touching video! Aww...beautiful
Now that is what sisterhood is truly about!!!
@meadowlarkdesign-what is the color used on the bathroom-it is the perfect gray! We have been using Sherwin Williams with all our remodels but might be switching over since using houzz. I love how they pull the colors from each project and post them on the side.
I have always been a HUGE fan of Kristen, but now??? HUGER!!!!!!!!! The greatest gift is "giving" - especially to someone who is so deserving. And HOUZZ....well....you are the BEST!!! I have been on your site since inception and it is my addiction!!!!!!!!
WOW incredible love it.
@Wendy & Dan Dunmire, we used Bruton White, CW-710 on the bathroom walls and Swiss Coffee, OC-45 on the ceiling. Happy painting!
I loved the open ceiling. It doesn't feel like a basement. Great job !
Wow, Kristen Bell is so inspiring! What a lovely gift- the remodel looks absolutely stunning!
It's kind of a silly question but in the start of the video Kristen Bell is sitting in front of a aqua wall and pink floral curtains. I so badly want to know where I can get the curtains or fabric ? Thanks
Love, Love, LOVE! ...Question, "why didn't someone warn me that I would be crying during the video?" Simply Beauty-Full!
We were so overjoyed and honored work with this family. It was a transformational project!
Call us for your next custom home or remodeling project in Metro Detroit.
Loved this story. How very special for both sisters.
Is the clear epoxy finish slippery? (like a garage floor when it becomes wet) Or is sand or something added to make it non slip? Love it
HI Dduren, it's a function of how smooth you polish it. If it still has some natural concrete texture it is unlikely to be slippery. We hope this helps! Have fun with your next project!
AMAZING!!!
I've just discovered My houzz and probably will be binge-watching all of them rather than Netflix. Having two sisters also, I very much related to this story. Well done Kristen, Melissa, Tom, and houzz!!!!!
I loved how the renovation turned out and I'm sure that Kristen's niece will love her new room all to herself. I hope they made the walls and door to her room sound proof to block the tv and game room noises.
I retired to a new home in southwest Utah and Houzz came in handy to come up with ideas, even what I'd like to do with my tiny backyard someday when I have the money.
I also used Houzz to educate myself on how much things costs nowadays and to find less expensive alternatives.
Really heart warming.
Kristen, You are a wonderful sister, Beautiful Design.
Kristen,
I'm a 52 year old man and this brought tears to my eyes. You have an adorable family and I love your sister and how humble she was. The secret proud types are the greatest !! Thank you
I'm hoping to design a space for my elderly Father soon. Please if someone can do an episode on a space created for the elderly I would appreciate it. With baby boomers and their parents coming to that age I think it is a section of people forgotten. We always see remodels for families with young children but it would be nice to see the latest gadgets just for seniors. Ex: walk in tubs, shower seats, handrails, easy access, no stairs, light up phone, door bells, emergency buttons in all rooms, surround sound. Many are hearing and sight impaired and worry about emergency calls if needed. Just a suggestion
Thanks,
Terrence Ryan
I just love Kristen Bell!
brought tears to my eyes, i actually cried..... What you did for your sister was sooo great.....Gush i wish i could do this for my mum....
Omgggg, teary lol good job ! :)))
This transformation was amazing.
This brought me to tears, as the younger of three sisters myself I've always tried to give the best to my sisters and to see Kristen give to her sister something she'd never ask for speaks volumes to how well you know what would make her happy, AWESOME!!!
Thank you for sharing, what a wonderful story!
What color did you use on the wall? Specifically, the color in the family room area behind the couch. Thank you!
this was awesome kristen much respect great job guys i love it.
How true are the COLORs on Skype? Color's vari depending on the medium.
Very good. Should I cry? Good job.
Hi @ellejobarc Thanks for reaching out! The video has subtitles available. Please click where you see the speech bubble near the bottom left corner of the video to turn them on in your language of choice.
Amazing I liked this video very much!
Thank you for your kudos. The vanity is beautiful and perfect for the bathroom. It was purchased from Houzz. Here is info: https://www.houzz.com/products/florence-48-single-vanity-gray-without-mirror-prvw-vr~43332888
Thanks for reaching out to Meadowlark.
Fabulous! The only thing is, won’t Lucy be spooked by sleeping on her own in the basement, however beautiful? We recently suggested to my daughter (then also 11) that we could move her bedroom downstairs, but she point-blank refused! All kids are different obviously.
Congratulations
Such great Interior Remodel Construction Project Videos!!!
Wow. Amazing.