My Houzz: Neil Patrick Harris Gives His Brother a New Backyard
Actor Neil Patrick Harris always looked up to his older brother, Brian, while growing up in New Mexico. “Considering I was the annoying, performing younger brother, he was kind to me and let me follow around on all of his adventures,” Harris says. “And I really appreciated that.”
Harris — whose television roles have included Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother and the eponymous teenage doctor on Doogie Howser, M.D., and who was host of the 2015 Academy Awards — recently showed his appreciation for his brother by surprising him with a major makeover to his backyard and family room in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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I just looooove NPH! This is so sweet.
"When I think of home, I think Solace - it means a place to escape to. A place to relish; cherish" Love this thought!
It's an understatement to say that an Outdoor Living Space changes lives for the better. I get to see it firsthand and there is nothing like it!
I love the somewhat transparent partition between the reading "nook" and the kitchen. Great job!
The dogs and those hamburgers. My favorite parts of this video.
Oh, wow! What a wonderful, sweet story about brotherly love! Great story! Beautiful transformation in these spaces!
Very nice!
Fabulous transformation!
I especially like the outdoor space. I love that Solange gave them a bee hive. We had one for years and we had our very own raw honey. With the bee crisis I wish more homeowners would get on the bee train.
Excellent renovation and great back yard. Great to have a good brother and family.
MADE MY MORNING TO SEE THIS; THANK YOU FOR THE GENEROSITY AND INSPIRATION.
That fireplace and dividing accent wall are inspirational.
Well done, so sweet, it brought me to tears...thank you for sharing this and inviting us in to your family and what a great space to spend with family too!
Their dynamic is so sweet-great transformation!
Neil's feelings expressed about his own home is exactly how I feel about my home. Brought a tear to my eye! What a lovely gesture from one brother to another. I'd love to reproduce that in my backyard. Great choices.
Beautiful show and heartwarming to see these brothers' bond and family love!
The work done is fantastic and have a few questions for the landscape designer:
- What is the pergola's shading material? And if it's natural material, would that also work in colder/rainy climates?
- Which kind of plants are good for bees? and same question, do they work in colder climates?
I live in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and have a fantastic terrace facing South, so that means lots of sun in the summer for which we appreciate a shade. I'm thinking the look of the pergola at NPH's brother would work great, and I'd love to have planting to attract more bees, but I'm worry if those materials work with so much rain and cold, long winter we have. Thank you!
Wow! That really made me cry!! Love the brotherly love and of course, the remodel is fantastic:)))
Beautiful home transformation video with expert advise and execution. But most of all testimony to NPH generosity and LOVE for his Family and Brother. TY for sharing this HAPPINESS,
I absolutely love these shows. The design and work was stunning. A very heart warming story lovely to watch - thanks so much :).
Love it!
Love the devil on Neil's shoulder. ha ha ha So like his humor.
I always enjoy these videos, not only because of the design inspiration but also because of the positive changes it makes in peoples' lives.
Great show of love from one brother to another. Loved the work done on the house, it seemed to fit well with his style.
I had tears in my eyes ..this was a wonderful thing for Neil to do and it's so important to have family support you in your changes in life!Wonderful family both the old and the new.Blessings to you all and your bees!!!
Great show!!! The design was right on point.
Fabulous job! On Brian's house and yard and for the beautiful shots of our wonderful Albuquerque❤️. Thank you so much for sharing all the great ideas and transformation.
Thank you for sharing such a touching story! beautiful job done by the team!
Hi MinAmstrdam, what I can guess from the clip the covering is likely to be bamboo in woven sheets. It might work in wetter climates for a while but would need to be replaced after some time. As to plants for bees, wow you have one of the best naturalistic garden designers in the world, go and check Piet Oudolf's garden planting and you will have all you want, you can go small scale with his plants, just use his philosophy. Happy planting from Down Under.
I love happy goose-bumps. And I loved this reveal!
Whoaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Now thats a transformation if I ever saw one. Such a loving family too. Thanks for sharing.....
I often wondered how the "Stars" treat their family. This was Beautiful, I enjoyed the transformation. Thank you, Neil Patrick Harris and Houzz for sharing!
It's great to see people get the backyard they've been dreaming of. Great reveal!
Hi MinAmsterdam!
We used a Braided Willow Fence Panel that you can find through
Houzz.
Here is a link: https://www.houzz.com/product/70079869-braided-willow-fence-panel-72wx72h-set-of-2-pieces-tropical-home-fencing-and-gates
It is a natural material and beautiful when you see it in person. We
strongly recommend them.
As with any natural material, we do expect some decay over time,
even in our region. Perhaps if you apply a water protective coating
or wax, it may extend the life of your panels. They are fairly light
weight so it would be easy to bring them down seasonally or for
maintenance.
As for plant selections for bees, it's all about varieties of
flowers and pollination!
Your best bet is to go native and create a habitat. Every region has
its own native vegetation. I'm sure there are plenty plants to
choose from in your area. I would strongly recommend looking for a
local nursery that concentrate on wildflowers in your zone and start
experimenting.
Another idea is to place pots with easy bee-friendly plants like
Lavender and move them indoors when it is too cold.
Enjoy your outdoors!
That is so nice that he was able to do this for his brother!
What a wonderful family.
It is wonderful. See this. So much good and positive!
What an awesome transformation! Reminds us a lot of a few projects we've taken on! Great post.
Gorgeous transformation! Well done.
I love ho you did this for your brother it look amazing
I love this loving story of giving that Neil has done for his brother. The video was so well done! Only I have a question... Where did you put all of Brian’s stuff that use to be in the room? Where will he bench press?
Lots of LOVE here!
I have thoroughly enjoy this amazing make over, its awesome
To watch .....the concept of the outdoors was not over the top but homey and comfortable great job all around !
I loved to see how the blue of the gorgeous chair and the spanish glass tiles match exactly the blue of Brian's car. Must be his favorite color. Beautiful, thoughtful and full of love! Good job.
I love it , it is great idea , the best present he could do!
So, so sweet, these two brothers … !
This is just amazing!!! Love it, love it, love it :)
Well done and blessings to the Harris family!
l would love to have a brother like Neil Patrick Harris!
I enjoyed this so much, not just for the beautiful design and the bee love but because of this beautiful, close and hilarious family. NPH's facial expressions and his brother's jokes made me laugh out loud. I also enjoyed the two designers who seemed so simpatico. Great job on telling the story, I especially appreciated the few Breaking Bad-like twangs you snuck into the music.
Thank you for sharing a little piece of your family with everyone and letting us see the wonderful design transformation of Brian's home. I loved the outdoor redesign, the swinging chair, metal pergola, indoor fireplace, louvered wall and decor - just fantastic!!
I loved the renovation of the outside!
Julian Edelman would be the perfect person to bring on this show.
His parents did so much for him to become a professional football player.
His mom stayed at home and made sure he would never miss training while his father was his coach and helped him transition from QB to WR coming out of college and I'd say Frank Edelman did a fantastic job because Jules is now a Super Bowl MVP.
Frank didn't have a father in his life so he started working when he was 16 to provide for his family and now owns a Auto Repair Shop.
Julian always mentions how much his parents did for him growing up and giving them a renovation for their houzz would be a great way to express his gratitude.
Because his parents live in the Bay Area where he grew up and he obivously resides in Boston most of the year he doesn't get to see them that often.
Awesome, Neil!! These guys got Neil's brother an Eames Lounge Chair and we couldn't agree more. He'll feel cared for and he'll get to experience the nicest comfort in years. Such a nice backyard and reno!! Bravo!
Fingers crossed. I love this guy. Neal also cracked me up..."there's shade?! And a real fire pit?!" His expression was so fun.
Thank You!
great transformation, great use of space, light , and relevant to the climate-incredible!
This is called transformation in the quality of space.
Nice!
How beautiful - the family, the space, the generosity and gratitude. Loved everything about it!
Nice! I would like to see pics of the louvered wall.
NPH shows a picture of a willow covered pergola on his laptop. Anyone know where the frames and willow covering can be purchased?
I always knew Count Olaf had a good heart... deep, deep down :) Such a divine gesture. Such love x
I wish Neil was my brother. I can use a laugh.
@kristin steele - you can check out Neil's ideabaooks here: https://www.houzz.com/user/neilpatrickharris
From watching American reno shows and seeing this outdoor reno, it makes me wonder why Americans don't check out the fantastic outdoor renovations that we produce in Australia, that thanks to our extremely clement weather and the huge amount of outdoor entertaining we do in our back yards, means that we produce some of the best outdoor renos in the world!!
Every episode in Houzz TV makes me emotional. Good job Ashton :)
Very cool (and comprehensive) story and project!
Thank you Neal for a wonderful family celebration. You are so kind and a fantastic brother. Thanks for working with Houzz, our design home.
Awesome backyard!!
The transformation of the spaces based on Neal's knowledge of his brother's dreams and desires, demonstrate the beautiful love of this close family.
joliiiiiiiiii !
very good
❤️💯
Neil Patrick Harris is such a cool guy. I wish he was my brother. Absolutely love what he did for his brother. It's beautiful, and so is his family.
Super
NPH is so wholesome
Soper