The Top 5 Houzz TV Episodes of 2019
See a barn conversion, a home with a climbing wall and more popular spaces from our makeover video series
In 2019, the Houzz video team traveled around the country and the world to take users deep into the personal stories behind fascinating home renovation projects. The Houzz TV channel has more than 175 million views to date on Houzz and YouTube. And we’ll have many more exciting videos in 2020.
We’ve put together this countdown of the most popular Houzz TV episodes of 2019 (excluding the celebrity makeover My Houzz series). We take you inside a light-filled modern farmhouse, a rental house full of eye candy, a spacious home with a climbing wall in its living room, a stunning converted barn and a smart and practical home for a retired couple. Sit back and enjoy the shows.
We’ve put together this countdown of the most popular Houzz TV episodes of 2019 (excluding the celebrity makeover My Houzz series). We take you inside a light-filled modern farmhouse, a rental house full of eye candy, a spacious home with a climbing wall in its living room, a stunning converted barn and a smart and practical home for a retired couple. Sit back and enjoy the shows.
5. A Fresh and Bright Modern California Farmhouse
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Eric and Olga Dean and their two Cavachon dogs, Buddy and Daisy
Location: Costa Mesa, California
Size: 2,700 square feet (251 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Architect: Denis La Roche of La Roche Architecture
General contractor: Jason Adams of Streamline Construction
After their three kids moved away to attend college, Olga and Eric Dean felt that their sprawling ranch home in North Tustin, California, was just too much house. To be closer to their children and the beach, they sold the house, moved into a rental property in nearby Costa Mesa and began looking for a place to fit their pared-down lifestyle. They found a 1960s home that suited their needs but required major attention. So they assembled a design and construction team to make sense of the chopped-up layout, which had given the laundry room and powder room the best views in the house.
Architect Denis La Roche reconfigured the floor plan and worked with general contractor Jason Adams to raise the roof and add lots of windows to create a bright and airy modern-farmhouse-style home that feels more connected to its large backyard.
La Roche created a new, easy-to-find entry, while a white board-and-batten exterior delivers the fresh farmhouse look.
Adams, whom the couple found by searching Houzz for general contractors in their area, also handled the landscaping.
Search for general contractors near you
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Eric and Olga Dean and their two Cavachon dogs, Buddy and Daisy
Location: Costa Mesa, California
Size: 2,700 square feet (251 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Architect: Denis La Roche of La Roche Architecture
General contractor: Jason Adams of Streamline Construction
After their three kids moved away to attend college, Olga and Eric Dean felt that their sprawling ranch home in North Tustin, California, was just too much house. To be closer to their children and the beach, they sold the house, moved into a rental property in nearby Costa Mesa and began looking for a place to fit their pared-down lifestyle. They found a 1960s home that suited their needs but required major attention. So they assembled a design and construction team to make sense of the chopped-up layout, which had given the laundry room and powder room the best views in the house.
Architect Denis La Roche reconfigured the floor plan and worked with general contractor Jason Adams to raise the roof and add lots of windows to create a bright and airy modern-farmhouse-style home that feels more connected to its large backyard.
La Roche created a new, easy-to-find entry, while a white board-and-batten exterior delivers the fresh farmhouse look.
Adams, whom the couple found by searching Houzz for general contractors in their area, also handled the landscaping.
Search for general contractors near you
Numerous windows flood the home with sunlight. “I always tell my clients, if you’re going to spend money, spend it on a door and window system because it just really makes the house,” La Roche says.
“I’m never going to put window coverings on there, ever,” Olga says. “It’s just so light and open and airy. It’s hard to feel gloomy in there.”
Watch now: See this 1960s teardown transformed into a beautiful modern farmhouse
“I’m never going to put window coverings on there, ever,” Olga says. “It’s just so light and open and airy. It’s hard to feel gloomy in there.”
Watch now: See this 1960s teardown transformed into a beautiful modern farmhouse
4. An Eye-Catching Rental House Near Death Valley
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Short-term renters
Location: Beatty, Nevada, about 10 minutes from Death Valley National Park
Size: 1,700 square feet (158 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designer: Karen McAloon of x8 Property and Design
Designer Karen McAloon and business partner Mikel Hubbard took note of a rise in visitors to Death Valley National Park and decided to get in on the (282-feet-below-sea-level) ground floor. They bought a run-down ranch-style house and used Houzz to turn the property into a fun, funky and design-minded short-term vacation home for travelers looking to stay just minutes from the park entrance.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Short-term renters
Location: Beatty, Nevada, about 10 minutes from Death Valley National Park
Size: 1,700 square feet (158 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designer: Karen McAloon of x8 Property and Design
Designer Karen McAloon and business partner Mikel Hubbard took note of a rise in visitors to Death Valley National Park and decided to get in on the (282-feet-below-sea-level) ground floor. They bought a run-down ranch-style house and used Houzz to turn the property into a fun, funky and design-minded short-term vacation home for travelers looking to stay just minutes from the park entrance.
Dark cabinets, butcher block countertops and lots of graphic floor tile keep things durable and easy to clean, and help conceal scuffs from the high number of guests.
Large subway tile in a herringbone pattern puts a fresh spin on the classic backsplash material.
Watch now: See how this kitchen came together on Houzz TV
Large subway tile in a herringbone pattern puts a fresh spin on the classic backsplash material.
Watch now: See how this kitchen came together on Houzz TV
3. A Stunning Climbing Wall Focal Point in a Spacious Contemporary Home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Kristen and Michael Overcash, their four children — Seven, 12, Ala, 9, Gideon, 7, and Cyprus, 4 — and their Siberian husky
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 5,000 square feet (465 square meters); four bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
General contractor: Joe Welch of Welch Custom Homes
Architect: Phil Clarke of Clarke Design Group
Custom home builders are used to getting all sorts of strange requests from clients. But when Kristen and Michael Overcash asked general contractor Joe Welch to build a 26-foot climbing wall for them and their four kids right in the living room of their new home, Welch knew he was in for something special. “I pretty much build whatever people want, but this was certainly the most unique,” he says.
Welch worked with the couple and a structural engineer to design the specifics of the wall’s support structure, panels and corresponding overhead belay tethers. The wall can hold up to six climbers — the entire Overcash family — making for one seriously fun, calorie-burning focal point.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Kristen and Michael Overcash, their four children — Seven, 12, Ala, 9, Gideon, 7, and Cyprus, 4 — and their Siberian husky
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 5,000 square feet (465 square meters); four bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms
General contractor: Joe Welch of Welch Custom Homes
Architect: Phil Clarke of Clarke Design Group
Custom home builders are used to getting all sorts of strange requests from clients. But when Kristen and Michael Overcash asked general contractor Joe Welch to build a 26-foot climbing wall for them and their four kids right in the living room of their new home, Welch knew he was in for something special. “I pretty much build whatever people want, but this was certainly the most unique,” he says.
Welch worked with the couple and a structural engineer to design the specifics of the wall’s support structure, panels and corresponding overhead belay tethers. The wall can hold up to six climbers — the entire Overcash family — making for one seriously fun, calorie-burning focal point.
The panels and footholds are made of the same types of materials used in climbing gyms. But to safely install the wall in a home instead of a commercial space, Welch had to add some stability features. He and his team reinforced both the wall and the roof with 20-to-25-foot columns made of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and sheathed the wall in plywood, which was then anchored into the wall’s support beams. The belay system is hooked into LVL rafter beams in the roof to support the climbers’ weight.
Watch now: See on Houzz TV how this home came together
Watch now: See on Houzz TV how this home came together
2. A Bold Converted Barn for a Growing Family
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Crystal Madrilejos, vice president of creative strategy at Tenlo, a marketing agency; Andrew Towne, a stay-at-home dad and soon-to-be Montessori teacher; and their two kids, Quil, 9, and Ellis, 6
Location: Medina, Ohio
Size: 3,200 square feet (297 square meters); three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Designer-builders: Tim Franklin of Franklin & Associates and Chris Weitzel-Janca (project manager)
As a kid playing in the hayloft of his parents’ dusty 80-year-old barn in Medina, Ohio, Andrew Towne never imagined that one day he would convert the space into a stunning modern home for himself and his then-elementary school friend Crystal Madrilejos. But decades later, that’s exactly what happened.
They hired design-builder Tim Franklin, who began by assessing the structural integrity of the barn, looking for any wood rot or foundation problems. Once he was confident that the barn could be converted, he got to work on the design. To help him determine which direction to go in, he had Towne and Madrilejos create Houzz ideabooks with inspiration photos for various rooms in the house. Franklin then studied these photos, looking for design trends. “Those are my cues to start floor plans and elevations,” he says.
He found that the couple gravitated toward a clean Scandinavian look with warm and rustic elements. He added several new windows to bring light inside, and built a new roof over the existing one to preserve the unique exposed framing that’s now the highlight of the interior.
The upper portion of the exterior is cedar lap siding in a custom stain. The lower level is concrete block, also in a custom stain.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Crystal Madrilejos, vice president of creative strategy at Tenlo, a marketing agency; Andrew Towne, a stay-at-home dad and soon-to-be Montessori teacher; and their two kids, Quil, 9, and Ellis, 6
Location: Medina, Ohio
Size: 3,200 square feet (297 square meters); three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Designer-builders: Tim Franklin of Franklin & Associates and Chris Weitzel-Janca (project manager)
As a kid playing in the hayloft of his parents’ dusty 80-year-old barn in Medina, Ohio, Andrew Towne never imagined that one day he would convert the space into a stunning modern home for himself and his then-elementary school friend Crystal Madrilejos. But decades later, that’s exactly what happened.
They hired design-builder Tim Franklin, who began by assessing the structural integrity of the barn, looking for any wood rot or foundation problems. Once he was confident that the barn could be converted, he got to work on the design. To help him determine which direction to go in, he had Towne and Madrilejos create Houzz ideabooks with inspiration photos for various rooms in the house. Franklin then studied these photos, looking for design trends. “Those are my cues to start floor plans and elevations,” he says.
He found that the couple gravitated toward a clean Scandinavian look with warm and rustic elements. He added several new windows to bring light inside, and built a new roof over the existing one to preserve the unique exposed framing that’s now the highlight of the interior.
The upper portion of the exterior is cedar lap siding in a custom stain. The lower level is concrete block, also in a custom stain.
The framing’s construction is rare, Franklin says. Most people who built barns 80 years ago wanted to get the work done cheaply and quickly to store their animals, grain and equipment. With Towne and Madrilejos’ barn, he says, someone really took time and had a deep understanding of engineering. “It’s so much more work than a standard barn,” he says. “That ceiling is gorgeous. It’s a rare, unique and special framing.”
To highlight the framing, Franklin drywalled halfway up the walls to hide the mechanicals and plumbing, leaving the roof open. He then added insulation over the existing roof and built a new roof over that. “This is a one-of-a-kind barn home, and it will never be duplicated,” he says.
Watch now: Go inside this amazing converted barn
To highlight the framing, Franklin drywalled halfway up the walls to hide the mechanicals and plumbing, leaving the roof open. He then added insulation over the existing roof and built a new roof over that. “This is a one-of-a-kind barn home, and it will never be duplicated,” he says.
Watch now: Go inside this amazing converted barn
1. An Open and Airy Contemporary Home for Retirees
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Susan and Charles Elder, both retired. Susan was an elementary school teacher and a homemaker; Charles was in commercial real estate and development.
Location: Houston
Size: 3,300 square feet (307 square meters), including the garage; four bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designers: Kathleen Reardon and Susannah Devine of RD Architecture
Builder: Phillip Tryon of Tryon Homes
Susan and Charles Elder’s roots run deep in their neighborhood outside downtown Houston. They moved into a starter home there in 1981, just six houses around the corner from where Susan grew up and one street over from where her paternal grandparents lived. The Elders have lived at the same address ever since.
But while the address numbers never changed, the house sure did. Over the years the Elders renovated four times, always in an effort to open up the 1955 ranch house and bring in more light. It never felt like enough.
After raising their two daughters and then retiring a few years ago, the Elders embarked on one last renovation, this time taking everything down to the dirt lot and building a house with everything they had ever wanted, all while preserving the memory of the address at which they’ve spent their lives together.
The new house delivers the light, airy and clean contemporary style and function they were looking for. “It’s very graceful,” Charles says. “It’s a physical representation of where we are in our lives today.”
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Susan and Charles Elder, both retired. Susan was an elementary school teacher and a homemaker; Charles was in commercial real estate and development.
Location: Houston
Size: 3,300 square feet (307 square meters), including the garage; four bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designers: Kathleen Reardon and Susannah Devine of RD Architecture
Builder: Phillip Tryon of Tryon Homes
Susan and Charles Elder’s roots run deep in their neighborhood outside downtown Houston. They moved into a starter home there in 1981, just six houses around the corner from where Susan grew up and one street over from where her paternal grandparents lived. The Elders have lived at the same address ever since.
But while the address numbers never changed, the house sure did. Over the years the Elders renovated four times, always in an effort to open up the 1955 ranch house and bring in more light. It never felt like enough.
After raising their two daughters and then retiring a few years ago, the Elders embarked on one last renovation, this time taking everything down to the dirt lot and building a house with everything they had ever wanted, all while preserving the memory of the address at which they’ve spent their lives together.
The new house delivers the light, airy and clean contemporary style and function they were looking for. “It’s very graceful,” Charles says. “It’s a physical representation of where we are in our lives today.”
The impressive Italian granite slab backsplash was the first thing the Elders purchased for their new home. “It’s an art piece,” Susan says.
Watch now: Go inside this bright contemporary kitchen
More on Houzz
See all Houzz TV episodes
Find a designer
Shop for products
Watch now: Go inside this bright contemporary kitchen
More on Houzz
See all Houzz TV episodes
Find a designer
Shop for products
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