I'm sure you have heard of a show called Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The one with the beloved Ty Pennington and where it seems the impossible happens with a home being constructed in a matter of days. And the beautiful moment when that bus rolls away to reveal a family's dream home results in chills and tears down every viewer's face.
Have you ever wondered how they pull it off and whether it actually happens in just a few days? One of our design team members, Debra Owensby, had the exciting opportunity to be involved with the show. And she's giving us a first-hand glimpse into what it was like to work on set and how it all actually came together.
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Working with the designers and teams for several episodes of ABC Television's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was one of the highlights of my design experiences. At the time, I was designing window treatments and soft coverings for a German-owned textile company that had recently released a new "bio fabric." The company manufactured its fabrics from the ground up and wove silver ions into the actual threads of the fabric (as opposed to treating a fabric topically). Silver kills pathogens so the result was a fabric that acted as a magnet, pulling harmful bacteria and germs to it and then, when exposed to sunlight, dissolved the bad stuff into harmless water vapor that dissipated completely, virtually sterilizing the air. Our fabric was then manufactured into beautiful drapery material and was an immediate hit with hospitals and clinics. It also totally removes pollen and odors, including cigarette and cooking smells, so we were in the process of launching it to the residential market.
{ EMHE Designer Tracy Hutson & Debra}
There was a call to our company one day, out of the blue, from a design assistant on an Extreme Home build who said they were building for a family near Houston who had twin 6-year old daughters with leukemia. They'd been in a hospital for eight months and were about to go home, but quality of air and germ control was a major issue. They had researched our new fabric and wanted to know if they could have someone who knew what to do with it bring samples and be in Houston by the next day.
I found myself on a plane thinking, I'm sure they don't REALLY build these houses in a week - that's probably all television hype and in reality, they probably just put the finishing touches on the house that last week for the camera. And, the whole thing is probably staged, I'm sure the family isn't REALLY surprised when they answer the knock on their door...
I was wrong though. They really DO build the homes from the ground up in seven days! And, the families may know they've been recommended or that they're one of many on a list - but they don't know when that list will be finalized and they really ARE surprised.
{EMHE Ty Pennington & Debra}
The designers aren't allowed to see plans or know anything other than the general location before the day they knock on the door to surprise the family. An advance team goes to the local areas to find stores and companies who will agree to donate materials, furnishings, fixtures, etc. and the designers are given a list of those contacts. While the existing home is being demolished and the site cleared, the designers are scrambling all over town to make their selections. Everything they use is donated, including local labor and contractor services.
I've always thought it was so wonderful that deserving people who had been living in harsh circumstances were being given a beautiful - usually large - home. It hadn't occurred to me that would also mean higher taxes, utilities, etc. How would families on a limited income be able to pay for that? The answer was a trust account set up with donations, often by the builder who would team up with local media to get the word out.
My first moments on the build site were nothing short of awe. I arrived on day three. It was cold and had rained for several days; the build site was a muddy mess with walk-ways of wide planks that did little to keep feet and materials out of the gunk. The house was already roughed in and drywall was going up. There were a couple of hundred (I'm not kidding) people working in a well-choreographed, military-style way, complete with a guy with a bullhorn blasting directions and information. There were people working on top of people who were working on top of other people and they were LAUGHING and smiling and doing everything they could to help each other. There was an overall sense of UP-ness and altruism. They worked in shifts around the clock for seven days. Certain people would need to work with little or no sleep for several days at a time, and not once did I hear grumbling or complaining or anything negative.
A perimeter was set around the build site with ropes and security guards. Only authorized people with proper credentials and wearing the required "Extreme Home Makeover" blue shirt were allowed beyond the ropes. And, everyday, without fail, from morning until dark, there would be hundreds and, at times, as many as two thousand onlookers. They'd cheer when they saw a familiar celebrity face. As I was coming through the gauntlet one morning, someone thrust a piece of paper in my face and asked me to give that to the family. It was a check for two thousand dollars. Before I could say anything, the person had turned and left. Everyone wanted to help in some way, somehow. It was a humbling experience.
So, there I am on day three, in the mud and cold, trying to keep my rolling back of fabrics dry and meeting the designers for the first time. One of the assistants explained to me that I would only have a limited time to meet with Ty Pennington. He was on a tight schedule doing two build projects, simultaneously. He was there that day but would be gone the next two as they shuttled him back and forth on planes. He met me in the parking lot and I found myself laying fabrics out across the hood of a car. He sorted through them quickly, picked out the things he liked; we looked at elevations, tossed around some ideas and then they quickly hustled him away. The whole meeting took about 20 minutes. He wanted me to email sketches to him by that evening for his approval before sending the order to the plant. And that became the norm for my interactions with him for several more builds. Ty is exactly what you see on TV - but, funnier and a bit more on the hyper side when the cameras aren't rolling. Think Jack Russell Terrier on overdrive. After the initial fabric choices, we exchanged ideas and drawings by cell phone and email. Then he'd be there the last day to give his approval of the install just prior to the Grand Finale and "The Big Reveal."
The last 24 hours were always a blur of warp speed activity. Rooms were being painted even as carpet was being installed; people with hair dryers (regular fans were too big to be in the way of other workers) would be following behind painters trying to dry the walls enough for my installers to get draperies and shades up. I would be holding armloads of fabrics, trying to keep them clean and dry in rooms with a gazillion ladders and way too many workers. Sometime after daylight, Ty would arrive, pick up a bullhorn and start cracking jokes through the loud speakers as he would make his way through rooms for his final inspection.
But, the most special moment of all was always the "Big Reveal." To see it for the first time was an incredibly emotional experience. The EM:HE bus was parked in front of the house; thousands of people were lined up behind the ropes and Ty was cracking jokes on the bullhorn and warming the crowd up. And, finally, down a long drive, we could see the limo approaching. The crowd was cheering well before it pulled up behind the bus. As the precious family exited the vehicle, you could see how excited they were - the little girls had not been home in over eight months. Mom had been staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Houston all that time while Dad worked hard to hold the rest of the family together, two hours away. Tears were already streaming down Mom's face and many people in the crowd (including me) were in tears as well.
Back in Spartanburg, our plant had worked overtime for 24 hours to get our products turned out - I was on my cell phone giving a play-by-play description of what was going on and my call was being piped into the plant intercom system for the whole company to hear. I held the phone up as the crowd went wild cheering as Ty asked the family if they were ready to see their new home. I didn't see a dry eye anywhere. I heard later that most of our plant folks were in tears as well. They'd worked hard to contribute and were definitely there in spirit.
The crowd started chanting, "Move that bus... move that bus"... the bus engine cranked up, the crowd got louder and finally Ty yelled into the bullhorn, "Bus Driver... MOVE THAT BUS." I will never forget the feeling I had as the bus pulled away and I saw the family's reaction. The little girls jumping up and down, an older brother taking their hands to keep them from running too fast, Dad and Mom hugging each other and crying. Where their dilapidated single-wide mobile home had previously been was now a 5,000-square-foot two-story home with beautiful landscaping and an awesome fenced yard with play areas for the children. I'm sure it was like something out of dream for them. Later, I had the privilege of walking through the house with Mom and talking with the kids in their new rooms. Mom seemed overwhelmed and emotional; she couldn't believe people she didn't know had worked so hard to give her family such a beautiful place.
I felt extremely privileged to have been a part of their experience as well as others I subsequently was called to help with. I feel like my fingerprints and designs are still apart of those lives, along with the hundreds of people who contributed in so many ways, near and far, to create a better life experience for families struggling so hard.
Looking back, I'm humbled by the experiences I shared and the people I met through EM:HE. It was an amazing opportunity that I'm grateful to have had. And, it all started with interior design. Someone's thoughts, another's vision, a team of people coming together to create an environment for people to live in, happily, beautifully, functionally and healthily. And, whether it's an Extreme Home Makeover, a simple remodel to revamp an existing home, or a new dream home for you or me, that's what interior design is all about. Just ask any of our talented designers at Postcard from Paris and you'll see they have a passion for doing the same for each and every one of our clients.
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Thanks to Debra for providing us a behind-the-scenes look of such an inspiring and impactful show. Like Debra said, our talented team of designers are just as passionate about creating a beautiful home for you and your family. If you need assistance or have questions about our interior design services, please contact our design team for information.