Here’s What It’s Like To Be Neighbors of Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott
HGTV
Neighbors can always be counted on to lend a helping hand—and if you live near HGTV megastars Jonathan and Drew Scott, those are very handy hands indeed.
On the latest episode of “Property Brothers: Forever Home,” titled “Reno Around the Corner,” we learn that Drew—who lives in Hancock Park, CA—is within walking distance of his next project.
The home was purchased by actors Emily and Adhir, who have a baby girl, a dog, and five cats. Their 1923 Spanish-style home could use a little work, and they have a $260,000 budget to get it done.
Hancock Park home up for renovationHGTV
Drew happily uses his own nearby 1923 Spanish-style home as inspiration to show Emily and Adhir what’s possible. In the renovation process, they give the rest of us some pretty fun and intriguing ideas about what could be possible in our own houses, too. Here are some tips you might want to try.
Don’t be fooled by staging
Jonathan Scott finds a surprise in a cabinet the buyers hadn’t opened.HGTV
“Before we bought this house, we had only seen it staged,” says Emily. “So once we got the keys and went in for the first time and saw it empty, we knew the house needed work, but it was way more work than we thought. So much so that we haven’t been able to move in yet.”
Drew and Jonathan have seen this situation dozens of times. A house looks so good staged that potential buyers fail to check and see what’s under the carpet, inside the cupboards, or behind the sofas.
It’s a good idea to explore every nook and cranny before you make an offer. It might not only help you get a better deal, but also give you a more accurate idea of what it’s going to cost you to renovate.
Ditch what’s not original to the house
Terra-cotta tile flooringHGTV
The young couple like their terra-cotta tile floor in the living room, but not the cobalt blue tile border. Jonathan believes he can remove the border tile and add new tile that will blend in with the old.
But as he tries to remove the blue border, he discovers there’s wood flooring underneath, which means none of the tile is original. He estimates it was probably added in the ’70s or ’80s.
He also finds it impossible to remove the border without breaking some tiles beside it. He calls the couple to ask their opinion.
“I can try and replace the broken tiles so it looks as close as possible, or we can just pop them out and run the wood flooring that we’re putting elsewhere right through the whole space and keep it seamless. My own personal opinion is that I would run the hardwood all the way through.”
Once Emily and Adhir find out the tile isn’t original, they’re no longer attached to it—and even less so when they find out it will cost about the same to add new wood as it would to repair the old tile.
“Let’s move forward with the hardwood throughout,” says Adhir.
Pay homage to a home’s history
Living room with refinished fireplace and new flooringHGTV
Drew’s attachment to the Spanish style of the home makes him uniquely aware of its historical flourishes.
“Throughout the renovation, we’re paying special attention to the home’s history, but modernizing it to make it work better for their young family,” he says.
That would include keeping the fireplace but getting rid of the ornately carved wood mantel that was obviously added long after the house was built. He plans to revert back to a plaster one that keeps with the 1920s.
They’ll also keep the plaster archways and even add a few more, bigger ones to join the rooms better.
“We knew that matching up some of these arches would simplify the architecture a little bit,” says Drew.
Look up! Don’t forget the ceiling
Barrel ceiling lined with white oakHGTV
Many people fail to pay attention to the ceiling unless there’s something wrong with it. But not Drew.
He suggests emphasizing the beautiful barrel ceiling with white oak planks. The couple are thrilled with the idea.
“They’re getting beautiful, white oak planks on the floor to match the same wood we’ll be adding to the ceiling,” says Jonathan. “This will give the living room warmth and elegance to match their style.”
Add furnishings for furry family members
“Catio” furnitureHGTV
Emily and Adhir are such dedicated cat rescuers they had a “catio” built onto the house before they did anything else.
“For this place, we need to think cat luxury,” says Jonathan, always mindful of four-legged family members. “What if we just happened to build some ‘catio’ furniture?”
He explains his plan: “The cats are going to come in here, they’re going to see how nice the house is on the inside. They’re going to get jealous. We could create … you’ve heard of wicker furniture? We could do some whisker furniture!”
In the end, he comes up with a cat-sized sofa, coffee table, and TV. It’s purrfect.
A fully wallpapered room adds ambiance
Dining room with wallpaper on all four wallsHGTV
“Emily and Adhir have never had a formal dining room before, so we want to make a big statement,” says Drew. “Instead of just one wall of floral wallpaper, I’m doing all four walls of the dining room in a textured blue grass cloth. This will create an intimate atmosphere for when they’re entertaining.”
As the couple tour their newly renovated home for the first time, Drew tells them, “We were actually trying to decide if we wanted to do wallpaper on just one wall or all walls, and I’m glad we went all the way around, because it really anchors the space.”
In the end, much to Drew’s delight, his new neighbors are thrilled with the results.
“It’s like everything I could have imagined and way more,” says Emily.
Adhir agrees, saying, “It’s the epitome of the family home we were hoping to have.”
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