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HGTV stars Jonathan and Drew Scott always pour their all into every client’s renovation, but on the latest “Property Brothers: Forever Home,” they even borrow an idea straight out of Drew’s own kitchen.

In the episode “It Takes a Village,” the Scott brothers meet Jessica, a mother of two who’s trying to move on after the loss of her husband, Joe, an avid skateboarder. They’d bought a fixer-upper in Burbank, CA, with grand plans for the space.

“We had so many conversations about what we wanted to do with this home, and we started to save our money,” Jessica shares. She has a renovation budget of $200,000, which she now hands to the property brothers hoping they can resume where she left off.

Jonathan and Drew do that and so much more. Check out what they change, and learn plenty of lessons that could work wonders in your own abode.

Keep what you love, ditch what you don’t

Jessica isn’t a fan of the faux rock wall.

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When touring the property, Jessica tells the brothers she’s never been fond of the faux rock feature wall surrounding the fireplace and is ready to let it go.

“I got convinced one day I’d really like that rock wall,” she admits, “and I still don’t.”

Rather than preserving the design just because Joe enjoyed it, the Scott brothers redo the area and dedicate it to him. They flank the fireplace with wood panels and hang several of his skateboards as decor.

Joe’s skateboards make for sentimental decor.

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“This is a renovation where we need to be very careful because we want to cherish the memories that Joe and Jessica have in the house, but we also want to make it more functional for Jessica and the kids,” Drew says.

Incorporating a few choice personal items—in addition to a careful edit of framed family photos—is good advice for striking the right balance of paying homage to the past and living in the present.

Matte countertops are a fun twist many forget

Replacing the tile countertops is a renovation priority.

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The brothers roll out another nod to Joe’s memory in the kitchen by using a white, honed quartz countertop that is “concrete-inspired” to “bring in a skate park element.”

Drew shares that he is personally a fan of the uncommon finish.

“A quartz countertop doesn’t have to have a polished look,” he explains. “In fact, I have it on my perimeter counters. It doesn’t have any sheen to it at all.”

Even without a sheen, counters can still shine.

The property brothers install honed quartz countertops in the kitchen.

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Use tile to carve out the floor plan

The brothers know the bathroom is “the part of the reno that really meant the most to Jessica and Joe” because it was the first project they were planning to tackle together, but never got the chance. Jonathan and Drew take great care to get it right for the family, especially 5-year-old Ansel, who requests “a human car wash” (aka shower with various fixtures).

Jessica’s existing bathroom is in bad shape.

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As Jonathan repairs the bathroom’s major water and termite damage, Drew fixes the room’s flow with a unique use of multiple tile patterns—one with a bold design to designate the main area, and a small hexagon one just for the shower space.

Multiple tile patterns delineate the shower space from the rest of the bathroom.

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Jonathan explains the bathroom is “not an easy space to design, but I like the fact that we used tile to create the footprint of the shower, even though it’s a zero-clearance shower—everything will drain into the pan, no curb needed!”

Families need more storage

A reconfigured pantry area includes more storage options.

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Jessica realizes she needs more storage since having kids means more clutter—and Drew admits that extra space to stash stuff is on his wish list, too.

“I’m learning this,” admits Drew. “You need to have somewhere to put your things.”

So in addition to built-in cabinets installed in the dining room, the brothers build out a pantry in an area Jessica previously described as a “lost room.”

Jonathan also considers Jessica’s children when he points out a potential tripping hazard and suggests putting reducer molding (a transition strip that joins two floors of different thickness) to “soften that lip, [so] you won’t have a spot to stub your toe.”

A transition strip is placed between the fireplace and the floor.

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Go green with your room divider

Even though Jessica’s budget doesn’t cover the cost of updating the backyard, the brothers find an easy and affordable way to give her “a special little sanctuary” on the patio “so the whole yard isn’t just for the kids playing around.”

The covered patio provides an opportunity for Jessica to have her own dedicated space.

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Drew strategically places a plant behind some outdoor furniture, which Jonathan says “creates separation of the space.”

It seems a little green goes a long way.

Drew and Jonathan use plants to section off the patio.

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A home is also about your community

Throughout the episode, Jessica sings the praises of her helpful neighbors—especially Kathy, who is letting Jessica and the kids stay at her house for the duration of the six-week renovation project—and Jonathan pauses to highlight what an invaluable asset such a support system is to any homeowner.

“You can always renovate a house. You can’t renovate a community,” he says, giving us all a good reminder that finding the right neighborhood fit is about more than an address.

Jessica’s neighbors join her on reveal day.

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Jessica’s “village” joins her on reveal day, which falls on what would have been Joe’s 50th birthday. With a celebratory doughnut in hand, Jessica muses it’s a fitting finish to the renovation and start of the next chapter of her life.

“My kids are going to grow up here, I’m going to grow old here, and he’s forever a part of our lives,” she says.

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