HGTV

While property brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott are both clearly adept at renovating homes, do you ever wonder which sibling is better? The latest “Brother vs. Brother” seems to point to a clear winner.

Drew has won the first two challenges this season, so in the third episode, “Main Bedroom Magic,” Jonathan goes all out to close the gap between their scores. But will his efforts be in vain?

Jonathan plans to spend $100,000 to remove a small bedroom and add that space to the main suite, which includes a luxurious bathroom and walk-in closet.

Drew, on the other hand, plans to attach his property’s accessory dwelling unit to the main house, and make that into a primary suite. He knows he’ll have to spend a little more on that, and budgets $150,000. (This proves to be a surprisingly naive estimate.)

Once their makeovers are done, Jasmine Roth of “Help! I Wrecked My House” comes in to judge. And, as the brothers strive to outdo each other, they give some great tips and tricks for taking our own main bedrooms and baths up a notch. Read on to see what the brothers can teach you this week!

Get city approval before you renovate anything

Demolishing an accessory dwelling unit

HGTV

Drew has asked for an extended period of time for this challenge, because he knows he’s going to have to get city approval for what he wants to do, and that could take weeks.

“The ADU was built illegally,” he says. “It has no permits, it’s built right up against the property line, and it’s too close to the garage. I am hoping the city will allow us to keep it—hopefully, they will grandfather it in, so my fate is in their hands.”

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When the city finally makes a ruling, there is both good and bad news. The good news is that the city is going to allow him to keep the additional square footage. The bad news: They’ll have to knock down the entire structure and start over from scratch.

Good thing Drew didn’t start renovating the unit before he found out they’d have to demolish the whole thing!

A private entrance adds value

French doors were added to the primary suite.

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“I want to give my main bedroom suite that relaxing, laid-back feel that only adding French doors to the backyard could do,” says Jonathan. “This is going to be epic. Adding French doors that open up to a private courtyard, that’s the dream.”

When judging, Roth says she completely agrees.

“This door to go outside, I think that’s a really nice touch,” she says. “I think buyers are really going to appreciate having that private entrance.”

Make it fancy with a chamfered ceiling

Chamfered, or trayed, ceiling

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Jonathan explains that chamfered is a fancy French way of saying “trayed,” as in “trayed ceiling.”

“If there’s a way for us to do a tray feature, that would be pretty special,” he says. “A tray ceiling basically looks like an upside-down tray. It’s going to give this main bedroom suite lots of height and a very grand feeling.”

He’s also excited about adding a uniquely California-looking chandelier, all for a very grand cost of $14,000.

Big rugs rock

Cushy anchor rug

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“I’m going to use a big area rug to anchor the space,” says Jonathan.

“The reason I’m putting in such a soft, cushy rug is so that it doesn’t hurt so much when the judge’s jaw hits the floor,” he jokes.

In addition to anchoring the space, the reason he wants a massive rug in the primary suite is because hard-surface floors can be cold when you’re getting out of bed in the morning, and they can also echo. A rug can not only feel good on the tootsies, but it can also cushion the sound in the room, making the primary suite ultimately more relaxing and comfortable.

For drama, use book-matched slabs

Book-matched slabs

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“What I’m really excited about,” says Drew, “is the huge, book-matched porcelain slab going on the walls. They just scream luxury.”

Book-matched means joining two identical slabs so they mirror each other.

“The slab is stunning, it’s elegant, it’s sophisticated, it looks expensive,” Drew says. And it is expensive, costing $8,400. But he believes they’re worth the expense.

“This is a feature that will add value,” he continues. “Buyers come in here and will see this and will pay more for this house because of this bathroom.”

Which property brother wins this week?

When all is done and dusted, Jonathan’s addition of a fancy chandelier and tray ceiling puts him over his $100,000 budget at $115,000.

Drew spent more, though. He’d budgeted $150,000, but having to tear down the ADU and build it again from scratch added $65,000 to his expenses, so he was all in at a whopping $215,000.

Although the amount they spent is irrelevant in the individual challenges, at this rate, it seems the brothers will both be in the hole when they sell their completed houses.

In the end, Roth proclaims Drew the winner—for the third time! Jonathan seems devastated.

And he’s even more upset when Drew claims his prize—the opportunity to saw his brother in half onstage at L.A.’s famous Magic Castle. Good thing they’re both good with tools.

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