[Alison] If anyone's been through it in this business, it's me.
Where'd the money go?
At this point, all of the challenges that I've been through...
[crying] Honestly, I'm sorry, guys, I'm freaking out.
...have only made me a better designer.
We gotta do something really great here.
This is huge. Ripping the roof off,
adding the next floor, start framing. Nothing's stopping us.
Your fireplace stays exactly where it is.
Don't you dare move it this way.
You're not questioning your lawyer,
and you're not questioning your doctor,
so don't question your designer.
-We've been trying to figure out what to do with that. -What to do.
[Alison] Oh, I know what to do here.
-You were right. -That's what this is, the main bedroom retreat.
Cabinets won't go to the ceiling,
which goes completely against what I always say.
But guess what? It's a new day.
I'm putting all my passion, all of my love for design
into my clients' homes.
Giving them the best of the best.
-[man 1] Oh, my God. Look at that. -Oh, my gosh.
[Alison] This banquet area, beautiful built-in.
No one can stop us from designing.
This is where we belong, we belong in the wild.
Look at these!
Our natural habitat.
How pretty is that? This needs something amazing.
-When we find the piece, we build the house around it. -[woman] Yeah.
Now we're going custom.
-You are custom, what the hell? -I know, you're right.
[both laughing]
[man 2] Our budget isn't $290,000. Our budget is $250,000.
Be realistic, you're not on the same page.
-I get it, I'm not gonna say that that's real. -[speaking indistinctly]
It's not as easy as they think.
That could be another $40,000.
-I'm broke. We're rationing. -No. No.
We've got a notice to vacate. Thirty days where we don't know where we're gonna live.
-Oh, God. -[man 3] Shoot, I'm going crazy.
-[Alison] Every job is personal. -It's been so stressful.
I wouldn't wish this on an enemy.
I can't sleep, I don't know what to do.
We're gonna get this resolved.
[crying] I just wanna get it done for my family. [sniffles]
I don't care if I have to pay for it.
This is getting fixed.
We will overcome anything and everything.
Nothing I do is easy,
but every single one of 'em feels like it's a piece of me
and it is always worth it.
Oh my! Oh!
-[shrieks] Yes! -[Alison] Yes! [laughs]
-[man 4] This is gorgeous. -Oh, my God!
I love it!
[fireworks bursting]
-I'm so excited, thank you. -To your dream house.
I think.
-[Alison in French] Bonjour. -[in French] Bonjour, madame.
- Bienvenue. -[Alison] Tres bien.
[in English] I speak English, do you speak... [chuckles]
-Oui. -[Alison in French] Oui.
-[in English] Welcome, madam. -[Alison] Ah, merci! [laughs]
Please.
[in English] I am in my favorite place on earth, I'm in Paris.
I am in my dreamland.
Oh, my gosh.
I'm here to unwind and relax
and find my inspiration again.
I was losing steam back home.
I felt myself getting very angry and upset.
And I wasn't really truly loving what I was doing anymore.
That's really scary for someone like me
because this is what I'm really in love with.
Look at this!
I want to go explore, walk around,
I wanted to shop and eat and I wanna spend some time
with some friends that I know out here and that I've met out here.
-Bonjour! So good. -How are you, my dear?
-Muah. -Muah, muah.
-You look beautiful. -And you,
-and you look beautiful too. -Merci beaucoup.
[Albane] I'm so happy to see you.
[in English] I'm so happy to be in Paris.
I've known Albane for years, and she is the perfect person
to hang out and drink Champagne with when I'm in Paris.
Paris is my favorite place on earth.
I needed a break from work, a break from life.
I wanted to be able to come here and find inspiration again
because walking the streets of Paris, I get inspired.
-I can understand that. -[Alison] You know what I mean.
I lived all my life in Paris.
I love this city, and you have to discover Paris by night,
-Paris during the day... -[Alison] I know.
-...Paris everytimes. -With you!
-[Albane] With me! -Yes, and it's been so long.
And I thought, "If there's someone that's gonna show me Paris,
-you're the specialist." -Oh, yes.
Well, here is to friendship...
-Friendship. -...to Paris.
-Paris. -...and to an amazing three weeks here.
Great!
[Alison] Three weeks in Paris was exactly what I needed
[stewardess over speaker] We will be landing in Chicago soon, thank you.
[Alison] Now, I'm back home in Chicago.
I feel really refreshed, I feel really inspired.
And, some old friends of mine are gonna come over
-with a new project to talk about. -[knocking on door]
-[Alison] Hello! -Hey!
[Alison] How are you?
-So, nice to see you. -[Alison speaks indistinctly]
-How are you? -[Alison] Hi, guys, welcome.
Good to see you.
Mike and Jennifer are really old friends of mine.
I actually designed their kitchen 10 years ago, almost 11.
So, to get a text from Mike and say, "Help us design our dream home,"
was great text to get 'cause I really like them.
They're just a good, fun couple,
and if I'm getting back in the client game,
I wanna know and love them and, and I do.
Last time I was with you guys was 10 years ago.
-You saved the marriage ten years ago. -[both laughing]
-[Mike] Yeah? -And the kitchen turned out incredible.
-Yeah. -[Alison] It was so beautiful.
Honestly, 10 years,
-is a long-ass time for us to look this good. -[Mike] Yeah.
Yeah. [laughing]
-[Alison] Come on. -Let's keep on sayin' it.
-Again, you two. -You haven't changed at all.
-I hope I have. I've grown inside. -At all.
-Me, I'm aging like a catcher's mitt. -[Alison laughs]
How old are the kids?
[Jennifer] Michael is seven, he's an angel, Gianna is four and...
-[Mike] She's me. -[laughs] Hundred to the core.
The house that they bought is
a one-story, small, little bungalow.
It's on the outskirts of Chicago where a lot of the city workers are,
firefighters, cops, people in the medical field.
That's what Mike does, he's a firefighter.
He's been doing it the whole time I've known him.
The house is awesome. Tons of potential, but it needs so much work.
-Everything goes. -What you did for our kitchen
-without us having any knowledge... -[Alison] Yeah.
...I loved, so any input
-on your end is... -[Mike] Why we made the call.
We are polar opposites on what we like and what we don't like,
that's why we recruited Alison to come back in.
-So, here's the plans. -Are these plans that you've
-already done with the architect? -Yes.
Oh, got it, okay.
There's a ton of construction in this, there's no second floor.
This is getting completely built.
[Mike] That's right. It's gonna be a full second floor.
-[Alison] Awesome. -[Jennifer] And we're actually extending
-the back of the house as well. -[Alison] Going back.
-Let me just mess with this main floor. -[Mike] Okay.
-Okay. -I promise you'll be happy.
I know what I don't like,
but I'm not exactly sure what I do like.
-Modern? A mix? -I'm not super modern.
-Okay. -I'm modern.
-I'm not. -I want, like, robots
-and stuff like that. -No, you want cleans.
-Yes. -Come back to me in three weeks,
-and I'll show you your house. Samples-- -[Jennifer] That in itself...
-[Alison] Yeah. -...is amazing.
-We need that. -Okay.
Gotcha. You're adding whole second floor,
which you're gonna addition, you want nicer things.
The bank has allotted us $375,000 from start to finish.
-Okay. -[Mike] Hoping to be on the lower end
-of the 300s. -What's your lower end?
-$325,000, $330,000. -So, you'd like to keep it at $325,000,
but you are approved for $375,000 with the bank loan.
-That's right. Anything we can save. -[Alison] Got it.
I want you to think big, and then I wanna see what I can actually give you.
-Okay. -[Alison] Is that cool?
-Yes. -Here's to 10 years later.
-Yes. -Thank you,
-for everything. -Not just a kitchen, a whole house...
-A whole house. -...and I'm so excited
-that we're back together. To your dream house. -So excited, thank you.
I think it's gonna be beautiful.
This house needs so much work.
Mike and Jen's $375,000 budget is really going fast,
and luckily Mike's got a big crew we can put to work.
Get inside and go do somethin'.
I brought over 12 of my good buddies from the firehouse.
Everything is coming out.
We're pullin' ceiling, pullin' down walls.
I'm gonna start knocking some of this down from up here.
We wanted to build something that was our own,
so to have little bit of my sweat involved in the whole thing,
makes it a little bit more satisfying.
-[Alison] Hi! -[Mike] Hello!
-[Jennifer] I'm so excited! -I'm so excited!
Jennifer wants the farmhouse chic,
she wants really livable, timeless.
Mike wants a more modern look, he wants clean lines.
So, I'm trying to marry those two looks together to give them what they want.
They need the vision, they need the help.
It's a big project, so Kristy and I pulled together
some samples that help them go, "Yes, this is my house."
-We're telling you what you're doing. -[Jennifer] Yes.
-Cool? Too many options are overwhelming. -[Jennifer] Yeah.
[Alison] So, we wanna walk you through it.
These are gonna be our luxury vinyl floors,
wide plank, it's gonna allow us to run into the bathroom.
Durability-wise too, it's very valid, yeah.
[Alison] This is the choice that I will let you guys decide,
because everything else, we're just gonna tell you what you're doing.
-[Jennifer] You like this one? -[Mike] I like that one.
-I think I do too. -[Alison] There we go.
-The first thing we agreed on. -[Alison] You guys!
-Look at that, huh! [chuckles] -[Kristy and Alison speak indistinctly]
-Get out of here. -[all laughing]
[Alison] Kitchen, I'm gonna bring in beautiful soft grey cabinetry.
The island's gonna be in a rich stain grade.
Your backsplash is a twist on a subway tile,
and then a gorgeous countertop with heavy veining.
And a custom copper hood with wood trim.
Copper gives that real farmhouse look.
-Like a Moscow Mule cup. -[Alison] Yes, a Moscow Mule cup.
-I think it looks great. -Okay.
[Alison] Main bathroom.
We're gonna run the luxury vinyl flooring
into the bathroom because it's waterproof,
and then we're gonna have a marble mosaic for the shower floor
and a gorgeous shower tile.
You're gonna have three showerheads,
and a rainhead, and a handheld,
and a steam shower, plus a double vanity.
This tile comes in a matte and a glossy finish,
and then you've get one row of this little grey liner.
-It's amazing. -I think it looks great.
It's the first time that I'm able to visualize our home.
Seeing it come to life.
-It's beautiful. -We're gonna look at cost too.
If we have to cut some areas, we will.
It's go time. It's time to order everything.
Now it's just, "Are the numbers gonna work?"
'Cause they loved it all,
but when it comes down to numbers, things change.
[gasps] Oh! [chuckles]
I'm meeting with Jennifer and Mike today.
-[Jennifer] Welcome, how are you? -[Alison] Hi!
They're struggling a lot with their floor plan,
and that is something that most people do struggle with.
Designers exist for a reason,
because we come up with what is feasible,
but also what's best for you and your family.
Now, it's time to really figure out
what the lay of the land's gonna be.
-[Jennifer] Sounds good. -[Alison] Let's go over this,
'cause I know you have to get this to the city.
All right, I'm just gonna lay 'em out.
Okay, this is your architect's plan.
It doesn't function well for any furniture layout, whatsoever.
I know you want more, so let's, let's peek at what more can look like.
Option A: Your family room becomes the front room.
This wall here could be a dry bar or a coffee bar.
Plus, it separates the space, so I like that.
-I do like the idea of the dry bar. -And you love a coffee bar.
-Yeah, I like the coffee bar. [laughs] -See!
But, we were in agreement with a complete open floor plan.
[Alison] Okay, option B. Picture it.
Family room still up front.
This flops that powder room area,
so still have the closet here for storage,
and we could still do the coffee bar slash dry bar.
It just moves here against the powder room.
And then this banquet area,
and right above it, this beautiful built-in.
-[Jennifer] Yeah. -All these rustic shelves,
-that's what gives you that really cool farmhousy feel. -[Alison] Yeah.
Yeah. And your hood, that I'm gonna make so sexy.
This isn't in the way anymore.
We're goin' into the kitchen.
You're gonna have plenty of storage with the island,
you're gonna have plenty of storage with all of the cabinetry.
-You got a view to the yard. -[Jennifer] Yes.
You've got a view of the family room.
The kids are gonna be in there the whole time,
-or they're gonna be over here in the banquet... -[Jennifer] Yeah.
-Right. -...'cause this area is cool too.
-And you're just really gonna see it all. -[Jennifer] You see it all.
-I think this is perfect. -[Alison] I love this.
This feels real and it feels good.
[Mike] I have a legit question.
-We're in the corrections phase right now. -[Alison] Yup.
The way he makes it sound is, like, submitting another drawing
for the original is gonna be a [bleep] nightmare.
-Welcome to the building department. -[Mike] We are--
-I'm literally this close. -I know,
but you're still in the building department?
-I get it. -[Alison] Have you gone down there yet yourself?
-Oh, my God, three times. -[Alison] And what did they tell you.
-[Mike] I'm in the queue. -Well, at this point today,
how long have you been waiting?
-Three months? Three or so months? -[Alison] What!
[Alison] At this point today, how long have you been waiting?
-Three or so months. -[Alison] What?
-[Jen] I can't submit... -[Mike] The whole correction process is--
...It's a nightmare.
[Alison] Unless there's any other changes,
this goes to the architect,
finalize that,
goes back to the city, patience...
and take it from somebody who was in
the trenches.
I've been there, I've done that.
The building department doesn't make anything easy.
But they're trying to make sure that everything's done right.
-[Mike] I had a buddy that's been waited 10 months. -No.
-[Mike] So... -No, no, no, no.
...where I'm at I'm kinda happy.
[Alison] I know it's frustrating.
At least we know what our floor plan is...
-[Jen] Yes. -...So no one can stop us from designing.
So, when you get that permit in hand,
I want you to be able to start framing,
rough-ins, and nothing stopping us.
-Sounds good. -Cool. All right, done.
Stay strong.
Okay, so we've got a plan.
Hopefully they stick to it.
Clients like to change their minds all the time,
and Mike and Jen, they're not just clients,
they're my friends
and I don't want anything holding up this build.
[drilling]
[Alison] Progress at the house has been huge
over the last few weeks.
They demoed the old roof.
They built and framed the second floor.
And the new roof is going up.
Now that our floor plan and design are solid
it's time to shop.
I am out in the burbs,
and I mean the burbs.
We're at Warehouse 55.
[gasps] Kristy, look.
Terra-cotta, terra-cotta, terra-cotta, green.
[Kristy] Oh, that's super cute.
[Alison] So, I'm shopping for Mike and Jen,
but here's the thing.
One of my favorite things in life is antiquing.
I'm constantly like,
"Oh, this is for this house." or "That's for this house",
Mainly, 98% of it's for me.
Kristy, I really think I'm gonna get this.
Sold.
Okay, this has to come home with me.
Okay, love. Sold.
You're coming with me.
Sold, sold, sold, sold,
sold, sold, sold, sold, sold.
The whole store.
-Oh and two little corbels there. -Where?
-[gasps] Ooh! -The top shelf.
So, what about these for...
Okay, I got an idea.
And then I see the perfect pieces
for Mike and Jen and it just brings me right back into focus.
What if we do the coffee bar, dry bar
as a new build and use those?
[Kristy] I like that 'cause then you've got the new function
glides and everything.
I love that.
Very very cool.
And they would love these.
Corbels, sold.
Look at these.
What could we use these for?
[Kristy] Island legs?
[Alison] Kitchen island legs?
[Kristy] I love it. I even like the color of it.
-[Alison] This is the vibe. -[Kristy] Yeah.
And this with the corbels... done.
[gasps] Yes.
-Beautiful. -[Kristy] Perfect.
[Alison] Simple and clean. I am in love with this.
This is it. Done.
I'm not even telling them.
I'm not bothering with it.
We're just gonna get it.
I'm not here
to find things and call clients and get approval.
I'm past that.
You hired me to do my job.
Trust the process.
And this is the process. Today is the process.
So we get island legs,
we get corbels and we have a fireplace.
The Algrams house is getting better by the minute.
The house is really moving along over on Overhill.
The roof is on,
their GC Jim started framing out the rooms
on the second floor
and clearing out all the old framing on the first.
Plumbing and electric are going in
and it's really coming along.
-Hi, Jim. -Hello, hello.
-How's it going? -Good, good.
-It's good. -[Jim] Welcome.
-It's a home. -[Jim] Good, good, good. It is.
Jim and I have just talked on the phone.
I should actually be together with him
to go over any of his concerns is really key.
I just wanna make sure we're on the same page.
Ari's gonna do this coffee bar dry bar.
We are gonna build that out
and then he'll come and do that install
-in the time frame that you give us... -[Jim] Yeah.
...so I think schedule's really important for us
-so we can block him out. -Yeah.
We've got the mantle that goes here.
This is gonna be an Ari project
-so that'll be that week that you tell us... -Yeah.
-...he can come in. -Yep.
[Alison] Everything looks great. What's next for you?
We need the windows, doors, but Mike's getting that all.
Jim and I are going over just really rudimentary stuff.
He doesn't really have any concerns.
All right, I'll make a note of that.
And if you could talk to Jennifer too, she was, um,
concerned about the size for her bedroom
not being big enough.
-[Alison] What? -Yeah.
-Let's go upstairs. -[indistinct]
News to me.
I haven't heard this yet.
This is exactly what I get afraid of.
You know, when clients start to mess around
with the floor plan, it just throws things off.
What's her concern? It's too tight?
[Jim] Yes, she feels that it's too small for her,
that the kids' bedrooms are bigger than hers.
Well, the kids don't have walk-in closets.
-And they don't have a huge en suite... -No.
-...do they? -[Jim] They do not.
[Alison] And you can't have it all.
But it's not my house,
-need to make sure they're happy. -Yep.
-You have to kind of massage people... -Yes.
-Yes. Yeah. -...to understand.
You know what'd be good?
-[Jim] Yes? -Do you have any tape?
-Tape her bed out. -Okay.
-How about that? I'll show her. -[Jim] Yeah, yeah.
[Alison] I wanna just lay it out.
'cause then I want her to be able to walk in and go,
"Okay, this is a king bed.
the nightstands fit perfectly."
Part of my job is
to make sure that they love their space.
And if there's something that worries them, I gotta
put their worries to bed.
So, she can't make it.
Mike's on his way,
and having him in the space with me and Jim
to just go, "Hey, here are your options."
Here... there's one solution.
First of all, I don't think you change it.
That's my first solution.
This is so much room.
-Here's your king, two nightstands... -And it's--
...here's the only solution.
I take away this whole closet
and move it to the other side of the room.
You'd still have a walk-in
but it would be a little smaller.
and you'd have to walk through the closet
to get to the en suite.
That's the only way to make the bedroom bigger.
I mean, I've seen all the pictures
of all the bedrooms with couches
-and stuff like... that space. -Why do you need it?
If you put more furniture
-you're gonna throw more clothes on it. -[Mike] Right.
[Alison] Come on.
-This is a dream closet. -[Mike] Absolutely.
I want this closet.
I think, if she loses any closet space
-it's gonna bother her. I think it's gonna bother her. -She's gonna hate that.
As a woman,
the last thing you wanna do is get rid of closet space
just to have more bedroom space.
You don't need to do anything in the bedroom.
You need to literally sleep and...
You're gonna sell her on
what she has versus what she can have.
I mean, I... I could sell anything.
If you got her to marry you,
-you'll get her to agree on this. -[Mike] 100%.
Big closet.
[Jim laughs]
-I mean, what woman doesn't want that. -Right.
All right, then this is good.
What do you really think? I'm not gonna hold you to it.
-[Jim] As far as, uh-- -When do you think furniture's moving in?
Ten, twelve weeks.
Okay. My work here is done.
-Thank you so much. -My work here is done as well.
-[Alison] No, it's not. -Well, no, no, no. I got one more thing to do.
You gotta sell her.
-Get her up here. -Jim and I, we're gonna wait.
-Yes, we will. -[Alison] Come on.
[Mike] Last time we were here, everything was progressing.
And then everything came to a halt.
There was a disagreement with the contractor
on what still needs to be done
and what doesn't need to be done.
So, I brought in a good friend of mine
just to do a walk-through, what needs to be corrected, be finished.
We're at a standstill right now.
There hasn't been work done in a little bit...
-[Dave] Right. -...and there was a discrepancy about
framing out that southside wall there.
Should be framed out.
-You know, like the rest of these. -[Mike] Okay.
You can't get your electrical in here, we can't insulate it.
We don't have room for our boxes
-for our pipe to get electrical in here. -[Mike] Right.
I've known Dave five, six years now.
We're at the same firehouse together.
He's a GC so he knows this stuff
a lot better than I do.
This header is too high.
You're over 7 feet here.
-Your header height should be at 83 inches. -[Mike] Okay.
[Dave] These are temporary steps right now
but just looking at them and the way they are
there's not enough headroom there.
Guess my stache was brown a month ago.
[Dave] Yeah, when I gotta duck we got a problem.
Oh, let's see, what do we got here?
Primary bath.
Plumbing's gonna have to be moved.
The shower valves are almost
in the middle of the shower door.
-They're not gonna work there, that's for sure. -Okay.
-[Dave] I feel for you, buddy. I really do. -[Mike] Thanks, pal.
Tonight if [indistinct], I'm pissed off.
We could be doing finishes probably right now,
if people were on the ball so,
um, frustrated
is the understatement of the year.
I'm... I'm flat-out pissed off.
[Alison] These are so pretty.
Who could use these doors?
-[phone vibrating] -[Alison] Hold on. Mike's calling me.
-Hey. -[Mike] Hey.
-What's going on? -What's going on, bud?
[Mike] Well, um...
I don't know. I'm making the call
that I kinda dreaded having to make to you.
-But... -What?
...Yeah, it's not anything malicious,
but I think we're gonna have to
move on from the current contractor.
I'm making the call that I kinda dreaded having to make to you.
I think we are
gonna have to
move on from the current contractor.
Okay, well, first, I'm relieved. I thought you were firing me.
[Mike] No, no. I wouldn't do that.
Second, what are you talking about?
You're so far in.
[Mike] I know, but he's behind
and the communication's awful
There are definitely some issues
with what's going on with the build.
Even the subs he brought in were no good.
It's just been one thing after the other.
Ever since I've got new eyes on it,
I had my friend who's a general contractor,
who folded me in the beginning
-but-- -And he's also your friend.
-So be careful about that. -[Mike] Exactly, exactly.
-Exactly. Uh, he's also-- -Okay. Is that who you're going with?
[Mike] I have to. He is.
Ever since I hit balance on the ball
it's been rolling really well right away.
Okay, listen,
you're not in a place where you can actually just start setting up interviews.
You gotta do it. You gotta do what you gotta do.
What is this dude's overall schedule?
[Mike] I don't know. I don't know.
-But it is being delayed. But... -[Alison] Yeah.
...I personally think it'll get finished
quicker than it would've with the last guy.
This is your house, this is your money,
um, this is your decision.
This is not something
to... to mess around with.
-So... -[Mike] Yeah, it would've never gotten done
if I had stayed on this path.
-[Alison] All right, man. -[Mike] Okay.
-Okay. -[Mike] All right.
-I'll talk to ya. Okay, bye. -[Mike] Talk to ya.
[Alison] You gotta do what you gotta do.
And I'm sure Jennifer's freaking out.
But, all we care about
is getting them into their house.
So Mike decided to move forward with Dave
as his new GC and
finally the overhaul project's moving again.
They've reframed the walls,
fixed the stairs.
They moved the electrical and plumbing to all the correct spots.
And now they're starting drywall.
Going to Overhill today.
So, I'm gonna meet his new GC Dave.
I've heard good things about him.
I just wanna make sure that we really are on track.
You know, it's one thing to talk to Mike
but it's one thing to hear it straight from the horse's mouth.
So, I wanna go talk to the horse.
Hello!
Nice to finally meet you.
-Dave. -Dave?
-Heard so much about you. -How are you?
-Hopefully it was good. -Dave saves the day.
-Yeah, sometimes. -That's what Mike thinks.
Is everything kind of fixed at this point?
-I think so. I think we're in good shape. -Yeah?
-Okay. -[Dave] Drywall's going up
-so I think we're in good shape. -Yeah, it feels
really good in here.
You've moved a lot. This looks really good.
Hopefully, by the mid next week we should be done taping
-and then I wanna start doing flooring and-- -[Alison] Yes!
Getting there and that's what I'm shooting for.
When you just said flooring you made me very happy.
-[Dave] Yeah, well-- -[Alison] Very happy.
You're running all the planks this way?
-Yes, we're running all the planks this way. -Yep.
-I love it. -[Dave] We should be in good shape.
Mike's a friend of mine.
We worked for quite a few years together.
He called me up with a bunch of issues
and him and Jennifer were going through a lot, so, uh,
I don't know, I don't like seeing anybody
go through that kind of stuff
so I figured I could help him out
and we can get it done. Get it done the way they want it.
The only thing is, there was nothing spec'd out in the renderings.
Are there any outlets or anything going in
-in the banquets? -That's where you're gonna sit...
-[Dave] Yes. -...It's gonna be nice to work on your laptop
-or whatever, charge your phone? -[Dave] Right, 'cause there...
-As of right now there's no outlets on that wall... -Yeah.
...because of that. So...
Wait a minute. But, per code, you have to have outlets on that wall.
Right. But the banquet's gonna cover the whole thing, the whole wall.
So, wouldn't you wanna just put them,
like, maybe up on, like, a deck mount?
Yeah, that's when you can kinda see
-where the banquet's gonna come in... -I would do that. So get
that and then pull through.
We can work with Ari when he's here
-and we can drop him in as he's building it. -Let's do that.
-All right. -I think, as of right now
-we're in good shape. -Cool.
-Good meeting you. -Perfect. It was nice meeting you.
[Alison] This is a huge tipping point.
He says, "We're getting ready to install flooring."
That's music to my ears.
I mean, flooring means you're getting really close.
So, while Dave moves forward with the project in Chicago,
up in Wisconsin
Ari and Nelson are gonna turn my finds
into custom pieces.
[Ari] So, this is the island.
-Okay. -Thank God we're do it on site.
Hood, we gotta do today and tomorrow.
Fireplace is done. Corbels are done.
And then that cabinet there...
-[Nelson] Okay. -...We'll finish that today.
And we got lots to do today so...
-[Nelson] Yeah, we do. -...we gotta crank this stuff up.
[Alison] Ari shares the same vision with me
by using the antique pieces that I find
to give a new build a really historic look.
And that is exactly what Overhill needs.
Perfect.
[upbeat music playing]
[Alison] All the delays have put us at least
a couple months behind schedule.
But Mike and Jen's house is really coming together.
The cabinets are being assembled.
And the platinum grey color is the perfect middle ground between farmhouse and modern.
So, they should both be really happy.
Outside the siding is going up.
[machine tacking]
I am meeting Mike today.
I-- He and I have been having calls,
and I can hear the stress,
and I can hear the worry, and I can hear the concern.
So we're just gonna have a drink at Club Lucky, and I wanna hear him out.
-There he is. -[Mike] Hey, pal.
-Good to see you. -[Alison] My hair stinks, I'm sorry.
-[Mike] Okay, so does mine. -[Alison] Oh, God. [laughs]
You look skinny.
-Me? -What's going on with you?
-I don't eat so... -Oh, you don't eat.
-Stress. It's the best diet you can. Yes. -[gasps] Oh, stress.
The pounds just come flying off.
Good, then I'm doing it wrong.
Mike and Jen are not-- They're not my clients.
They are my friends. That is it.
So, if I can sit with him, and offer him any advice,
just to make him understand that he is not alone.
And however I can help, I want to.
There's no one that understands that stress more than me.
-This stress sucks. Project like this. -[Mike] You know, it's...
-I brought Dave on, he's an absolute professional. -[Alison] Yeah. Good.
I've been through that. Getting rid of one contractor, bringing in another.
The corrections and fixes.
That's where things are getting expensive.
Because everything needs to get fixed.
-Has that put it over? -[Mike] I don't know yet.
I don't know if we're gonna stay in budget.
I'm praying to God we do.
But I've been with the subs the last guy brought on.
They didn't complete the job.
What did they get paid up to this point?
Well, and then you risk these people putting a lean on your property.
[Mike] 100%.
But staying in budget is going to be probably, the top part.
Because I'm broke.
No toys for the kids,
-we've budgeted grocery shopping. -No.
-[Mike] We're rationing. -No!
No toys for the kids,
-we've budgeted grocery shopping. -No.
-[Mike] We're rationing. -No!
I had to call Mom for a cheque. Bailed me out.
No.
-People need to get paid. -[Alison] Yeah, I get it.
Trust me, I'm building my house right now.
But I am selling an investment property,
-so, that'll free up some capital. -[Alison] Okay.
How's Jen doing?
-[Mike] She's okay. -Okay?
-Because I don't tell her anything. -[Alison] Oh, good.
-I just say everything is... -[Alison] You're a smart, smart husband.
-Locked up. -Onward and upward.
Well, you know what then, you're holding, and, and harboring all the stress.
I have all the bad news.
And I know the feeling, I think that's the thing.
I know you. And I love you and Jen.
And then, I think about what I went through.
-Been there. I don't like that feeling. -I mean...
[Alison] And I don't want you to have that feeling.
I'm gonna help you, not just make it up
but somehow offset those charges,
where I can save you in some areas, so that doesn't overwhelm.
Whatever I can get, you get.
That's how it's gonna go.
-That would be huge for me. -[Alison] Yeah.
That would help me out immensely. Us.
'Cause I don't want you to feel the way I ever felt.
But this is the last time I'm ever doing this.
[laughs]
[upbeat music playing]
[Alison] Today is such a busy day at Overhill.
The floors are going down.
And they work so well with that rustic feel
that I've got throughout the house.
Ari and Nelson are here with a trailer full of pieces
that are gonna take this house to a whole new level.
We have a ton of things that we're doing today.
We're doing a fireplace mantel installation with a back panel on it.
[drill buzzing]
A wet bar.
[Nelson] Should be an eight inch ledge.
And we're doing a banquet.
Very comfortable.
And island surround
out of old antique wood.
And...
The hood. [laughs]
Forgot about it. I just got done spraying it I should remember that.
And corbels.
But they're not gonna do those today,
because I don't think they're ready for me still.
[Alison] Hello.
Hey, how are you? We're over here at the job
-cranking stuff out. -[Alison] All right.
-What news have you guys got? -All right.
Let's start with the hood.
-There you go. -Wow.
Hey, the only thing I would say,
it's still just a little heavy, mud, muddy in the middle.
Okay. We could probably, you know, resand it,
and add a little green back to it,
and get some more copper-looking coming through.
[Alison] Okay, I think, once you get that to really look
a little more coppery,
-then I'm gonna love it. -[Ari] Okay, cool.
Uh, you wanna see the fireplace?
-Yes. -[Ari] All right.
-[Alison] Oh, yes. -[Ari] Yeah.
-That's-- -Wow, that's a pretty piece of woodwork right there.
[Ari] Yeah, it's weathered grey stain we just put on.
-It came out really, really pretty. -Really pretty.
[Ari] You wanna check out the coffee bar?
-[Alison] Yes. -[Ari] That came out really well.
-[Alison] Now this is gonna match? -[Ari] The fireplace.
Okay, good, good. I really wanted it to be the same.
[Ari] And then, the island's not put together,
I'll show you where the panels are.
[Alison] Just looking at it with the floor, it looks so good.
[Ari] Yeah, floor looks really nice.
I'll show you the banquet. We're working on there right now,
so it's a work in progress.
Let me stand over here.
There is the upper cabinets in the back part,
and then, we're putting in bookcases doing the same finish.
-Yes. They don't need to tie in together. -[Ari] Yeah.
I'll send you in pictures later on tonight, okay?
[Alison] Okay, I loved it.
-Good job, Nelson. -Thanks.
-[Ari laughs] -It looks awesome you guys.
[upbeat music playing]
[Alison] We are days away from finishing Overhill.
Ari's pieces are done, and the countertops are going in.
All of these finishing touches are looking so good.
This has been such a long and tough journey for them,
and I wanna give them a little extra something.
And Ari's gonna help me make that happen.
-Hi. -[Ari] Hey, Alison. How are you?
-You look nice. -[Alison] You too.
The family room needs a little something, you know. What can I give them
that looks beautiful?
-Fireplace looks sick. When you Facetimed me... -Yeah, it came out nice.
-...I loved it but I was like, "God, there's gotta be more." -[Ari] Yes, blank space.
I'd like to do some artwork or something.
Like a dip tick.
Little golden there, you know.
If this looks cool, and these two paintings
-kind of go together. -I like it.
-What's the timeline on this? -Tomorrow.
If you help me, I can get it done faster.
Well, yeah, I didn't just come out here to talk.
-Oh, all right. Good. -[laughs]
With my help maybe I can get him to do it
for like, free?
You know, I put in some sweat equity.
Sweat? No? Not equity?
But equity for me?
So what do we do? We just smash it on there?
-Yes, so I, I use trowels. Trowels. -Okay.
[Ari] Just a nice thin layer on that.
-Then I-- Yeah. -You texture it.
The method is different for me.
I usually just,
I draw sharks and bears. That's it.
I don't do abstracts, you know.
You're going heavy texture on yours.
-Oh! -I didn't get it on you.
Did I? No.
-What do you mean, no? You just... -[Ari] No.
You grabbed a trowel of paint, you put it up, and over my head,
and you think, it's not gonna go.
Maybe, possibly, risk it.
What we're gonna do is we're gonna do couple of movements this way,
and then, something crossing over there.
-[Alison] I'm gonna screw this up. -[Ari] No, you're not.
There is no set way we're doing this.
-[Nelson] Yeah -Okay.
Like that.
That and, now we cut sideways through.
There you go.
Start heavy and go thin.
That's it. Stop. Okay, load her up.
-Put it down. All right. Perfect. -Perfect.
Go from here. Throw it that way.
-Throw it, just like throw it? -Throw it. Throw it.
-Throw the whole trowel? -Throw it. Yeah.
-No hold the trowel, -No, hold the trowel, and throw the paint.
[chuckles]
-There you go. -Like that?
Yep, and then throw a little more up there?
-There it is. -[Ari] That's it! All right, you're done.
-Now walk away. Walk away. -[Alison] That's it? Walk away?
-This is the hardest part, right? -Yep.
I'll go, someone else is like, "Walk away?" and like, "No!"
-Walk away? -And then, it turns into mush if you don't...
-Yes, so walk away. -Okay, so we walk away. This is done.
-[Nelson] That's it. -[Alison] Okay, I'm walking away.
-[Ari] Yeah. Hands up. Well done, Nelson. -[Nelson] Walk away.
[laughs]
[Ari] Yeah, do one thing, Alison, you gotta sign your name here.
-[Alison] We did it. -[Nelson] And then, we'll do a little thin black frame.
-[Alison] Yeah, yeah. Awesome. Okay. -[Ari] Let it dry.
[Nelson laughs]
[Alison] My work here is done.
[exhales deeply]
[Mike] Look at that.
That is porn for Jennifer.
-Come to mama. -[laughs]
Big day.
Mike and Jen, 10 years ago,
I was doing just their kitchen. They were newlyweds.
Now we're all adults.
And they have a whole house,
and it's,
a beautiful house.
All these delays did put us over our budget.
But we came in just under the $375,000
from the construction loan they got approved for.
And I'm sure that's gonna make Mike and Jen so happy.
Especially now that the process is finally over.
Look at-- I mean, it's kind of showing off now.
[upbeat music playing]
[Alison] It looks so good.
-[Mike] My God. -[Jennifer] I'm obsessed.
[Alison] It's amazing.
I love the grid window.
-[Mike] Unbelievable. -[Alison] I love that, that storefront look.
You got a lot of textures
but they all work together, and the colors blend.
The lighting's key.
And I know there were a lot of hurdles
but this is yours now.
[Jennifer] This is a legit dream come true.
-[Alison] Ready to see inside of your dream home? -[Jennifer] Yes.
-Yeah, absolutely -Please.
[Alison] Yeah? Okay, come on.
[gasps]
Oh [bleep]
Get in.
[exhales deeply]
-[Mike] This is absolutely insane. -[Jennifer] Oh, my God.
Wow, this is amazing.
Oh, my God. Unbelievable, Alison.
I know. I know.
[chuckles]
This is your home.
This is our house. [chuckles]
-The stairs-- -[Alison] It looks like a magazine.
[Mike] I know, right?
We were talking always from the beginning,
it was this modern farmhouse feel.
And it's just sexy.
This is the family room, right?
-We played around with this floor plan-- -I remember. Yes.
...for so long. Now it just feels massive.
-[Jennifer] Perfect. -Look at this, I mean, to find this,
this is just 300 bucks.
Look what Ari was able to do with it. To come in, match everything.
-[Jennifer] Incredible. -[Alison] Just have a fire.
-[Mike] It's really sharp. -[Alison] It's sharp.
-It's really sharp. -Incredible.
Yeah. I went and made this art with him.
-[Mike] Look at you. -[Alison] I just did this, and I went...
Then I flicked stuff on it.
-[Jennifer] Is Ari selling those? -[Alison] No, they're yours.
-[Alison] It's a present. -[Jennifer gasps]
-No! -[Alison] Yes!
-[screaming] Yes! -[Alison] They're you're pieces.
Yes. [laughs]
Look at this.
-[Mike] Oh, man. -[Jennifer gasps]
[Alison] Coffee bar. Bourbon. Do all your cocktails here.
Storage galore.
[Jennifer] And this is how it is stained, right?
-[Alison] Yep. -[Jennifer] I love it.
-[Alison] 'Cause it's that raw rustic look. -[Jennifer] Love it.
-I love it. -[Alison] Then it's really refined with the copper.
Informal dining.
-Look at this room. -[Jennifer] Oh, my God.
-Dead. I'm dead. -Come on.
That is porn for Jennifer.
Look at the little details in the brass coming through.
Mixing metals is really important. It works.
Look at how much cabinet space you have.
[giggles]
It's gonna be filled
in 20 seconds. [laughs]
-Let's be serious. Look at this kitchen, please. -Oh...
[Mike] Look at that.
-[Jennifer] Everything... -[Alison] How do you not--
-Kitchen. The kitchen you always wanted. -Oh, my God.
...fall in love with this?
You will absolutely love working in this kitchen.
'Cause it functions perfectly.
Look how big your island is.
A sea of cabinets. This hood is out of control.
[Mike] That is really awesome.
-I'm obsessed. -That's really awesome.
[Alison] And it's the combo of the wood, and the beautiful patina copper
tying back in.
And it's yours.
I can't believe this is our house. [laughs]
[Alison] This is your kitchen.
This is the real show off kitchen too.
-[Mike] We did it. -Yeah.
And stayed married through the process.
The little details that I'm not supposed to love 'cause,
I'm a guy. But I love 'em.
-'Cause they're perfect. -They're perfect.
Think about all the fun finds.
Fireplace mantel.
Corbels.
These spindles.
Even what Ari did looks old. It's so sophisticated looking.
And then, it still has that cool country vibe.
-Oh, my God. -[Alison] Wait till you see your room.
Come on. You guys are gonna love the bedroom.
-Here we go. -[Jennifer gasps]
-Oh... kay. -[Alison] Okay.
[Jennifer] This is incredible.
[Mike] It's awesome.
[laughs] Oh, my God.
[Alison] Look how big the room feels.
You were right.
This is spacious.
-[Jennifer] Yes. -[Alison] Getting in and out of bed.
I mean, those night stands are small. You can get even bigger ones.
The light though that comes in.
-[Jennifer] Incredible. -[Alison] I know.
And then, who has a closet like this. Come here.
-[Jennifer] Oh, wow. -[Alison] Okay.
-Come to mama. -[laughs]
[Jennifer laughs]
Look how big it is. Look at this.
-You have so many damn drawers. -[Jennifer] I know.
-It's perfect. This is our house. -[Alison] Yep.
-This is your walk-in closet. -[laughs]
-I'm really excited to show you the bathroom. -Mmm.
-"Mmm"? -Yeah. [laughs]
-[Mike] Mmm. -How's this comfort you?
-[Jennifer] Come to papa. Come to papa. -[Mike laughs] Mmm.
-[Jennifer gasps] -Yes.
[upbeat music playing]
[Mike] Look at that.
-[Alison] And it's like, a magazine. -[Mike] Oozing.
-[Jennifer] Look at these light fixtures. -[Mike] I know, right?
[Alison] Even just the showers, it's massive.
-Right. -Look at it.
[Mike] That's right.
-Ooh-- -[Alison] How cool is this?
-[Mike] ...look at that seat in there? -[Alison] Yeah.
Look at these mirrors.
The tile all the way up.
[Jennifer] This tile is everything.
[Alison] Looks like a million bucks.
And the beautiful hickory cabinets.
You pull in that element of wood.
Everything feels very farmhouse.
It's a beautiful modern twist on it,
and we're in the city of Chicago.
It's cool.
It's amazing.
That shower, I mean,
I'm gonna pay rent in there.
[Jennifer] Our kids are still little.
So, all of their memories are gonna be in this house.
It's incredible.
I knew the color of the cabinets,
I knew the copper,
I knew the light fixture.
I knew. I knew--
But seeing it all together,
is beyond my wildest dreams.
[Alison] And you can now envision life here--
-[Mike] Yeah. -[Alison] ...and your kids here,
and your friends here, and your family, and your holidays.
This is 100% our dream house.
[Alison] I love that.
-100% -[Alison] I love that.
This one's really personal for me.
I'm beyond happy.
These are my friends.
And to be able to give them their dream home
is a dream of my mine.
Why I got into this business, is to change people's lives.