[narrator] Tonight on Windy City Rehab...
[Alison Victoria] I really wanna know, what do you wanna see?
Mid-century modern, plus some Moroccan flair.
Okay. That's actually two things
I've never been able to mix before.
Travis and Kaley came to me.
They got one level done,
but no idea what to do with the rest.
You got a lot to do.
And you're gonna be moving out.
So, what's your real number?
[both laugh]
[Alison] But the tight schedule
and the even tighter budget means there is no wiggle room for problems.
We need another exit on the second level.
-Where is it gonna go? Out front? -That's the thing.
That will totally kill this space.
[Alison] No!
This is a huge concern with this second egress.
And what that's ultimately do for the budget,
I don't know.
That whole thing came out to be just south of $30,000.
[Alison] I'm sorry.
These are not hiccups. These are real roadblocks.
-[Travis] We thought this was just an interior job. -[Alison] I know.
It's been so stressful.
I wouldn't wish this on an enemy.
Inside is so much happier.
This looks really good.
Okay, open your eyes.
I can't believe this is my house at all.
Wow.
[Alison] So, we're out in Lakeview.
It's an area just north of the city
where a lot of young families buy their first homes.
It's a really walkable neighborhood
with restaurants and bars everywhere.
It's in the city but it has a real neighborhood vibe.
And I'm so excited for my next project.
It looks, from the outside...
It's like maybe condos.
And it might have been apartments before,
but they're in the back.
So it's kinda cool because their first floor is like garden level.
So it's very unconventional. But that's Chicago.
Sometimes you get these really fun, funky units.
-Hey. -Hello.
-Hey.
How are you guys?
-That's Bernie. -[Kaley] Good.
It's a big step up to come down.
Travis and Kaley came to me, they were like,
"Listen, we took on this project about a year ago.
Got one level done,
and now we have no idea what to do with the rest."
What was this before?
Well, it's all the same layout.
It was just cosmetic.
-[Alison] Okay. -[Travis] So, new counters, new...
-[Alison] Cabinets. -...cabinets.
We just love the fact that we can expose the brick.
[Alison] This is very cool.
We kind of knew right from the get-go
that we wanted to renovate the house.
Didn't know exactly all that was involved.
We're first-time home buyers.
[Travis] We love the location.
It was a great price point and a great square footage.
But it needed a lot of work.
-And then Sully came along. [laughs] -Yeah. Sully came along.
[Kaley] Our newborn, who's six weeks old.
That's one component, right.
-Like, I just don't have time. -We definitely need the help.
All right. Well, I'm gonna see the upstairs.
[Kaley] Yeah, you have to see it for yourself.
It's a weird problem to have
to say you have too much square footage.
[Alison] Yeah. They've got tons of space.
That's not the problem.
It's how does that space get configured.
Seeing what they did with the first level
is good.
Look how big.
[Travis] That's what we mean. Like, it's enough space.
But it's just not thought through.
Once those second, third floors get done,
it can't be detached from what they did on the first floor.
You only have the two windows in here.
I mean, they're big.
-Yeah. -You get so much beautiful, natural light.
-[Travis] Yeah. -[Kaley] Mm-hmm.
-[Alison] This is gonna be the TV wall, right? -[Travis] Right.
[Alison] Let's shift this fireplace over.
We'll add a mantle so it's a real focal point
and not on that weird angle.
We'll have built-in shelving going up the stairs
to give it a real custom look and keep the eye going up.
[Kaley] That sounds amazing.
[Alison] But then, what does this become?
[Travis] Because this space is so big,
we were thinking at least...
Just because if we're gonna put
any potential kiddos upstairs,
that the main bedroom could actually eat up
some of this extra space.
-So this would become the main. -Yes.
[Alison] This is big.
This is plenty of room right here for a bedroom.
[Travis] Right.
[Alison] So then this guest bathroom becomes part of the main.
-[Kaley] Yep. -[Alison] I like it a lot.
[Travis] Yeah.
[Alison] Second floor is gonna be a main bedroom, en suite,
big closet, fireplace, built-ins,
hopefully like a little dry bar.
There's a lot. But you do have a lot of room
-to play with. -[Travis] Yeah.
[Kaley] This third floor is the most unique by far.
-[Travis laughs] -All right.
So, going into our main,
right off the bat, you have our laundry.
Very tight.
Okay. So this is a full bath.
What is this?
That used to be a really old jacuzzi tub.
And now it's just a shoe platform?
-[Kaley] It's a shoe platform. -[Travis] Yes.
-[Alison] Did you do it? -[Kaley] Yeah.
[Travis] It was so gross.
We couldn't live with the bath tub.
And then you said, "Screw it. We're gonna make it a shoe holder."
Very creative.
Okay. This is a big room.
It's a big main. It doesn't make sense anymore.
-The main would be downstairs. -[Travis] Yep.
We could split this bedroom in half
so we get a total of three bedrooms.
One would be an office,
then two bathrooms, a laundry room
and a kitchenette
so you won't have to go all the way downstairs.
Can we talk about outdoor space?
[Travis] Basically, we're in love with the fact that we have this space.
But we're not in love
-with any particular aspect of the space. -[Alison] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Are you in love with this? -[laughs]
-No. -[Travis] No.
[Alison] So this can be power washed
-and, like, completely repainted. -[Kaley] Yeah.
-[Kaley and Travis] Yes. -If you're doing all this inside...
-[Kaley] Yeah. -...I don't care if you're on the backside.
This is your curb appeal.
-[Kaley] And it definitely needs some TLC. -[Travis] Right.
-[Alison] Yes. -[Travis] Yeah. Yeah.
Design-wise, I really wanna know, what do you wanna see?
Mid-century modern plus some Moroccan flair.
-Okay. -[Kaley and Travis laugh]
Moroccan mid-century is a very weird, cool vibe.
-[laughs] Okay. -But there's a way to do it.
How do we just make that whole thing feel good
-and make you guys feel good while you're here? -Yeah.
All right. So what I need to understand is,
first of all, you're living here while this is happening?
-[Kaley] No. -You're gonna move out?
-Yes. -Not with the new baby.
-No. You have to get out. -Right. Yeah. We couldn't.
-It's not safe. -Yeah.
And now we need to talk budget.
I mean, so the budget is $175,000.
-[Alison] Okay. -And we know that that's pretty, like, modest.
But at the same time, it's... It's like two floors.
So now you're looking at framing, electrical,
plumbing a main bathroom,
and then two additional bathrooms.
So, what's your real number? [laughs]
[both laugh]
-Uh, $175,000. -[all laughing]
So, what are you looking at? I mean, we're early spring right now.
-I mean, ideally, it would be like... -Three months?
Three, four months.
So you don't want any longer than four months.
-[Travis] Yeah. -So now it's just trying to make sure
that we're making sense
and that we're spending that money right.
I think my biggest challenge...
really, and what makes me nervous is the budget.
And I only have so many tricks up my sleeve.
We'll see.
[Alison] Travis and Kaley are gonna move to Florida
with their 9-week-old baby, Sully,
during this entire project.
They're thinking it's gonna take four months.
And I'll admit, this makes me really nervous
that they already moved out.
Because now, that starts the clock.
[Alison] Not a lot's been going on.
We've just been waiting for permits.
We're starting to demo anything that we can.
But, at this point, we're just in a holding pattern.
So, today, Kristy and I are gonna meet with Jorge
who is the GC over at Southport.
Homeowners are in Florida.
They just didn't want to be around any, like, dust or anything.
Little did they know they could have sat still for another, like, two months.
There's zero visual appeal here.
It's just fallin' apart. Can we paint these?
We can work with that.
-I think we can. -I mean, mainly just thinking of like doing some white.
-With some accents in black. -I would do those in black.
Do the door in black,
all the trim in black.
And then the whole house white.
Yeah. Other than that,
we need another exit out from the second level.
So not from this one, from this level.
-He was saying from the second level, yeah. -The second...
[Kristy] Where is it gonna go?
-Out front? -[Jorge] That's the thing.
Like, first idea like I could just come with is just like
having the stairs down here. But that will totally kill this space.
-You don't have that much room in here for it. -[Alison] You have no space.
And you're almost... You'd be walking under it.
[Jorge] Mm-hmm.
[Alison] Bad news is, while I'm walking with Jorge,
he's telling me that they now have to have a second egress
from the second floor.
This isn't something that's cheap.
How are you gonna have an exit to go out?
Yeah. They just wanted to use one of the windows and make it an exit.
[Kristy] 'Cause if that's the case, does that mean that
they can't renovate all unless they get this staircase figured out?
Well, they won't let them. You know that. I...
You need the second egress.
Otherwise, you have to go with a shingle system
which is, I think, even worse.
They would spend like 50 grand on this
to shingle the whole house.
We have to save any money possible now.
'Cause if this is eating into the budget,
I don't want it to affect the design.
-This is Travis. -Hey, Travis. It's Alison.
-Hey. How are you, Alison? -I'm good. How are you?
How's Florida?
It's, uh, hot.
We're with Jorge,
and I found out some information on the second egress.
-Yeah. -Is your architect currently working on that solution?
Yeah, that's right. You could have
three sliding glass panel
-with the three windows on it. -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Like a multi-slider? -Yeah.
And the multi-sliders, you're probably looking at
a very long lead time on that, so...
And for this one, I'm afraid, it's gonna be more than eight weeks.
Oh, of course it is. You're looking at 14 weeks.
Mm-hmm.
And I just keep staring. Like, the minute you add stairs,
they have nothing down there.
'Cause your windows are ordered, right?
I don't think so. Jorge, are they?
I don't think they're ordered yet.
He says he doesn't think they're ordered yet.
Yeah.
Windows aren't ordered.
Why?
Windows are ordered, right?
[Travis] Uh, good question. I don't...
I don't think so. Jorge, are they?
I don't think they're ordered yet.
He says he doesn't think they're ordered yet.
-Yeah. -Then, Jorge and Travis,
your homework is to buy your window.
-Or windows. Or whatever you're replacing. -[laughs]
But you guys have to do that today.
-Absolutely. -Okay, cool.
-All right, talk soon. -All right.
-[Kristy] It's rough. -[Alison] It is rough.
-But it's Chicago. -[Jorge laughs]
What are you gonna do?
Things are not off to a great start at Southport.
Because they now have to have a second egress
from the second floor.
The architect has to rework the plans now
to include the second exit.
So, while we wait, I am gonna start
another project that I'm so excited about.
Today I'm at Paws, Chicago.
I love animals.
-Alison. Hey! -Hi.
I am meeting Paula Fasseas here.
She started Paws, Chicago 35, 40 years ago.
Smile.
The adoption center is where everybody comes
to see if they can find their perfect fit.
And Kitty City is a huge portion of this adoption center.
So, now my client is a bunch of kittens.
-This room needs a lot of work. -Oh, yeah.
-And this is the street view one. -[Paula] Yeah.
They just love perching.
-Like, we can have their beds up here. -Mm-hmm.
-[Alison] You know, so it's kinda like a tree. -Yeah.
This could be really cool.
From the outside, we want curb appeal.
But then from the inside, we want kitten appeal.
And make this a kitty palace.
This is donating my time and my design background
and helping with Kitty City.
[meows]
Travis and Kaley moved out three months ago,
and their project has barely even moved.
Travis's parental leave is about to run out at work,
which means he's gonna be commuting back and forth
and renting a place
while Kaley and the baby stay in Florida with her parents.
The crew is framing and doing minor work
while the architect's still trying to figure that second exit out.
And, obviously, now this is a huge concern
with this second egress.
And what that's ultimately gonna do for the budget,
I don't know.
Meanwhile, I just need to find the pieces
that make this project really special
and get everyone excited again.
Southport just didn't have the spark.
I'm not gonna lie.
I just haven't been overly excited about it.
So, it's time to start shopping.
I am out in the burbs with Kristy,
and I mean, like, the burbs.
We're in Aurora, we're at Warehouse 55,
exploring and imagineering.
Ooh, look at this. Look how weird.
$79.
I always wanted to ride horses.
I really mean it when I say
that one of my favorite things in life is antiquing.
This is where we belong. We belong in the wild.
This is like our natural habitat.
You know, when you go to the zoo
or on a safari and you're watching the lions,
and they're hunting...
I am the lion.
How much is this? I bet it's like $12.
-$2.30. -Sold.
Okay, Southport.
She wants this vibe of, like, Moroccan and mid-century
and like the whole deal.
Oh, my God. You know I love these.
-[Kristy] Yeah. -The fact that it's like, you know, imperfect.
I have an opportunity to do beautiful French doors
from the main bedroom into the bathroom.
[Kristy] Yeah.
These are like perfect.
[Kristy] And the scale of them is what's really kinda great about it.
[Alison] Agreed.
-Hey, Mark. I'm in love with these. -[Mark] Yes.
[Alison] What is the backside?
Like, is it the same? Is it just as pretty?
-[gasps] Gorgeous. Yes! -Oh. Yes!
They're so beautiful.
I mean, I'm like... I'm losing my mind in here.
[gasps] Look at this thing. This is awesome.
Hear me out. Stupid, weird, maybe cool idea.
I think you went with Jim to see the skylight
-that had the blue, like... -Yeah.
-...fake sky in it that looked real. -Yeah.
A skylight that's not real.
That shows a sunny, beautiful day every day of your life.
What if we take that concept and do it in this window?
So behind the tub is this with a really realistic print
of just the sky with like a little bit of cloud.
[Kristy] Would they need to frame the wall out deeper
-to accept this to flush it? -Yeah.
-[Kristy] Do you have the space for it? -Yes.
Then I love it. And worst case scenario,
I mean, how much would stained glass...
I mean, you can do what you did at Tamas'.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. -Where you illuminated it and it was a work of art.
[Alison] Even better. Let's get it.
-[Kristy] I think it's very cool. -Okay. Done, done.
Those doors, that window,
that bedroom-bathroom combo is gonna be a real wow factor now.
Oh, they're gonna be so happy with their house.
This is how you get inspired. You gotta be out in the wild.
I am at the Tampa airport.
I just got out of security. I have my coffee.
Uh, the baby is with the grandparents.
And I'm really excited to see the designs
and see Travis.
And a little bit anxious about the 30 degree temps.
So, ready or not, here I come.
[flight attendant] You will be landing in Chicago soon. Thank you.
Today, I'm finally seeing Kaley and Travis.
They have relocated to Florida while the house is getting done.
They've now been there way too long.
The last time we were here, you guys weren't here,
and Jorge and I and Kristy,
we were talking about your issue.
-Mm-hmm. Yeah. -With the second egress.
-Yeah. -You're gonna have massive problems.
These are not hiccups. These are real roadblocks.
Well, not to mention the fact that I came off parental leave
and so I've been travelling back and forth
-from Florida to Chicago. -The cost of that.
That's adding to the budget.
For you guys,, I know it hits hard.
But trust me, I have empathy for you.
I mean, at this point, we pretty much know
we have to have that egress.
So this becomes a slider.
Right. So it's a big-budget item.
That whole thing came out to be just south of $30,000.
My God.
The second egress has now turned into a $30,000 issue.
An issue they can't avoid.
An issue that will stop them from doing anything else.
-It's unbelievable, so... -[Alison] Yeah.
-I'm sorry. -[sighs]
[Travis] It's a big-budget item.
That whole thing came out to be just south of $30,000.
My God.
You know, to hear today from Travis,
he's super-frustrated.
I know he's hiding it with a smile.
I'd be pissed too.
Now it's 30 grand just to get you out the door.
Small little landing, stairs down.
That's what's required to even get this project moving.
[sighs]
That bad news, we're hopefully gonna offset it with some good news.
-Mm-hmm. -[Alison] The exterior was a big thing for me.
We envisioned it white with these black windows
and the door and some planters.
With the style, the Moroccan,
and then you also like mid-century.
And that's actually two things that I've never been able to mix before.
-A bit weird. [laughs] -[Alison] Super weird.
-But, like, we'll figure it out. -Yeah.
But the whole vibe here
was this tile that we were gonna have...
-[Travis] Hmm. -...up and around.
-[Travis] Mm-hmm. -[Kaley] Oh, yeah.
And then truly just do
big, chunky wood mantle.
-We really wanna do these really cool built-ins... -[Kaley] Yeah.
-...up the stairs. -[Kaley] Yeah.
With then this tile just here.
I think it, like, kinda goes with like the warmth vibe too.
[Alison] Mm-hmm.
I am a luxury vinyl girl.
That big, wide plank white oak.
-Yeah, I love it. -Nothing can ruin this stuff.
And it's still warm enough that it doesn't read sterile.
-Yeah. -Okay.
We're gonna lay it out.
Seriously kinda cool to see it all laid out.
Yeah. Let's all stand up.
[all laugh]
God, that hurt.
Who's got a laser? Someone here has a laser pointer.
Yes!
-Here you go. -[laughs]
-So, here... -[all laugh]
...in the main bath,
you've got this beautiful vanity right here.
And then to the left, where your tub is,
that's gonna have that window wall.
We found this old window.
-[Kaley] Yeah. -[Alison] So this will be stained glass,
illuminated behind.
We've done it before, it looks so beautiful.
Now we don't have to do tile on that wall.
-So that just... -Yeah.
is this really cool moment when you're taking a bath.
-[Kaley] It sounds very spa like. -[Alison] It is.
-See, made the trip worth it. -[both] Yeah.
Awesome, awesome.
-Budget by the end of the week. -[Travis] Yeah.
-Scout's honor. -Oh, good.
-[all laughing] -Is he a scout?
-No. -No.
-[all laughing] -He wishes he was a scout.
-[Alison] Well, then I don't believe you. -[all laughing]
Okay, cool.
The elephant in the room has a price tag on it now.
$30,000. Now where do we go from here?
Southport is slow, but it's steady
with work on the main bath and the second floor stairs.
Ari and I are doing this beautiful Kitty City
over at Paws, Chicago.
Hi, boys.
-[Ari] What's new? -[Alison] What is that?
A little cartoon cat head.
So we got some buildings here for Kitty City.
[Alison] Aww. Look at the ladders.
-Yeah. -And then the city can just be straight.
-Put the kitty head up there. -[chuckles]
-What if the cat goes here?
That's fine.
-Look at... [laughs] -[laughs]
-What about the tree? -That's another thing we gotta think about.
'Cause I actually have a tree in the yard.
I was gonna cut the branch off and see if you like it.
-Are you serious? -Yeah.
[Alison] And he's just like, "Grab a chainsaw."
It's time to cut some trees, huh?
What are you thinking?
Well, I'm thinking we need something pretty heavy-duty.
This one's easier to take down right here.
Okay. Well, it's your tree.
-[laughs] -Um...
Okay, here it comes.
Timber! [laughs]
-This is huge. -I know, but hold on.
-So it's 10 feet tall, right? -[laughs]
I thought he was gonna, like, build it.
-Perfect. -Never felt more--
-Manly. -Manly.
-[laughs] -Country.
Still don't see Kitty City, but, you know...
It'll get there.
And then he goes back into the barn
and he comes out with fake leaves and a drill.
And then just put those in the...
[laughing] Oh. The cats will be like this.
-[laughs] -You just cut your whole [bleep] tree down.
[Alison] Now, we just gotta make the beds,
bolt it to the wall,
and then, I think we're going to blow their minds.
[cell phone ringtone playing]
Hey, Travis.
-Hey, Alison. How are you? -I'm really good. How are you?
-These delays... -Trust me,
you thought you were going to be living
-at your house right now. -That was the plan, but,
you know, I got some bad news and some good news.
You know, the original plan was to paint the exterior white.
It's really quite unbelievable the quote that we got for white paint.
-Um, it's, uh... -So, what did it come in at?
Uh, it came in at $15,000...
-For the-- -...to paint one side.
For the front?
Yeah.
We can't do it.
It's really quite unbelievable,
the quote that we got for white paint.
-Um, it... -So, what did it come in at?
Uh, it came in at $15,000...
-For the-- -...to paint one side.
-For the front? -Yeah.
So, their explanation,
is they have to use certain ladders.
-It's labor. -Exactly.
Listen, I get it. It's a special type
of space, because you're on the back
of the building. But, that's still your front yard.
That's still what you call "home."
And the front of your home,
it's in shambles.
It really is. That siding is...
-It's not good. -Exactly.
How much is white, versus the black?
I mean, it's $6,000 to paint it black.
And it's $15,000 to paint it white. So,
-it's pretty significant. -That is really crazy.
If you paint it all black,
then the windows have to stay white.
Some of them are existing as white.
It's less expensive, and the turnaround is faster.
We don't have to make a change order for the windows.
It will shift a couple of things that I do,
but, of course, it's still going to look really beautiful.
[Alison] I know Travis and Kaley are disappointed
with the exterior. And, so am I.
So, we're just going to go with black,
which is still beautiful.
And, we're still waiting on that final decision on the back stairs.
So, the pressure is really on for me to find those special pieces
that are going to make this project great.
But then, I really have to stay
within budget,
so, it's a real fine line.
So, it's time for me to start shopping at my favorite places
in Chicago, to see what I can find.
-Look how funky it is. -It is.
How pretty is that? Those colors?
-And it ties in very beautifully. -I know.
-[Alison meowing] -[cat meowing]
-[Kristy chuckles] -[cat continues meowing]
We need something like this.
I really needed an amazing reclaimed beam
for the mantle.
Something chunky, something rustic.
I like these better because they're cleaner.
We'll sand this down. I want it to be raw.
-Yeah. Oh, for sure. -You know?
What I love about shopping and finding pieces like this
is, like, what it then inspires.
And I found this awesome mid-century warehouse.
-[Alison] This piece is super cool. -[Mike] Yeah. That would be
the Broyhill Brasilia room divider.
You could put it right in the center of the room,
stick your arm right through it.
This is a cool bar.
-Absolutely. -Yeah, you could make this a dry bar all day.
-Is there storage in here? -There is.
So, this would be your front-facing side here.
-It would be this, right here. -[gasps] Yes!
The design came from Brasilia, Brazil,
which is the home of Brutalist architecture,
where it originally started.
-[Alison] How cool! -Yeah.
They're going to dig it.
Uh, what's like a mid-century word? They're gonna--
-[Mike] It's going to be groovy. -It's going to be groovy.
[Mike chuckles]
This piece is inspiring the built-ins
that I'm going to do all the way up the staircase.
Kitty City day. And I can't wait
for Paula to--
[mimicking choking] Choking on cat hair.
Okay.
There we go.
[Alison] I had my doubts, obviously.
I mean, you're cutting a massive tree down at a farm,
and then you're gonna shove it into a little cat room
and somehow make it look organic.
Golden!
Nice!
Actually seeing it going into place,
it's exactly like a lot of our projects.
Right? It's just, like, it was in my head,
and then, he puts his spin on it
-that makes it even better. -[drilling]
[Ari] This is the first time I did a cat house.
I'm gonna put this one on my resume. It's a good one.
You know what's gonna make us realize what's gonna work?
-[Ari] The cat. Yeah. -The cat.
[Alison] You know, are they going to love the tree?
Are they going to climb that area? Do we need to add things? So...
I just can't wait to reveal it.
-[Alison] Hello! [giggles] -Wow! Oh, my gosh!
This is amazing!
-[Alison] Hi! -[gasps]
Oh, my gosh! You did it!
-What do you think? -Wow!
-[Alison] Yes. -[Paula] Incredible!
I look at-- That's the best tree house I've ever seen.
-[Alison laughs] -It's the real thing!
-You love it! -[Paula laughs]
[in a high-pitched voice] You're in Africa! Look at this!
[Paula] It couldn't be better.
-Isn't this so fun? -Wow!
-You got "Chicago Kitty City!" -I know!
-[gasps] Alison! -Yes!
-[Paula laughs] You thought of it all! -You, now,
have these, like, really defined spaces.
-And, you can, like, move things around. -[Paula] Yeah. Yes!
Everything here can just be sprayed down...
-Yeah! Yeah. -...for maintenance, everything.
-Yeah. Yeah! -It looks so natural and earthy.
It's such a fun space. What a genius you are.
Oh, I love you. Mwah!
[Alison] It's easy to write a check, but
-to be able to do something like this-- -And put your time
-and your heart in it... -Yeah!
[Paula] It's so beautiful.
-Everyone can get homes. -[Alison] I know.
[Alison] So, Travis called me.
He's in town. He... is coming back...
and forth... from Florida.
I can tell he's freaking out. So,
I want to be there with him, and find out what's going on,
get Jorge out there, and wrap my head around it.
Hi, guys!
-How's it going? -[Travis] Hey!
-[Jorge] Hi! -Alison!
[groans] It's so, like, dreary.
[Travis laughs] I was just telling Jorge, Sully's big now!
-I mean, he's full-blown crawling! -[Alison] He's growing up.
-Yeah, it's crazy. -Does anyone know
what's going on with the building department?
-Or-- -It's some...
code compliance, as far as, like, open space...
-on the lot. -[Jorge] At this point, I think, like,
90% of it is approved.
-We thought this was just an interior job. -[Alison] I know.
And, now, we have an egress.
-This was going to be a sliding glass door. -Yes.
-Right? -[Alison] Wait, so those aren't doors anymore?
-No. -So, did you order the doors?
We're following blueprints and had ordered already. And, now it's--
-So, you have doors that don't fit? -...changes everything.
-Exactly. For that one that won't fit. -Doors that are useless.
[Alison] So, now, you're gonna have this big picture window
that looks out onto your private patio,
and you don't even get to look at that, because you're going to have...
a big staircase in front of it.
Yeah.
-[Travis] So now... -I don't get it.
...we've gone way over budget,
we've purchased windows worth thousands
-that we can't even use. -We can't use them.
Also, it's been... six months!
-Yeah. -It's been so stressful.
I wouldn't wish this on an enemy.
We're gonna get this done as fast as possible
and get you guys back in your house,
'cause this is ridiculous.
Keep smiling!
-Yeah! -[chuckles]
[Travis] I just want to spend
as little amount of time at this house
and get as far away from it as possible, because
it's just driving me nuts.
The amount of delays
and the absurdity...
[tittering] of the process
is too much.
I am at the Tampa Airport,
getting ready to fly to Chicago
and see the progress on the house.
To keep it real, we are tired. [chuckles]
We are ready for this house to be done.
We are ready to move on with our lives
and to all be in one spot as a family.
So, hopefully, this is the last time we need to make these decisions.
So, fingers crossed!
[Alison] After eight and a half months,
drywall's finally going up.
[chainsaw whirring]
And the egress issue's fixed.
Although, I can't say that I am happy
with where those stairs ended up.
I'm out of town for work,
so Kristy and Jorge are going to meet Kaley
to do a quick check-in.
Hello!
-[Jorge] Hi. -[Kristy] Hi!
-How's it going? -Good! You're back!
-I'm back! It looks a lot different in here. -[Kristy and Jorge chuckle]
[Kristy] At this point,
we're a few months past the holidays.
So, we're trying to get them in in a few weeks,
just because they can't really sustain this any longer.
They've reached their limit.
[Kristy] It's starting to feel like a home again.
-Drywall is so huge. -It is. It is. It is.
Yeah. Even though, that's...
was a terrible heartache.
Here's where we have the existing fireplace
-that we removed, -[Kaley] Yeah.
Now that we ended up changing the air vent,
I think we have more option, because this wall is more open now.
So, if you guys are okay with shifting it
to the center wall, looks-wise, too, that would
probably be our best bet.
-It looks intentional. -Yeah.
-It will look beautiful. -Yeah.
When we had spoken, you were talking about
"Do we extend the platform height
-for the hearth?" -Yeah.
[Jorge] So, that will be your 86 in there.
I actually think that's okay.
I also feel like, with the mid-century modern vibe,
like, this long, low...
-[Kaley] Yeah. -I think it could look really cool.
The one other question I did want to ask you about...
stair shelving.
-[Kaley] Yeah. -I love it.
I love that you guys have so many books.
Like, Alison, in particular, has done very beautiful details
when it was drywall shelves. And they turned out awesome.
-Function-wise, I think this is the way to go here. -Yeah.
I think, at this stage of the construction,
everything has started speeding up.
So, the more decisions we can make quickly,
the better, so we can try to finish this,
like five to six weeks.
-Hopefully. -Yeah. No, we're in. We're in.
-[both chuckling] -[Kristy] Great!
Let's do it. Yeah!
Get it done!
[Alison] It's been 11 months since we started Southport...
[parent mimicking quick slurping noises]
[Travis in video] Yeah, you're doing good!
[Alison] ...and, we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
The luxury vinyl is being installed.
That beautiful vertical stack tile in the bathroom
is going up.
And the fireplace surround is finally getting framed out.
Oh, God! [sighs]
That's terrible. This would make me so depressed.
[grunts]
Just to take away my shock and disappointment from the exterior,
inside is just so much happier.
You know, it feels good. Jorge couldn't make it.
Joey's here just to help me out with some answers.
Hi, Joey.
-How's it going? -What's up?
-Good to see you. -Good to see you!
Everything's under control.
-Ah, so, mantle... -Yep.
-All right, so this is getting cut down? -Yep.
That's gonna go here. We have tile... Tile's here?
-It's on the way. -Okay.
-I mean, we're close. -Yeah.
All right. Let's go see the bath.
-The bathroom's right... I saw the window, too. -Did you hear about
-the lighting situation with this? -No.
-This is gonna be amazing. We have a... a slight issue. -Okay.
The LED light...
-Yes? -...is super concentrated in one area.
-Ah, we need to flood. -So, we're gonna figure it out.
So, I think we're gonna run a strip...
-Yeah, you should. -...an LED strip.
-Oh, God. Yeah. -Do you want us
-to hold this up on the light? -Hell yeah!
Let's do it.
[Alison gasps] Oh,
my God!
This looks really good.
God, I love this tile! That...
-is beautiful. -It's incredible.
And, it looks so good with the floor.
You know what? This helps me forget about the front stairs.
This tile's just gorgeous.
Really gorgeous.
-Hi, guys! -[man] Hey, how're you doing?
Good. Good. Oh! Of course--
-You think this is going to be concentrated? -[Joey] This is version one.
-What is this? -Version one.
-This version is hysterical! -Rome wasn't built in a day.
When Joey told me, like,
"You know, the... the lights are a little concentrated
in one area. You'll see."
You think?
[Joey] Let there be light.
It's a little concentrate... Look. Come here.
It looks a little concentrated in one area.
You got a spotlight behind this.
So, yeah. We will do strip lighting...
-All right. -...and then,
that will illuminate beautifully.
And it's gotta be something that they can dim, you know?
You don't want it to be...
-you don't want it to be hot. -That's a good point.
It's gonna take a bathroom that has no window and feels a little dark
and a little cramped and it's going to open it up.
It's gonna look like you always have this beautiful sunny day.
So I really-- I'm so happy with that.
Hey, are we doing a jamb or are we doing
barn doors?
It should be barn doors.
-It is on the track? -Yeah.
-[man] Yeah. -Yes.
Oh, yeah. This is cool.
We're gonna keep the hardware on 'em.
-[man] Yep. -Just as is.
-[Joey and man] Yep. -Tub goes in.
And then we're bringing furniture in.
-Just got to let these guys get to work. -I know. I know.
-[both chuckling] -But that bathroom,
that's a showstopper moment, right there.
It's just beautiful. It's like you don't know where to look!
Next stage is furniture.
And then, get them into their house.
I feel so bad.
This entire process has been so grueling for them,
and I'm sure they're just at the end of their rope.
[Kaley] So, Travis and I, we're in the final stretch of our renovation.
Our house should be done in about a month.
And we figured we should really be in Chicago
just to monitor the last bit of progress,
and also be there in case they need anything.
So, we're moving!
I am packing up the house,
and it's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate
in ten months.
[Kaley] All right. Travis and Bernie are ready to go.
Car's packed to the brim.
And...
they'll be on their way!
Bye!
-Open your eyes. -[both chuckling]
-[gasps] Oh, wow! -Oh,
my gosh!
[laughing] No, it doesn't look like our house at all.
Wow!
It has been such a long road for Kaley and Travis.
For Travis to be back and forth, and spending money
on hotels and flights...
You know, they thought this was going to be easy too,
and it's not.
This business is not for the weak.
I thought this was going to be my fastest project.
It's a total shot in the dark!
Designing a space like this, first of all,
mixing mid-century and Moroccan
was just a big kind of moment for me, where I'm like,
"A-ha!"
And, it was really fun. It was a cool challenge.
I think that we nailed it.
Okay!
[Travis] Amazing!
-[Alison] Amazing. [laughs] -[laughing]
[Alison] I mean, I've been through it. I've been in your shoes.
I know. I can fully, fully feel your pain, every time your heart broke.
-[Kaley] It was brutal. -It was brutal.
-[Kaley] Good. -But we're here.
-[Alison] It's not bad! -[Travis] It's not bad.
-No. -[Travis] And I think it complements, too,
-the balcony up top. -Yeah.
We ended up with this wonderful deck
-to sit out at. -Yes.
-I mean, the backyard...
-Yeah. -...it needed love anyway.
[Alison] We're gonna walk upstairs
-and this is gonna be the real showstopper -All right.
-Can't wait! -[Alison] Let's go.
I don't know when I started
-doing this eyes-closed thing, but I like it. -[Travis and Kaley chuckle]
-Okay. -[titters]
Remember how long you lived away from it.
-Your kid is 15 now. -[both laugh]
Driving.
-Driving. -[giggling]
[Alison] Going to college.
Okay. Open your eyes.
-[gasps] Oh, wow! -Oh, my gosh!
-[Kaley] Yeah, this does not look like our house. -You've gotta be kidding me!
No! [laughing] This does not look like our house at all!
-Wow! -[continues laughing]
-[Kaley] Perfect. -[Travis] Now, this is what a living room should be.
[Travis] Oh, my gosh! The fireplace!
I mean, that tile!
-[Alison] Come on! Moroccan! -Oh, my gosh!
-Mid-century! -[Travis] Unbelievable!
-[Kaley chuckles] Yes! -[Alison] We did it!
A really cool,
chunky mantle.
-[Travis] Such a nice touch! -I like it, because what it does,
is it anchors the new wall,
-which is really... -Amazing.
...this multi-function.
Because, we could have done some simple... you know, like, just like...
right here, done a built-in.
But, to have run it all the way up,
to have the stairs where they are,
to fully center this fireplace...
-[Kaley] It's amazing. -...is amazing!
[Alison] Come over here.
-Tons of play room here. -Tons of play room.
[Kaley] That's our record player.
[Alison] That's right.
-I can't stop staring at that! -[laughing]
-[Travis] Yeah, that is a beautiful piece! -[Alison] How cool!
[Alison] That is not just a piece of furniture.
-But, typical me... -[Kaley] Uh-huh?
...would build this in and build it up.
We didn't have the money. We can still do that one day.
-Yeah. Yeah. -But for now...
-[Kaley] It's perfect. -...this is perfect!
-[Kaley] Yeah. -[Travis] It's beautiful!
-This goes against... what I normally do. -Really?
-A piano finish... -[Kaley] Yeah. [laughs]
-...this finish... -[Travis] Yeah.
-...stair finish, this-- -[Kaley] It's great!
[Alison] It's a lot of finishes, but I think it speaks...
-[Travis] I dig it. -...to that Moroccan vibe.
Yeah! it feels a little bit eclectic,
-but not... chaotic. -Yeah.
[All] Yeah!
I love, "The eclectic, but not chaotic."
I really love that. That's mine now.
You know? Maybe, just cut out the part where she said it,
and make it look like I said it.
[Alison] Let's go to the bedroom.
Come on!
[Travis] This is really cool.
-All right, so bedroom! -Whoo!
Awesome!
-[Kaley] I love it! -[Travis] Oh, my gosh!
[Alison] And, so,
taking more of that space,
right? And like, bringing the closet,
to this area. This is a king bed.
-[Travis] Right. -This feels good,
-you know? -[Travis] Everything about this is good space.
I love it.
And, come on!
-Please? -[Travis laughing]
Putting it on the barn track allows us to always stare at these.
-You know? -Well, and the room feels taller.
-It feels way taller. -Yeah.
-Are you guys ready? -Yes.
Okay.
[Travis] Oh, my gosh!
[Kaley] It's amazing!
Oh, my gosh! It's like a spa.
-Yes. -That's what it is.
[Alison] It is like a Moroccan spa.
You didn't have a window in here, which made it feel really dark.
So finding this window makes it feel like we're dealing
with a sunny day. And at least you got something coming in.
-[Travis] Right. -[Kaley] Yeah.
And look at 'em. It makes this feel so regal.
-[Kaley] It feels very luxurious. -It is like a bathhouse!
-Gorgeous! And you have a full tub in here. -[Kaley] Yeah.
I love the tile.
[Alison] Yeah, me too. And there's not a whole lot of mid-century in here.
-I wanted this to be full Moroccan... -[Travis] Yes.
-...and just-- -[Kaley] This is mine!
I mean, you get the shower.
Remember your old one...
-[Kaley groans] -...where you had, like, your shoe storage
-on the tub deck? -Yes.
-Oh, my Gosh! -Remember that?
Just to wake up every morning...
in that bed,
-looking at this bathroom. -[Kaley] And I'm going to be like,
-"Is that my bathroom?" -Yeah!
-[laughing] -It's like waking up
in a dream every day. It's pretty damn cool.
Yeah, it's amazing.
It feels like us, right, when we walk in.
It feels like our personality is in the house.
I love that you get to come up to this.
[Kaley] Yes. Oh, my gosh!
Look at it!
[Travis] Oh, it's so cool!
[Alison] So, we got a beautiful little spicket here.
Your plants, as you want it and need it,
they'll all fit in here.
-[Travis] Yes. -[Kaley] Yeah. It's amazing. That was a feat.
[Travis] There are certainly a lot of quirks
about this house. And one of them is that
-the kitchen is all the way on the first floor. [chuckles] -[Alison] Yeah.
-[Travis] So, this is-- -[Alison] It's a lot, but now, you've made it to where
you don't have to go down there
-all the time. -[Kaley] Yes.
-This is definitely a value-add. -Yeah.
[Alison] All right, come on.
Remember this quirky room here?
[Kaley] This feels like a real office.
-[Travis] This is awesome. -This is swanky!
-[Travis] This is very cool. -[Alison] Swanky is right.
[Travis] It's amazing to think that this
was half of the main bedroom.
-[Alison] Yeah! -[Travis] Yeah.
[Alison] And... we've got Sully's room!
-Yay! -So, like, look at how much room you have!
-[Travis] Oh! It's so... -[Kaley] Yeah! It looks so bright, too.
-Oh, it is. Yeah. -Yeah.
-[Kaley] It's perfect! -[Alison] It is!
Such a better use of space.
-[Alison] Yeah. -Mmm-hmm.
[Travis] I love it! I mean,
the whole point of the project
was to make a very functional
single-family house
out of that townhouse,
and love it.
And I think that's a total success...
-Yeah. -...that has happened.