-There it is. -[gasps] Look at that house!
[Brian] For Sally and MC, building this home is more than a dream.
Thirty years ago, I did a vision board
of the house that I hoped to have.
[Mika] It's a lifelong goal that's finally coming to fruition...
Usually, he's the one emotional.
[MC] She's waited a long time.
[Brian] This is probably the largest closet we have ever built.
Getting this perfect is a must.
This has to be in place when we reveal the house to them.
[Mika] ...to make their vision a reality.
Oh, my word.
These blueprints are gonna be a reality. Let's go.
[Mika] Brian and I know a thing or two
about building custom homes on fast timelines.
There's always a reason why they need their home done in 100 days.
Second baby is on the way.
Hurricane season is around the corner.
[Brian] And now, we're expanding to renovations, too.
We're gonna flip flop everything in this house.
We don't know what's behind the walls.
[Mika]Whether it's a new build or renovation,
each project has its own set of challenges.
This is the exterior of the townhome.
-You raise that a foot, it's a lot of work. -I know. I know it is.
[Brian] But the look on our clients' faces makes it all worth it.
[both] Oh, my God!
I am in heaven right now!
What's going on, you guys? It is so good to see you.
Yes.
[Brian] So what a beautiful lot. How many acres is this?
It's 4 acres.
-4 acres? -Nice.
Plant City, we love it out here
because you're kind of close to Tampa,
but it's very serene and just quiet.
[Sally] It is.
You guys are definitely ready to move to Plant City with these outfits.
-[Sally] You got that right. -[Brian] Looking sharp.
Looked like this all my life.
Now, are you from around this area?
Yeah, I was raised over at Dover.
-[Brian] Dover? -[Mika] Not far. Okay.
Well, it's about 5 miles west of Plant City.
Old farm boy.
I was a city girl from South Tampa.
-Oh, I love it. -Oh, wow.
So when I met him, his accent got me right away.
-[Brian] Oh, is that what it was? -Yes.
I met him on the phone and he kept saying, "Darlin',"
you know, and I just thought it was so sweet.
I went, "I have a real cowboy."
-[Brian] Yes, you do! -[Mika] Yes!
So how long have you guys been together?
August the 28th was our two-year wedding anniversary.
Twenty-first.
-[Brian] Uh-oh, MC, you're in trouble. -[Mika] Oh, close enough!
-He was within a week. -[Brian] See?
You guys are newlyweds.
-[Sally] Oh, yes. -[MC] Yes.
Our friends introduced us.
I lost my husband, like, 14 years ago,
so I had been single quite a while.
And he had been married for 55 years,
so it was really very different for him.
When she passed away, uh...
[stammering] It got me.
She saved my life.
I'm a lucky person.
Not many people have a chance to have two wonderful, great wives.
I did. I have.
It just proves that it's never too late for love.
But it's never too late to build your dream home, either,
and that's why we are here.
What's not working in your current home right now?
Well, that's easy.
Because we've been living in a camper...
-Ooh. -Wow.
[Sally] For almost 8 months now.
It's for camping. It's not to live in.
I have very limited closet space, very limited drawer space.
What are some of the things we need to incorporate in this house?
I really need an obsessive, large closet.
-[Mika] Wow! Okay. -[Brian] I like it.
I have a lot of clothes.
I was in education for a long time.
And I was on the school board,
so I have lots of business suits.
And I don't want to get rid of them yet,
because I might run for office again.
Who knows, you know?
I like the way you think.
So I need a big closet.
Three bedrooms and an office.
Okay.
And two-and-a-half bath.
-It has to be two-story. -[Brian] Okay.
I've always wanted to live in a two-story house
and I know we're older and vintage,
but we will still have a two-story house.
Okay.
My grandmother had a two-story house,
and I just thought she was the richest woman in the world and it was just wonderful.
And I think that staying young,
going up those stairs is gonna help us.
And he's pretty cooperative.
That's one way to put it.
All I want is just a little space
to hang up my dungarees and put my hat.
[Brian and Mika] There you go.
-[Mika] That's not much, MC. -That's all I need.
[Mika] What kind of style?
I want it to look country...
-Okay. -...but I want sophisticated country.
Thirty years ago, I did a vision board
of the house that I hoped to have.
Well, if you want to see it, I got it in the car.
-Are you kidding me? Yes! -Yes, I would love to see it.
-[Sally] All right. -Oh, I can't wait.
-Let's check this out. -[Brian] This is the vision board?
-Yes. -[Mika] Oh, wow.
-So this was from 30 years ago? -This is so cool.
Yes.
Look at the lot with all the trees.
And look at the house.
I want you to design me that house.
Look, 30 years later, we're about to complete this board.
[Sally] I have great ideas, but when it comes to putting them together,
I really don't know.
I want Mika to help me do that part now.
Now, Sally, I didn't see Mika on your vision board.
Is there room to add her?
We'll figure it out together.
It's gonna be a collaborative effort.
How much money have you saved up to build your dream home?
About $800,000.
Okay. MC, you agree?
Yes.
Yes, he does!
We are so excited to get started on this
'cause we know you want to get out of the camper and make this a reality.
Yes!
Mika, we gotta "bring them home."
[Mika] Home, baby.
I have to say, you gave me a little bit of a head start
in figuring out some houses that we can walk through.
This one is kind of inspired by the farmhouse that you showed me
on your vision board.
So I wanted to not veer too far away from that vision,
but I also wanted to show her a slightly different design
so I can get an idea if she 100% wants to copy that photo.
So you've got the two-story,
the black-and-white classic colors.
What's your first impression?
I love the black and white.
I would prefer to have the porch all the way across.
[Mika] Okay.
I would rather have my entrance in the center.
[Mika] So symmetry is important.
[Sally] Yeah. I'm really married to that vision board
because It's been in my mind for so many years.
It's hard to get it out.
Okay. You agree with that, MC?
-It's your house. You do what you want to. -[Mika] Oh!
I wanted to show you a kitchen space.
The wood finishes kind of reminded me of that country life.
[Sally] It's too dark. I need a little more white or bright--
Not for me.
-[Mika] Oh, MC feels right at home. -But... but...
I'm trying to be on my best behavior.
She has waited a long time for her dream home.
I'm not going to mess it up.
You will not mess it up.
This is a house y'all are gonna live in together.
So we want both of you to be happy, right?
What do you think about, like, the overall layout?
I don't want a wall between the kitchen and the great room.
[Mika] Well, I do have another kitchen,
and I think it's gonna be closer to what you're describing.
This kitchen is open to everything, it's lighter, more energetic kind of vibe.
[Sally] I do love the white cabinets,
but I think I would really like to have white on the island also.
What do you think, MC?
I'm in deep thought.
You don't think it'll be too much white?
-[Sally] No. -Okay.
I feel like MC will agree to anything to make Sally happy,
but I hope that he does vocalize some of his opinions today.
When they walk in that house,
it should have a little bit of both of their personalities.
What do you think about maybe having wood grain on the island?
Wood sounds interesting, but maybe a blue.
Do you both like the color blue?
-That's his favorite color. -Blue is my favorite...
-It is? -[MC] Yeah.
Okay, so then we gotta put blue somewhere in this house.
I really like it.
MC, anything else?
When I walked in,
the fireplace was a focal point to me.
So this is an electric fireplace.
So it's functional, gives you the ambiance,
but it's Florida, you know, so we don't necessarily have to do wood burning.
[Sally and MC] Yes.
[MC] I was born on a farm.
I remember the fireplace that was in the old house.
I want to hold onto it just as tight as I can.
It's funny how when you walk into a space,
you're gonna be drawn to certain things.
Finally, MC is coming out of his design shell. He's starting to speak up.
That's why I like walking through these spaces.
I feel like that's when my clients
really open up about their opinions.
Okay, so outdoor space in Florida is important,
-Ooh! -Yes, it is.
Especially when you have as much land as you two have.
-Look at that. -I love it.
I could spend many a hour right over there.
Oh, he's looking at the grill.
[Sally] He barbecues almost every night.
Okay, so the size of this, what do you feel like?
[Sally] It'd probably have to be a little bigger.
All right, so enough of the outdoors, let's go back inside
'cause we still have another floor to look at
and we gotta figure out what you need
for the main suite of the house.
What do you think about the size of this room?
I love this room. Yeah.
[Sally] I have room for a couch 'cause I like to read.
It sounds like you want a pretty big main suite.
Yes, I love the idea of having a suite downstairs, too.
Maybe identical or close to identical on the first floor.
-Two main suites? -I think so.
Because if I ever reach the age where I can't climb the stairs,
we can make home there.
So you're asking if we can do a main suite on that first floor
-and the second level? -Yes.
So that's two bathrooms and two big closets.
[Sally] We have to be realistic
that someday we might not be able to get up
-on those stairs. -[Mika] Okay.
-So I think having two would help us. -Yeah.
I think that's smart, though.
I mean, we're planning for the future.
And if she gets mad at me and kicks me out, I've got a nice place to go.
[Mika] You have a whole another room that's just as nice.
Oh, I think me and Brian should have done that. I love it.
Sally, one thing you made very clear
is you have so many outfits, so I need to get an idea of how big.
I mean, this is pretty much a standard walk-in closet size.
[Sally] This wouldn't take care of half of my clothes. [chuckles]
-[Mika] Really? -[MC] Really.
Yes. I have normal wardrobe, I have educational clothes
for my business part of my life.
I have Christmas, holidays.
I have formals for my formal balls and dances that we go to.
Oh, my gosh.
[Sally] I have wardrobe for skiing and and going into the snow.
Wow.
Triple this, maybe.
All right, so that's gonna take a big amount of square footage.
We gotta keep everything in the price point.
So I mean, we're doing two main suites.
Like, as far as the closet size,
are we doing that same footprint on the first level?
That closet can be a lot smaller.
Okay, cool.
It was a huge success.
I really feel Sally and MC are getting more and more excited
to get into this home and out of that tiny camper.
Sally and MC, are you ready to see your house?
I can't wait.
This has kind of that same structure
as the house on your vision board.
-Looks just like it. -Yes, it does.
-That's wonderful. -[Sally] Love it.
[Mika] Because you guys have such a big lot,
having that nice-sized front porch
where you can sit out and enjoy the view is important.
[Brian] We gave you four classic pillars on that front porch.
Also board and batten on the front and then dark shingles.
We would really rather have the metal roofing.
It is a little bit more expensive
to go metal roof over the entire house.
We could just have it maybe on the porch?
-[Brian] Nice. -[Mika] I actually think that'll give it a nice pop.
We can make that happen.
-Sounds great. -That sounds wonderful.
[Mika] When you walk through the double entry,
you're gonna step right into your great room
which features that fireplace you envisioned.
-[Sally] Oh, wow. -[MC] Yeah.
[Mika] Your dining room will be off to the left,
your kitchen will be off to the left.
So this room off to the right when you walk in,
this can be, like, an office setup.
And then we knew it was important to have a main suite downstairs.
I know you guys wanna start upstairs,
but it's nice to have the option
of being on whatever level you want.
[Sally] Yes.
[Mika]And you're still gonna have a huge walk-in closet.
-Awesome. -[Brian] Plus, a beautiful back porch.
-[MC] That's where I'll spend a lot of my time. -[Brian] There you go.
Are you ready to go upstairs?
-Yes. -Let's go.
[Mika] So of course you have the main suite.
This is gonna be your primary bedroom when you guys first move in.
A real, real, real big walk-in closet.
You might think it's a bedroom, but that is your closet.
[Mika] It's a standard wire shelving,
-but this is gonna give you plenty of storage, Sally. -Oh, wow.
Probably the biggest closet we have ever built, and you get it.
Yahoo!
[Brian] And you also have an additional office upstairs
that you can use as a flex space.
[Mika] Or if you need to convert it into a bedroom,
you have the opportunity to do that.
[MC] It looks good.
[Mika] You've got your three bedrooms,
two-and-a-half bathrooms, an office.
[Brian] Yep, 2,800 square feet,
all in your budget of $800,000.
Usually, he's the one emotional.
-[Brian] Oh, yeah! -You all right?
She's waited a long time.
I've worked all my life, and to finally have this...
-[Brian] Yeah. -[Mika] You deserve it. You both do.
-Let's make it happen. -30 years.
Today's a good day.
We broke ground and scraped Sally and MC's lot early this morning.
All of our footers are dug.
We're gonna make sure we have a nice, strong foundation here
on our dream home.
So, typically, footers on a one-story house are only 16 inches wide.
Because this is two-story, these are 24 inches wide.
Also, single story homes only have two bars of rebar. We got three in this one.
Just making sure it is plenty strong for all that weight.
All right.
All right, Walt, two more bends
and hey, we're ready to pour some concrete.
Right. We just turned a corner.
We definitely have turned a corner.
-[both laughing] -Yeah.
I'm surrounded by beauty.
[all exclaim]
[Mika] Well, hey, guys!
[all] Hey!
Everybody from the family and all of our fur friends, I see.
-Yes. -Let me introduce you to my kids.
Yes!
This is Cheri, she's the principal.
-This is Megan. -Hi.
This is her farm, which she boards our horses.
-[Mika] Oh, wow. -And this is Tami. She's from Tallahassee.
I'm the oldest, so I get to boss them all around.
I love it! Hey, I'm the oldest, too, and I totally can relate.
-I'm sure you're really excited. -We are.
She's finally getting her dream house
that she's been envisioning her entire life.
Well, it's so nice to meet all of you and all of you cutie pies.
And I actually would really love to see the camper.
[Sally] This is home!
Oh, nice little foyer area. Okay, okay.
[Sally] This is the living room.
[Sally] Dining room, kitchen. Then...
-[Mika] Wow. -...I had to hang his hat.
Oh! Okay, this is kind of nice.
-[Sally] Here's the bedroom. -Oh, man! All right.
And then here's the bathroom.
[Mika] Okay, I have to say, Sally,
this is not a bad setup.
But it's not enough to where you can really have
all of your outfits and accessories.
[both giggle]
It's been challenging
not having all our clothes. Like, right now,
it's either in storage or in Tallahassee,
or in Megan's closet.
And he fusses if I want to just go buy a new one. [chuckles]
-So, it's really been a challenge... -Well, I do not.
[both chuckle]
It's challenging.
We're wanting to be out of this as quick as we can.
So, we appreciate your help to get us out.
-Oh, yeah. -[MC] Oh, yeah, we're excited.
[Mika] We still have to pick your bathroom cabinets.
So, Sally and MC, they've already selected their white cabinets,
and the blue island for the kitchen.
But today, we need to make the decision about cabinets and the bathrooms,
because cabinets have longer lead times,
they're custom to the home.
So, we've got to get the order placed as soon as possible.
One thing during the inspiration tour is,
I know, MC, you really liked the wood-finished cabinets,
so I did bring some samples.
Kind of in that vibe, just kind of set them up here.
There's different options you can kind of go with,
like a lighter wood tone,
and then dramatic black cabinets.
Well, I can tell you,
-I have no interest in those. -Really?
So, tell me what it is about these.
I've lived with it.
Oh. Oh! Yeah. This is pretty close
to what's already in here, right?
This don't appeal to me.
It don't reach out and grab me...
-All right. -...like you, like you do.
-Nice, MC. -[both chuckle]
-I saw what you did there. -Yeah.
Okay. So, now we're just down to two.
And they're very different.
[MC] I really... I, I like wood.
I like to spend a lot of time in the woods.
I... I hunt, I fish,
and I love the look of outdoors,
the wood look. So, I... I like to see those colors,
and where I'm going to be living.
[Mika] This one is definitely going to feel
a little bit more rustic.
[Sally] I think I like the black.
-We're going for that sophisticated country. -Mmm-hmm.
So, I think that if we use the black against the white,
it's going to be "wow."
-I've told you before, what you like, I like. -[giggles]
-Well then, we like... -We would know, we would...
-[Mika] I like how she said that... -...we... [chuckling]
-[Mika] ...we like... -We would like... [chuckles]
-[Sally] ...the black. [chuckles] -[MC] Yeah.
She was excited,
and I'm... It pleases me to see her that way.
Okay. I think this is going to look beautiful.
And I do believe it's kind of a timeless selection.
MC, he's such a gentleman,
that I know that he thrives on Sally being happy.
Honestly, I need to figure out a way how to still infuse
rustic wood tones in their home.
It might not be the bathroom, but it's gonna be somewhere on this house.
Now, can I go pat some baby goats?
-Yes, let's go. -Okay, good! [laughs]
[bleats]
This weather is definitely not cooperating today.
Yesterday went so perfectly, we framed out the entire first floor.
We got the rear trusses on.
But all this rain today,
[groans] this second floor is gonna be a whole another story.
-Hey, Walt. It's way too slippery up here. -[Walt] It's... Yeah, it is.
[Walt] That's why we sent the crew home today.
Just too wet...
-Yeah. -...and dangerous up here to get any work done.
We had to cancel the crane.
-Oh, my God. -[sighing] So, yeah.
-Trying to reschedule that's gonna be the hardest part. -I know.
I mean, I was really hoping to have
this whole second floor under roof today.
This might be a story for another day.
[Brian] Yeah. Tomorrow. [chuckles]
[Brian] A lot of work to do.
Ready? Here you go.
[shouting] I'll lock them in place.
We're back to work on the second floor.
-The good news is, the rain is gone. -[machine whirring faintly]
The bad news is, we could not reschedule
the crane until next week.
And we just don't have that kind of time to lose.
So, we're hoisting these trusses into place by hand.
-[straining] Oh, boy. -[hammering]
I really wish we had that crane right about now.
So, while it's not unheard of to set trusses by hand,
it's a lot more labor intensive.
And I mean a lot, especially since this is a two-story house.
-[objects clattering] -Whoo! [bleep]!
[thudding, grunts in pain]
[builder] Are you okay?
Whoo! [bleep]!
New construction is full of so many ups and downs.
And when you don't have a crane,
it's even more ups and downs.
-[builder 1] You okay? -Yeah, I'm good.
-[builder 2] You okay? -Yeah, yeah.
-[builder 3] You sure you're okay? -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Maybe we did need the crane. [exclaims in relief] -[faint laughter]
That fall could have been really bad.
Luckily, I'm okay, and we can get back to the job at hand.
Three more trusses. [pants]
The entire second floor has been framed.
And then we got to do the interior walls, and that massive closet.
-Ready? Good. -[builder] All right. Yeah.
[Brian strains and grunts]
This is probably the largest closet we have ever built,
at 250 square feet.
-That's a closet, my friends. -That's it, man.
-[Walt] We could put a lot of stuff in here, can't you? -Yeah.
-Good thing, because Sally has a ton of stuff. -A lot of stuff.
[Walt] We made some good progress today.
[hammering]
[Brian] Are you messing up my cinderblock?
[Mika] Absolutely not.
But what I am trying to do is figure out
which is the perfect shade for the exterior color.
So, which one is closer
to the vision that Sally has had
-for all these years? -The vision board.
[Mika] The vision board.
[Brian] That vision board is coming
-to life very quickly. -Yeah.
[Mika] So, Sally and MC are gonna be here.
They're gonna pick their exterior colors.
All right, we'll let that dry.
And then let's check out the space,
because we've really got to start figuring our game plan
-for Special Project. -[Brian] Yeah.
I will say this.
-Storage has been on top... -Right.
...of Sally's list.
So...
So, you think it's Special Project Upstairs?
-Yeah. Let's take a look at that one. -Okay.
-[Mika] So, this closet right now is really-- -Huge.
-Really huge. But... -[chuckles]
...I mean, in our build proposal,
the only thing that's included is the wire shelving.
When you're trying to allocate and keep things in budget,
you really spend a lot of money on your kitchen...
-Mmm-hmm. -...your bathrooms, all the beautiful things
that your guests are going to see in the house.
-The closet is more of a personal space. -[Brian] Mm-hmm.
[Mika] And a lot of homeowners say,
"Oh, I'll customize it later after I move in."
And they never do it. So...
-Yeah. -...we need to do it now.
I'd love to give them this from day one.
I think we have an opportunity to make this feel like her own private boutique.
-[Brian] Is there any him in this closet? -Absolutely!
MC has to have a special place for his hats.
Have you seen how big his cowboy hats are?
I mean, you get five of those lined up,
that's a good portion of the wall.
We'll say this, from working with both of them,
-MC really does thrive on her being happy. So... -I was just going to say.
...if you asked him, he would say,
-"Do the closet." -MC's got such a good heart.
Uh, relationship goals.
Can you write a book? Thank you.
Okay, well, they're getting ready to be here.
So, Special Project checklist, right?
-Oh... [clicks tongue] done. -Done.
[Mika] Oh, perfect timing!
-[Sally] Hi, guys! -[Brian] Hey, guys!
-[Sally] Fabulous! -[Mika laughs]
-[Sally] Oh, my God! -[MC] Wow.
[Brian] Come a long way.
-[Sally] Yeah! -[MC] I... I can see me sitting in here somewhere,
and having a nice, cold adult beverage.
-Yes, MC! -There you go.
[Sally laughs]
-[Mika] Me too. -There you go. Your vision board is coming
-to life. -[Mika] Yes.
-Yeah. -[exclaims in excitement]
[Brian] We got to figure out which, uh, paint color they want.
-[Sally] All right, let's go. -[Mika] Check it out.
-So, I mean... -[Sally] Okay.
...white and black, right?
This is, like, more of a true black, it's definitely a richer.
This has more of a charcoal kind of gray,
but both of them look good
-with the contrast. -[MC] I like it.
-I like the black on the... the left-hand side. -The left side?
-[Mika] The one that's more like a deeper... -[MC] Yep.
I like that black better.
Now, I'm really torn between these two.
This one's deep white...
-Yeah. -...but I think this is more subtle.
I think I like this one.
I think that these two are going to complement,
-like your traditional farmhouse. -[Sally] I like that.
The other thing, though, I want to talk about,
is maybe dressing up these columns.
So look, this is kind of a big statement on the porch.
-We need the natural wood look. -[MC] Yeah.
It's like bringing that outdoor flair to the facade of the house.
[Brian] Cedar would look sharp
against the colors that you picked.
[MC] I think that'll look good.
[Sally] Well, on my vision map, they're white.
But...
I'm thinking I could... compromise.
All right. So, we're gonna wrap these in cedar. Final answer?
-Yes. -Final answer.
Yes!
[Sally] I do love that cedar
honors his country look.
So, I think it's a great decision.
I agree with everything she said.
-[laughs] -[chuckles]
We are at the halfway point, which means we don't want
to spoil any surprises before the reveal.
So, no peeking.
-[Mika] No peeking. -No peeking? Okay.
-It's gonna be done before you know it. -[Sally] Thank you.
-[Mika] Yeah. -[MC] Thank you.
-[Mika] Okay! -[Brian] Hello.
[Barbara] Hi, how can we help you?
Oh, well, we are actually looking to design a custom closet
for a client of ours.
-[Brian] She has a ton of clothes, so, uh... -[Mika laughs]
...we need a big closet with smart storage.
[Mika] It's kind of a unique space.
I mean, we have 250 square feet this way,
but not all the way up the walls.
We have the roof we've got to contend with.
Feel free to walk around.
-[Mika] Okay. -Take a look at everything that we have here.
And then I can meet you in the back,
-and then we can go through some designs. -Yeah.
[Mika]There's so much flexibility and options
-when it comes to storage now. -Yeah.
[Mika] Like, the right finish, the right style.
Custom closets, it can get really pricey,
but you do have a strict budget.
-I kind of like this thought of the islands. -[Brian] Oh, the islands?
Look at all the extra storage you get.
I do think we're going to lose a little bit of the top storage,
just because of the angle of the roof line.
-So, maybe this is how we make it up. - [Brian] I agree.
What do you think about the darker finish?
They're gonna have the LVP flooring in their closets.
I worry about it looking kind of like...
Uh, too matchy-matchy?
[Mika] Yeah, I mean, a standard white's a clean kind of look.
This is almost like an antique white, too. Like,
this might go with their farmhouse view.
-[Mika] All right. So... -[Brian] Barbara!
[Barbara] Hi!
-[Brian] All right, let's see what you came up with. -Okay. Here, we did
shoe shelves.
[Mika] Honestly, the shoe shelves might not be needed.
I think the biggest thing she really needs is hanging space.
I don't even know if she needs, like, the built-in drawers.
So here, easily, we can make those into hanging sections.
[Brian] Talking about maybe doing an island.
Maybe the drawers are in the island.
Yeah, that could be an option, too. Yeah.
-Hmm. -[Barbara] Yeah, absolutely.
[Mika] Ooh!
-[Brian] Shoes are gone. -Wow!
-[Brian] Love it. -Ooh.
You're like a magician, Barbara.
[Mika] Yes. So, as far as our budget,
I don't see the number.
So, we're at about $12,889.
We're at about $12,889.
Does that include all the clothes and shoes, and hats?
-[faint chuckle] -No clothes or shoes.
[Mika] We didn't really want to spend more than, like, $10,000. So...
Is there anything we can modify to get it closer to that number?
One of the big cost drivers is always gonna be that island.
-[Mika] Mmm. -So, you need the countertop on top.
-Plus, you have a lot of drawer banks in there. -That's true.
-[Brian] Right. -So, if we can remove the island...
-[Brian] Yes. -...we can save a lot of money there.
Ooh. I want that island really bad.
[Brian] Hmm...
All right. [sighs]
What are we looking at now without the island?
[Barbara] Okay. So, without the island,
we are down to $9,451.
Can you show us the visual without the island?
Absolutely.
[Brian] Well, my only concern is,
it's just gonna look way too wide-open
in the middle of that closet, don't you think?
See? Look... Oh, look how big it's gonna be.
It's gonna be empty.
It just feels like something needs to go there.
I agree with you, but, for the cost savings,
I think we can come up with a solution, whether we do, like,
a piece of furniture or table, something.
-Yeah. -I think we can come up with something.
You're right. Uh, well, hey, let's place the order.
-Okay. Perfect. We've got you taken care of. -Thanks so much, Barbara.
-[Barbara] Thank you! -Thank you.
[Brian] We're making great progress on the interior.
Drywall is done,
and now we're installing the fireplace
that they're both excited for.
We should have Sally and MC home in a month.
Hey, did you get permission
to break into their storage units?
[Mika] Of course I got permission.
Dream closet needs to include an island.
-[Brian] Yes. -But unfortunately,
there is a such thing, called "a budget."
Ooh!
So, I do think that it would be great
if Sally and MC have something
-in the storage container that we could... -Yeah.
-...maybe repurpose into an island... -Mmm.
...for the closet.
[Brian] This... Hey, this clock's kind of cool.
[Mika, whining] Brian, "Mission Island." We gotta find--
[Brian] I gotta dig to get to something.
So, are you thinking, like, a dresser?
Like, how do you want to make an island?
[Mika] Uh... I would love to find either a dresser or a table.
[Brian] Chairs.
There's a big table back here.
[Mika] Good. delicate... [gasps, whispering] Brian!
-[Brian] Ooh. -Don't scratch it.
Hmm... Maybe if we put those together?
[Brian] This is kind of your idea?
I mean, in theory.
-Wait. -This is... it's way too small.
-It's... Yeah, it's not big enough. -This is
pretty big, whatever this is.
That looks like a work desk, though.
There's literally a treasure chest.
[Brian] I'm scared to see what's in here.
-[gasps] Oh, God! -[Mika] Oh, man...
[chortling]
[Brian] I thought it was an animal at first!
-It's just an animal print. -[laughing]
Check this out.
What about this vanity?
[Brian] You're talking about that for the island?
No, but this is like an antique kind of vanity.
She could put her jewelry in here.
I mean, it's... it's a really cool piece
that just needs to be refinished.
It just has some scratches,
a little couple little dents, but nothing we can't buffer out.
-[Brian] Yep. -And I absolutely think it will be great for them
to see that, right when they walk into that closet.
[Brian] Hey, we found some good stuff here.
[Mika] I love that lamp.
Keeping the clock.
[Mika] I'm a little bummed that we didn't find anything
for the closet island, but this is gonna be cool.
Oh, my goodness, everything is looking so good.
There's a lot happening today.
I mean, the weld guys are here.
We've got the tile guy.
-James is figuring out the fireplace. - [Mika] Huh.
[Brian] You've got some wallpaper samples for the closet.
-Oh, yeah! We got our... -[Brian] How's it going, buddy?
...fireplace happening. This fireplace
is supposed to be framed out. Like,
it's gonna have built-ins, floating shelves.
[James] From the original blueprint that I have,
it just shows this fireplace on the wall like this.
You know what? When we got the floor plan design,
we knew they wanted a fireplace.
But we didn't know the exact design aesthetic of it.
Sally and MC described what they actually want later in the process.
There's a lot of moving pieces in new construction.
And things change, and things get overlooked.
And, uh, the recessed fireplace happened to be one of those.
They want the built-ins.
They want the floating shelf.
-[Brian] Yeah. -They want a nice mantle.
So, we kind of have to frame it out.
The good news is, we do have plenty of space to come out
-into the room. -Yeah, we do. That's good.
[James] Building this out isn't gonna be a problem, but...
-[Mika] Okay. -...we've got this 60-inch fireplace.
We're gonna do built-ins on the side.
How... How wide are we talking for the built-ins?
-Like, 2 feet, maybe? -[Mika] Yeah, probably.
-I mean, it's going to be his usual storage. -So, we're gonna have to...
We're gonna probably have to get rid of the 60-inch fireplace,
and go to a more traditional, like, 40 square feet.
So we need a smaller fireplace,
build this out,
-and add the built-ins. -Mm-hmm.
The challenge is getting a fireplace in time.
We're getting really close to the reveal.
-So we need a smaller fireplace, build this out... -Mm-hmm.
-...and add the built-ins. -Mm-hmm.
Yeah. I mean, we are gonna have to kind of expedite,
-hopefully being able to get a new fireplace in time. -Oh, my gosh.
This is really a moment here.
And I think for Sally and MC to have that fireplace,
have that beautiful mantel to display,
it has to be right.
All right, James. Well, I appreciate you
pivoting in the middle of all this.
As soon as you install the wallpaper,
James and I are gonna come up and tell you
that you need to peel it off and do it all over again.
Forget about it. [laughs]
Man, this is a hard decision.
The wallpaper is a really inexpensive way
to dress up the design aesthetic.
Both of these kind of go well with the paint color.
And you're still talking about doing it
-on the ceiling, right? -Yeah.
Is it still called wallpaper
-if you put it on the ceiling? -Mmm.
Part of me likes how this has the warmer tone
and that blue is almost identical.
So it does tie in nicely.
I do like that. It matches this perfectly.
So this is our winner.
So we need to talk about this closet island.
So I didn't find anything that would work in the storage pod.
-There's a bunch of boxes, but there's not that many... -Yeah.
...big furniture pieces that we could use for the island.
However,
I bought two dressers within budget
in order to make this custom island
with all the storage for Sally and MC.
So these are the counters that are gonna be on top, Mika.
So this is our surface area--
So these two butt up with each other.
Should we look at 'em in the closet?
Yeah. Let's check this out.
Let's see. All right. So our island's gonna go right around here
in the center, right?
I'm trying to make shift this.
I mean, it's still gonna look good, but here's the problem.
We're gonna have a seam right down the middle.
[Mika clicks tongue] Yeah, I kinda hate that.
It just looks like we just put two dressers in the middle of the closet.
That's what we're doing.
I know. But it's not supposed to feel like that.
-It should feel like a custom island. -I know.
[Brian] What if we put a countertop on top of this?
That way, we tie the two dressers together.
You're not gonna see the seam.
What kind of countertop are we thinking?
Because the other problem is, we don't have any money.
I wish we could have afforded
the original island idea that we had.
But we can't afford not to have an island in this closet.
So, we're gonna have to figure something out.
We could do like a stained oak, almost like a butcher block.
A butcher block will be cool, but I feel like
I don't think it's gonna be possible
-to match this stain, so I probably should paint it. -No.
[Brian] Okay. No, I think this will work.
We're gonna make this real nice.
-All right, cool. -All right.
[Mika] Today that beautiful wallpaper is going up in the closet,
and I'm refinishing the vanity we found in the storage pod.
Step number one. We've got to sand it kind of lightly,
and then put on the primer, which is going to kind of fill in
any of those scratches, dents,
and then I'm gonna paint it.
Bam. It's gonna look beautiful.
-Ooh. All right, Brian. -All right. Here we go.
Right on that side. Thank you.
Perfect. Okay.
Oh my gosh, Brian,
one more day before we turn this inspiration board
-that Sally made decades ago, into a reality. -Yeah.
I'm just so happy we were able
to get this replacement insert in time
-because-- Whoo! -Yes.
That would have been really awkward
if we had an empty space right there.
[Brian] It looks really good.
And the cedar smells so good.
Okay. I'm not gonna sniff the post,
but I'll leave that up to you.
-[laughs] -Aah!
I think he's gonna feel right at home. They both are.
-Wouldn't you? -Yes, I would.
[Brian] You know, if there's any location
that we have to make sure that landscaping is perfect...
-Yeah? -It's Plant City.
Hey, Brian,
can I get your assistance
with uh, relocating the vanity upstairs?
Oh wait, hold on. Hold on.
Let me see those hands?
Okay, no, this is a freshly painted, refurbished vanity.
We need uh, clean hands.
So you're gonna go wash your hands.
You sound like my mom
-before dinner when I was a kid. -Mm-hmm.
-All right. -Okay.
-That's one small step for Mika... -Ay-yi-yi.
One giant leap for the vanity.
See, this works. You're not blocking the entry.
You can have a chair here, have enough space.
I'm gonna go ahead and say,
this is my favorite closet we have ever done.
Wow, that's a strong statement.
Sorry, other closets.
This island, I have to admit,
it turned out better than I thought it was going to.
-But now, seeing it with this top on it... -It works.
[Mika] I think that completes this side.
-[Mika] Okay! -[Brian] There we go!
-[Mika] Get 'er done, cowboy. -[Brian] Yee-haw.
[pleasant music playing]
Look at this happy couple.
About to be happier after they see their dream home.
So every reveal is always exciting for us.
But today's reveal is just monumental.
[Brian] I'm glad we're making these vision boards
a little bit more permanent in the house.
Perfect.
All right. They're almost here.
There's only one thing left to do,
and that's bring them home.
[Mika] I can't wait for them to see this.
You've waited a long time, darling.
30 years.
I can't believe this day is actually here.
I am so excited.
I know, you've been like a little kid
with ants in your pants.
[both chuckle]
Listen, you've got to smile when we go in there.
Sometimes you don't show your emotions,
and you've got to let them know how happy you are.
If you look at me right now, I'm smiling.
Well, you can't tell it by your face.
And I'm just as happy as...
a pig in slop, can't you tell?
I wonder what it looks like.
-I wonder-- No! -What, a pig in slop?
-The house! -[both laugh]
-[Brian] Here they come. -[Mika] Oh my goodness.
[gasps] Look at the house!
Oh, my gosh.
[gasps] Look at the house!
Oh, my gosh.
There they are.
[laughs] Hi!
-There's the visionary. -Howdy.
Look at it. Oh, my gosh. [laughs]
[MC] It's got a number on it, baby.
[Sally] It's beautiful. I love it.
That's just how I envisioned it.
[Brian] There you go.
Oh, my word.
[Mika] What about the metal roof accent?
[Sally] Makes it sophisticated.
-[Mika] Yes. -[Brian] Ooh.
-Sophisticated country. -Sophisticated country. That's right.
And then, I just love the columns. Ah!
-[MC] It seems like a dream. -[Mika] Aw.
[Brian] Well, you need to pinch her.
[both laugh]
-You ain't dreaming. -No, I wait till I get home.
Oh. Hey, you are home.
-[Mika] Yeah. -Oh, that's right.
[Mika] Oh man, I can't wait for y'all to see the inside.
-[Brian] You guys ready? All right. -[Sally] I'm ready.
No, I want you to go first.
[Brian] Oh, what a gentleman.
Oh, my word.
[gasps] Oh, wow.
-[MC] Is that fireplace Vernon? -[Sally] Yes, it's beautiful.
[Sally] Mika, Brian,
-it is absolutely breathtaking. -[MC] Yeah.
I can't believe I'm gonna live here.
-[MC] I'm not-- -[Mika] [laughs] Yes.
-I'm not a person without words very often, -[Sally and Mika laugh]
-and I'm without words right now. -[Brian] Yeah.
It's a long time coming. You get your house.
-But here it is, baby. -[Brian] Yeah.
-[Mika] Aw. -Here it is.
[Mika laughs softly in the background]
[Brian] Let's go explore it.
[Brian] MC, what do you think about
your blue island that you wanted?
I love it. Just-- it, it, just...
You don't know where to look, do you?
It just goes together, you know?
[Brian] Should we head down this hallway?
[Sally] Oh, yeah.
[Mika] We got more rooms to see on the first floor.
Oh, my word.
-[Brian] Where it all started. -[MC] I love it.
[Brian] My favorite part is "start living
-your dreams today," and guess what? -Yeah.
Today is finally here.
[Mika] That's right. [laughs]
-Today is here. -Mm-hmm.
[Mika] Even though you're recently retired, Sal,
you do not stand still.
-And you definitely stay busy. -No.
So we had to give you a pretty nice office.
You wanna go check it out?
Oh, wow.
-Wow, Look at these doors. -[MC] I love the doors.
[Mika] Go check it out.
-Oh, my... -I love those too.
[Mika] You get the look and it's more functional.
-Oh, wow! -[MC] What a novel idea, I like it.
-[Brian] Isn't that cool? -Yes. I'm gonna have my...
coffee machine and all my office supplies here.
That doesn't sound like somebody who's retired.
[laughs]
We actually have the main suite number one
-on the first floor. -Wow.
Look, and it's us.
[MC laughs]
Oh, look at that.
Oh, and look, you can go outside the doors.
You have, uh, also, en-suite bathroom.
Wow.
I love the shower.
-[Brian] Isn't that good? -Wow.
-Can we try it? -No.
[all laugh]
[Brian] I think we should go upstairs
to see main suite number two,
your present main suite.
Then there might be a present as well.
[Sally] Ooh.
[Brian] Onward and upward.
-[Sally] Wow. -[Mika laughs]
Oh, I love it.
Oh, my gosh. Wow!
Wow, there's our lamp.
-[Mika laughs] -[Brian] Yeah, you found it.
-[Mika] Right away. -That's my granny's lamp.
That's two generations.
[Mika] Oh, that's so cool.
Oh, my gosh, I love it.
This space. This is wonderful.
There you go. Time to see main en-suite number two.
Wow!
[MC] Ho, ho, ho!
-[Mika laughs] I like that laugh. -Wow.
[MC] That is a bathroom.
[Sally] Can I see the closet?
-[Brian] You wanna see the closet? -Yes.
I can't wait.
This is not only your dream closet,
but this is also
-our special project for you guys. -Oh.
-You ready? All right, let's do it. -Ooh.
[gasps]
My grandmother's dresser.
-Oh, my... -[Mika laughs]
-[Brian] Yes, ma'am. -[MC laughs]
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, I'm gonna cry.
[MC chuckles]
Oh, it's beautiful.
We can re-finish that for you.
-Oh, thank you so much. -You love it?
[laughs]
Oh...
You're welcome.
Oh, my gosh.
When I would go visit my grandmother,
I would sit at that dresser
and comb my hair and just be happy.
Oh, I love this.
When I saw that dresser,
I can't tell you what went through me.
It was like...
sitting at that dresser, combing my hair
and seeing the peacefulness
that I felt when I was with my grandmother.
Oh, my God. [gasps]
[Brian and Mika laugh]
Wow.
[Brian] Is that enough space for all your clothes?
-[MC] Ah. -[Sally] Wow.
Sally, this is your personal boutique.
This is true. This is true.
Oh, this is beautiful.
I love how the wallpaper matches the lights.
Oh, look at this.
-[Brian] That's your island. -Wow.
[Mika] Hey, we didn't forget about you, though, because hello,
I noticed in the camper
you had a special place for your hat?
-So we had to give you something-- -I was looking at that.
[Sally] Oh yes, he'll fill that up.
-[Sally] That's great. -[MC] I love it.
I love everything about it.
I just can't-- oh!
I'm so happy for you.
I-- I'll take a hug.
I'll take a hug. But hey,
there's still one more space we got to show you.
-[Mika] There is. -No way.
Let's take this party outdoors.
This is the great outdoors.
-[Brian] Oh! -[exclaims]
[Sally laughs]
I love it.
-[Brian] Yeah? -I love it.
[Mika] Go check it out.
[laughs]
Wow.
I can set that sucker up.
-[laughs] -Thank you, thank you,
-thank you. -You're welcome.
-[Brian] Exactly. -[Sally laughs]
[MC] You can be assured
that I will spend many hours out here.
This is where I'll have
-my coffee in the morning. -[Brian] Yeah?
-Or a cocktail in the evening. -That's right.
Might even snuggle out here a little bit.
-[Mika] Oh! -[both laugh]
Sounds like it's about time for us to leave.
I think y'all need that snuggle time.
Before you leave.
I'm gonna cry.
[all laugh]
Before you leave...
I wanna add something to the vision map.
[Mika] Ooh, all right.
[Brian] I'm trying to figure out what you forgot.
Let me hold it.
Our vision map is complete.
So we're gonna add this.
[Brian] Oh...
[Mika makes high pitched noise]
Thank you so much.
Oh, my goodness. And I don't ever cry.
Thank you so much for uh, sharing this with us.
Gosh. From this vision board,
we built this three bedroom, two and a half bath,
2800 square feet.
Kept it in your budget of $800,000.
Kept it in your time frame of a 100 days.
Even though I feel like
this dream home has been decades
-in the making. -Yeah. I would say so!
In the meantime, though, we're gonna let y'all enjoy this
and uh, get some of that snuggle time
-you mentioned. -Yeah, you mentioned cuddling. Thank you so much, guys.
-We'll be back soon, you guys. -Bye.
[inaudible conversation]
I expect just to rest and enjoy the views,
enjoy the breeze blowing across the porch.
I know I won't get to sit there long
-because this lady likes to do things. -[laughs]
[Sally] We both are very close to our families,
so for us to have a home that we can bring the families together,
now we have a place to make that happen.
Look at this.
Isn't it beautiful? [laughs]
And Grandma likes the dresser.
Samantha's gonna cry.
I am gonna cry.
Oh...
-We could have a party in the shower. -[Sally's family laughs]
Come on, let's dance.
But now it's time for us to make a new vision map
together as a couple.
And we have a beautiful new house to live in
while we do that.