When your remodel airs on national TV: Area homeowners share HGTV experience

Remodeling a house can be overwhelming enough — but several Sioux Falls-area homeowners went through the experience on national television in recent weeks. And, more will be following.

“Down Home Fab,” the HGTV series starring Sioux Falls-area residents Chelsea and Cole DeBoer, has been renewed for a second season. That means eight more episodes are planned to follow the six that just finished airing.

The company producing the show, RTR Media, is looking for new Sioux Falls homeowners to participate next season.

“We knew a little bit before everyone that they were going to do this,” said Landon Blow, a longtime friend and co-owner of The Factory Salon + Studio in downtown Sioux Falls who appeared in Season One. “And she (Chelsea) kind of just reached out and was like, ‘Would you guys be willing to do something like that?’ We’ve done a lot to our house, but she knew we wanted to redo our kitchen, and she sent us the form to fill out, and we did a Skype interview, and it just kind of snowballed after that.”

Blow and DeBoer met when she worked at Year Round Brown and he would tan there. He became her stylist, “and one thing led to another, and we started hanging out, and I would do ‘Teen Mom’ stuff with them, and her and Cole started dating when Tyler and I first started dating,” he said.

1920s renovation

He and Tyler Jacobsen first rented their home east of downtown in the Terry Redlin Elementary neighborhood and bought it seven years ago. Built in the 1920s, the home’s kitchen and living space were the focus of the renovation. The couple moved out for eight weeks during the renovation.

“We definitely trusted their ideas and vision,” he said. “That was the fun of it too. We have pretty similar styles, and we had to create a vision board of things we liked and didn’t. But at the end, we really just wanted them to have fun with it, and we gave them full rein. We wanted them to go wild and have fun, and we knew they would deliver for us.”

Here’s a look at some of the before-and-after images of their home.

“The reaction of us with our eyes opening was literally the first time,” Blow said. “They had picked us up from The Factory, and we were both so nervous trying to envision what it would look like. But the crew was so awesome and would really ease our anxiousness, so it wasn’t overwhelming.”

Because a wall was removed, at first it was hard to even know where he was, Blow said.

“Since we had the house, I wanted the wall gone,” he said. “You can try and envision it, but all together it was just like wow. The flooring was so cool to see. There are so many points that draw your eyes to features. The wallpaper is iconic, and it was so us. There were so many parts they really put their heart into. My logo has a skull, and little details like that that didn’t make it onto the show made it much more special for us.”

He also was excited to see his business on national TV and to watch his friends’ success.

“It was so cool,” he said. “I had done her hair before they announced (the second season), and she walked in and was so excited because they had just told her they got a new season, and to see her excitement made me emotional all over again. I feel like the show does portray them in such a good light because I feel like that is genuinely who they are. They are so fun together, and they truly do have such cool perspective in this design industry, and their hearts are just so into it.”

Realtor’s renovation

Sioux Falls-area Realtor Jenny Downey and her husband, Neil, had to Google the DeBoers when they were going through the “Down Home Fab” application process.

“We didn’t know who they were when we applied … as we had never seen ‘Teen Mom,'” Downey said. “Somehow knowing they had grown up around here helped us feel like they are just a normal Midwest family like us. I believe that removed some of the initial nerves we might have had about trusting strangers to spend our renovation budget and make decisions for us.”

While the DeBoers listened to the Downeys preferences and learned about their lifestyle, Jenny also gave them “the green light … to make bold choices,” she said. “They still kept it all tasteful and in step with our style.”

Helpfully, the couple had just purchased a rental property in Brandon, which became their home for the 10-week renovation and allowed for some repurposing of cabinets and granite counters from their primary home.

“Learning the behind-the-scenes process from start to finish was interesting. From the casting company to the production crew, the contractors and subs, and the celebrity talent, we got to interact with them all,” Downey said. “Everyone was professional and respectful. We felt we had ample opportunity to ask questions and get clarity before moving forward. I appreciated the communication before, during and after the project.”

At the same time, all wasn’t totally smooth at home. The rental home also was being renovated and had no working shower or sink, so they drove to GreatLIFE to shower. The timing overlapped with their sons’ high school and college graduations.

“If you asked our kiddos, I’m not sure they would say they’d do it all over again,” she said. “But Neil and I felt like the rewards were worth the risk.”

Here’s a look at their before-and-after remodel.

“Trusting others to design and renovate our home ended up being a huge win,” Downey said. “There is no way we would have tackled projects of that scope on our own nor got them done in that quick time frame. Sure, I might have removed wallpaper and replaced carpet, maybe even painted my cabinets, eventually. We were enjoying and using our home the way it was. But now, it feels so much more open, bright and inviting.”

She now has three big new features: a mudroom, pantry and large island. One part that didn’t make the episode was a hit too: Her wood floor was sanded and refinished for a freshened but budget-friendly look.

“The renovations accomplished huge improvements in aesthetics, structure and function,” she said. “We had confidence those changes were being done with the guidance of trusted professionals who knew what they were doing since they partnered with Pride Built Homes. The work was quality.”

Her hope also was to honor the original owners who built the house in 1982 and the family who sold it to them two years ago, she said.

“I hope we accomplished that. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback and awe over the way it turned out,” she said. “People have had a lot of questions, and that’s probably to be expected. Not everyone agreed with our decision to paint woodwork, but at the end of the day it turned out amazing. Many people are surprised to learn we didn’t receive the staged furniture as part of the project. That was a sad day to say goodbye to all that gorgeous stuff, but it didn’t fit our budget, ultimately. It gave me great inspiration, though, for how to decorate the new space.”

And — just keeping it real — she also discovered something else about reality TV.

“I learned right away to stay away from the comments on the reels the DeBoers and HGTV share,” she said. “People can be cruel in their comments. Most of it is positive and complimentary, but the occasional troll feels the need to disparage. I stopped reading those!”

What to know

Thinking of putting your own home renovation story on national TV? Here’s what producers shared about the process:

• Homeowners must need a home renovation for three to four spaces.
• The existing budget must be at least $75,000.
• Homeowners must live within a 40-minute radius of Sioux Falls.

Click here for the application for Season Two.

Click below for details on the renewal of “Down Home Fab.”

Sioux Falls-based HGTV show fast-tracked to second season