EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION:
BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE MARSHALL FAMILY



I knew I was in for an exciting build when the EMHE bus rolled into Lyme, New Hampshire to help the Marshall family. We needed to get Jay and Elena and their eight kids out of their moldy, crumbling home. The house wasn’t good for anyone’s health, particularly son Cameron who was battling leukemia.

My new photo gallery from this episode features a cool sequence from the first day when we surprised the family. It really captures the emotion of the morning. I’ve also got great shots of the amazing skateboarders and BMX’ers who us helped demolish the old home in a style the Marshalls - or any of us - will never forget.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE STOTT FAMILY



The Stott family had been through a lot when the EMHE team arrived in Lena, Illinois. Mother and wife Joey had endured chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with leukemia. Then, their home was damaged by fire and the family of five was forced to live in a small trailer with mold and mildew that threatened Joey’s weakened immune system.

A new home was literally a lifesaver and my special project was a nature-themed master bedroom. Check out the photo gallery below to see the story of how celebrity guest actor David Duchovny and I incorporated elements from the Stott family farm to create a colorful, relaxing room for the couple to enjoy.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE MATTINGLY FAMILY



When I met Melissa Mattingly, from Davis County, Kentucky, she told me about the day she was the first responder for her husband Steve's car accident. Not only was she a witness of the awful accident, her two daughters were riding with her and saw it from the backseat. The wreck left Steve with memory loss, migraines and limited mobility.

With Steve unable to work, Melissa had to figure out a way to provide for the family and take care of the kids, so she became a massage therapist. My special project for this episode was to create a massage therapy room so Melissa wouldn’t have to commute anymore and her clients could come right to the house. With the help of our celebrity guest, country musician Clint Black, the EMHE team was able to build a beautiful new home that fit the family’s needs.

Check out the photo gallery below to see the story of how I used elements from the Mattingly’s property to personalize the massage therapy room and create a relaxing, natural environment for Melissa.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE LUCAS FAMILY



Michael Lucas had a dream. As a National Guardsman devoted to preserving landmarks in his native Virginia, he wanted to build a home similar to the one that originally stood on his property, a former Civil War battlefield in Rice, Virginia.

But Michael had barely laid the foundation for his version of the historic 1860s Chatham house, when he was called to serve in Iraq, leaving behind his wife, Jean, and their sons, Michael Henry and Joseph Nathan. He put his family and his house on hold to go fight for his country.

The EMHE team wanted to build him a house to come home to and thankfully, we were able to bring Michael home from Iraq so he could enjoy the surprise with his family. My special project for this episode was the Lucas’ master bedroom and my design was inspired by Michael’s love of history and the Civil War.

Check out the photo gallery below to see how this bedroom came together.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE USEA FAMILY



Even emergency responders like volunteer firefighter Brad Usea weren’t exempt from the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Not only did his Westwego, LA home that he shared with his wife, Laura, and two daughters suffer more than $15,000 worth of damage, his mom’s home was completely destroyed. Plus his mom’s house was also where Brad’s older bothers, twins Chris and Chad, lived.

So, Brad and Laura opened up their home to their extended family. That meant five adults and two kids were packed into the Usea’s wreck of a house. With Grandma Grace sharing daughter Abby’s room, Chad sleeping on the living room couch, and Chris living in a bedroom later torn apart by tornadoes in 2007.

The EMHE team decided to help the Useas because they were a family dedicated to saving others who were still struggling to put their own life back together. My special project for this episode was the twin brothers’ attached apartment, including the living room, where I wanted to create the ultimate bachelor pad for these dudes who love the outdoors.

Check out the photo gallery below to see how this living room came together.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE JACKSON FAMILY



Fortunate to be taken in by a loving family as foster kids, Felicia Jackson and her younger sister Cassandra made a pact that if anything ever happened to either of them, the other would take care of her kids. When Cassandra died unexpectedly of cervical cancer, Felicia made good on her promise, and in addition to her four kids, she became mom to her 10 nieces and nephews.

After Felicia lost her job as a security guard, the Poolsville, Maryland, community rallied and donated a house for the family to live in. But with no kitchen, electricity, heat or plumbing, the family had to relocate to a nearby hotel, where they camped out in several rooms.

That’s when the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team came to the rescue, tearing down the old house and replacing it with a traditional-style brick residence. My special project for this episode was an elegant master bedroom I designed to celebrate the devoted single mother of 14.

Check out the photo gallery below to see how their bedroom came together.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE RAY-SMITH FAMILY



Haunted houses may be fun to read about, but living in one is another story. Just ask the Ray-Smith family of Milbridge, Maine. Ron Smith and Brittany Ray lived with their three kids in a 100-year-old house in which they say Brittany’s ancestors – particularly great-great-granddad Augustus – still rumbled around.
 
But, the place was also falling apart. Besides sliding off its foundation, it had a leaky roof, no insulation, and faulty wiring. There was little money for repairs due to medical bills because Ron and kids Bayley and JoJo all have hyperlipidemia, a dangerous high-cholesterol condition that can lead to heart disease.
 
Before the EMHE team could get started on a new place, however, I had to make friends with the ghosts. We brought in a medium and Augustus OK’d the job as long as we used some of the wood from the old house! The master bedroom for parents Ron and Brittany was my special project for this show and the ghost story actually helped inspire my design. Check out the photo gallery below to see how their bedroom came together.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE LATIF FAMILY



Ju-Juanna Latif knows the importance of home. As a high school dropout and single mom, she wound up living in a shelter. While there, Ju-Juanna got the training that paved the way for her GED, college degree and career as a social worker. When I met her, she was living with adopted grandmother, Rose Chapman, and her children Antonio, Aarron, Ju-Juanna and James.

Their house in Wilmington, Delaware, was in bad shape with a leaky roof, missing windows and no accessibility for 10-year-old son James who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Between work and taking care of her children – including carrying James up and down the stairs - I felt like Ju-Juanna literally had the weight of her family on her shoulders.

Ju-Juanna’s bedroom was my special project for this show and I wanted to give her a space that was elegant yet totally personal. I chose to make a poem Ju-Juanna had written about her kids called "Prized Possessions" the centerpiece of my design. Check out the photo gallery below to see how this cool bedroom came together.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE MARERRO FAMILY



Victor Marerro was a single father trying to keep his five sons away from the drugs and crime in their New Jersey neighborhood. To keep them safe, he’d keep them inside, renting movies and playing games.

That was the inspiration for my special project on this show. I designed a lounge where the family can hang out, relax, and have fun. I called it the lion’s den and it was part of the new home we built for the family in the town of Pensauken, New Jersey. Check out the photo gallery below to see how this colorful entertainment room came together. It’s like a boys club because that’s what Victor was trying to create.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: THE ANDERS FAMILY



One of our most memorable shows involved the Anders family from Richland Center, Wisconsin. Shelley Anders was a fantastic and devoted first grade teacher whose husband died suddenly. She was left to care for her four kids and her crumbling 80-year old house.

The house, which Shelley and her husband were trying to fix up before he died, was in terrible shape: a faulty furnace, leaky roof, peeling siding, animals nested in water-damaged walls. The EMHE crew replaced it with a beautiful farmhouse-style home. Shelley’s master bedroom was my special project for that week. See some great photos in the gallery below of how we transformed Shelley’s bedroom!