Do You Think We'll Loook Good On The Silver Screen?

As some of you may know, Gregg and I have been pursuing our fifteen minutes of fame by way of the Do It Yourself (DIY) Network. After submitting the equivalent of a college admission application - ya it was like ten pages long, we got selected to audition for the pilot episode of a new show.

 The casting agent at Nancy Glass Productions scheduled a Friday house visit after I explained I work out of state Monday-Thursday - "yes really, every week I am gone Mon-Thurs." Even though the casting agent assured me they only cared about the project room, our house was a mess from the latest construction debacles, so I flew back a day early so I could clean/prep the house.

On the day of the interview, we met Semara who while petite, yielded a massive video camera with ease. After walking her through the house, all 5 floors with special time spent in the attic, and answering a few questions she put us on camera. We were asked questions about our past experiences and we chatted about the good, the bad an the ugly. At this point I should mention it wasn't so much us chatting as it was Gregg stealing the show. He was brilliant!  As soon as he saw the red recoding light of the camera, he became animated and told our trials tribulations with humor that had her laughing as she video taped (one story included him stating our plumbing looked like monkey bars and another mentioned that Ray Charles must have done the measurements). After almost two full hours on camera, she left and told us we'd hear something in the next two weeks. She also mentioned she had or was planning to interview a total of fifteen others! So it came as quite a surpise when only a few days later we got the following email:

I hope you are doing great! So good news...while a final decision has not been reached just yet...they loved you on camera! I would like to set something up to come out to your home so that one of our contractors can look at your attic. The casting producer will also be coming out as well...

We set a date for the follow up visit but at this point, Gregg had some mixed emotions. We had heard that the work done on television shows glorifying the renovation process could be sub par and rushed to make filming deadlines, we had just wrapped up the majority of our first year projects and were excited for some downtime, and we weren't sure if it would be financially feasible to take on another large project.

 After we met again with Semara, Michael - the producer, and the general contractor, we felt a lot better about the process. The contractor knew his stuff and had great ideas. The producer let us in on behind the scenes TV secrets and they expertly drew out the room in great detail and listed out each project requirement. We shared that with contractors it has been either a love or hate relationship but with those we love, we end up going out on the town for dinner or drinks - the contractor replied that's a requirement for him :)

In the week following their last visit, we got a copy of the pitch. This was created by the production company for the executives at DIY to showcase what the show would be about. Since we would be the pilot, it's all about us. Try not to laugh too hard because as Michael warned me, it's television, you have to be dramatic! *note the shout out to my blog as well!!!*

Greg Morhmann and Rachel Walker

   Philadelphia, PA

Attic Restoration

Greg and Rachel are extremely passionate about restoring their old home, built in 1892, to its past glory – even going as far as writing a blog about their experience.  One they wish they did not have to write about, or be subjected to, is hiring contractors.  After interviewing five different plumbers, their top choice was never on time, did not pull permits and tried to sneak in a cheaper water heater behind their backs.  On the flip side, another contractor told Greg he was on a list of two people in 25 years he would never work with again.  Greg and Rachel concede their yell and scream approach may need to be toned down. But when a home renovation this big is on the line, old habits could be hard to break.

The Room:

 
 

The Job:

• Convert attic into a guest bedroom
• Finish the bathroom
• Create movie room and/or library
• Install new hardwood flooring
• Restore historical elements

1.    Re-point red brick wall

2.    Refinish Douglas Fir beams

3.    Restore old gas lamp

The attic is not only old, it’s big - 1000 square feet big.  Already this couple  has fought “texting wars” and screaming matches with contractors to get the bathroom roughed-in, windows replaced and heat and AC hooked up.  Now they’re ready for the next battle, finishing the attic to make it a livable space.  They hope to find a trustworthy contractor who can finish the job on time and in budget while maintaining historical elements.