This July, we were thrilled to be filmed for a new reality renovation show, Fix It and Finish It, hosted by Antonio Sabato Jr. on Fox. You may remember Antonio from Calvin
Klein ads, on General Hospital or as Heather Locklear's abusive
ex-husband on Melrose Place. He is currently crushing the competition on Dancing With The Stars! Antonio and his crew were welcoming, kind and wonderful to work with. They kept a grueling schedule, traveling all over the country, and managed to remain upbeat and professional. The crew worked so hard on every detail to make a very long day run like clockwork.
We were asked to participate in Fix It & Finish It with Slate Barganier Builders and had just 24 HOURS (!) to design and source before filming the project. We would have loved to have added some custom design elements and upholstery if we had more planning time, but we ended up being very pleased with the end result for such a short lead time. Our episode, "Deck Disaster" featured an unstable and unsightly deck attached to an adorable historic home. With their first child on the way, the owners were concerned about the safety of the deck and avoided spending time on it. That's where Fix It and Finish It came in!
The day of filming was very long. We met up with Antonio, the producers, crew and builders at 5:30 am in a parking near the project. Once everyone had their microphones, we went in a caravan to the home and waited for Antonio to surprise the homeowners. Once they knew their project had been selected, it was full steam ahead! Everyone got started right away and we had the chance to explain our design plan to the homeowners. Filming was nerve wracking but we settled into it throughout the day. Each scene took several takes and we learned a lot about the magic of television.
After Slate Barganier and their huge crew worked their magic of tearing down and completely rebuilding the deck in record time, Parrish Watson Design brought in furnishings, plants and accessories to complete the space. There was a lot of downtime on the set and, after our parts were completed, we were done at 8:30 pm. We never did get used to being hooked up to a microphone all day long!
We prepared a DIY project for the homeowners to participate in but kept the ultimate application a secret until the final reveal. Parrish Watson Design loves the look of antiqued mirror but the cost can be prohibitive, even for small applications. We found a great pair of iron table bases and wanted to add character to the tops by making our own antiqued glass. We ordered two glass tops with sanded edges for about $40 from our local glass supplier and picked up Looking Glass spray from our local craft store. Follow these instructions from Little Green Notebook for a step by step tutorial on how to achieve a $250 look for a fraction of the cost!
We wanted to make the new deck stylish and private but functional. We added a cozy outdoor rug for a spot to play with the baby, comfortable chairs for lounging and plenty of spots to serve guests. By using a mirror and sconces on the back wall, the deck feels like an interior living space but the all-weather sail shade provides protection from the elements so the space can be used all year. We selected low maintenance plants like succulents and added lemongrass for its natural mosquito-repelling properties.
We were asked to participate in Fix It & Finish It with Slate Barganier Builders and had just 24 HOURS (!) to design and source before filming the project. We would have loved to have added some custom design elements and upholstery if we had more planning time, but we ended up being very pleased with the end result for such a short lead time. Our episode, "Deck Disaster" featured an unstable and unsightly deck attached to an adorable historic home. With their first child on the way, the owners were concerned about the safety of the deck and avoided spending time on it. That's where Fix It and Finish It came in!
The day of filming was very long. We met up with Antonio, the producers, crew and builders at 5:30 am in a parking near the project. Once everyone had their microphones, we went in a caravan to the home and waited for Antonio to surprise the homeowners. Once they knew their project had been selected, it was full steam ahead! Everyone got started right away and we had the chance to explain our design plan to the homeowners. Filming was nerve wracking but we settled into it throughout the day. Each scene took several takes and we learned a lot about the magic of television.
After Slate Barganier and their huge crew worked their magic of tearing down and completely rebuilding the deck in record time, Parrish Watson Design brought in furnishings, plants and accessories to complete the space. There was a lot of downtime on the set and, after our parts were completed, we were done at 8:30 pm. We never did get used to being hooked up to a microphone all day long!
We prepared a DIY project for the homeowners to participate in but kept the ultimate application a secret until the final reveal. Parrish Watson Design loves the look of antiqued mirror but the cost can be prohibitive, even for small applications. We found a great pair of iron table bases and wanted to add character to the tops by making our own antiqued glass. We ordered two glass tops with sanded edges for about $40 from our local glass supplier and picked up Looking Glass spray from our local craft store. Follow these instructions from Little Green Notebook for a step by step tutorial on how to achieve a $250 look for a fraction of the cost!
We wanted to make the new deck stylish and private but functional. We added a cozy outdoor rug for a spot to play with the baby, comfortable chairs for lounging and plenty of spots to serve guests. By using a mirror and sconces on the back wall, the deck feels like an interior living space but the all-weather sail shade provides protection from the elements so the space can be used all year. We selected low maintenance plants like succulents and added lemongrass for its natural mosquito-repelling properties.
(Here are the antiqued mirror panels used as tabletops!)
The episode aired on October 7, 2014 but you can watch more episodes of Fix It & Finish It on these dates and times on your local Fox station: http://www.fixitandfinish.com/tune-in
We extend sincere thanks to some very generous vendors who helped us pull our design together at the last minute! Southeastern Salvage, Garden Ridge Pottery, Jon Culver at Sweet Peas Garden Shop and Cobbie Llewellyn extended discounts and assistance to us that were vital to our project.
