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Private Notes
Nicole Curtis takes on a run-down, 1902 Victorian-style home. When her contractor walks off the job, she manages to keep up the renovation work on her own, but falls behind schedule. In need of cash, she goes after an investor. To win him over, she transforms the bathroom, laying every tile herself and designing and constructing a beautiful vanity from an estate sale find.
Frustrated by unreliable workers and shoddy work, Nicole Curtis turns for help to her brother and cousin, both skilled carpenters. Together the family tackles the second floor, working miracles with salvaged wood to add detailed trim and repair the rotting entryway floor.
In the home stretch, Nicole Curtis takes on major design challenge - the awkward, old kitchen. While custom cabinets would solve her design problem, they'd break her budget. So, Nicole hits the salvage yard and finds old cabinets she intends to rebuild. Tensions rise as creative minds clash when Nicole works with her brother and cousin to transform the cramped kitchen. Finally, work is completed and Nicole can put the Lyndale house on the market.
Cash flow and contractor problems have caused serious delays, but with the Lyndale house finally on the market, Nicole Curtis tackles the Minnehaha house head on. To start a buzz in the neighborhood, she first creates curb appeal with ambitious landscaping, painting and concrete work. The Minnesota winter is fast approaching and she wants the house to shine before the snow falls. The massive neighborhood eyesore is transformed into an elegant landscape with new sod, brick-lined walkways, trimmed trees, manicured flowerbeds and new window boxes. Plus, a fresh coat of paint returns the home to its original color scheme.
When the lights finally go on and the water flows, the walls go up throughout the house and Nicole completes her entryway restoration.
The upstairs guest bathroom & main-floor powder room are in horrible shape. But underneath the grime is valuable ceramic tile, antique fixtures & unique character you just can't buy. Nicole is determined to save everything she can.
For a year and half, Nicole Curtis has been painstakingly restoring a 1916 mansion. Her plan is to build out the dark, dingy, old cellar, creating new living space that adds nearly 1,000 square feet to the home.
Every old house has its quirks, and for Nicole Curtis' grand Minneapolis mansion, it's the garage.
Nicole Curtis - the tough-talking, hard-working entrepreneur - indulges her most glamorous fantasy in the master suite.
One of the great old features of Nicole Curtis' big house in Minneapolis is the dining room.
Going on year two, Nicole Curtis tackles the most important room in the house - the kitchen. She restores her favorite existing feature - the stunning marble tile floors.
Nicole painstakingly paints the border around her favorite feature in the house - that amazing living room fireplace.
Nicole puts the finishing touches on the mansion and hosts an open house, at which her neighbors weigh-in on the renovations.
While waiting for the Minnehaha house to sell, Nicole is hired by one of her clients to rehab his cluttered, compact kitchen into a useable, restored space for he and his family.
Nicole takes on another design project while waiting for the Minnehaha house to sell.
Two of interior designer Nicole Curtis' clients, Adam and Rachael, hire her to fully restore their newly purchased 1920s house. The couple is getting married and needs to move into the home in a month, so Nicole must work faster than ever to complete everything on time. First, she tackles the front entry and yard, adding some curb appeal to this episode of Rehab Addict.
Continuing her restoration of Adam and Rachael's home, interior designer Nicole Curtis moves her attention to the living room, where she must restore the beat-up hardwood floors and replace a set of built- ins that were torn out over the years. Nicole also takes a look at an unusual way to expand one of the small bedrooms and ends this episode of Rehab Addict by heading downtown to a tax auction, hoping to bid on her next big project.
Turning her attention to Adam and Rachael's bathroom, Nicole deals with the many problems that creep up while working with tile in an old house. When she hits a snag, Nicole must think on her feet and figure out a way to make her fixtures fit in the small space. As her deadline approaches and working hours get longer, Nicole begins feeling guilty for not spending more time with her son Ethan.
In this episode of Rehab Addict, interior designer Nicole Curtis is under the gun to finish Adam and Rachael's kitchen renovation while the two are away on their honeymoon. After tearing down the walls, Nicole discovers some cool hidden details but also some plumbing problems that throw a wrench in things. Nicole scrambles to finish everything on time, while hoping that Adam and Rachael will be happy with their new home.
With the Minnehaha house still on the market, Nicole Curtis decides to put her own house up for sale in hopes that it'll sell faster. Beforehand, she gives her garage a much needed makeover and removes asbestos from her basement.
Preparing to put her house up for sale, Nicole Curtis turns her attention to the cluttered basement and devises a plan to update it while also keeping the unfinished, industrial feel it would have had when the house was built.
When a hundred-year-old Victorian home that Nicole Curtis wants to renovate sells to other buyers, she convinces them to let her be involved as they work to get it back on the market.
With the exterior of the Harriet Project completely restored, interior designer Nicole Curtis and the guys move inside and begin demolition to prepare for pluming and electrical work in this episode of Rehab Addict. Focusing on the upper unit's bathroom, Nicole uncovers a hidden clawfoot tub that she falls in love with and must restore.
Nicole searches for a set of salvaged cabinets to use in the Harriet Project's upper unit kitchen. With her own house still up for sale, Nicole visits the historical society to see if she can discover any new information about the property. Meanwhile, the homeowners of the Harriet Project make a decision that Nicole doesn't agree with.
Nicole repairs the hardwood floors in both living rooms of the Harriet Project and searches for replica tile to begin restoring a fireplace in the downstairs unit. With the crumbling plaster walls replaced, the front entryway is ready for a grand transformation. Nicole's son Ethan gets a babysitting job.
With only a few weeks left to finish the Harriet Project, Nicole and the homeowners divide and conquer to complete the lower unit's living room and kitchen. Nicole visits a local high school shop class to work on a raditator cover for the living room. As the project nears completion, Nicole receives news on the Minnehaha house.
Having sold her Minnehaha house, Nicole is ready for her next big property. After discovering a house she can purchase for $1 in an historic neighborhood in desperate need of help, she sets out on her most ambitious project yet. While waiting to cut through the red tape on the Dollar House Project, Nicole tackles her friend's horribly small bathroom.
With the Dollar House project an official 'Go', Nicole's first project is a major one: lifting the house to fix the crumbling foundation. Even though this means the brick chimney has to go, Nicole finds a way to reuse the old brick and begins to add a little character back into the living room.
Moving to the interior of the Dollar House, Nicole demo's her heart out and focuses on the disgusting kitchen space and adding a half bathroom to the first floor (evicting a few pigeons along the way). Once the new space is framed out, everything seems to be falling into place? until the water is turned on and Nicole finds out she has some leaky pipes.
Restoring the first floor of the Dollar House continues as host and interior designer Nicole Curtis uncovers hardwood floors throughout the living and dining room areas. The dining room hutch is still intact, but there's a whole new fireplace mantle to build. Nicole also takes on a DIY project to prove that a pile of scrap wood can become a thing of beauty.
Heading up to the second floor, Nicole takes on the bathroom, one of the house's dirtiest and grimiest rooms. She brings it down to the studs, adding clean lines with white subway tile and re-purposes an old dresser into one of her signature vanities. Since the house was lifted, the front porch has been floating in space, so Nicole tears it down to begin rebuilding a new one, giving the house an inviting and classic look.
Ever closer to finishing up the interior of the Dollar House, Nicole works in the bedrooms to put up all new walls and ceilings as well as remove the black and white linoleum flooring and patch up a burn mark in the hardwood. The staircase needs attention as well, so Nicole repairs some broken treads and comes up with a cool idea for how to turn an odd space into a storage closet.
Moving back outside, Nicole begins to clean up all the debris from the yard and comes up with a plan to use salvaged materials from the house to create a cute little back yard area. For the front entryway, Nicole exposes hardwood floors and dumpster dives in her own dumpster to find a light she can use.
All that's left to finish on the Dollar House is the exterior. The whole house needs the cedar shakes repaired and the fascia covered in aluminum for protection. As Nicole looks to the neighboring houses for inspiration as she finishes the front porch, she must also make a decision on what color to paint the house.
Working in St. Paul for the first time, Nicole finds another house in an up and coming neighborhood that needs her attention. Fighting the onset of colder weather, she must first tackle an exterior makeover, figuring out how to clean up the front yard and replace the icky yellow and brown paint job. Inside, she begins the difficult task of cleaning out all the left over junk so the plumbers and electrician can get started.
Nicole begins work on the interior of the Case Ave house and is faced with a living and dining room full of gorgeous woodwork and original pocket doors that have been painted over the years. It'll take hours and hours of sanding and stripping, but Nicole just can't leave them the way she found them. Once she sets her mind to something, there's no stopping her.
Nicole takes the dark and dim front entryway and opens it up, removing soffits, repairing original stained glass windows, and hunting for salvaged parts to rebuild the fabulous staircase. She must also find a way to repair the front porch floorboards to keep them from falling off the foundation.
The bedrooms and bathroom on the second floor desperately need Nicole's attention. She must deal with water-damaged walls, old carpet and vinyl covering the hardwood, and a tiny, dirty bathroom that needs an updated shower. Nicole saves as many original fixtures as she can and proves that there's plenty you can do to turn a space around without buying new.
The Case Ave house is almost complete, and Nicole has saved the most difficult task for last - figuring out a functional layout for the cramped kitchen. To save the original cabinets, she must get creative in order to find a way to make them fit with modern appliances. With a few left over pieces from around the house, Nicole finds new ways to repurpose them in the basement.
Nicole is on a mission to save vacant homes from the wrecking ball and her latest project is taking on a boarded up and previously condemned home from the late 1880s. The basement is full of structural issues, from rotten support beams and a crumbling concrete floor to the need for a new staircase that meets building code. Also on Nicole's list is turning the tiny first floor bathroom into a spacious powder room.
Turning her attention to the kitchen, Nicole must get creative and figure out how to update and reuse stock cabinets that were in the house, turn old doors into new counter tops, and repair the pine sub-floor that she's obsessed with keeping. She must also part with a previous project after it's sold to a new owner.
Turning a duplex back into a single-family home isn't always easy, but that's just what Nicole wants to do. Working to return the living and dining rooms to their original layout, she must first figure out where doorways have been closed off and ceilings dropped. Plus, there's a gorgeous stained glass window at the front of the house that will completely change people's perception of the property once it's fixed.
Working to create a master suite upstairs, Nicole tries to figure out a way to incorporate the old kitchen pantry into a new master bathroom. Changing the floor plan can wreck havoc on original hardwood floors, but Nicole hasn't found a floor yet that she can't save. With a majority of the home's windows left broken from when it was abandoned, Nicole must track down the manufacturer to order replacement parts.
Nicole doesn't have much to work with in the back yard, but she's making the best with what she's got. Lifting up the garage to pour a new foundation beats the cost of building a new one from scratch. This house also needs a new roof, which is a first for Nicole on a project. Nicole picks a unique color to help make the house stand out in the neighborhood.
With work on the 4th Street house nearly complete, Nicole continues to fix up the neglected exterior. The decorative fish scales and siding need repair and the whole house deserves a fresh coat of paint. In order to give this house a second chance in the neighborhood, Nicole must also add some curb appeal by building a fence and taming the wild lawn.
Helping out a sick friend, Nicole takes on a basement restoration project and does her best to use as much scrap wood and materials as she possibly can. The foundation has structural issues that she must first repair and she also has plans to create a full bathroom using the extra space in the basement.
Nicole heads to her hometown of Detroit, Michigan to save a 1920's home that has been vacant since a fire in the house next door left it severely damaged. Nicole works with the city to clear the fire damaged house from the lot next to hers as well as cut through the jungle that is the back yard. There's a lot to fix on the interior, but first Nicole must come up with a plan of attack
Work continues on Nicole's project in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The 1920s duplex lower unit's kitchen and bathroom need a lot of work, and fire damage isn't the only thing causing problems. The main plumbing stack that runs between both rooms has a huge crack in it, causing years of water damage that has the wall crumbling at the touch. A room off the back of the kitchen seems to have no purpose until Nicole comes up with the idea to turn it into a home office.
Tired of the house being an eyesore in the neighborhood, Nicole must remove all the debris left over from demolishing the burnt out house on the lot next door. Nicole tackles the exterior fire damaged areas by replacing the shakes siding and painting it to match the original color. The whole neighborhood comes out to help Nicole with clearing nearby lots of garbage and overgrown weeds.
A majority of the fire damage to the Detroit house was on the second floor and Nicole takes on rehabbing the upper unit's kitchen and bathroom. Even though she has to retile the bathtub area, Nicole is able to save an original medicine chest in the bathroom. A visit to her grandparent's home reminds Nicole where her passion comes from.
Nicole works to finish up the lower level apartment by ripping up the stinky old carpet in the living and dining rooms, exposing hardwood floors she knows she can easily repair. After a visit to a local preservation group, Nicole meets up with an expert who helps her repair the original lead glass windows.
In the home stretch on her project in Detroit, Nicole must finish up the upper apartment, which is the area the fire damaged the most. She works hard to save the plaster ceiling medallion in the dining room and replaces charred window frames. The community comes together to build an urban garden.
Working to restore a 1920's bungalow, Nicole must tackle a ton of brickwork, including the need to rebuild the front steps after years of water damage have pulled them away from the front of the house. The decorative planter boxes have fallen apart over the years and pretty much need to be rebuilt from scratch. The roof is also in desperate need of repair, as a giant hole has allowed water to damage the integrity of the interior walls.
In her 1920s bungalow, the previous owner had begun work on a master suite in the home's attic space. Nicole picks up where they left off, adding insulation and a unique open bathroom. Ever on the lookout for pieces to rehab, Nicole flags down some scrappers and discovers they have the perfect claw foot tub for her bathroom.
The 1920s bungalow Nicole is working on had a roof leak for many years, causing severe water damage to the walls in the kitchen. Luckily, the floors are in decent shape and Nicole is able to keep the original wall sink. Nicole is able to cover the newly added HVAC vents with scrap material for an original look.
To complete her 1920s bungalow rehab, Nicole must finish the remaining rooms. They're in pretty decent shape compared to what she's used to, but collectively the work is adding up. There are floors to patch in the living room, a broken porcelain sink in the bathroom, and a ton of staging furniture to add before the house goes on the market.
Nicole's next project is restoring an historic mansion in the Summit district of St. Paul. Unfortunately some key rooms have been completely ripped apart and her first task is to rebuild the gutted powder room from scratch. With the original materials no longer available Nicole gets creative with custom paneling and salvaged tile and creates a brand new room with a 1904 feel.
Nicole turns her attention to taking the pink and gold kitsch out of the formal dining room. Restoring the floors, swapping out sconces and repairing the stained glass windows take the room out of the 1970s and back to 1904. Meanwhile at another of her houses a buyer pulls out at the 11th hour causing Nicole to make some quick decisions.
Nicole cleans up the swimming pool and converts some garage space into a much needed changing room area. Tapping into the sewer line causes more mess than she bargained for while Nicole also finds some time to take some swimming lessons.
Nicole takes on the living room and study, restoring the rooms to their former 1904 glory by polishing up the original woodworking details in the rooms. She stains the damaged floors in the living room to cover up years of neglect and discovers a shocking surprise in the study. In the midst of renovation, Nicole finds the time to swap out her boots for high heels for a women's health charity event.
The Summit mansion hasn't been painted since 1972 and needs a major face lift. After years of damage, all of the outdoor wood railing and detail are rotting and need to be replaced. Nicole rips out the rotting wood and repaints them to match the original color of the brick. To complete the look of the historic home, Nicole builds new brick columns with brick on the deck. Nicole's son Ethan learns some of her renovation tricks when he pitches in and replaces some of the original beams and runs errands around town.
Nicole tackles the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom which have had their natural beauty covered in old wallpaper and fixtures. She brings out the beauty of the original birdseye maple woodwork in the bedroom, restores the two bedroom's fireplaces and removes the tacky kitsch from the bathroom. At another house, people line up to see Nicole's work and raise money for a fallen soldier.
Nicole puts a modern twist on the 1904 Summit Mansion in St. Paul when she installs an elevator in the middle of the home. A first for Nicole, she has to get the measurements exactly right throughout all three floors, or else she's just created a massive non-functioning hole in the middle of the historic home.
Nicole rushes to her Minnesota home from a family vacation to find burst pipes and a flooded house due to the extreme cold. She and her crew tear through the house and create 20 massive holes before they discover all of the leaks. They get to work replacing all of the water lines, radiators and boiler. Nicole takes a break from the stress of the house by skydiving from 13,000 feet to the start line of a 10K run in Florida before returning to replace all of the water lines and patch the holes in her home.
Nicole teams with basketball superstar LeBron James to renovate a special family's house in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. They tackle the dingy dilapidated kitchen first. The team guts the kitchen by ripping out the cabinets, a first for Nicole who typically likes to keep the original structure, and install solid wood cabinets, granite countertops and brand new appliances. They also create an outdoor patio and new driveway for the family to relax in and play - what else, basketball. Nicole's family, LeBron's family and the foundation all pitch in to overhaul this home in a week - can they finish?
Nicole continues work on the Akron, Ohio, project with Lebron James. It's time to tackle the rest of the first floor, the living room and dining room. Once the nasty old carpet is removed to reveal beautiful old pine floors, Nicole can start to see her vision for a comfortable, functional and very stylish living space. It's all about making this dilapidated space feel grand once again. Even while busy in Akron, Nicole never stops salvaging & designs these spaces around new photos of the family using old windows saved from a dumpster.
Downstairs is done at the Akron, Ohio house Nicole is rehabbing with LeBron and his foundation and now attention turns to the bathroom. This bathroom is a gut-job but the saving grace for Nicole is a beautiful, old built in cabinet which she and her army of volunteers restore. Leaving her tilers for an hour or two Nicole gets dressed up and heads to a huge stadium event to welcome the basketball superstar back to Akron.
The interior is coming along beautifully and now it's time to give the exterior of the family house in Akron a facelift. LeBron and his kids spar off with Nicole in a duel of diggers to tear out the front steps and regrade the yard. A tricky design challenge makes laying the new path stretch late into the night, but it's all worth it come morning. Lebron helps put up the flag and now the family has a home they can be proud of.
Nicole, LeBron and the LeBron James Family Foundation continue with their project to renovate a needy family's home into a renovated beauty. 11 year old Mariah deserves a room fit for a princess, just not a pink one! And her brothers will no longer share a room and get to pick their own colors for their own rooms. To finish on time LeBron's army of volunteers steps up, the family lends a hand and Nicole puts her personal touch on each room for these special kids. What will they say when they see their rooms?
Hard working mom, Nicole Curtis is on a mission to create a master bedroom for mom Melanie in the final episode of the Lebron James Family Foundation house. The attic room turns from an overheated dumping ground to an air-conditioned oasis in just a few short days. Nicole comes up with a genius and inexpensive storage solution in the awkward space and in just one week, the whole house is finished. Time to bring the family in, this is a reveal you don't want to miss!
Nicole makes a spur-of-the-moment bid and wins a house sight-unseen at auction. Will this Grand Boulevard tudor be a case of buyer's remorse? Nicole visits the 6-bedroom, 3-bath manor and falls in love with its historic details and rustic charm. With some new paint, a landscaping overhaul and custom woodwork, the former eyesore begins to look revitalized. By working with the home's original style, Nicole is able to enhance its curb appeal without losing any of its early-Twentieth Century grand beauty.
Nicole knows that a ground floor powder room will see a ton of guests, so what will she do with a broken window, paint-covered floor tile, and an out-of-commission toilet? Avoiding the impulse to demolish and replace everything, Nicole restores the tile and sink fixture with elbow grease and an all-nighter. She adds dramatic wall color for flair, as well as a toilet and original glass that matches the classic style of the home. Nicole proves that when it comes to restoration, it's better to leave it, clean it, and make it functional again.
What do you do when thieves have stolen priceless windows and hardwood flooring from your twentieth-century estate? If you're Nicole Curtis, you adapt and recreate! As Nicole tackles the spacious dining room of her tudor home, she must use custom leaded glass and modern oak flooring to mask the missing details. In order to restore her formal dining room to its former grandness, Nicole makes sure that the new elements blend seamlessly with the original style of the home. A combination of antique and reproduction furniture, glass, and flooring leave the space stately and polished.
Nicole rebuilds a basement using salvaged goods.
Nicole's newest home is 100 years old, and unsurprisingly the living room needs work from top to bottom. Despite major setbacks, Nicole is up for the challenge. The outdated textured ceiling is ripped down for electrical and water line repair while the ugly green walls are given a fresh update. Nicole sees the beauty in the original hardwood flooring by polishing and staining the existing oak. By utilizing as many of the original details as possible, the living room begins to finally take shape as a classic example of restoration done right.
When it comes to restoring kitchens, Nicole Curtis' rule is that it should look old and work like new! In her Grand Blvd. home, she has to work with a large kitchen that offers little wall space. After a couple of re-designs and some custom woodwork, she finally settles on a layout that allows for new, modern appliances while maintaining important design elements, such as the original upper cabinets. Despite some setbacks - including a literal hole in the wall - Nicole combines the old with the new to create a gorgeous kitchen that maintains its original charm while offering the comforts of the 21st century.
Nicole is ready to tackle the 2nd floor of the house - but one rainy day proves just how damaged the 100 year old roof is. Severe leaks are threatening to destroy multiple rooms, so Nicole gets on top of the house to inspect the damage. Most people would tear up the original clay tile and do a complete replacement, but not Nicole Curtis! Despite the extra cost, new tile is blended with old to keep the original, unique look of the house. Once the roof is water tight, two upstairs bedrooms are ready to be restored. A fresh window seat, antique glass knobs, and a stairwell re-do get Nicole closer to finishing her Grand 2nd floor.
Once a boarded-up eyesore, Nicole's first-floor solarium has the potential to be the best room in the house. With the help of her dad and a yard-sale crockpot, Nicole starts with an often overlooked detail: window hardware. Boiling the hardware removes years of paint and leaves them shiny and new, a great first step in making the solarium a bright and welcoming entryway to her Grand Blvd. estate. Some antique mirrors and light fixtures go a long way to make the room feel cozy and fresh, while maintaining the antique-feel of the 100-year old home. Nicole takes a much needed break with her son to celebrate a Thanksgiving parade in her home city, Detroit.
What's Nicole Curtis' favorite kind of bathroom to renovate? One with almost entirely original fixtures! With the help of a 1920's mint condition porcelain sink, Nicole is able to transform the Jack and Jill bathroom in her Grand Blvd. home without sacrificing its antique integrity. Two bedrooms - one girl's, one boy's - lay on either side. After stripping the wallpaper, restoring the original oak floors and adding some new paint, the rooms are almost move-in ready. All that's left is for her son to stage the room with personal touches, and clean the unique Inglenook that provides a centerpiece for the boy's room.
If Nicole is going to turn the entire third floor of her Grand Blvd. estate into a master suite, a custom new bathroom will have to be the first step. She starts with an overcrowded, neglected bath that doesn't fit her grandiose plans. By knocking down a wall and changing some angles, the floorplan is expanded to include a double vanity, claw-foot tub and walk-in shower. Despite a small plumbing mishap, Nicole's new bathroom is shaping up to be one of the most original and inviting spaces in her 1913 auction home.
Nicole's 1913 mansion in the heart of Detroit is topped with an old, dusty attic that was once servant's quarters. Though some homeowners might have just seen room for storage, Nicole sees the opposite: a master suite! A sitting room, dressing room and gorgeous master bedroom take form, thanks to a little salvaging and a lot of hard work. Nicole never wastes original fixtures, even if it's an ancient broken mirror or a period chandelier from a local commercial building. From gross to gorgeous, Nicole makes her master suite a million dollar space on a "Detroit budget."
The century-old Tudor house is one thing, but Nicole Curtis also wants to make sure the garage is up to par. Over the years, the structure has been neglected so there's a long road ahead: roof repair takes a lot of time, but Nicole is able to salvage some important tile and wood. By re-using original ceramic roof tile and finding new replicas, the look and feel is restored rather than forgotten. A restored porch is added off the solarium, as Nicole gets started on making the laundry room a warm and inviting space.
It's a family affair as Nicole tackles an old shack that desperately needs some loving restoration. With the help of her brother, her nephew and her son, Ethan, carpets come up, there's new paint and a new fence. Since this is basically a crash pad, Nicole tries to keep her costs to an absolute minimum. But at the end of the day, Nicole transforms this unlivable space into a cozy new home.
This is one of the largest kitchens Nicole has ever tackled, and it's her grandparents' kitchen. Built in 1956, the kitchen itself has been around for over half a century, but was unfortunately redone in the '90s, eliminating it's mid-century modern charm. Nicole wants to restore the ugly kitchen to how it looked when she was a child. New hardwood floors replace linoleum and Nicole designs custom, vintage-inspired cabinets to provide a nostalgic feel to the treasured room. Right down to a salvaged green phone, the kitchen begins to be reborn as it was in Nicole's childhood memories.
For Nicole's next project, it's gonna be sink or swim! The indoor pool that Nicole's grandfather built by hand is getting a much-needed refresher. First up, the safety and mechanical systems of the pool need to be overhauled to meet modern standards. The beautiful cedar ceiling and aquamarine walls are original so there is no way Nicole will change those, they just need a good wash and some new paint. In the biggest design challenge of the entire project, Nicole boldly replaces the original doors, which had been ruined with age, with giant glass garage doors to let in light and views of the surrounding countryside.
Nicole Curtis tackles the family room of her family's home! Off the pool lies a dated family room, covered in wood paneling and boasting a large mechanical room for the pool equipment. Nicole sees opportunity for a beautiful bathroom, and an updated, retro family room that pays homage to her Grandfather's original plans. It wouldn't be Nicole if some gorgeous wood, and not-so-gorgeous hunting themed paneling, is lovingly re purposed to update the room into a modern yet rustic haven.
Nicole Curtis saves the original Mid-Century bathroom in her Grandparents' house in her classic style; by preserving critical elements while updating tired design choices. The original blue tile, hand laid by her Grandfather, is saved, but working with the original tile color poses some challenges for Nicole. Rather than hiding from the blue tile Nicole embraces it wholeheartedly and bases her entire design around it. Finally Nicole removes a tacky 80s seashell vanity and replaces it with a much needed double-sink.
Nicole's grandparents house sits on a sprawling 5 acre parcel. This apartment has a lot of sentimental value to the family, over the years pretty much everyone has lived there at one point or another, including Nicole! Taking a break from the main house renovation, Nicole tackles the apartment with a series of fun, chic changes that don't cost a fortune: fresh paint, refinished hardwood floors and wallpaper all contribute to bringing this neglected space up to date.
In this episode, Nicole Curtis tackles the heart of her Grandparents' home, the living room and dining room. The most 'photographed' rooms in the house, these projects present Nicole with a very clear visual template to work from. Fixing the original fireplace and it's plaster moulding presents a relatively easy, if messy, challenge. Sourcing and replacing the iconic chandelier in the dining room with an exact match may prove an impossible task.
Nicole Curtis tackles one of her biggest challenges yet, all of the original bedrooms in the home built by her Grandparents. Nicole is faced with a dilemma, the previous owners trashed the original windows and design, now it's up to her to fix their mistakes. Will Nicole be able to infuse life, design and personality into these ruined spaces?
Nicole Curtis tackles one of the hardest spaces in her grandparents' mid-century home, the basement. With space at a premium, Nicole must battle water, structural problems, dilapidated windows and poorly placed duct work to turn a neglected area into a much needed gathering space.
Nicole battles against several sticky issues in this episode. After an improperly winterized basement bathroom springs some serious leaks, she remains determined to rebuild the bathroom better than ever. Improving the layout, adding mid-century tile and a custom vanity, Nicole creates one of her most appealing bathrooms yet. But she doesn't end there, adding an egress window to the basement, Nicole builds out a charming and inviting basement guest suite.
As the renovation of Nicole's grandparents midcentury home winds down there is just one major obstacle left: the exterior. Nicole's grandparents literally built the home block by block so nothing short of perfection will do for the curb appeal of this property. Nicole adds gutters, a new driveway and entirely does the house in stucco, just like the original. To complete this magnificent transformation Nicole restores the original brick front porch and tops everything off with some tasteful, but stunning landscaping.
Nicole is back on Campbell Street helping her 85-year-old veteran neighbor, Art, repair his home. The house is suffering from severe water damage so the team seals the leaky roof and patches and repaints the dining room, living room, and bedroom. The old worn down carpets and area rugs have become an extreme trip hazard for the elderly vet, so Nicole installs new low pile carpet throughout the home. With the help of her team and Art's two daughters, Nicole turns an otherwise unsafe home into a relaxing retreat in record time.
Nicole takes on her most personal project yet, her grandfather's red barn. The barn has fallen into disrepair and requires a great deal of structural work to make it safe and strong. Starting with an Amish metal roof, skylights, new gutters and a coat of paint, Nicole brings the exterior of the barn back to life. Inside Nicole removes part of the loft to reveal a beautiful cathedral ceiling and rebuilds a staircase out of salvaged wood. With the Red Barn finally reborn Nicole is ready to reveal the full renovation of her 50s midcentury ranch to the home's original builders, her Grandma and Grandpa.
Nicole's doing a surprise home renovation for one of her carpenters, Bobby, and his family. Bobby and his wife Karen started renovating their house two years ago, but their daughter Tessa was diagnosed with cancer, and they turned their focus, time and resources on her treatment. This left them living in a house with a bare, gutted master bathroom and unfinished projects in the hallway and laundry room. Nicole invites the family over for a five-day staycation at her grandparents' recently restored home. Little do they know that Nicole and her crew will be finishing the renovation they started two years ago.
Tessa and her family are coming home soon, and Nicole needs to finish their surprise home renovation before they do. She tackles the laundry room and hallway in the back addition of Bobby and Karen's house. Nicole reconfigures the layout, tearing down walls, moving plumbing, and adding lots of storage make the space more functional and practical. She also adds more shelving in the garage to organize the clutter. Thing get down to the wire as Nicole, Tessa's extended family, and her crew race to the finish.
Nicole juggles two Detroit projects; while one house is in great shape, the other has been gutted; since both were built in 1928 and have similar floor plans, Nicole uses one house as the inspiration for renovations at the other house.
Nicole tackles a 1920s house that used to be a rental and has incredibly small upstairs bedrooms. She plans to change the layout and add character, including removing a wall to make room for a new hallway and custom linen closet.
Nicole finds that turning a tiny, dated bathroom into an en suite master bath isn't easy as she struggles to fit a stately soaking tub, shower and custom vanity into the space.
Nicole has almost completed the upstairs in her 14-Mile house. Now it's to time to unveil a bigger and brighter master bedroom. To get the look she wants, she has to knock down some walls, open up the ceiling and bring in a very special feature.
Nicole Curtis continues work on the den and powder room of her 1920s 14-Mile house. Can she make these mid-century additions match the turn-of-the-century feel of the rest of the home?
Nicole Curtis ventures down into the creepy basement of her 14-Mile project. She's then faced with a dilemma when an unforeseen turn of events threatens the entire project.
Nicole begins construction in the kitchen of the 14 Mile house. Working with a limited space and no original details, she is forced to attempt something she has never done before -- an open kitchen.
As the renovation of the 14 Mile house winds down, there's one more thing that needs to be done -- finish the exterior. After repairing damage from a car accident, Nicole has a chance to bring back original details the house lost decades ago.
Nicole Curtis turns her attention to a rundown cottage in need of major rejuvenation in Lake Orion, Michigan. Starting with the living room, she gets straight to work ripping out an old staircase, and a little creative thinking helps relieve her concern about the room's low ceiling. A beautiful old door ties the room together, making the small space look grand.
Nicole Curtis is challenged to fix the back extension of the rundown cottage in Lake Orion, Michigan. The space is too small to be a garage, so she comes up with a plan to fit laundry, a bathroom and an inviting entryway into this small area.
The backyard of the Lake Orion, Michigan, cottage is underutilized, so Nicole Curtis decides to turn this eyesore into a peaceful hangout. To do so, she reshapes the yard, adds a deck and completely rebuilds a shed to give the backyard both beauty and purpose.
With a limited amount of space in the Lake Orion house, Nicole Curtis decides that the best use of the second upstairs bedroom is to transform it into a master bathroom. Not only does she have to figure out how to add plumbing to a former bedroom, but she also has to deal with some unexpected problems in the dark, dingy basement.
Nicole focuses her attention on the neglected master bedroom and must rethink the structure of the room to come up with a charming space the house deserves. Then, she decides to add extra sleeping room by transforming the laundry room into a second bedroom.
The front of her Lake Orion, MI, house is barely accessible, and the driveway is solid dirt. Nicole Curtis sets out to reverse that by renovating the front porch and adding a Model T-style driveway. She adds a white picket fence along with some heavy landscaping to restore the charm to this old lake cottage.
Nicole knows that the kitchen and dining room are the heart of this home and want to make them the house's functional centerpiece. She rips out what was left behind and starts over with a new layout, cabinets and appliances.
Nicole Curtis turns her attention to a rundown cottage in Lake Orion, Michigan. Starting in the living room, she rips out an old staircase leading into the kitchen before making her way outside to create a new boardwalk entry, picket fence and back deck.
Nicole Curtis wins a house sight-unseen at auction and plans to revitalize the eyesore with painting, landscaping and restoring the custom woodwork. She faces a challenge when replacing missing details, including original windows and hardwood flooring.
Nicole Curtis juggles two projects in Detroit, and since both were built in 1928, she uses one house as inspiration for the other's renovations. When a car crashes into the house next door, she makes an unexpected discovery that lets her bring back original details of the house.
Nicole Curtis tackles a 1916 mansion in Minneapolis and builds out its dingy, old cellar by creating a new living space that adds nearly 1,000 square feet to the home. Then, Nicole indulges her most glamorous fantasy in the master suite and comes up with a perfect layout for the challenging kitchen.
Nicole Curtis takes on a boarded up, previously condemned 1880s duplex and restores it into a single-family home. She reuses cabinets and doors to create an old feel with modern amenities and modifies the upstairs floor plan to build a master suite.
Nicole Curtis takes on her most personal project ever -- a 1950s ranch-style home her grandparents built by hand. She restores the kitchen to its original layout and transforms the dingy work basement into a party-ready rec room.
Nicole Curtis heads to St. Paul for the first time to work on a home in an up-and-coming neighborhood. The living and dining rooms' woodwork and original pocket doors require hours of sanding and stripping, and Nicole works to retain the home's classic character while giving it fresh touches.
Nicole Curtis works to restore a 1920s bungalow and must tackle a ton of brickwork. Then, she transforms the unfinished attic into a one-of-a-kind master suite and restores the kitchen cabinets to create one of the home's most dazzling features.
Nicole Curtis returns to her hometown of Detroit to save a 1920s home that suffered severe damage from a fire next door. She breathes new life into the old duplex by preserving the plaster work, modernizing the kitchens and transforming an unusable room into a unique home office.
