Before and After: HGTV Transformed This Gutted House Into a Light, Beachy Paradise

It’s one thing to try and renovate a single part of your home yourself, but it’s another to gut an entire house and try to rebuild it properly (although, no matter the level of extremity, always think before you do a home improvement project). On the latest episode of HGTV’s “Help! I Wrecked My House,” one couple was desperate to reverse the damage they created when trying to renovate their new home themselves.

Shortly after Sarah and Chris bought their new home in Costa Mesa, CA, they knew they wanted to remove some of the dated details (low popcorn ceilings, large brick fireplace, etc.) Chris convinced Sarah to let him and her dad do the renovation themselves, and two months later, what was supposed to be a finished job actually looked nowhere close to being done. So HGTV host Jasmine Roth came in to fix the mistakes and execute the project the right (read: safe) way.

Roth kept the layout that connected all the living spaces together fairly open, lining all the floors with light wood panels and painting the walls an off-white hue. By keeping the finishes consistent in the main rooms, the entire area felt connected and flowed into one another.

For the living room, Sarah and Chris expressed that they wanted to get rid of the brick surrounding the fireplace. Instead of completing removing the wall, Roth decided to cover it up with wood panels, then paint them white to brighten up the space. She added soapstone to border the fireplace and some patterned tile at the bottom to give the presentation some extra flair.

For the furniture and decor, Roth added some beach art and rustic touches to the space that gave an overall “California Comfortable” vibe.

Roth took the kitchen, which was completely bare at the beginning of the project, and filled it white cabinets, quartz countertops (including on the island), and an overall neutral palette that brought welcoming sensations into the space.

To make the countertops less cluttered for the foreseeable future, Roth made one of the kitchen drawers into a charging station with a plug inside of it. That way, all devices can charge with cords being out of sight, out of mind.

Saying that Sarah and Chris were pleasantly surprised with the completed renovation is an understatement—you could feel the relief through the screen. “It looked bigger than when there was nothing in here before,” they said. But you’ll have to watch the episode to see the reaction for yourself!

Help! I Wrecked My House airs Saturdays at 8/7 central on HGTV.