NEXT UP: ISLAND LIFE OF BRYAN
Canadian TV renovator to restore abandoned resort in the Bahamas
You probably didn’t see this one coming.
Bryan Baeumler, Canada’s builder and renovator extraordinaire, is about to become an innkeeper running a luxury resort in the Bahamas.
Yes, you read that right. The star of House of Bryan, Leave it to Bryan and Disaster DIY, who appears next weekend at the Edmonton Renovation Show, is heading out of country, taking lock, stock and family with him.
“Our next big project is tackling the renovation and reopening of an abandoned boutique resort on an island in the Bahamas,” said Baeumler. “We found the property on vacation on the boat — it’s been closed since 2011, and it has 22 small villas and a block of 22 hotel rooms.”
Baeumler, along with his wife Sarah and their four kids, are heading to the Bahamas later this year, where the work on the resort will be filmed to become the basis for the Baeumlers’ next show, tentatively titled, Island of Bryan, which is set to air in 2019.
“It’s the first project on HGTV where viewers will actually be able to come down and see the final result, and hang out with us and the entire family,” said Bryan.
“We’re taking the whole herd on the boat over to the island, and we’ll spend the next year or so there. It’s a big project, and obviously a huge change in venue — we’ll be the fish out of water for the first time, but it’s going to be a great experience for the kids.”
Work in the Bahamas starts in
March, and the Baeumler clan is planning to have the project ready for guests by U.S. Thanksgiving. In the meantime, Bryan returns to the City of Champions as he headlines the 2018 Edmonton Renovation Show being held Jan. 26-28 at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
“I’ve been to quite a few home shows, Lowe’s openings, and other events in Edmonton — I love the city, and always have a great time when I’m in town,” said Bryan.
“The audiences in Edmonton are always a lot of fun, and they come loaded with questions about their own homes and projects, which is great. That’s what I really enjoy — talking to people about their own projects, and offering up a little advice from my own experiences.”
At the renovation show, where Bryan appears on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, he’ll give show attendees the lowdown on renovations and an update of what’s happening with the Baeumlers.
“I like to gauge the crowd, see what they want to hear about, and go from there. I always share a few funny stories about the production from behind the scenes, some lessons I’ve learned over the years about properly planning and budgeting a build or renovation, and a little bit about what we have planned for the future,” said Bryan. “Beyond that, it’s really driven by questions and interactions with the audience.”
Discussing what to expect from the new season of Bryan Inc., which launched its season two premiere episode on Jan. 14, Bryan notes that it will be familyfocused.
“It’s the first time that I’ve brought Sarah into the business to interact directly with homeowners during the jobs,” said Bryan.
“There are a lot of laughs, some chaos, and a few surprises in store for her. You’ll definitely be seeing more of Sarah and the kids in Bryan Inc., season two. We’ll even be putting the kids to work on their own projects.”
That’s what I really enjoy — talking to people about their own projects, and offering up a little advice ...