Building good feelings
Family Home Overhaul lets designers connect with the homeowners
Family Home Overhaul Debuts Sunday, HGTV
Don't you love it when good things happen to good people? And don't you love it even more when that good thing involves a life-changing gift that could make the Tin Man shed a tear?
Enter Family Home Overhaul, a new HGTV home-renovation series in which communities reward families that always give back despite their own hardships.
In each episode, Cheryl Hickey hosts as two HGTV designers strip a home to the studs for a major rebuild. Designer Kortney Wilson, who joins forces with her ex Dave Wilson for an episode, spoke with Postmedia News about the feel-good show.
Q At first glance, this show seems similar to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition — what sets it apart?
A It's very similar in that it's a home renovation show with a ton of heart. But what makes this one unique is that different HGTV home renovators are taking on each episode, so they're really entrenched in the people's lives beyond what would be if you were going from week to week with different people.
Q The timing couldn't be better for a feel-good show. What will viewers appreciate most about it?
A I think we're all just looking for that golden nugget in our day, our life, our week and sometimes just even in a moment to feel like there's hope. This show is all about hope, hanging on, community and overcoming adversity. It's about the struggles each of us have on a day-to-day basis, but some people are just handed bigger loads. These people just give and give, no matter what. They get slapped in the face, pushed down, thrown curveballs left and right. And the more they take on, the more they give and the more they're appreciative
Q Do you have a different perspective on the show now — during COVID — compared to when you filmed it?
A We all feel a little bit disconnected now, and I'm not going to lie — it's probably going to tug on our heartstrings and make us want to reach out. This is a reminder of what's to come. This was shot before COVID, before quarantine, and maybe we were all taking community for granted. We're all craving that right now.