Restored by the Fordshas become one ofHGTV’s most popular shows sinceits debut.
While fans may know a lot about the show, there’s still a lot they don’t.
Here’s the untold truth of HGTV’sRestored by the Fords.
When every single contractor she interviewed about undertaking the reno turned her down, she enlisted her brother.
Steve Ford agreed, and together they began renovating the place on their own.
“Then it had to be fixed to her taste and liking.
She knew I could do it, so I got the phone call.
I think she knew she had, like, a safety net.
She could knock out walls and then her brother would come fix them.”
The experience led theRestored by the Fordsstar to become an interior designer at 30.
During the reno, Leanne discovered she had a knack for creative problem solving.
“Everyone I went to kept telling me no.
So I said, ‘I’m just going to do this myself.’
I designed it, figured it out, hired local help, including my brother.”
“Any crazy idea I dream of, any idea I dream up, he can make happen.
That’s very nice in a contractor.”
“It’s interesting, writing it with your brother,” Leanne explained.
… At first, it was a challenge to figure out how to combine it all in a book.
“Think you want to be a designer?
Try it out!”
Ford once wrote on her blog.
“If you don’t like it or if you are bad at it, then great!!
Don’t have to think about that anymore, moving on.”
She explained, “You see, failure is a success too.
Failure is just a success in a different form.
So don’t be afraid of it.
And don’t be afraid to go for gold… though I prefer aged brass, actually.”
“The best career advice I can give you starting out is ‘SAY YES!’
“As far as I know, the building was previously used as a heavy machinery garage.
“Yes, I was a squatter in my own home,” he joked.
“I moved in immediately, broken windows and all.”
He did, however, insist on one luxury feature: a steam shower “to spoil myself.”
“That’s amazing because had I not been part of the show, I would have waited.
Things would have gone a lot slower.”
With the budget set at $100,000, Steve had to jump through some hoops to make it happen.
“I had to send them pictures and everything before they would approve it,” headded.
“It was kind of a last-minute episode that they made into a special for us.”
“It’s more raw and industrial than a regular home space,” he said.
“It will be a nice change from what we usually do.
My dreams just came true.
I’m a little nervous to share that with the whole world.”
“With a designer and contractor, you never really agree on where the money should be spent.
I think we should have better lighting, and he thinks we should insulate better.
But as he should be, he’s very careful that these homes are well-done.”
Financially, working with Leanne was more profitable than owning Decade, with all of its overhead.”
“White is a breather.
It lets people relax.
It’s the blank canvas, right?
The silence between the chords,” she explained in an interview with theLos Angeles Times.
“White lightens up the space, makes it large it’s all benefit.
In Season 2 we use three favorite whites over and over again in different ways.”
“But white paint is anything but cold.”
However, there are some things to keep in mind before applying yes, there are rules!
It’s worth noting that homeowners looking for a free renovation are out of luck.
Jamie and Rachel Kardell were among those chosen for the show’s second season for their 1910 Pittsburgh home.
I said to my boss at one point, ‘I think this is real.
I think this is going to happen.'”
“It’s the positive reaction [of the homeowners].
That is what we go for, what we work for,” Steve Ford shared.
“These simple, easy fixes make a big difference.
Don’t underestimate them,” she said.
“They come and go so fast.
you oughta ignore trends.”
When selecting vintage pieces, the key is for homeowners to stick with things that will just them.
“You have to understand that design is subjective.
It’s an art form.
Not everybody is going to like the same thing, and that’s OK,” she added.
Nobody lives in your house but you."
But be honest with yourself and show extra love to where you spend your time in."
That needs to be your oasis.
When you wake up and when you go to sleep, you should feelhappyin your space."
She is also a firm believer in the power of paint.
“Paint can give new life to anything,” she shared.
It’s our best tool for simple and inexpensive improvements."
Since that interview, the Fords actuallyhavehad a couple of crossovers with their fellow HGTV stars.
