Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
The Harris Family - How'd They Do That?
Recap By J. G. Bird
March 8, 2005
Chris and Diamond Harris are a young African-American couple who got it in their heads to add a second child to their family. Now, SURPRISE, along with their nine-year-old son, DeWayne, they have six babies, 4 boys and 2 girls, to overfill their 3 bedroom home. The first challenge for the design team is practicing the six little ones' names. Gathering the cast and crew in a large parking lot at 5:30am, Eduardo, Michael, Ty and Paul struggle to memorize the names of the mighty six. Connie rattles off the names of the sextuplets readily: Kaleb, Kalynne, Kiera, Kieran, Kobe, and Kyle.
There's a little further description of the Hurricane Ivan damage: The Harris' home had a 90 ft tree that fall and puncture the roof in a room adjoining the kitchen, where the whole family was gathered - yet no one was hurt. Water damage, however, made the stovetop inoperative.
In recounting the first day's chaos the design team notes that The Harris' have the distinction of being the first family that couldn't make it to the front door, even after several calls through the megaphone for them to come out. It's funny to see how the camera and sound crew struggle with wrangling the kids while interior shots are being taken.
As quickly as possible, this family needs to be out from underfoot, literally. Eduardo stacks up car seats and carts them into a full-on stretch limo that can accommodate all the necessary child safety-seats, the parents and older brother, DeWayne. Connie is shown sketching the Tudor front for this expected new home - the space will be extensive, near 5000 sq. ft. It will be one of the biggest they've attempted so far. Our design team is intent on providing the Harris' with a house that will meet the needs of their large, active family.
The contractors bolster the basement structure and score the interior walls of the ground floor with chainsaws. The machinery then "bit away at the house," and this allows the main structure to fall in and leave the foundation and basement intact.
Connie visits the historically significant Sloss Furnances of Alabama to pickup an original art piece for the house. The ironwork and rust pattern is assembled to evoke the shape of several large wishbones on the cloth background.
Ty's Secret Room - opinion of a neighbor's hound on the upholstery? I'd believe it. That might actually be relevant with the houndstouth fabric he's using. Ty says he was inspired by a leather purse of Diamond's. Ty does some work that looks familiar from his Trading Spaces days. Dismantling a few chairs and reupholstering in houndstouth fabric. Remember, this room is all black and white. Ty has the help of a specialty quilting group, The Jeezben, that are known for making museum quality quilted pieces from old clothing. It is from these fine ladies' hearts and that the bedspread is created
AWeek in the Life titles the next section of the show. While that topic is not all from Michael's perspective - He starts the topic off. How does his design sense translate to what the family will want? The two set dressers on the crew, working with Michael, listen implicitly to his instructions; often they do not have time to do something over.
We move into the projects related to the Scouting bedroom. Ty specifically recounts having been in Boy Scouts (before being "kicked out," he teases.) and Paul seems to know a thing or two about Scouting as well. Young Johnathan Hendley and Steven Jackson, Cub Scouts, came to Paul's aid, along with their Cubmaster, Ben (one unnamed, uniformed Boy Scout was also there, in a shot or two). They use the jigsaw equipment and do plenty of sanding and painting to assemble an American flag wall hanging made of rows of Pinewood Derby cars! A very cool addition to Webelo Scout DeWayne's room!
Chris' unannounced Billiard Room reveal is heightened by Ty's prank video, which has Chris believing that Ty lost the existing pool table to a volunteer in a wager.
Muppets - Well, even in How'd They Do That, the illusion was not shattered. An entire segment was devoted to the helpfulness or "Diva"ness enjoyed by the select Muppets around the build site.
The very roomy Basement holds the surprise game room with two pool tables, and all seem happy too see that. The Laundry room is a real room.
Finally, "Southern Gentleman," Dwight Sandlin, CEO of Signature Homes, reveals that the scholarship fund is also to include funds for Diamond to someday return to college. Diamond gave up her job as a nurse to care for the Harris sextuplets. She is graciously thankful, and our show comes to a close on that note.
About J.G. Bird
I have a direct, clear writing style useful in business, but if you wonder what I'm really thinking about, I keep a portfolio of creative writing on Writing.com/authors/walkinbird. My day-to day work is at a great metropolitan newspaper, proofreading ordered advertisements. Keeping an experienced eye to consistency in design elements also makes me an obnoxious, if not valuable, web editor and fact-checker. Due to my straight-laced demeanor, I need the occasional infusion of Reality TV. The home design shows are my only true addiction. I can be contacted at: walkinbird@writing.com
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