DIY Network stairs
Half-Hour Series Premieres February 11 at 10:30 PM, Featuring With TV and Film Star Turned Restoration “House-Aholic” Bronson Pinchot
From Beverly Hills to small-town Harford, Pa., Bronson Pinchot lets viewers in on his little known secret. When he’s not in front of the camera in Hollywood, he’s pursuing his passion for restoring old homes in his middle-of-nowhere USA getaway. Premiering Saturday, Feb. 11 at 10:30 p.m. ET, the actor best known as Balki on the family sitcom “Perfect Strangers” and in films such as “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Risky Business,” shares his addiction for hands-on home restoration and proves how a neglected house can be transformed into a historical masterpiece.
“I am excited to encourage viewers to make a place for the old in their homes alongside the new, not with just an antique chair or a vase, but with antique floors, walls, ceilings, indoor and outdoor lighting, upholstery, and in one episode, even the kitchen sink,” said Pinchot. “Timeworn materials bring instant warmth, interest and likeability to any space. Cozying up to the imperfect survivors of another era is inventive for a room, rewarding for the soul and a kind thing to do for the environment.”
After purchasing a half dozen period homes in rural Harford, including a tiny, historic post office that still operates, Pinchot has formed a 15-acre dream restoration colony. While adjusting to the slow pace of country life, Pinchot sleeps in the loft of his Greek revival home so that he can eat, live and breathe historic restoration. Throughout the series, Pinchot renovates three eye-catching properties, including a dramatic transformation of the colossal “Decker House,” pieced together from scraps of salvaged wood. From assembling different pieces of rescued materials in a process he likes to call “Frankensteining” to attaching sticky notes to himself to remember his punch list, Pinchot brings restoration to a whole new level with his signature quirkiness and dramatic flair.
Pinchot gets help from his sidekick and surrogate son, Mikey, and his no-nonsense carpenter, CJ.
DIY Network, from the makers of HGTV and Food Network, is the go-to destination for rip-up, knock-out home improvement television. DIY Network’s programs and experts answer the most sought-after questions and offer creative projects for do-it-yourself enthusiasts.
Source: BUSINESS WIRE
Photo: Charles & Hudson, DIY Network
I actually get sick to my stomach when I hear the phrase ” We’re gonna gut it to the studs.) Now DIY Network is pushing it in the face of their viewers as part of their effort to be a “go-to destination for rip-up, knock-out home improvement television”.
Being a preservation contactor and consultant for most of my adult life, I have learned that removing the superior quality walls of wood lath (and later metal lath) and real plaster is simply …….can I say it? STUPID. Not only is it very hard and dirty work, it puts tons of superior materials AND craftsmanship AND embodied energy in the landfill. Real Historic Preservation can be justified in that it is sustainable and conserves energy. Doing a “gut to the studs” in your program is doing a great diservice to your viewers AND to the quality buildings that you purport to “restore”.
Givin what I see in this article, I have my doubts that Mr. Pinchot, or the DIY Network is really interested in, or understand the basic precepts of Historic Preservation.
Steve Stier
East Lansing MI