Phillip and Joey Stott farm, Lena, Illinois -- how it looked before Hollywood got a hold of it.
The trailer the family was living in since their house fire early this spring.
and so it begins - the equipment moves in
After 3 days, the foundation is done, the shell is up, siding is being installed and inside work has begun
I spent most of my shifts in the Volunteer & Contractor check-in tent off-site. It was still dark when I would arrive in the morning but I was usually treated to a beautiful sunrise before long. Volunteers and contractors would come and park at this site, check-in with us and get on a bus to ride to the worksite 3 miles down the road. The busses ran 24/7.
This was my Saturday work crew. The man in the middle wasn't near as grouchy as he appears. Harley was really just a big ol teddy bear. He is a security guard with Extreme Security and travels with the show. His assignment for the week was the volunteer tent so we got to know each other quite well. He was a wealth of information. As we would think of questions regarding how they do something, he always had an answer and a story.
A sheep barn was remodeled for the family in addition to building a home.
Ed working in the Art tent building a bed for one of the boys. That's my boss, Scott looking over his shoulder.
Isn't the kitchen beautiful? My cousin, Dave led the cabinet installation team.
My brother-in-law, Tom and niece, Amanda installed this cabinet in the mudroom. It reminds me of an old bakers cupboard.
Here is the fireplace in a very yellow great room. I hope the family really likes yellow as it's everywhere inside and out.
Open stairway leading to bedrooms...the man who installed and trimmed out the staircase is the man who built our house.
Looking from the kitchen towards the dining area.
The back of the house. There is a fountain in the bed towards the corner of the home. A little further back out of the picture is a new residential wind turbine.
106 hours later, we have a completed house! Pretty wild, huh?
I'm struggling with how much to say about how the show is produced, what's real and what isn't so I think I won't say much along those lines. I don't want to shatter someones perception of it. I know it sure made a difference in how I will look at the show. Not necessarily in a negative way, just that some things weren't what they seemed before.
The show featuring this build is set to air sometime in December or January. If I hear more specifics, I'll be sure to pass the information along.
That's awesome, Lori. Thanks for sharing this. I can't wait to see the show.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend, and be blessed...Michelle
Sure hope the family loves the house... I know I would!
ReplyDeleteDi
I love how they've styled the house to look like a typical Illinois farmhouse from the outside. I sounds like you had an interesting week. I could never imagine that a house could be built in 106 hours.
ReplyDelete- Suzanne
Very nice series of photos and descriptions. I watched the man make the entire staircase on Sunday night, all but the railing. He worked so intensely and focused and all by himself. I was very impressed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful experience!
ReplyDeleteThe kitchen is just gorgeous as is that fireplace. I must say that I'm not fond of yellow but sure do enjoy it in the house you helped build.
The reality of tv must certainly be different than what we see. Still, the show is based on helping other people and bringing communities together.
Ok... now I remember their trailer was near where we found our brooms! :)
ReplyDeleteThe man working on the banister Monday aft was very nice!! :)