Friday, April 25, 2008
Amy and Dan Davis sent the Oprah team a picture of their mudroom asking for Nate's help - when the couple came to the show, they had no idea they were going to get what they had asked for. Oprah surprised the couple while walking through the audience by asking them if they had a room in their house they would like to change. When they began describing their issues with their large mudroom, Oprah revealed the exact replica that had been created on the stage. The room circled to show Nate and his redesign for the Davis family's new mudroom.
The room Nate revealed to the couple was going to be sent to their home in Vermont and rebuilt their - the Davis' were shocked. The room was very warm and designed to fit into their Vermont house in the woods. The walls were paneled with fire wood storage and a fireplace. Storage for toys, hooks for coats, slats for boots, framed artwork by their children as well as a mirror and chest of drawers were all included in the redesign.
4 years ago, Kim and Kyllan sent in to Oprah asking Nate to help with their parent's kitchen - though it has been quite a while, they are getting their wish. The Brown family kitchen has all the original 1960s cabinets, countertops, and even appliances - and with entertaining 20-40 family and friends for multiple holidays a year, the kitchen is not functioning the way it is needed to. Sandra and Larry Brown both put the needs of others before their own, including their children, so Kim and Kyllan feel that their parents are deserving of a new kitchen.
Nate surprised the Brown's by arriving in Cleveland and waiting in their kitchen when they came home. Once Nate had a feel for the family's needs, he got to work. After 2 weeks working with the team at Lowe's, the kitchen remodel was complete. The once awkward space was turned into a functional space for entertaining. The reveal showed a timeless space decorated with white and stainless/gray including all of the appliances to cook for a crowd - an 8 burner range, 4 ovens, 2 dishwashers and 2 12 inch deep sinks. Nate also made sure to create a place with plenty of seating for the entire family.
After bringing 2 spaces up to date, Nate showed off one of the latest trends in home design - wallpaper. This wallpaper is not the 1980s or country style that many think of, but a change into metalics, fabrics, wallpaper for the floor, and even old world techniques from France that are hand painted. Nate walked through samples that showcased the metallic looks, all over prints, contemporary/modern patterns, paper made just for renters that only uses water to stick and peels off easily, wallpaper decals, and paintable paper.
Wanting to show viewers what houses could look like in the future, Oprah's cameras toured the smart house in Seattle, home of the Burke-Contes family. The home has a computerized housekeeper that controls entry to the home, a grocery scanner, and even automatically puts the house into night mode when everyone goes to sleep. Homeowner, Patti was apprehensive at first since their was no model for what to expect, but now feels, as her husband, that the system is very practical.
After seeing the smart house, Nate shared some products that are on the market that have smart features. First Nate shared the Control4 remote system that can control everything at the touch of a button from the lights, temperature, security, music, cameras and more. More products included a Kicksweep vacuum system installed under the kitchen sink, a deadbolt controlled by finger prints, a gas stove with retractable fixtures, a mirrored television, and a spa shower from Kohler that is programmable.
New features in the home also apply to creating outdoor living spaces. Advances in home technology now allow people to create kitchens, fireplaces, bed areas and even bathrooms outdoors. Nate shared easy ways to create outdoor spaces - furniture is now made more weather resistant with durable cushions, outdoor artwork, rugs and lighting are all now available. Designing a space outdoors that is just as comfortable as the rest of the house is now simple with the new products on the market.
