Photos by @jonathanscott /@egyptsherrod / @joannagaines/ @therealtarekelmoussa via Instagram
It seems the excitement never stops—on screen or behind the scenes—for reality TV’s top home makeover stars.
You might feel like you’ve watched them so much that you’re on a first-name basis with hosts such as Chip and Joanna Gaines, property brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott, Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa, and Ben and Erin Napier.
They all had extremely full agendas in 2022. New romances, kids, and even fairy-tale castles were common themes as many took on unique challenges in both their private and public lives.
In case you missed any of the glorious details, we’re taking a look back on the year in renovation reality TV at some of the most noteworthy events—plus some sneak peeks on what 2023 might bring.
Property brother Drew Scott became a dad
Drew Scott and his wife, Linda Phan, welcomed their son, Parker James Scott, into the world on May 4, which was also their fourth wedding anniversary.
“Our lives are forever changed,” Drew wrote on Instagram. And of course, they shared lots of details on little Parker’s newly designed nursery in the holiday issue of the Scott brothers’ magazine Drew + Jonathan Reveal.
Lest we forget about the new arrival, we were reminded of it constantly in the latest episodes of the property brothers’ two currently running shows, “Celebrity IOU” and “Property Brothers: Forever Home.”
Whenever Jonathan appears alone with their clients, he explains his brother’s absence by saying, “Drew’s off doing daddy duty.” It’s nice to see that fatherhood takes priority for this hard-working papa.
Jonathan Scott and Zooey Deschanel showed off their newly renovated home
Drew wasn’t the only property brother to reveal a new addition. Jonathan Scott and his significant other, Zooey Deschanel, bought a Los Angeles home together in 2020. They have been remodeling the five-bedroom home ever since and elaborated on the details of their home in the June issue of Drew + Jonathan Reveal.
Their home is full of bright colors (including emerald-green kitchen cabinets) and elegant finishes, and it seems to suit the couple and Deschanel’s two children to a T.
Although there’s no definitive word of wedding plans for these two, it’s been said that this will be their “forever home.” Who knows what news 2023 will bring?
Third time’s the charm for Christina (now) Hall, who married again
thechristinahall/Instagram
Christina Hall, former co-host of “Flip or Flop” and current star of “Christina on the Coast,” never seems to sit still for long, but she was busier than ever this year tying the knot for the third time, to real estate agent Joshua Hall.
They actually got married twice in 2022. The first time was on April 5, in a very private, intimate ceremony at city hall.
They promised family and friends a bigger ceremony later in the year, and they came through, traveling to Maui for their second nuptials.
“Shared vows in front of family and our close friends,” she wrote on Instagram in early September. “Everything in life has led me to where I am right now, which is exactly where I want to be.”
Christina and her new hubby also got busy shooting a new HGTV reality show together, called “Christina in the Country.” It centers on redesigns in and around her second home in Tennessee. It’s set to premiere on Jan. 12, 2023.
Tarek and Heather El Moussa share news of a baby on the way
After tying the knot in October 2021, Heather Rae and Tarek El Moussa proudly announced their new addition by posting baby bump photos on Instagram in July 2022.
A few weeks later, they had a gender reveal party, with cannons shooting off blue confetti to announce they’re having a boy. The baby is due sometime in “early 2023.”
Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson win ‘Rock the Block’
(Photo courtesy of Tom Griscom for HGTV / Realtor.com)
Season 3 of “Rock the Block” was a tight race between some of HGTV’s finest home renovators, but in the end, Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson came out victorious.
The couple, stars of their own HGTV show, “Married to Real Estate,” earned the top prize in the popular renovation competition by adding the most resale value to a house in Charleston, SC.
They competed against Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis of “Unsellable Houses,” Jenny and Dave Marrs of “Fixer to Fabulous,” and Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas of “Bargain Block,” all of whom brought their A-games.
In the end, it boiled down to luxe design and what worked best.
“It’s all about function. They were so thoughtful in every single space,” said Drew Scott, one of the final judges. “It had style, it had personality, but function over anything else.”
Mina Starsiak Hawk renovated a bed-and-breakfast/events center
HGTV
If you’re one of the millions who watched the “Good Bones” spinoff “Good Bones: Risky Business,” you saw Mina Starsiak Hawk struggle to convert an old Indianapolis Victorian mansion into a bed-and-breakfast and event center.
They didn’t call it “Risky Business” for nothing. She had to deal with recalcitrant contractors, supply shortages, rising costs, looming deadlines, and myriad other challenges before her dream came to fruition.
The results were beautiful, and the finished Charlotte Hall is now listed on Airbnb. You have to admire her chutzpah for putting it all out there for the world to see.
Chip and Joanna Gaines renovated a castle
HGTV; realtor.com
Chip and Joanna Gaines completed what they called their most ambitious project yet and featured the process on the Magnolia network miniseries “Fixer Upper: The Castle.”
They carefully remodeled a 100-year-old castle in their hometown of Waco, TX, and did such a fabulous job on it that they fell in love with the place. When the series ended, they were contemplating putting it on the market.
But in an interview with Variety in November, they revealed that they haven’t put it up for sale yet. They’re taking a beat to enjoy their castle, and they prefer that, when they do sell it, it would be to a family that would actually live in it, rather than someone who wants to use it as a short-term rental or bed-and-breakfast.
They also revealed that they’ve already moved on to their next big project: renovating a boutique inn they’re calling Hotel 1928 in downtown Waco. There’s no word yet on when that miniseries will air, but we’ll keep you posted.
Ben and Erin Napier of ‘Home Town’ become movie stars
HGTV
2022 was probably the busiest year ever from a professional standpoint for Ben and Erin Napier, the stars of “Home Town” in Laurel, MS.
First, they launched “Home Town Kickstart,” where the couple took their small-town mission on the road, doing residential redos to help revitalize six small towns across America. Since the Napiers have young kids at home and can’t be everywhere at once, they got help from a variety of HGTV’s finest designers and builders who pitched in while the Napiers oversaw renovations from afar.
Then we witnessed the beginning of what could be a burgeoning film career when they starred as (what else?) home renovation experts in one of HGTV’s first scripted movies, “A Christmas Open House.” To many HGTV fans, they were the best part of the show.
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