HGTV’s Ty Pennington on which improvements make sense for your home
Carpenter, craftsman, and designer Ty Pennington helped launch America’s obsession with reality home improvement TV. Here, he offers advice on paint, wood floors, kitchen cabinets, and other projects.
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Ty Pennington, host of HGTV’s Ty Breaker, became a pop culture star in his hit TV shows TLC’s Trading Spaces and ABC’s Extreme Makeover, Home Edition, which won two Emmys. Pennington helped start America’s obsession with reality home improvement TV. The carpenter, craftsman and designer went on to do many other design shows, create his own line of products, and write books.
His latest show on HGTV, Ty Breaker, helps conflicted homeowners decide whether to overhaul their home or find another property to renovate. He joined a recent Washington Post Home Front online chat. Here is an edited excerpt.
Do you decorate your own homes in any particular style, or do you put a different spin on each one?
I’ve always been partial to modern, midcentury modern, and Scandinavian design. I recently bought a house in Savannah, Ga., that was built in 1853. It’s a departure from what I’m usually attracted to, but the house was so charming. I’m renovating now, but it’ll have more of a traditional style — a mix of old and new, with lots of antiques.
I’m preparing to sell my home sometime in the summer. With not much of a budget for repairs and beautification, what are some reasonable and important items and spaces where we should focus?
I just went through this process myself. First, declutter and donate what you don’t need. Have a garage sale or sell items through online marketplaces, and store pieces you want to keep. Then do a fresh coat of paint in the main living areas. The kitchen is always a huge selling point. Refresh cabinets with a new coat of paint if you can’t afford to renovate. White is always great for staging, because it feels like a blank canvas for potential buyers. Also switch out old hardware and faucets. Curb appeal is very important; clean up the outside of the house as much as possible. Use a new color on the front door. Power-washing the sidewalks, pathways and entries is also essential. Remove weeds and dead or overgrown plants, even if you don’t have much of a green thumb. New hardware, such as house numbers and door knockers, and a fresh, seasonal wreath or new outdoor lights will also give the house a mini-facelift.
I keep painting my cheap kitchen cabinets white until I can replace them. Is there something I can put on top, so the paint doesn’t chip? I’m thinking of clear poly, but I like a matte look.
This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but you need to scrape off the old paint, sand the cabinets down and use a really good primer. After that, paint the cabinets using paint with a matte finish. You don’t need a top coat. I just painted my cabinets with matte navy, and they look awesome.
I’m interested in updating our family room, where we all hang out and watch TV. What color scheme do you suggest? Any thoughts on a must-have item or piece of furniture?
Color is such a personal thing. Look to your wardrobe for inspiration. What colors do you feel good in? Those are the colors you should use in your home. If you are lost for inspiration, try following paint companies on Instagram; they always have awesome ideas. For furniture, I would say a really great antique armoire. You can hide all the kids’ toys in it, but it still looks really beautiful.
What is a realistic time frame for major renovations? Most of the HGTV shows say six or seven weeks, but I’ve had friends who have had three- or four-month jobs.
Six or seven weeks sounds amazing, but that has never been my experience, especially with the current state of affairs. Contractors, plumbers and electricians are booking months in advance because of the pandemic. I started a kitchen renovation this past November, and we’re still not done. Know that it may take up to 12 weeks. The best way to avoid delays is to ensure you have every single detail and decision worked out before you begin. Avoid making changes once you’ve started, because changes will only slow the process down. Do as much research as you can to find a good contractor, and check references. It’s best to use someone either a friend or family member has worked with, because you’ve seen that contractor’s work firsthand.
I have a 100-year-old house, and although it has wooden floors on the second floor, they’re in really bad shape. This includes missing, cracked and dried/shrunken pieces. Do you think it’s worth it to restore the flooring?
Original wood flooring is so darn charming. If you can afford to have it restored, I absolutely would. It adds history and personality to a home; there’s nothing like it. Even if the wood is a tone you don’t prefer, such as orange or mahogany, you can always have it sanded down and restained.
My home was built around 1957. We like our location, but we’re running out of room. We have made upgrades, including a new roof, HVAC and all the windows. Our dilemma is: Do we renovate and stay in our house, or do we move?
I wish the answer was simple, but it’s not. You have to weigh the pros and cons of moving. Do you love your neighborhood and neighbors? Is the house a happy place for you? Does the thought of leaving make you sad? Perhaps you love the house, but the layout isn’t working for you. I suggest getting a design consultation from a professional to learn about the possibilities for your home. They might be better than you imagined.