House Crashers Comes to Town

Posted by Special Contributor on 9 July 2012

Tags: Design, Charlotte, DIY

For three days in January, DIY Network host Josh Temple and the production crew of "House Crashers" ambushed a home in western Mecklenburg County, turning it into both a construction site and the set of a reality show. Charlotte renovation contractor Dryden Design Build served as the local design-build team for the race-themed garage transformation, which guest starred NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet.

The new episode premiered June 25 on DIY Network, and will re-air tonight, Monday, July 9 at 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. during DIY's annual "Crashers Week". Here Dryden Design Build shares with us some behind-the-scenes photos of the filming and DIY project highlights from designer Michelle Sutton.

Three days. That's not much time to transform a space, ushering dozens of workers through one small room at a break-neck pace to complete work that would usually happen over weeks. And they really do it in three days. Even in the pouring rain. 

On TV, you only see about 15 minutes of it, and all you see of the months of preparation is the evidence of good design and no-detail-left-to-question planning. And what allows the "House Crashers" production team to crank out 13 episodes each season is the assistance of local designers and contractors to have the project ready to roll when the cameras arrive.

Charlotte Designer Michelle Sutton, whose resume includes a Masters in Architecture from UNCC and years designing hospital interiors for a large Charlotte firm, was the creative force behind the newest episode of "House Crashers." LA-based producers challenged her to envision a race-themed lounge for a ho-hum attached garage, and to incorporate DIY projects that could be completed by unskilled homeowners. Her solutions made for great TV and a great space for a viewing party.

Decorative Wall Panels

To create the illusion of speed and movement, and simulate the sparkle of faces in the grandstands when driving past at 150 mph, Michelle designed a curved, studded wall installation using sheets of thin wood paneling hung on contoured framing. This project served to round the corners of the room and add layers of texture. The homeowners scratched the surface with packing knives, added stain and poly, and embellished it with nailheads and thumbtacks.  

Flooring as Wallcovering

The dark bamboo flooring surface was continued up a wall built to disguise a new water heater closet behind a pocket door...beauty serves utility!

Furniture from Salvaged Car Parts

A couple trips to the shop of NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet generated a heap of miscellaneous metal in the Dryden Design Build studio, and then became unique bar stools, side tables, and bar supports that were assembled on camera by homeowners.

Race car remnants became the supports for the bar's Silestone countertops, a fixed bottle opener, and side tables made from wheel wells.

The experience was great fun for the race fans in the crew, working alongside the charming Brad Sweet and Kasey Kahne, and host Josh Temple was just as hilarious and hardworking as he appears on television.

See more of Dryden Design Build's photos here, see a trailer of the show on Turner Motorsports facebook page, and check out DIY's "House Crashers" page for future air dates.