Stars — they’re just like us! They too are desperate for renovation pros and HGTV superstars Drew and Jonathan Scott to help with home projects.
But the best part of the hit HGTV series “Celebrity IOU” is that these A-listers are able to enlist the twins, also known as the Property Brothers, to oversee A-list transformations for their special friends and mentors as thank-you gifts. As Jonathan explains, “We get celebrities from every walk of life who want to do something nice for people who have made life easier for them.”
In the seventh season, Drew and Jonathan — also executive producers — work their magic for eight more celebrities, including Sterling K. Brown, Fran Drescher and Regina Hall. In the first episode, actor Ray Romano asks the two and their crew to fix up his longtime assistant’s ill-equipped bathroom and bedroom. Lots of tears ensue. “He has a lot of anxiety, and she’s the one who talks him off the ledge,” Jonathan says. “Ray is so funny,” Drew adds. “He could be our brother, except he’s not that handy.”
To that end, the brothers point out that the celebrities do roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty in the overhaul process. Jonathan adds that Mayim Bialik worked on an outdoor space for the first time, and Hall loved using power tools so much that “I think she picked some up to use during the holidays.” Drescher, meanwhile, “is really into design and was like, ‘I got this.’ She basically took the reins from us and handled everything,” he says.
But what do you do if you don’t have personal access to the brothers’ savvy expertise? “We always say to reverse engineer your happiness in a renovation,” Jonathan says. “Think about what would make your life easier at home and what would give you time back.”
To be more specific, Drew and Jonathan offered up their favorite home products to CNN Underscored.
Drew calls this addition “a no-brainer” because it helps homeowners save money and energy. Compatible with Alexa-enabled devices like the Ring, the thermostat constantly updates room temperature for ideal comfort. “Technology these days can learn your habits and adjust based on the outdoor temperature,” he adds.
Drew recommends using this small bamboo compost bin to convert organic waste and enrich backyard soil. Available in multiple colors, the compost bin has a handle and a vented lid and comes with two filters.
“You want to pamper yourself,” Jonathan says. “And one way to do that is [by] having a luxurious throw.” Enter this soft, handwoven blanket, made from an acrylic and polyester fabric and finished with a tasseled fringe. “I’m obsessive about how to lay a throw on a bed or couch — you want to spread it out with the fringes facing down,” he notes.
“You’d be amazed at how many people don’t even have a basic tool kit at home,” Jonathan says. “You don’t want to get halfway through a project and realize you don’t have a drill.” The two like this collection from Black+Decker, which features 68 hand tools and accessories, including a 20-volt cordless lithium-battery-powered drill to help you hang pictures and assemble furniture.
Forget the traditional, ultra-difficult-to-apply wallpaper. Drew recommends the peel-and-stick options from the brothers’ Scott Living line. “It looks beautiful, and you don’t have the mess,” he says. “And there are so many looks and patterns that if you want to change the look from winter to spring, you can just do it.”
Jonathan is such a fan of organization that he admits to perusing The Container Store just to “feel good.” To find what’s what and keep items out of sight, he advises stocking up on these sleek lidded wooden baskets. “They look good, and they’re functional,” he says. “You can just tuck stuff inside and put the baskets in a corner. Any room instantly looks decluttered.”
“Think about what you’re touching and feeling, and make sure any anchor furniture fits your lifestyle,” Jonathan says. Though he acknowledges the eight-piece sectional — upholstered with soft beige chenille fabric — from their line is pricey, “you want to spend more money on furniture that’s going to last longer,” he says. “This is the nicest one we’ve ever done.”