HGTV's Renovation Island stars Bryan and Sarah Baeumler found fame renovating an island resort
in the Bahamas. But what is there to know about them besides their inspiring design
work in the tropics? Here's the truth about the Baeumlers.
It didn't take long for fans to fall in love with HGTV's "Renovation Island." Season 1
of the show followed the Baeumlers' adventure of renovating a resort dating back to the
1960s. The catch? The resort just so happens to be on the remote island of South Andros,
which they fell in love with on a 2017 vacation to the Bahamas.
The Baeumlers loved the island so much that they uprooted their lives in Canada to move
there, and "Renovation Island" was born. The resort had been on the market for 10 years
before the Baeumlers came along, so fixing up the property proved to be quite the challenge.
The resulting resort, the Caerula Mar Club, had its grand opening for business in early
2020.
The couple and their kids were up to the task, and were focused on sustainability and environmental
preservation, as Bryan told Travel Weekly. Bryan added that sustainability and preservation,
in fact, were key in everything they did on the island, saying,
"From sourcing ingredients for our restaurants to selecting our tour partners and establishing
relationships with employees and suppliers, we are always looking for ways that Caerula
Mar can help contribute to and further sustain the local economy of South Andros."
Bryan Baeumler is a licensed contractor while Sarah Baeumler is in charge of designing the
10-acre property, which consists of 18 hotel rooms, 22 villas, and several amenities including
a restaurant, bar, club house, and spa.
The Baeumlers are no strangers to taking on tough projects. The couple has also starred
on "House of Bryan," which aired on HGTV's sister network, DIY. Bryan also starred on
the DIY shows "Leave It to Bryan" and "Disaster DIY." The island resort, however, was their
biggest project to date.
According to their bios at HGTV Canada, Bryan learned his craft from his dad, an aircraft
engineer. He started his own handyman business at the age of 14, has a degree in political
science, and founded Baeumler Quality Construction. Sarah is part of the company as its project
manager and has worked on interior design projects on the couple's previous shows.
The Baeumlers have four children: Quintyn, Charlotte, Lincoln, and Josephine. Raising
four kids on a remote island is no easy task as child care and schooling options are limited.
As the Baeulers explained on "Renovation Island," the couple originally started off homeschooling
their three youngest kids, Lincoln, Josephine, and Charlotte. As things got busier at the
resort, though, they had less time for homeschooling. They eventually decided to send the younger
kids to a local Bahamian school.
The Baeumlers wanted to give their oldest child, Quintyn, a normal high school experience,
though. Instead of sending him to a local school, the couple decided to send the 14-year-old
off to boarding school. Fortunately, the school only ended up being a 20-minute flight from
the island, so they were able to visit their son regularly while working on renovating
the resort.
Renovating the Caerula Mar Club on South Andros was difficult, but Sarah and Bryan Baeumler
faced more challenges than updating the decades-old property. In 2019, the Category 5 Hurricane
Dorian swept through the area. While their resort was safe, they revealed to TheWrap
that many people they knew had families that had been directly affected or lost lives in
the hurricane.
"It is going to be weeks, if not months, before we get into the Bahamas to be able to get
to what that type of damage can do."
The Baeumlers shut down production of "Renovation Island" for a while and went into action,
providing whatever help they could.
Things went back to normal for a while, until the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Just a month
and a half after opening their resort in March 2020, they were forced to shut down until
October. Sarah told the Toronto Sun that it was a difficult time for them and that, while
the resort was closed, the work did not stop. While they couldn't open their doors to the
public, they continued to make renovations to the property until they were able to resume
operations.
Bryan and Sarah Baeumler bit off a little more than they could chew when they decided
to renovate the resort that would become known as the Caerula Mar Club. They went into the
project knowing that it would cost a lot of money to renovate, but they underestimated
just how expensive that would be. Per TheWrap, the couple forked over $2 million to purchase
the property, anticipating that it would require $4 million to get it renovated and operational.
It turns out they needed a lot more money, though. Bryan told the outlet,
"We more than doubled that before we opened the doors."
It's a good thing that the Baeumlers are reportedly loaded. Take it with a grain of salt, but
according to Celebrity Net Worth, Bryan and Sarah have an estimated combined net worth
of $20 million.
Uprooting their lives and moving to a remote island was hard on the Baeumlers for many
reasons. Life on South Andros moves at a slower pace, but Bryan and Sarah Baeumler were not
prepared for the limited shopping choices they would have in their new home. Sarah explained
to People magazine that the stores are small on the island, and don't have the variety
she's used to back home. This also made the renovations challenging as they had to have
materials flown or shipped in, which could take weeks to arrive.
Another challenge is the lack of immediate availability of certain staples. While it's
an easy thing in Canada to just head to the store to stock up on things or quickly replace
a needed item, that's not true on South Andros. Sarah explained,
"If we're out of milk, we can't always run to the store to get more, sometimes we need
to wait a week until the next ship arrives, so we drink water or juice."
Surprisingly, the Baeumlers found that this big change — while difficult to get used
to — was beneficial, saying,
“It actually reduces stress because you start to realize that you don’t need everything
instantly available at your fingertips to survive and be happy."
Self-care is important for everyone. It's critical for us to take time to destress and
pamper ourselves, and Sarah Baeumler is very aware of this. In an interview with Millionairess
magazine, she emphasized the necessity of self-care, adding that she thinks it's especially
needed for women because of the particular challenges they face. Sarah explained to the
outlet that women — especially those with families — are so often focused on being
caregivers that they end up not paying enough attention to themselves. Sarah told the magazine,
"Self care is not the same as selfish. Mom-guilt should never be a question."
She added that, no matter how busy things get, she always makes a point to take some
time for herself, not only to get some "me" time but because she knows that taking care
of herself means that energy, quote, "overflows" to the rest of the Baeumler family.
If you're not from Canada, you might not understand just how famous Sarah and Bryan Baeumler are.
While their fame in the United States is comparatively new, they've been building up their reputation
in Canada for years. They're such well-known celebrities that they turn heads on the street.
Bryan told the South Florida Sun Sentinel,
"We can't go anywhere in Canada without being recognized.”
"Give me those sunglasses, and put those glasses on."
"I didn't even know I had those!"
The outlet even compared the couple to Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame. Sarah
and Bryan joked that their inability to go anywhere without being recognized is why they
made the decision to move to a remote island, far away from the fame.
Of course, their fame is on the rise thanks to "Renovation Island," so it might not be
too long before they're also super famous in the U.S.
Bryan and Sarah Baeumler aren't high school sweethearts, but they have known each other
since their student days. The couple shared their sweet love story with the website TRNTO,
explaining that they first got to know each other in high school and started dating a
decade later. Sarah explained to the outlet,
"In 2001, we were both copied on an email from a mutual friend, which was the catalyst
for us to begin talking again, and we decided to reunite over coffee after work."
Bryan really wowed Sarah on their first date, bringing her to see a stage production of
"The Lion King" and then taking her out for sushi. Sarah was impressed with all the effort
he put into the date, and it kicked off their romantic relationship. They were married three
years later and honeymooned in Las Vegas, after their Florida trip was canceled because
of a hurricane.
Between their career and raising their four kids, the Baeumlers are pretty busy. They
still make time for themselves, though, and have a lot of hobbies that they enjoy in their
down time. Sarah told TRNTO that she and her husband both love to water-ski, wakeboard
and tube.
Sarah and Bryan Baeumler also enjoy boating and fishing, and regularly indulge their love
for the outdoors with their kids. Another hobby is scuba diving, which Sarah and Bryan
are both certified in and enjoy pursuing on their trips around the world.
It's not always easy to carve out time to have fun, but Sarah told the outlet that she
and Bryan do their best to make sure it's not all work and no play in the Baeumler family.
She told the site,
"We love what we do, and we work hard so we can enjoy time with our family and watch the
kids grow up."
DIY home renovation isn't for everybody, but if you and your significant other are thinking
of picking up a hammer and transforming your own home, do some research first. Bryan Baeumler
told Monsters & Critics that home renovation isn't as easy as it might look on TV, and
that it's not for everybody. He added that it's important for people to remember that
he is a professional with a lot of experience under his belt.
For couples who are aware of the challenges of DIY home renovation and want to go for
it anyway, Bryan says that communication with your partner is critical. Sarah and Bryan
also offered up this advice for couples looking to follow in their footsteps, telling Toronto
Home Shows,
"Set the budget, and set aside 25-30% for contingencies, upgrades, changes etc. Decide
which rooms / projects each partner gets total control of, and where you'll battle it out."
The couple added that it's important to take time off from the project regularly and to
have fun.
While it may appear that Bryan Baeumler lives a charmed existence, his life has not been
without hardship. The "Renovation Island" star has lived with anxiety ever since he
was an adolescent, as Sarah Baeumler revealed to Vancouver Mom. Sarah told the outlet,
"During his late teens and early twenties, Bryan suffered anxiety and severe panic attacks
like so many teens today."
Bryan told the Star that he, quote, "spent a few years in a very dark place dealing"
with his anxiety, in addition to his agoraphobia. He's aware that being a public figure means
people would never expect him to deal with such issues, which is why he thinks it's especially
important for him to be open about his mental health and to fight against the stigma, although
that wasn't always the case. He told the outlet,
"It's something that I've never talked about publicly — I suppose because of the stigma
around it — but I now realize that so many of us are affected in one way or another."
In a 2019 Instagram post, Bryan confided that his early reality TV career had been plagued
by panic attacks, but that he has learned how to manage it somewhat, although it is
still something he deals with.
Balancing their work and home life is no easy feat, but the Baeumlers manage to spend time
together as a family no matter how busy things get. Bryan and Sarah also make sure to spend
time with each other, knowing that keeping their relationship strong is key.
Sarah told Vancouver Mom that they have raised their kids to understand that, quote, "Mommy
and Daddy need time to be adults and friends to one another." She explained to the outlet
that it can be easy to give yourself over completely to your children, but that they
have always emphasized to their kids that it's important for parents to keep their friendship
strong.
As for juggling the many things they have on their plates, Bryan and Sarah Baeumler
offered up some advice in an interview with Toronto Home Shows, saying,
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Be nice to each other and love your kids. Get a job you love
and you'll never have to work a day in your life!"
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