(folk music)
- Dina has been taking care of children,
first her own children, and then the past thirty years
for other people's children in her own home.
Every morning she greets those kids on her knees
at eight o'clock in the morning until four o'clock.
- So caring, so loving.
She is really a special person.
- People are like, "Are your kids in daycare?"
I'm like, "No."
I'm like, well actually they are
but it's like sending them the grandma's house, right?
They're loved and they're fed and they're held
and they're talked to nicely.
There's a book called The Giving Tree about this little boy
and he goes to the tree and the tree gives the boy his fruit
and then his leaves and then his branches and then the wood
and then he makes a swing and there's nothing left
but a little trunk, and if he could have given more
the tree would have.
That's Dina.
- There is times in life where you encounter people that
you feel are contributing to you so much, to your kids
that you're just waiting for the opportunity to give back.
This is one of these moments.
- [Emily] Dina is retiring and downsizing from a larger home
to a smaller two bedroom condo.
- She's closing it. Parents are coming to me like,
"What are we doing for her? What can we do for her?
What can we do for her?"
- Parents from like years and years ago,
they're kids are in college now,
they all wanted to be part of this.
- We said to her, "What can we give you
for a going away present? We'd like to get you something.
Can we do something for your house?"
And she said, "No. Thank you for giving me your daughter."
And what could I say to that? What can I say?
So, um, I don't think there's any gift in the world
that would be big enough to give her.
- The space actually has a lot of potential.
- Yeah.
- When Jen contacted us and told us about Dina's story,
we really wanted to be a part of it.
- We want to make sure that her retiring goes smoothly
and that she's actually in a home as special to her
as her home was to us and our children.
- [Emily] She's getting a full renovation.
The great room is where Dina will be spending
most of her time relaxing, cooking, entertaining.
So we definitely want to make that space
comfortable and cozy and brighten it up.
The cabinets are making the space feel really heavy,
because it's a really dark wood finish. It's worn.
- The biggest transformation will be
really brightening up the space.
So it will be really nice to see it with lighter paint,
and more modern LED light fixtures.
- [Emily] We'd like to bring in some new appliances,
some clean stainless steel,
something more modern and functional.
The granite counter top, we'd like to pull that out
bring in something more simple and clean.
There's a dining nook adjacent to the kitchen.
We want to make it a more cozy space for Dina.
We're thinking of adding a banquette bench
so she can kinda lounge. There's a good view.
- Her floors are in pretty good shape,
so instead of replacing it, we're thinking
of using an oversized rug.
And it's on the brighter side to lighten up the space.
- Mm hm.
- And we can add more contrast by adding a pop of color
with the sofa.
- Mm hm, yeah that looks good.
- The plant's right here. Hide the vents.
- Perfect.
- Probably do a round coffee table.
- Mm hm.
- Right here.
- Oh, that's perfect for her. She'll be very happy.
- What's great about this project is that Dina's given
so much to the community over the years, and it's going
to be great to be a part of giving back to her.
(upbeat music)
There's a clear step down between the kitchen
and living area. It's kind of a safety hazard.
So what we wanted to do was bring in a different flooring
to make that transition very clear.
She's getting a under-mount stainless steel sink.
We've repainted the cabinets. New countertops.
- For the breakfast nook, what do you think
of these two things?
We already ordered the table.
- Mm hmm.
- But I think this bench is the perfect size for that wall.
- It's a little traditional, but I think since
the table's modern, it can still work.
- Yeah.
- Put some throw pillows on there.
- Let's get it.
What do you think about these mirrors?
- I think that would look great behind Dina's
existing vintage trunk.
- Yeah. With plants?
- Yeah
- Mm hmm.That's great.
- Using the Houzz app was really great
for collaborating with Jen on which pieces to purchase
and bought them directly through the app.
Dina has a lot of antiques. She has a lot of plants that
we're definitely planning to incorporate into the design.
This is the part of the project that you
never want your clients to see.
It's the chaos before the beautiful.
(bright music)
Dina's master bedroom was not originally part of our scope,
but we had a little bit of budget left,
so we replaced her old carpets for new flooring,
and got her a new bed and dresser and a few pieces
to make the space more inviting.
(upbeat music)
- I think we're done!
- Looks great. Let's get ready for Dina.
- Perfect.
(soft music)
- I'm so excited. Are you excited?
Okay, let's do this.
- I'm super excited.
- Okay, come.
- I can't wait to see it.
- Let's go upstairs.
Close your eyes. Follow me.
I gotcha, I gotcha. I gotcha. Follow me.
There you go, and...
(crying)
This is your new home.
- So beautiful.
- This is your new home.
Come over here.
- God, that's beautiful. I didn't...
I couldn't imagine something like this that will fit here.
- There's lots of good lighting that they put in
and they did beautiful fixtures and they have some gold.
- Oh look at it.
- Yeah.
- [Dina] I love the blue couch.
- Mm hmm.
- It's beautiful.
Wow, look at that.
- Yeah, so that's just a little memory of all the kids
that used to mess up your walls.
And now you've got some hand prints.
- Wow.
(laughing)
- That is just amazing.
- You can look on the back of each one
and you'll see who's hand it was.
And here's your statue.
- Well look at that mirror.
- And the mirror and your chest.
- Oh my goodness.
Oh, gosh.
It's so calm.
- Well there are no kids here.
(laughing)
- The colors. It's beautiful
- I know.
- Look at that.
- Her home was overrun by the school and children's items
and toys and juice boxes, and now it can be all about Dina
and she can have a space for herself.
- I really don't know what to say.
- I think Dina's going to be in shock for at least a week.
I love how Jen, me, and Emily captured Dina's taste
with the gold accents and the blue couch
and the white kitchen. They just, you know, the plants
they totally got her. They just got her.
- Jen told me that the parents got together
and wanted to do something for me in the condo,
and I thought it's gonna be a rug or a couch.
And they did all this.
I'm just overwhelmed. It's so beautiful.
You think that their child,
leaves, goes to preschool.
And they're there. They're still there with me.
I never thought that people will do this for me.
- Just seeing Dina's reaction, and I can't wait
for all the other parents to see this reaction.
It made everything so worth it.
- Really happy to do this for her. And hopefully she'll
enjoy, you know, the next chapter of her life.
- Dearest Dina, We hope hope that you love your new home.
We hope you feel as comfortable and loved as we all felt
leaving you with our children over the past twenty-two years
in your home.
We are eternally grateful for all you have done and
for having you in our lives. With all the love in the world,
the parents, the children, and the families.
(bright string and piano music)