Inside the Heritage Homes ‘Makeover’ Build
Tyrone Leslie leans back in his leather office chair, hands folded neatly across the buttons of his shirt and leg comfortably crossed with his ankle on his knee. The co-owner of Heritage Homes reflects on the rollercoaster ride of 2010, when ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition tapped his company for a third build and searched for a deserving family in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
He can’t say enough about the great crew of people at his company, and he says the benefits of being in the building industry far outweigh the challenges. Sure there are rough days, but the self-proclaimed optimist says thinking negatively doesn’t get him anywhere.
“That’s why I keep this photo right here,” he nearly jumps out of his chair as he slips a 4×6 photograph out from under the class on top of his desk. It’s a photo of the Grommesh family, the recipients of the Extreme Makeover home.
“All I’ve got to do is look at that photo and it keeps me moving forward,” Leslie says.
Leslie and his team built a beautiful 5,200-square-foot home, with the help of 5,500 volunteers, including 300 trades volunteers.
With the family settled in at home and the show having aired to millions in January, it’s time to learn about the work that was done so secretly.
Q&A with Tyrone Leslie, Heritage Homes President and Eric Smith, Heritage Homes Architect on Record and Project Manager on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s Moorhead build.
Tyrone Leslie, Heritage Homes
ODLG: Tell us about the design of the home and what role you had in it.
Eric Smith: We tried to incorporate a Prairie/Craftsman style to the home. We wanted it to be contemporary and traditional at the same time. We had to work around making the house wheelchair accessible, which meant wider hallways, bigger doors, open spaces, hard surface floors and an elevator. I had a lot to do with the shape and structure and layout of the home and extreme did a lot with the color and some material choices.
Tyrone Leslie: Once we understood the family’s needs, we wanted the house to accommodate their lifestyle – we didn’t want them to have to change for the house. Its Craftsman style means larger overhangs, teared columns, porches, exaggerated trim around the windows – it gives it that country look.
ODLG: What special considerations were made for the family?
Tyrone Leslie: Garret [Grommesh] has certain requirements to be able to freely move around the house. We added an elevator. We thought a rambler would be the best move, but the lot wasn’t big enough so an elevator was the best option. Their previous home was a rambler, but it required Garret to crawl down the stairs. Now he has full access to his home. It accommodates ADA very well without showing it.
Eric Smith, Heritage Homes
ODLG: What was it like to work on this project?
Eric Smith: It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something on this scale. I feel like I design homes for people every day and change lives for the better, but nothing at this magnitude. The amount of people involved and coordination needed and the overall feeling of the volunteers and donations is just something that you can’t possibly imagine.
ODLG: Tell us about the landscaping and outdoor design of the home.
Eric Smith: We wanted to make sure that the house looked amazing but also still fit in the neighborhood. We wanted it to be “extreme” without overtaking everything around it. We also had some space limitations so we wanted to work with the landscaping to make it look very nice without making it too crowded. We put up a fence in the back yard for privacy for the pool and also as a barrier to the busier street. It also helps keep the family dog safe. We made sure everything was wheelchair ready and made a nice patio space with room for a table perfect for family gatherings.
ODLG: What’s the best part of being part of this build?
Tyrone Leslie: We just changed their lives forever. It had its challenges, but the benefits outweighed those. We have a great crew of people – it’s a team that’s equally as passionate about providing the product that we do. You can’t fake it – these people aren’t just here for a paycheck, they’re here because they love what they do.
It continues to reassure us that there is more good than there is bad. When you see projects like this where people engage selflessly and give their time from their families and their work it’s such a rewarding thing – it’s an amazing thing – reassures you of humanity and this incredible community in which we live that can’t be replaced.
This community and people are selfless. This gives us positive national exposure. Everyone hears about the flood, how we rallied and went out and fought. It’s the same thing with this type of project.
ODLG: What was it like to see the finished product?
Eric Smith: It was amazing to watch the whole process and the house going up right in front of you. In only a few hours the house would change dramatically. The finished product was even better than what I had even imagined as I drew it up and even looked better than the 3-D renderings that I had done. It was nice to see what a few thousand people and seven days could really accomplish. I was impressed.
ODLG: What tips do you have for people trying to achieve the same type of look and atmosphere inside and out?
Eric Smith: We took advantage of open spaces and good flow inside and added a lot of exterior character with the covered porches and beam details in the upper soffit outside. Having a very nice window package really complimented the house nicely too.
