Episode 6: Fishing for More Time

Bonus Room?! The space we didn’t ask for and the headache we didn’t need either! But it came with money and that made it all better. Well, sort of.

Let’s get into it.

So, there’s been a locked room next to our primary bedroom and the dreaded HVAC unit we chose not to move earlier in the competition with the primary bedroom. Alison has a key to the lock and once opened we see an empty room down to the studs with carpet and a ladder. We’ve been tasked with creating a brand-new room to add value to this beach house. There were no other requirements. It doesn’t have to be a bedroom or anything close to it. Free for all!

We thought through a few things. We threw out the idea of extending the main suite to have a huge bathroom as a super luxurious upstairs getaway from the bedrooms downstairs, or even a home gym. Being mindful of the budget, we met in the middle so the money could be spread elsewhere. A movie room!

What's better in a beach house than a dark and moody space with a huge screen to watch a movie with friends and family? To me, nothing! We all love a movie room. It works for all ages and fits all moods. So, we went for it. The kicker was that we had a short time to buy everything we needed. That means shopping in-store, and not relying on delivery times if we could help it.

Thankfully, while we were planning and ordering supplies and fixtures at the house, Alison shopped in-store and checked in with us on video chats. And we got it done!

But lets pause there for a second and let's discuss the Navy Ship! I live in a Navy town in Norfolk, VA, but I have yet to visit any ships. After this challenge, I know just about everything I need to know about the innards of a ship. I'll leave the rest to the professionals. The challenge was a scavenger hunt around and deep down in this ship aptly named Battleship in Wilmington, NC. We had to collect 4 tools from hidden toolboxes throughout an area in the ship. What you did not see was all the teams running into and around each other, tripping over entry ways, bumping our heads on passageways, and fumbling down the steepest of stairs that I've ever seen! To add, the air was heavy and thick so breathing while running and searching for tools was nothing like being on the surface of the ship. This competition was wild to say the least. Unfortunately, our team came in second place, so we didn't win the extra few hours to work in the bonus room that we ultimately could've used.

Back to the space. We discovered water damage near the window in the bonus room that had to be repaired before installing underlayment and carpet. But we also needed to drywall, mud, and paint as well before we could even think about painting and finishing the space. Time and temperature weren't on our side and the mud took a good minute to dry. If you notice in the episode when Brandon was covered in dust, we went straight from sanding to paint. Not to mention trying to keep the rest of the house dust-free while working diligently in this room.

We worked through the night with painting the ceiling, walls, and starting the candy station. In the final hours, working on the secret door, hanging curtains, and the projector screen and adding decor was too much to do. Honestly for me, everything after the couch getting in was a blur. So much didn't happen the way it should in the space and time just disappeared. The door hinge being wonky was the least of my worries. On the plus side we had a moody room, comfy couch, a popcorn and candy station, and a beverage fridge. The parts were there, but the space wasn't quite complete.

Judging was everything I expected to hear. But next week is the exterior and the final looks! Onward we go with team Alison!

Secrets Revealed!

• The HVAC remained a thorn in our side during this episode. We had to adjust our plans for a candy station and countertop to keep a passage door for access to the HVAC system. The tiny candy station in the entryway was the second option.
  

• The couch crisis was pure agony. Fresh off my back being out, I couldn't help Brandon carry up the couch or the huge rolls of underlayment and carpet. All of these things including two parts of a huge sectional had to come up two flights of stairs and fit through a tiny hallway to make it through the door frame. The hallway was the hardest part of angling it in the room and the stairs that I freshly painted were victims to the push and pull. Thankfully, our carpenter and Brandon were able to get the couch in though.

Shop the bonus room here! I may earn a small commission from purchases you make using these links.

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Tune in every Monday starting June 3rd at 9pm on HGTV to see us makeover an entire house and compete for a $50,000 cash prize against 2 other teams of DIYers. You can stream all episodes on Max the next day.

Be sure to follow me @toolsandtransformations on Instagram for all the fun details!