‘Home Town Takeover’ finale reveals the little things that make any place feel like home

Season 2 of “Home Town Takeover” has reached its grand finale, with Erin and Ben Napier, Dave and Jenny Marrs from “Fixer to Fabulous”, and many other HGTV stars participating in 18 renovation projects to complete Fort Morgan, CO.

In the series finale, “Passing the Torch,” the Napiers and Marrses move into a final residence and brighten up a local park for a party celebrating all the sweat they’ve invested in this remote community, knowing their changes will set off a chain reaction. where others continue their efforts.

“We got started doing what we know will spark change here,” explains Ben, “helping those already helping, boosting local businesses and creating public spaces to be proud of.” to be the city.”

Trying to bring back a city’s former glory was no easy task, but what amazed us was how even the smallest changes could make a big difference. Check out some of these HGTV stars’ finishing touches to Fort Morgan — and learn some parting ideas about how we can all make wherever we live feel a little more like home.

You can take the beach home with you

Dave and Jenny come to visit for their graduation project Jessica and Ernie Marquez, whose volunteer efforts as owners of a not-for-profit boxing gym were recently celebrated with a Citizen of the Year award. They have been trying to renovate their house for 20 years, and finally Dave and Jenny come in to do the job.

The Marrses learn that Jessica and Ernie love the beach. They also prove that even if you live in a landlocked state like Colorado, with a little paint and know-how you can bring that relaxed oceanfront vibe into your home.

“So we want to channel the beach,” says Jenny. “What if we turn this exterior into a coastal bungalow? I want to use colors like deep blue that make you feel like you’re at the ocean.”

She decides they’ll “paint the exterior coastal blue, and we’re whitewashing the brick to make it softer.”

They’re also adding a conversation area in the front of the house, with sturdy, high-quality beach chairs, a side table that looks a bit like a beach ball, and even some sand underfoot.

How do you create a coastal look indoors?

Dave and Jenny don’t stop at the exterior when it comes to a seaside vibe.

“Inside we continue that coastal bungalow feeling with colors like white and light blue,” Jenny continues. She also suggests adding a light wood-look floor, perhaps the color of sand.

“The cream white cabinets soften and brighten the space, while the light blue island adds a splash of color and ties in with the coastal design,” concludes Jenny. “I hope [this] will remind Jessica and Ernie of their favorite days at the beach.”

A brick backsplash adds character to a kitchen

Several years ago, Ernie had built a faux brick wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. Dave and Jenny respect his efforts but decide they have to.

“We removed the fake stone wall you built, but we wanted to pay tribute to your handiwork by putting in a new stone back wall,” Jenny tells him. “We use brick tiles, but we flip them vertically to give it a modern look. And then we add a mortar wash to soften the finish.

What is a Mortar Wash?

Dave explains, “A mortar wash is basically taking the mortar itself and turning it into a pancake batter and smearing it over the top of the brick. And when it dries, like the lime and all that in the mortar, it reacts with the brick, giving it a really cool patina.”

Reuse a kid’s room as an office

Many parents dedicate their children’s former bedrooms to them as a shrine, leaving them as they were when the children left, with posters, trophies, and all. But really, why not use the space for your new life with them out of the house?

In the case of the Marquez house, Jenny and Dave take an extra bedroom vacated by one of the kids and use it as an office/study for Ernie, who will use it when troubled people from the boxing gym come over for counseling.

The room is small, so they install a desk in the closet and then create sliding bookshelves, closing off the desk. This way Ernie can close his (sometimes messy) desk at the end of the day and he doesn’t have to worry about it.

Brighten up your picnic benches with paint

For the season finale Jasmine Roth from “Help, I destroyed my house!” visits Fort Morgan to help by working on a picnic area in the center of Glenn Miller Park.

To brighten up this area, she has local volunteers paint the picnic benches with bright colors and patterns using stencils.

“Projects like this may seem small, but they make such a big difference in creating a fun and vibrant space,” says Roth.

So many people have picnic benches in their backyards, on their porches, and even in their homes. Why choose the dull wood tones that are most common when it’s so easy to paint them with pops of color and brighten them up a bit?

How will this ‘Home Town Takeover’ turn out?

In the end, the whole town celebrates their new look with a party at Glenn Miller Park, where Erin and Ben and the others toast to all their hard work.

“It was hard to watch the progression of 18 projects in four months,” says Erin.

“There were aspects that were the hardest things we’ve ever done,” agrees Ben.

“But nothing great is easy,” concludes Erin.