There’s beauty even in the most difficult of times, and HGTV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a perfect example of bringing this fact to life. Designer, artist, and HGTV star David Bromstad joins the awesome party in the next no miss episode.
In it, he brings the beauty through his incredible artistic talent for the Holtzclaw family.
Bromstad interprets the vibe of the home and the room and creates an original piece of art that represents a calming, peaceful mood for the family who experienced some truly terrible luck in the last few years.
It’s a beautiful piece, as seen above. Bromstad is wildly gifted in fine art and design.
In this special episode, The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designers (some call them angels) Breegan Jane, Carrie Locklyn, and Darren Keefe join David, along with award-winning singer/songwriter LeAnn Rimes, as well.
They all work together, bringing their special skill sets and great intentions to completely redo a home in dire need of updating based on the family’s circumstances.
Who are the Holtzclaws?
The Holtzclaws are an average, hard-working American family with three adorable little girls. Father, Jeff Holtzclaw, is a Gold Star teacher, but he deals with kids lost in the system who are trying to right their ship.
He is an affable, agreeable, friendly man with a huge heart and even bigger circle of appreciative parents and students who know he’s not working for the money but genuinely wants to see these kids succeed in life.
He works with young people who are in gangs, and of that, he says: “Very few [of these kids] have anybody who can help them when they need it.”
The financial carnage is from what happened to Jeff a few years back. We learn in the episode that he was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle.
The injury was so severe that doctors had to amputate his leg. Remarkably, he soldiered through it and refused to let it stop him from working or getting on with things.
But not all things “could get on with,” which is why they see the big bus show up.
Now he is in a wheelchair at times, others he uses a prosthetic. He suffers from pain constantly because of the awkward place his leg was amputated; his prosthetic is very uncomfortable to wear.
His home is an access disaster for wheelchair usage.
The state of their house overall has suffered tremendously for the lack of money and the ability to meet basic upkeep standards. Now it’s a five-alarm fire.
Jeff hopes his misfortune is inspiring his kids who have tremendous obstacles themselves to face. This is a family that consistently puts others before themselves.
It’s time to pay them back.
The setup
A full marching band greets the HGTV Extreme Home bus. The crew assembles in front of the Holtzclaw home. The family opens their door to a crowd cheering for them as the events play out.
They will leave while teams of people redo their home, including David Bromstad, who adds his art and helps stage the home.
The design team and Jesse are honored to be there to help a teacher. They will bring the house to ADA code, opening it up for Jeff to navigate without problems.
His students are there and part of the volunteer squad to help with the renovation.
The construction crew led by the Bohlers head up the volunteers. Good stuff is going to happen here today. The design team goes inside as Jesse talks to Jeff Holtzclaw. Jeff tells him: “The main thing I use for the students is love…and when they love me back, amazing!”
Jeff shared the story of how a woman saved his life, applying a tourniquet to his leg. He wished she knew who she was. The producers found her.
Host Jesse Tyler Ferguson worked around the clock alongside hundreds of volunteers and expert tradespeople to renovate the Covina, CA family home.
It will have an open concept floor plan with a large kitchen and a wheelchair ramp in the main hallway, so Jeff has easy access to every room.
Later in the episode, Jeff’s lifesaver, Norma, and her husband, Peter Arango, meet them via a satellite call. You won’t have a dry eye for sure.
Exclusive interview with David Bromstad:
Monsters & Critics: Talk about the emotional connection you have to the art you made for the Holtzclaw family.
David Bromstad: I so enjoyed being a part of this incredible production and project for the Holtzclaw family. Doing a piece of art is a great way to infuse a mood into a room.
What I learned about the family is that they wanted something calm and serene and peaceful. So my duty as an artist has to enhance that moment in the space to give them that feeling of peace.
The art represents a place between sleep and dreams — a fuzzy picture of a place that you can’t quite pinpoint, but it’s so recognizable. It was my honor to be a part of this wonderful project and be able to create some emotion in a room for this amazing family.
M&C: Did you feel more personally invested and that this renovation mattered just a bit more than helping someone with a windfall find a mega house?
David Bromstad: I’m invested in everything I do, whether it’s finding a dream home for a family that just came into lots of money or doing a piece of art for a family that is in need.
Everything I do, I do it to the best of my abilities, and I put my heart soul into it. But to be able to do a wonderful piece of art that they will see every day when they have breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any sort of family gatherings touches my heart.
M&C: You are an artist at heart, HGTV network is your home base, where you won the Design Star challenge. And your designs have covered everything from shoes to home furniture. What gives you the artist inside the most satisfaction? What gives the entrepreneur inside the most satisfaction?
Bromstad: I am an artist at heart. Through and through, I am 100 percent a creative weirdo, and I love it. My answer will be the same for both of these questions, and it really took me a while to figure out what my role in life is as my job has changed over the last 25 years.
And what I figured out is that my sole purpose of being on this planet is to make people happy, whether that’s in doing interior design or creating pieces of art or finding people their dream home.
I love it all, and if I can get people to smile and entertain them, that is something that satisfies me as an artist and an entrepreneur.
M&C: Can you talk a bit about your observations of this special Holtzclaw episode, behind the scenes, how did it feel and go down?
Bromstad: Being a part of this massive production was incredible.
From the friends, families and strangers that were helping the Holtzclaw family, to all of the production crew that was involved, you can’t help but feel that this was a really special moment where all of these people were coming together for one purpose — and that was to make a more fabulous and easy life for this incredible family.
M&C: Okay, fun question, when it comes to interior trends in homes – you would steer people away from…?
Bromstad: I’m so glad you asked this question because I have one very, very, very irritating design trend that I hate more than life. And that’s quotes!!! If I have to read a novel when I’m walking through your house, that’s a problem. Haha!
I feel you’re allowed one quote in your house. So make it count, make it good, make it witty or funny, or make it meaningful in a different way. Please, get away from the quotes.
M&C: Conversely, the trends that add value and style/chic quality that is timeless in a home is/are…?
Bromstad: Things that bring value to your house forever and ever are the basics — wood floors, crown molding, nice detail when you’re walking through the house, solid surface countertops which means granite or quartz.
Beautiful cabinetry in the kitchen and in the bathroom. Nothing too trendy, too modern, or too crazy. Simple beautiful style will always be on trend.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition “A Teacher’s Journey” premieres Sunday, March 1, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.