An Open Floor Plan and Spacious Layout Brings This Family Back Together

Jeff Holtzclaw is the ultimate teacher, one who spends his own money and plenty of time to help disenfranchised youth get back on their feet. But when a devastating car accident left Jeff with only one leg, he suddenly found himself unable to provide for his wife and their three daughters the way he used to. With a crumbling home (water damage and termites had done a number) and an uneven layout, Jeff had a hard time maneuvering in his own home, let alone spending time with his family. Enter the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team, along with special guests LeAnn Rimes and David Bromstad, and here’s how this fraying house was renovated into the spacious family home of the Holtzclaws’ dreams.

Watch back-to-back new episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Sundays at 8 & 9PM on HGTV Canada, now also available through STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels.

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A Bright New Exterior

The Extreme Makeover team knew they could transform the family’s current bungalow style home into a charming ranch dream home with just a little TLC (and a few dozen very eager volunteers). The result is a safe space where Jeff can spend time with his preschooler outside and not have to worry about chasing her into the street, but it’s also a home that features plenty of gorgeous curb appeal.

Plant boxes help create an instant garden

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Planting the Love

Outside it was important for the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designers to incorporate a family friendly space, so they created these garden boxes where the whole Holtzclaw crew can get their green thumbs on. If you notice the entire space is fenced in, which gives Jeff that extra peace of mind when watching his little ones play, making this a relaxed and open space they can all enjoy for years to come.

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A Spacious New Layout

By busting open the floorplan and creating an open-concept layout, there is now tons of room for the entire family to hang out in together. More importantly, it’s a wide space with large areas for Jeff’s wheelchair to comfortably maneuver, which means he doesn’t have to feel separated from his family ever again. Every inch of this space is used wisely, from the giant kitchen island to the see-through cabinets in the back, which allow plenty of extra natural light into the space.

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Pops of Colour

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team knew they wanted to update the Holtzclaws’ home in a modern way, but while still integrating a design that could last for a long time. So rather than inject a ton of colour into the space they opted for classic whites and simple rustic finishes. Then, they added the perfect pretty pops of blue with these gorgeous new appliances.

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A Special Guest Star Appearance

When My Lottery Dream Home star David Bromstad heard the Holtzclaws’ story he knew he had to stop by and lend a hand. He supported the design team with some artistic flair when he agreed to create a custom painting for the family that would help give them a calming and peaceful influence in their new abode.

David Bromstad's art hangs in the dining room

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A Memorable Dining Experience

The result of David Bromstad’s creativity hangs on the wall in the Holtzclaws’ new dining room, where it adds a serene touch to the otherwise rustic space. David explained to the family that he wanted the painting to be open to interpretation, while giving them a sense of ease every time they looked at it.

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Even More Star Power Stops By

David Bromstad wasn’t the only notable celeb to stop by and offer his services to the Holtzclaw renovation. LeAnn Rimes heard about the family too, and she stopped by to help designer Darren Keefe transform some old door frames with the kids’ height markers into something new and beautiful.

LeAnn Rimes helps install the new doorframe

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An Innovative New Look

Together Darren and LeAnn came up with new door frames with built-in metal notches that reminded LeAnn of a guitar and added a unique touch to the new house. The pieces sit just outside of the two eldest girls’ rooms, so that their memories of growing up in their old house will forever remain intact.

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All-Around Accessibility

Meanwhile the design team ensured that Jeff would be able to easily access all areas of his new family home by installing ramps and handles where steps and uneven floors used to be. It’s a simple thing that makes a huge difference, and this clan tearfully celebrated when they saw it on the show.

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A Beautiful New Master Bedroom

Jeff will definitely feel like the king of his castle with this brand new spacious bedroom, which comes equipped with rails along one wall so that he can easily zip around and do his thing. The adjoining ensuite is equally life-changing thanks to a large shower (with a built-in seat), a large soaker tub, and plenty of extra room.

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One Last Big Surprise

Given what this home looked like just five days before, you can’t blame the family for being extra emotional after touring their brand new space-which also included three brand-new bedrooms for the girls. But there was one last surprise: a brand-new, all-terrain wheelchair for Jeff, so that he could resume some of the former family activities he and his crew used to enjoy, like hiking. Considering it wasn’t so long ago that Jeff was “about a minute away from dying,” it’s sweet to know that this family is going to have everything they need to move forward together in the happiest way possible.