After more than three decades on the air, “This Old House” is finally coming to Rhode Island. The storied home renovation show put out a call earlier this year for an interesting historic home with a planned renovation its crew could chronicle.
Senior Series Producer Deborah Hood recently took some time to discuss the decision to feature a Rhode Island home.
PBN: What sparked the decision to search for a house in Rhode Island for a “This Old House” project?
HOOD: Despite being a small state, Rhode Island has such diverse communities, cultures and housing styles. From the historic East Side of Providence, to the Jamestown shingle styles, to the mansions of Newport – this one small state has a huge historic and architectural footprint that we can explore. Also, having been on the air now more than 30 years, we are always drawn to do projects in states and cities we’ve never been to before. Given that we’re so close to a world-class city like Providence, it was a given that we’d get here someday – and the time has come.
As a personal aside, I lived and worked in Providence for a few years before joining This Old House in 2002. I was married in Middletown and lived on the East Side, and I still have friends locally, so the state has a special connection for me.
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PBN: I understand this will be the first time in the show’s history that it comes to Rhode Island. Why so long to arrive in the Ocean State?
HOOD: We have been to Rhode Island before to film short side stories at woodworking shops and sod farms, and we’ve used designers based here, but you are right, the show has never done a full renovation here, and here’s why:
For the most part, we renovate two houses per year over multiple episodes, to showcase the realities of renovating well and with quality craftsmanship. In the past, we would work in the Boston area in the good weather (for us, April through November) and, in order to keep working year round, we’d start another project in a warmer climate that would run October through March.
Over the years we’ve realized the benefits of overlapping the house projects more and more, which has enabled us to travel to both warm climates, like Austin and Los Angeles, as well as cooler ones, like Washington D.C., New York, and now, perhaps, Providence.
PBN: What type of house are you looking for?
HOOD: Something that is quintessentially “Rhode Island” … and that can mean so many things in so many different neighborhoods. We’ve already received about 200 proposals from every corner of the state – Bristol, Tiverton, Warren, Warwick, and all neighborhoods of Providence. We’re looking for a compelling story, a charming house and the potential for transformation.
PBN: Could this be the first of many projects in Rhode Island?
HOOD: If the restaurants are as good as we’ve heard they are – absolutely!
No, just kidding. We like to switch it up, and to take the show to new places to keep our viewers interested, so it’s not likely that we’d come back. That being said, for the right house project or the right side story, we’d always consider returning.
PBN: OK, so how do I persuade you to renovate my house?
HOOD: No persuasion necessary – or allowed! Just send your proposal in to pickmyhouse@thisoldhouse.com and may the most worthy house rise to the top! We can’t wait to get started.
