Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

A Look Inside HGTV's 'Urban Oasis' Home To Be Given Away This Fall

Sara Dorio
/
Courtesy HGTV
The sweepstakes to win this renovated Oakley home opens Oct. 1.

Here's a "before and after" look at HGTV's "Urban Oasis" home in Oakley to be given away in a sweepstakes starting Monday, Oct 1.

Credit Ryan Kurtz / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
Last December, the Dutch Colonial home at 2810 Hyde Park Ave. looked like this.

Renovation started last December on a Dutch Colonial style home at 2810 Hyde Park Avenue, not far from Rookwood Commons. Craig Russell, owner of Cincinnati's The English Contractor construction company, says he "completely gutted the house, interior and exterior, down to the studs."

Credit Ryan Kurtz / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
Dan Faires is project manager for HGTV Urban Oasis 2018 home.

Russell worked with local architects Platte Architecture + Design, interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn and project manager Dan Faires on HGTV's annual fall quarter "Urban Oasis" home giveaway project. This is  HGTV's first Cincinnati "Urban Oasis" home. HGTV started renovating vintage bungalows in 2015 for millennials.

Credit Wordsworth Communnications
Craig Russell of Fairax has operated Th English Contractor construction company for nine years.

Egypt Sherrod, host of HGTV's Flipping Virgins and Property Virgins, and Flynn will present a one-hour special called HGTV Urban Oasis 2018 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, on HGTV.  

Some of the time-lapse video for the TV show was shot by two remote cameras on posts in the front and backyard. Crews filmed construction a couple times a week, and Sherrod came in about once a month to film segments, Russell says.

Credit Robert Peterson / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
Brian Patrick Flynn was the interior designer for HGTV Urban Oasis 2018 home.

The home has three bedrooms, two baths and one half-bath, a new open concept kitchen and a new family room.

Credit Courtesy HGTV
The original parlor in the front of the house.

Six windows were added to the home, including in the front parlor.

Credit Ryan Kurtz / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
The parlor room taken down to the studs.

New trim, engineered hardwood floors, insulation, heating and cooling units were installed.

Credit Robert Peterson / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
The new parlor. Yes, the HGTV Urban Oasis winner will keep all the new furnishings.

Rookwood tile also was added to the parlor's modern fireplace.

Credit Courtesy HGTV
The kitchen before remodeling.

The original kitchen had a small island with the sink and dishwasher.

Credit Courtesy HGTV
The new open concept kitchen. In the background is the front door.

The new open-concept kitchen has counter seating for two.

Credit Robert Peterson / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
Two counter seats are included in the new kitchen island.

All the new appliances will be given away with the house by HGTV.

Credit Courtesy HGTV
A small mud room led to a back deck until last December.

One of the first things to be demolished in December was the small mud room between the kitchen and back deck. 

Credit Ryan Kurtz / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
The new two-story addition.

It was replaced by a two-story addition providing a family room, and additional space for bedrooms upstairs.

Credit Ryan Kurtz / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
Framing for the new family room behind the kitchen.

The family room is two steps lower than the original house.

Credit Robert Peterson / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
The family room.

Windows provide plenty of natural light in the new family room.

Credit Courtesy HGTV
The original master bedroom.

The pitched roof made for odd-shaped bedrooms upstairs, which Russell described as "really strange, Frankenstein carved up…. funky spaces."

Credit Ryan Kurtz / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
Framing for the master bedroom.

The two-story addition provided a much larger master bedroom.

Credit Sarah Dorio / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV
The new master bedroom.

The master bedroom today also benefits from many windows.

Credit Courtesy HGTV

When HGTV bought the house, the driveway was little more than two ruts of sparse gravel….

Credit Courtesy HGTV

…. leading to an old garage in the back yard.

Credit Robert Peterson / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV

The sweepstakes' winner will get a nice, wide gravel driveway and lattice-covered deck.

Credit Robert Peterson / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV

Little renovation was done to the garage. The doors were painted bright red to match the front door.

Credit Robert Peterson / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV

An entertainment area was built next to the garage, so the new homeowners could gather with friends in the backyard or on the deck.

Credit Robert Peterson / Courtesy HGTV
/
Courtesy HGTV

Swepstakes entries will be accepted starting Oct. 1. The home will be given away sometime during the last three months of the year.

More before-and-after photos can be seen at the HGTV Urban Oasis website.

And here's a video preview.

https://youtu.be/bf9C63hFDio","_id":"0000017a-3b50-d913-abfe-bf5441900001","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/bf9C63hFDio">https://youtu.be/bf9C63hFDio","_id":"0000017a-3b50-d913-abfe-bf5441900001","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/bf9C63hFDio

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.