Cineflix, which produces Property Brothers on HGTV, is still facing a lawsuit from a couple who appeared on the TV show and felt “bamboozled and tricked” after discovering multiple issues with their costly home renovation.

Despite Drew and Jonathan Scott’s aim to help couples unearth their dream homes using “state-of-the-art” programs for construction and remodeling, the production company behind Property Brothers is now facing a lawsuit from a Las Vegas couple who allegedly found several problems with their home renovation, which was featured on an episode of the hit reality HGTV series.

Paul and Mindy King told KTNY that they’re suing Cineflix (the company that produces Property Brothers) and the local contractor, Villa Construction, that worked on their home after discovering wires left exposed, uneven baseboards, improperly attached doors, and a number of renovations not executed according to code. The brothers themselves were not named in the lawsuit. 

To clarify, in order for the Scott brothers to work with local contractors on the properties featured on the show, the homeowners in each episode must take care of the expenses first.

The Kings paid over $193,000 to Cineflix for their home remodel in 2019 after hearing about a Property Brothers casting call in 2018. With promises of a perfect HGTV quality remodel, the couple said they passed on a honeymoon to set aside money and signed the contract that guaranteed all the work would be done to code. 

However, the couple’s confidence plummeted after discovering the shoddy renovations, which Paul told KTNY that “for somebody just walking in, it’s really good from far, but it’s far from good.”

Prior to taking legal action, the couple claimed they gave Cineflix and Villa Construction enough time to fix the issues that they had identified in their home. Nevertheless, the production and construction companies have thus far disputed this. 

Mindy filed a complaint with the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) listing over 90 deficiencies, but the board only addressed 10 of those listed to be warranted and issued a Notice to Correct such deficiencies to Villa Construction.

The couple’s claims regarding the access they gave the contractor to repair the damages in the house — that is, the property remained vacated for two months before the couple moved in, and they permitted the contractors to enter the house more than 10 times over a four-month period after moving in — were by contradicted the NSCB after it closed out the complaint citing the Kings for declining to let the contractor inside. Villa Construction and Cineflix both agreed.

Cineflix released the following statement from its lawyers: 

“We recognize the responsibility we are granted by the homeowners who choose to take part in our television shows. Cineflix (Property Brothers 7) Inc. works with dedicated professionals who take pride in their work. We are aware of Paul and Mindy King's claims and have worked to resolve the short punch list of items that were identified by the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB). When the Kings rejected our attempts to complete the work, the NSCB closed the case and the punch list of items remain unresolved. As this matter is now before the courts, we are unable to comment any further at this time.”

Meanwhile, Villa Construction President Todd Christensen released his own statement: 

“We always strive for customer satisfaction in all projects we undertake. Regarding the project at 7400 .... Ave, we were contacted by and contracted with a production company to participate in several home remodel projects. After completion of this project, the initial, detailed Construction Punch List created by the homeowner was completed. We have been made aware of additional items, several of which were only brought to our attention over a year after the work was completed, by way of the homeowner seeking a third-party inspection by the Nevada State Contractor's Board (NSCB). We cooperated with the inspection and tried to work with the homeowner to resolve the short list of items that were identified by the NSCB. Access to the home was denied by the homeowner. The NSCB made the decision to close the matter on October 21, 2020 via letter which stated, ‘Since you have not provided the contractor access to make the necessary corrections, we will take no further action’. We understand that the homeowner is now pursuing a legal claim, and therefore we have no further comment at this time.”

Additionally, the Scott brothers’ lawyers issued their own statement to Channel 9: 

“The Property Brothers (“Brothers”) are not named defendants in Paul and Mindy King's (the “Kings”) lawsuit initiated against Cineflix (Property Brothers 7) Inc. and Villa Construction, nor are they responsible for the Kings’ alleged claims. The Kings have rejected Cineflix (Property Brothers 7) Inc.’s and Villa’s reasonable attempts to remedy the remaining punch list items in the Kings’ home. Instead, in what appears to be an attempt to secure a substantial monetary settlement, the Kings have engaged in a negative publicity campaign against the Brothers. It is unfortunate that the Kings have resorted to such conduct.”

As of now, attorneys for Cineflix filed to have the Kings’ case dismissed, which is set for a hearing scheduled at the end of this month. 

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Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi have officially sold their Beverly Hills home for $47 million. The home was put on the market a month ago for an asking price of $53.5 million, yet the couple still managed to make a decent profit.

DeGeneres and de Rossi purchased their Beverly Hills home from Maroon 5’s lead singer Adam Levine back in May 2019 for $42 million. The 10,376-square-foot property has undergone substantial renovations while under the ownership of DeGeneres and De Rossi, on top of $7 million worth of upgrades made by Levine and his wife, Behati Prinsloo. The traditional-ivy covered home features five bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, with plenty of modern touches throughout the residence.

The property has a stainless-steel-covered kitchen, a sunlit two-story front foyer which leads into a 50-foot living room with a stone fireplace and white plaster walls, a family room, and a formal dining room with a bar. The upstairs suite spans 2,000 square feet with a private terrace and en suite bathroom. Other amenities include a resort-like pool with a spa, an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven, a fire pit, a sunken tennis court, a paneled library, a gym and a screening room. The property also has a guest house.

DeGeneres and de Rossi are notorious for their real estate portfolio. The couple, who has owned over 20 homes throughout the years, are known for flipping their real estate purchases and reselling them shortly after. DeGeneres’ interest in real estate was inspired by her father and her childhood. Growing up, her family often rented properties but never actually owned a home. This inspired DeGeneres to buy her own property when she was finally able to afford it. Together, the couple share a passion for architecture and decorating, opting to try new styles and aesthetics with each property added to their portfolio.

The listing was held by Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency.

For more on celebrity real estate news, visit dev.hauteresidence.com.

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Actress, singer, and dancer Ashley Tisdale announced her own interior design company Frenshe Interiors, which is named after her lifestyle blog Frenshe. Tisdale, 35, launched her company posting a picture via Instagram on February 24 of a kitchen she renovated with her father and contractor, Michael Tisdale.

“Welcome to my passion project! Over the years I’ve gotten to work with some amazing interior designers and learned a lot about myself in the process,” she captioned the post. “My dad and I have started to work together on projects for other clients and I can’t wait to share with you. This page will have my own work and also designs that inspire me.”

On March 4, Tisdale officially announced her company on her Frenshe blog titled “Introducing My New Passion Project: Frenche Interiors.” In the blog post, Tisdale goes into detail about her home renovation process, which unlocked her love for design.

“We were looking to move to our dream area over the last couple of years and when we got the chance we jumped at it even though the house was falling apart,” she wrote when describing bringing her house back to life.

The project began as a personal home renovation project, which turned into her new interior design business. The renovated home is located in Los Angeles’s Los Feliz neighborhood and was sold for $5.78 million.

Tisdale included before and after pictures of the property, so people can see how her vision came to life. Alongside her dad, Tisdale maintained the integrity of the home, while renovating much of the home including the roof, windows, and floors.

In February, Tisdale announced via Instagram that she took the Kelly Wearstler Masterclass. The masterclass is a 17-part course that takes aspiring designers through the world of interior design while perfecting their style through patterns, light, materials, architecture, and furniture.

For more information about Tisdale’s interior design jobs and accumulated knowledge visit Frenshe Interior’s Instagram.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Photo Credit: Shutterstcock

Built in 1863, the home underwent significant renovations and extensive updates with the direction of Earnhardt and his wife Amy, an interior designer. The couple has managed to preserve much of its original mid-19^th-century architecture while adding some of their own custom touches as well. The 3,300 square foot property holds five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, including the main suite with an adjoining sitting room.

The Earnhardt’s incorporated unique details that match the home’s island theme, like a secret, hidden hatch door that allows you to peep into the parlor. The updated kitchen was renovated to resemble the inside of a pirate ship with a large ship’s wheel at the end of the bar.

Outside holds the detached guest house as well as one of the deepest and largest pools in Key West, with a depth of 14 feet. The deck around the pool area is large enough for guests to lounge and dine. The porch is also equipped with wicker furniture and a porch swing.

Other details of the home include whitewashed walls, dark hardwood floors and ceilings, as well as seaside décor and turquoise accents as a nod to Key West’s nautical theme.

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Jamie Foxx used his home studio to network with Kanye West and Snoop Dogg. Electronic music makers Moby, Fatboy Slim, and the Chemical Brothers recorded their biggest hits at home. Kevin Parker, better known as Tame Impala, records all of his albums (including 2020's "The Slow Rush") between his two home studios in Perth, Australia and Los Angeles, California.

The Rolling Stones recorded what is widely considered to be the most successful home recording of all time when they set up a recording studio in the home they were renting in the south of France to record "Exile On Main St."

Photo Credit: trendfortech

If you'd like to join the long tradition of home studio recording, here are some essentials you'll need to get started.

Where To Put Your Home Recording Studio

Photo Credit: Steven Ungermann

One of the fun parts of designing your home studio is deciding where to put it.

There are usually several options for just about every style of home. Here are a few considerations to make first:

1. If you're using an existing room, make sure it's large enough to comfortably fit all of your gear plus collaborators. Also, bigger rooms usually sound better. If you're walling off space, select an interior area that will be naturally buffered from outside noise. You want your studio space to be as far away as possible from heavy foot traffic, chirping birds, plane flyovers, outside weather conditions, kid's rooms, and noisy neighbors. These distractions aren't always avoidable, but locating your studio in a smart area can reduce their frequency.
2. Try to avoid spaces with very low ceilings and parallel walls made of drywall.
3. If you're building or remodeling a space, you have the luxury of making walls asymmetrical and raising the ceiling.

Once you have your room selected or built, clear it of everything and start with a blank canvas.

How to Design a Home Recording Studio Space

Photo Credit: Jesman Fabio

Start putting your studio together from the bottom. Your floors should be either hardwood, concrete, or tile. Instead of carpet, use a large area rug under any instruments like drum kits that would benefit from a little muffling.

Make sure you don't have any decorations on your walls or desk that will cause vibrations. Furniture-wise, you'll want a sturdy table or desk for your mixing area (multi-tiered desks work really well for keeping mixing boards and keyboards accessible and organized. Cushioned high-end office chairs work well around the workstation while armless couches, gliders, or giant bean bags can be used to keep the listening party comfortable.

Invest in a package of acoustic panels for the walls. These are easily applied using the included adhesive. Acoustic treatments will improve the sound quality of your room and give your studio a professional touch.

A good sound tech can help you run cables and arrange monitors and microphones for maximum output. A top-shelf mic like this one by AKG Pro Audio will cover up any deficiencies in your space.

Once you have your room ready, it's time to fill it with the tools you'll need to create and play.

Get The Right Tech Tools Made for Studio Music Production

Everyone works on laptops these days, but for a home recording studio, a desktop setup is still the way to go. You want a computer that's dedicated to your studio, so size and portability are not concerns.

Photo Credit: Oleg Ivanov

The popular choice to go with here is an iMac Pro. It's got the built-in memory and processing power to handle all your music production and recording needs. Music files can take up a lot of space, so if you're going with an older or smaller Mac or PC--make sure you buy an additional hard drive to store all of those song files and loops.

Once you've got your hardware, load up your computer with one of the best DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software products. Logic Pro (Mac only), Ableton Live, Cubase and Pro Tools are the ones most used in the industry.

You will also need a piece of hardware called an audio interface. It's best to consult a music producer or audio engineer to determine the best audio interface for the size of your studio and production needs.

These are your main technical purchases, but you'll also need headphones, studio monitors, a keyboard, soundboard, microphones, mic stands/cables, and pop filters. It can be an investment if you're buying everything from scratch but quality brands and equipment will last you a long time if you care for it properly.

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