INTERVIEW: FYI series follows experts who find possibility in improbable homes
There are many house design shows on television, but none of them present challenges like FYI’s new series. The title of the show says it all: You Can’t Turn That Into a House. Two brothers from Missouri, Taimoor and Rehan Nana, head across the United States with a good friend to design unique houses from unlikely structures.
Many of the houses that the team tackles on the series are run down and seemingly on their last leg. Others are better abodes for raccoons (no joke, the brothers take a Dumpster and make a lakefront retreat) or meant for entirely different purposes (a school bus house anyone?). Week in and week out they plan to overcome difficult odds and create a new home for the owners of these unconventional living spaces.
You Can’t Turn That Into a House will premiere Saturday, July 15 at 9:30 p.m. on FYI. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Taimoor about the series and his history of design. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What has your experience on the show been like? Do you like having the cameras around?
The show has been both an amazing and unique experience, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to showcase our passion of building houses for individuals who appreciate this kind of architecture. Having cameras around aren’t typical on our job sites, but they really don’t bother us at all. These projects have pretty short turnaround times, so we don’t have time to think about the cameras! My brother and I are pretty close and always have a good time on these projects, so more than anything, I think the cameras just capture two brothers doing what we are passionate about. And I think that’s what makes this show so fun.
When did you first get into home design/renovation?
The old saying, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ rings true in our case. In my 20s, my brother and I started on a personal project with limited time and resources. Our first priority was to use existing materials in order to leave a small footprint and create a house that would inspire others to connect with the outdoors. Second, we wanted to build a structure that was design inclusive, meaning the design aesthetic was simple and clean so individuals with different backgrounds would feel at home given the remote nature of our build. So no matter if a friend was staying with us from the city or country, they would feel at home.
My overall philosophy is if we can build remote structures that are well designed and modern, then we can get people closer to nature. In that process we hope people have a greater respect for the environment and their natural surroundings. We have a great respect for nature, and we feel this is our way of building better stewards of the environment.
When you first start a project, and the current state of the home/structure is quite dreadful, what’s going through your mind? Scared? Excited?
You know, there is always a certain amount of excitement before we begin one of these builds because each of these projects is such a unique challenge, and you never know what’s going to happen. It’s what I live for! Anyone can build a conventional house, but to take something and re-purpose it into an amazing home is a challenge that I thrive on. The beauty of working with Kyle [Davis, a lifelong friend], is that with his architecture background, no matter what we come up with design wise, he’s very good in finding ways to implement it.
Are these unique structures fully livable after your work is done?
Absolutely! My overall philosophy is simply, if we can create unique, comfortable luxurious modern houses in nature, then by extension they will feel more at home in nature. In this process, it is our hope these individuals learn to appreciate the environment and in turn become better custodians of the land.
What goes through your mind when you present the homeowners with their newly designed living space?
Building these types of houses is an in-depth process. We get to know the clients, see what their needs are, find out how we can make them feel at home, work on designs, and then we have to build it! We invest quite a bit of ourselves into each one of these projects, so presenting the homeowners with their new house is one of the most rewarding experiences I can think of. There is a common theme with the homeowners that they appreciate the same things we do, and in the end, when we finally hand over the keys, it’s like handing a good friend the keys to help live out a dream.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
You Can’t Turn That Into a House premieres Saturday, July 15 at 9:30 p.m. on FYI. Click here for more information.
