Couple's passion for renovations brings HGTV crew to LaSalle
A LaSalle couple's passion for renovating could lead to a transformation in their careers as well.
Leslie Biggley is an art teacher by day, but becomes an amateur home designer by night. She has 36,000 Instagram followers and her work is starting to get noticed.
HGTV sent a production team to her 4,000-square-foot ranch over the Easter weekend to simulate a 24-hour renovation project.
Her husband, Matt, a guidance counsellor at Tecumseh Vista Academy, helps out with her pastime.
When they bought the house two years ago they quickly realized it was a fixer-upper, he said.
"It was a flat-roof house in kind of a mid-century modern style, which we absolutely loved," Matt explained. "The problem was ... there were a lot of issues in the ceiling with mold from all of the water that had been sitting up there for so long. We never intended to peel off a roof, tear down walls and get involved in a renovation of that scale."
HGTV's visit will result in a "sizzle reel" to see if the couple has what it takes to star in the pilot for a TV series.
While the possibility is exciting, Matt said the couple are already planning their next project.
They've listed their home in LaSalle and have purchased a 130-year-old house in Kingsville.
"We hate the word 'flip,' and we never consider ourselves flippers," he added. "I think we really truly love houses and love making beautiful spaces that people appreciate and enjoy."
