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Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt are back on HGTV with an all-new season of their show 100 Day Dream Home. Each episode, the couple works with a Tampa, Florida-based family to renovate or build a home on a very tight timeline. Brian, a construction manager, and Mika, designer and real estate agent, band together to face challenges with timelines, delayed deliveries, and last-minute requests from homeowners. Country Living sat down with the couple ahead of the September 16 premiere.
What’s New for Season 6
With dozens of episodes under their tool belts, Brian and Mika are still hard at work. While the premise of the show remains the same, Brian explains that their focus has shifted to meet the needs of their community. He says, “This season, you’re gonna see a lot of rebuilds from the massive hurricanes that we had last year. So we have some rebuilds, we have some demos, we have some renovations, we have some where we’re lifting them up in the air to get them out of the flood zone. We’re obviously focusing on the aesthetics and design, but also making sure they stand the test of time.”
And there’s still plenty of work to be done, even on this season. He explains, “When season 6 premieres on September 16, we are not done filming yet. We are not done building yet. We still have a long way to go, so we probably have half of our reveals filmed. It gets stressful because the episodes start airing, but we’re not done filming, so we just have to make sure those two don’t catch each other.” Mika adds, “The clock never stops! Can it just pause for a second? No, it doesn’t.”
Courtesy of HGTV
On Balancing Design Styles
In the premiere episode, Brian and Mika work with a couple with very different design styles, including a homeowner who wanted no color at all. Brian says, “I think that’s why people like watching our show, because viewers can relate to that. And yeah, some are more challenging than others, but at the end of the day, it was a beautiful product, the house turned out great.”
Mika continues, “When we’re helping with our clients, we don’t try to dictate their decisions. We kind of help navigate through everything, but ultimately, it’s their final decision, their house. I can’t think of anything that I’ve actually absolutely thought was dreadful. If it makes them happy, then that’s a win for us.”
Courtesy of HGTV
Building for a Cause
This season, Brian and Mika pitch in to work on a Habitat for Humanity house. Brian explains, “I used to volunteer with them in college, and that’s when I kind of first fell in love with new construction. So to have this full-circle moment from what I first fell in love to now, building the house for them for Season 6, is really incredible, but to see all the volunteers come together alongside with the homeowners is really special and makes it that much more meaningful.”
For Mika, the experience opened her eyes to the impact of the program. She explains, “I was educated on it, because I didn’t have any experience with Habitat. [The homeowners] have so many requirements of classes and volunteer hours. These people put in sweat equity for real, and it’s really incredible to see them and their journey.”
Where It All Began
Brian recently shared a video from their original HGTV audition on Instagram. The clip for their show, originally called Breaking Ground, was filmed eight years ago. According to Brian, “That video, it feels like a long time ago, but also like yesterday at the same time. We were just two kids in our old backyard, dreaming. My dad was on a ladder with a cell phone, and we were throwing dirt at the camera. To go from there to where we are now is really quite incredible.”
Mika added, “I have to say, too, with the way that things are with technology and influencers and editing, I don’t even know if they would have watched that audition. Now they’d be like, swipe left, whatever. So it’s crazy to see how much has evolved. But we’re blessed that they liked us enough to give us a chance.”
On the appeal of HGTV
What keeps bringing people back to HGTV? Brian has an idea. He says, “I think it’s a safe place for people just to relax and unwind after stressful days, and they get the before, middle, and after all in an hour. My mom always jokes that she loves falling asleep to our show, so we’re really good at putting people to bed.”
Hearst Owned
100 Day Dream Home returns to HGTV on Tuesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST. New episodes are available for streaming the next day on HBO Max.
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