The Brady Bunch House Renovation Revealed! - Part 1: The Heart of the Home

'A Very Brady Renovation' kicks off with the first episode highlighting the exterior restoration, the foyer and the living room -- including that very familiar staircase. For this phase of the renovation, Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott are joined by Brady siblings Maureen McCormick (Marcia) Chris Knight (Peter) and Susan Olsen (Cindy).

September 09, 2019

By: David L. Haynes

Show: A Very Brady Renovation

Related To:

A Classic, Re-Created

Feel familiar? The original Brady Bunch kids — Cindy, Bobby, Jan, Peter, Marcia and Greg — reunited for the first time in 15 years to take part in HGTV's restoration and renovation of the actual "Brady Bunch house" in Studio City, California. The original cast members re-create one of the most famous images from the popular prime-time show, which ran from 1969 to 1974 on CBS. Starting from the top: Susan Olsen, Mike Lookinland, Eve Plumb, Chris Knight, Maureen McCormick and Barry Williams.

Team Brady

The original Brady cast members joined forces with some of HGTV's most well-known show hosts and designers and take an active part in re-envisioning and reconfiguring the home's interior to replicate the look of the spaces seen in the original TV show. The Brady cast poses for a pic outside the now-famous house they will forever be associated with along with members of the HGTV family, Steve and Lee Anne Ford (Restored by the Fords), Jasmine Roth (Hidden Potential), Karen E Laine and Mina Starsiak (Good Bones), Jonathan and Drew Scott (Property Brothers) and Lara Spencer (Flea Market Flip).

Architect's Dream

Jonathan Scott with an architectural model of the Brady house. "We are doing the biggest renovation of my entire career," said Jonathan. "We plan to match every signature space, inside and out ... to create a one-of-a-kind '70s time capsule."

The War Room

The HGTV hosts and designers worked together at a "command center" to fashion and execute an authentic re-creation of the show's interior sets inside the actual house that was shown in exterior shots throughout the series. Stills and video from the series were used to reproduce the layout, decor and color palette seen in the show's interiors — which, in reality, were actually simply sets on a soundstage at Paramount Studios.

Bro-ductivity

Chris Knight (aka Peter Brady) joins Drew and Jonathan Scott to help with the renovation of the home's exterior to create a precise visual match to what was seen in the original series.

Mighty Marcia

No slouch with power tools, Maureen McCormick got hands-on in helping renovate the home's foyer and living room to create a visual match of the corresponding spaces from the show.

Recreating an Iconic Stairway

If there was one feature in the Brady house that was immediately identifiable to all fans and viewers, it was that modern styled open stairway that linked the foyer and living room to the upstairs bedrooms. The actual house, in fact, had no such stairway so one of Jonathan and Drew's biggest priorities was devising a way to incorporate and build a precise replica of the stairs.

Love Is All You Need

Maureen encapsulates the feeling of participatiing in the Brady project, returning along with her TV siblings to their "TV home" decades later.

Are You Ready to Step Back In Time?

Drew and Jonathan invite you to return to a place that's certain to trigger fond memories and a bit of deja vu for millions of fans — the newly restored and re-created first floor of the Brady home. The pictures that follow provide a before-and-after look and photo tour of the home's front exterior, foyer and main downstairs living spaces.

Before

The "Brady Bunch house" went up for sale in July 2018 and, after a bidding war, was ultimately bought by HGTV. Though the profile is easily recognizable, not everything on the actual and current exterior of the home was exactly as seen in the show. Notably, a decorative brick wall had been added at the home's front border.

After

Exterior modifications returned the more midcentury styled double doors at the front entry, scaled back the landscaping and reconfigured the windows to visually match what was seen in the show — including the picture window centered in the vaulted portion of the home's front facade.

Before

Prior to the renovation, the home's interior bore little resemblance to the interiors created as sets for the show. Though the living room was fairly characteristic of those found in many '60s/'70s-era ranch style homes and did feature the type of wood paneling and stonework that was common in homes of that time, there was no central stair or two-story configuration that Brady fans remember.

After

Unlike what was seen in the Brady Bunch interiors, prior to the renovation the actual house had only had a single floor. The main living space had to undergo radical and ambitious structural modification, as well as expansion, to enable the creation of the stairway and bi-level space that forms the visual touchstone for Brady fans.

Before

The home's original stairs were located to the left of the front entrance and the view from the foyer into the living room was partially obscured by tall free-standing cabinets.

All of America knew that the inside didn't match what the set was on the show. What we didn't realize was just how different it was. We took this gigantic leap of faith buying this house, and once we stepped in that first time, it was like, 'Oh, my God. What are we really gonna do with this place?' — Loren Ruch, HGTV Production Executive

After

The foyer gets a brick tile floor and low knee-wall with dark paneling that will be more recognizable to Brady fans.

Foyer, Before

Foyer, After

The remodeled foyer provides a more sweeping view into the main living space, with its high ceilings and exposed beams. It's just the kind of floor plan that architect Mike Brady might have designed.

Living and Dining Room, Before

Living and Dining Room, After

Though undeniably '70s — complete with beige, brown and rust palette and wall-to-wall carpet, the Brady home's open-concept floor plan, with contiguous living room, dining room and kitchen — might be viewed by some as positively forward-thinking — and will likely ring familiar with many of today's HGTV viewers.

Living and Dining Room, Before

Living and Dining Room, After

The sliding doors opening onto the patio originally had heavy wood stiles and rails. They've been replaced here with more standard glass sliding doors for a less obstructed view onto the backyard, a streamlined valance in chocolate brown and heavy floor-length curtains.

Living and Dining Room, Before

Living and Dining Room, After

Living Room, Before

The view from the living room, looking back toward the foyer, reveals that the home's layout originally included a separate dining room off the foyer, a wet bar in the living room and stone tile flooring.

Living Room, After

In the new configuration, the separate dining room at the front of the house has been eliminated and the central space has been modified to make it more Brady-authentic — including the fireplace with stone surround and brick columns separating the living space from Mike's study.

Before

After

Very, Very Brady

Among the essential pieces among the living room furnishings is the sofa upholstered in green and white fabric with a pattern resembling stylized artichokes. As with other items in the restored home, no effort was spared in finding or creating a Brady-accurate facsimile. This sofa actually had to be custom-made and upholstered in a fabric that matched the original.

Very, Very Brady

Along with the open staircase, one of the most recognizable and distinctive items in the Brady home was the impressive horse figurine that sat atop the flat-file console in the living room.

Interesting Story...

A lookalike of the original horse statue was (somewhat miraculously) located, but it had been damaged and was missing portions of the legs. A 3D printer was employed to fabricate replacement parts that allowed a full restoration of the statue.

Very, Very Brady

HGTV enlisted the assistance of fans and viewers to help locate furnishings to match exactly pieces seen in the series.

Not a Replica

This ceramic vase is the real thing — one of two furnishings that is almost certainly an actual prop from the original Brady Bunch TV set. It was unearthed in one of Paramount Studios' storage containers.

Brady Style

Wood-paneled octagonal end table and table lamp with glass base and column

Brady Style

Standard phone-company issued rotary phone in avocado green

Brady Style

The wood-paneled curio cabinet in tapered profile was donated by a Brady fan.

Brady Style

Cabinet console located on the landing at the base of the stairs, with ginger jar, blue and gold ashtrays and oval mirror with ornately sculpted frame

Brady Style

Living room fireplace with stone surround, brass andirons and curtain-style mesh fire screen

Brady Style

Sixties-vintage cane back chair and modern console color-TV capable of receiving up to 13 channels

Before

11222 Dilling Street, Studio City, CA.

We didn't want [the house] to be turned into a McMansion. We thought that this was an opportunity to turn it into the iconic home that America loves. — Loren Ruch, HGTV Production Executive

After

The Brady Bunch House — one of the most recognized homes in America

Front Entry, Before

Front Entry, After

The Reveal

The Brady cast members get their first look at the finished first-floor and living room. In a sense, since the show was shot on studio sets, this was the first opportunity ever for the cast to really enter "the Brady house".

The Reveal

Drew and Jonathan discuss the renovation with the Brady cast, and what it feels like "returning home" after so many years. "The house is a Brady house," said Chris Knight. "It's all Brady."

The Reveal

Home Again

Brady Bunch cast (L to R) Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Susan Olsen, Mike Lookinland, Eve Plumb, and Barry William.

Keep checking back at www.hgtv.com/brady for more photo galleries, exclusive video series, behind-the-scenes, updates and more.