Step Inside the HGTV Renovation of Bihl Manor

The spooky Bihl Manor is overdue for a makeover — and it's getting one à la A Very Haunted Renovation airing on HGTV Tuesday nights at 8|7c. Over the course of 31 days, six brave designers will compete to transform the historic mansion, facing its haunted history, hidden messages and eerie occurrences along the way. Actress Anna Camp is hosting and HGTV's design guru Michel Boyd Smith is mentoring the contestants. Ahead, see the dramatic before-and-after photos of the renovation.

For the first challenge, the designers split into two teams of three to transform bedrooms belonging to the manor's original owner's children. They had four days to accomplish their mission. Designers Patrick Peel, John Ryan and Diana Vogel tackled Alvie's bedroom. The room they walked into was dark and dated, with clashing colors and crumbling details. Alvie was known to love art, so the team wanted to create a bedroom filled with creative spaces that would feel personal while still welcoming future guests. Patrick took on the bookcase, John designed the desk and Diana built the headboard. “I’m going to make it the most cozy nook any kid from the time or adult right now would be happy to be in,” Diana says. Their plan called for layered hues of greens, neutral walls, dark chocolate-toned flooring and a statement canopy headboard.

Alvie's renovated bedroom boasts a lush palette of soft and deep greens. Neutral walls allow the bold colors, dark flooring and mix of textures to stand out. Brass sconces and an iron chandelier add contrast. Diana's dramatic canopy headboard became the room's focal point, combining lush fabrics and varied green hues. The refurbished desk echoes the headboard's finish, while Patrick's bookcase doubles as a disguised doorway to the closet. Horror film director Eli Roth joined Anna and Michel as a surprise guest judge, bringing his own appreciation for the manor's eerie atmosphere. The trio praised the team's willingness to mix metals, colors and patterns, but felt the oversized headboard crowded the room and disrupted its proportions near the window. One detail that really caught their attention? Patrick's hidden bookcase.

At first glance, Patrick's bookcase looks perfectly ordinary, filled with books, vases and artwork. Unsuspecting. Look a little closer, though, and you'll discover a hidden doorway to a closet sits right behind it. The clever camouflage door matches the bedroom’s trim and blends right in. The colelst feature? A tiny peephole replaces the eye in one of the paintings, giving the room an unexpected dose of whimsical mystery.

SK Stokes Kennedy, Bershan Shaw and Logan Wright took on Lizzie's bedroom. Left in shambles, with creepy dolls hanging out above the fireplace and dated finishes throughout, the team planned to add deep blue trim against neutral walls, dark wood flooring, plenty of gold accents and a vintage vanity to complete the look. SK tackled the desk, Bershan took on the fireplace and Logan focused on the headboard. As they pulled back the rug and explored the room’s nooks and crannies, they uncovered blue thistle, Lizzie’s favorite flower, and knew they were on the right track with their blue theme.

Deep blue trim now frames the room's ornate details, while dark flooring and neutral walls give the space a polished foundation. A plush velvet headboard offers soft-luxury. The designers carried Lizzie's love of blue thistle throughout the room: They even included a hand-painted thistle detail on the vintage vanity mirror. A shadow box filled with Lizzie's favorite keepsakes adds another personal layer, while a portrait of Lizzie brings her story into the space. During the three-day renovation period, Bershan, spooked by living in Bihl Manor, fled in the middle of the night. This left SK and Logan a teammate down, but they overcame the hurdle by relying on each other. The judges felt the bedroom could have used more modern elements. However, they appreciated the high-level of craftsmanship and noted that, although a team created the room, it felt as though “one person did it.”