Goldie Hawn Goes Overboard on Her 'Celebrity IOU' Renovation

Goldie Hawn took Hollywood by storm after starring on the sketch comedy show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In in 1968. Known for her perfect comedic timing and bubbly smile, it was no surprise that her television career quickly parlayed into movie roles, earning Goldie an Academy Award just two years later. Goldie’s fast and furious rise to fame meant an equally fast-paced life, and it was around this time that she found herself newly divorced, raising her young daughter Kate (maybe you’ve heard of her) and realizing that it was all just a bit too much. As Goldie recalls, “I was doing movies back-to-back. It was a really hard time for me, and I needed someone to take care of [the house, and to] take care of me.” Enter Celia. Celia became Goldie’s rock and has remained that way for over an astonishing 45 years. “There’s nobody more important in my life,” she says.

To repay Celia for her decades of friendship, loyalty and love, Goldie wants to gift Celia a brand-new kitchen and living room that her confidant can fill with her family and friends. “That I get to do this for Celia, who is the angel of my life … even when I talk about it, I get teary because she matters so much,” Goldie tells the brothers. This renovation sounds like it has all the makings of a perfect Hollywood ending, so let’s grab some popcorn and settle in.

Despite Celia’s kitchen being quite spacious, everything else about it needs to be updated to suit her and her family’s needs. There’s limited counter space, dated appliances and a low ceiling with unflattering fluorescent lights that make the room feel dark and unwelcoming. “This sort of lighting is just not flattering in general,” Jonathan says.

And like the star that she is, Goldie confides, “Actually, that's why I don't want to stand under it!” Talk about hitting your mark. This Hollywood legend knows where (and where not) to find her spotlight, even in the midst of a kitchen renovation.

Celia’s living room is conveniently located right off the kitchen; however, a half wall blocks the flow, causing whoever is cooking to be closed off from the space. “That has to come out, and then she can be with her family,” Goldie says, pointing to the wall as she walks Drew and Jonathan through the space. There’s also a bar area on one side of the room that Goldie thinks could be repurposed. “They do not use the bar at all; this could become a pantry instead,” she muses. “You know, it's so exciting to create and dream about something, to make it beautiful and useful and all of it [go] to somebody you care about,” Goldie says, smiling sweetly.

As a seasoned home renovator, Goldie has a lot of ideas for the bar that she wants to turn into a pantry, explaining, “It's a bar, but we're going to turn it into a pantry and a place where there's some dishes and there's also maybe one or two drawer refrigerators.” Knowing that her friend is an avid cook, she feels confident that this change will be a much better use of the space for Celia. By executing Goldie’s vision, it will also enable Drew and Jonathan to wall off the space and eliminate the awkward opening that makes it difficult to place furniture in the living room. Not only are they solving storage and function issues for Celia, they’re also improving the layout of the overall space. This is award-winning design protocol, if you ask me.

It’s demo day at Celia’s house, and while Goldie has no problem jumping in to help pull down cabinets and tear down walls, it's soon clear that the Queen of Comedy might also be the queen of this renovation. “My best role might be direction. I have a finger and it points really well,” Goldie explains.

Moments later, as though by the magic of special effects, a director’s chair seems to appear out of nowhere, and Goldie is soon calling out orders from her perch. “So, what we have to do here on the island is we're going to make a bigger island, so we're going to have to get rid of that,” she orders as she sips champagne while overseeing from nearby. Obligingly, Drew and Jonathan immediately tear out the island. “You know what, this is really good champagne,” Goldie says as she nods approvingly at both her beverage and the progress.

Rather than surprise Celia at her home and then (kindly) kick her out for the renovation like other Celebrity IOU episodes, Goldie secretly planned for the renovation to happen while Celia was in Mexico visiting family. Goldie told Celia she’d be waiting for her when she arrived home, seemingly just to reunite after so much time apart. “I can send you a car and I’ll meet you back here,” Goldie told Celia over a video call. Upon arriving home, Celia is stunned to find a camera crew in her driveway focused on her and not her famous friend, but even more stunned when Goldie guides her inside to see what she’s done.

After admitting she’d told some white lies (out of love) while Celia was out of town, Goldie takes the reins and shows Celia around her new kitchen, explaining how she helped transform the dated space into a modern masterpiece complete with all new cabinetry, beautiful contrasting stone countertops, seating for four at the new island and, of course, close-up-ready lighting that flatters the space and the people in it. “I never thought I would get my kitchen done. Never,” Celia says in astonishment. Then, wiping away tears, she tells her dear friend, “You made me feel [at] home. You made me feel [like] family.”

“You are family,” Goldie says with tears shining in her eyes.

With the addition of the island seating and a new built-in banquette, there’s now more than double the seating than Celia had before. New hardwood floors laid throughout the entire space, along with new dimmable lighting, help make the rooms feel warm and inviting. “See how cozy it looks now?” Goldie excitedly tells her dear friend as she demonstrates the dimmers for Celia.

Goldie could have written the script for Celia’s reaction to her bar-turned-pantry. “Oh, I love this,” Celia coos as Goldie shows her how they shifted the space to add much-needed storage and features like refrigerator drawers that will make cooking and entertaining Celia’s big family so much easier going forward. “Before it was a waste,” Celia confirms.

“When you go in and look at [the] pantry and … the space you have now, why wouldn't I want to give that to someone who I love so much or make that possible?” Goldie says.

In Celia’s newly renovated living room, friends and family can interact with each other much more easily now that the half wall that separated it from the kitchen is gone. “I was not involved with the family,” she says of the old kitchen’s layout. “I was missing a lot of stuff, [even] if it [were] arguments, I was missing [those] too.”