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Justin Hartley Converted His Friend's Yard Into a Stunning Outdoor Retreat

Actor Justin Hartley wanted to give back to his buddy, Mat, so he teamed up with Jonathan and Drew Scott to transform a dated backyard into a family-friendly outdoor oasis.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

Justin Hartley + His Best Friend, Mat

Justin met up with Jonathan and Drew Scott to surprise his friend, Mat, with the ultimate backyard makeover. The first day involved Justin driving an excavator and tearing down part of Mat's fence, while Mat was watching TV. Needless to say, Mat was surprised.

"Our friendship started over our love of beer and the Dodgers, and it's since turned into a deep love for him and his daughters and his wife. I would do anything for him, and Mat is the kind of guy that's the exact same way. He's been there for me countless times in the past. To be able to pay him back with something that I know is really going to help him and his family. It's the least I can do," said Justin.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

Pulling Out the Big Equipment

Even though Justin had never driven an excavator or taken on a renovating project, he jumped right into the demo. The Scott brothers were impressed with how quickly he picked up the new skills. "Justin is good at all the projects we've given him. I think we need to keep him on our show and not let him go back to his show," said Drew.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

Before: The Backyard

Mat and his family were living in a small apartment until about a year-and-a-half ago. They saved up money to buy and renovate their home, but were going to have to wait a few years before they could make over the backyard. Justin wanted to give them the ultimate outdoor oasis.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

After: The Backyard

Since they live in southern California, the backyard is an extension of the house for nine months out of the year. Now, Mat and his family have a whole new wing of their home. First, Jonathan and Drew leveled out the yard so they were working with a functional blank slate and then they transformed every aspect of the yard — from the patio and pool to the landscaping and hardscaping.

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