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Zooey Deschanel Renovated Her Best Friend's Home Into an Open Concept

December 15, 2020

Actress Zooey Deschanel joins Jonathan and Drew Scott to surprise her best friend, Sarah, with a life-changing renovation.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

Zooey Deschanel + Her BFF, Sarah

Zooey teamed up with Jonathan and Drew Scott to surprise her best friend, Sarah, with a complete renovation of her living spaces. Zooey and Sarah have known each other since they were five and call themselves "infinity best friends."

When Sarah, her husband, Adam, and their son moved to their new house, they downsized since square footage comes at a premium in their new area. "Sarah has this beautiful family, and they just moved to this new house that was a little bit tight for them. And then she got pregnant," said Zooey. "I just know as a parent that it's so hard when you have a toddler running around and a newborn. When there's little things that don't function for you, it makes your life so much harder. I want her to have an amazing space for her family."

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

Working on a Mom's Timeline

Zooey had planned this surprise with Sarah's husband, so the family of four lived in a rental apartment during the renovation. Since Sarah has a toddler and newborn, Zooey tells Jonathan and Drew they have three weeks to complete the job.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

Renovating 101

Zooey is a lover of design and decorating, and she threw on her work clothes to help Jonathan lay the new hardwood floor. Jonathan explained the benefits of gluing hardwood down rather nailing it — no squeaky floorboards.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

The Living Room, Before

Even though the home has a great big backyard, the 900-square-foot interior was tight with lots of small rooms rather than one open space. Immediately upon entering the home, the Property Brothers knew the main wall dividing the kitchen and living room had to go.

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