How Izzy and Lilly, Hosts of 'Izzy Does It', Met and Fell in Love

HGTV has a fun, new and inspiring addition to its lineup of home shows: Izzy Does It, hosted by master contractor and entrepreneur Izzy Battres and his designer wife Lilly. If Izzy looks familiar, it’s because you’ve seen him renovate million-dollar houses on HGTV’s Flip or Flop and Christina on the Coast. He and his team give clients the luxury remodels and renovations they want without the high cost.

Get to Know Izzy

Born and raised in Santa Ana, California, Izzy — that’s short for Israel — is the son of Mexican immigrants. He started working at an early age, doing everything from running a lemonade stand to delivering papers to selling paint and carpet at a local store. As kids, he says, he and his siblings accompanied their dad to all of his construction job sites, even on weekends, and learned framing, cement work and other trades. “It was the kind of household where everybody worked." In 2008, he formed Battres Construction to design and build homes and pools, and brought in his brothers who’d lost their jobs in the Great Recession that same year.

Then, in a stroke of luck, Izzy met Tarek El Moussa, one of the hosts on Flip or Flop, on a flip in Anaheim. They started working together, and the rest is HGTV history: Izzy's new show launched in February 2025.

Get to Know Lilly

Like Izzy, Lilly’s parents came from Mexico, and she grew up and went to school in Santa Ana. She also started working at a young age, helping her mother with jobs like cleaning houses. After high school, she went to college with two goals: She wanted to be a probation officer to help the many troubled kids she’d seen, and she hoped to be a designer. She remembers her classmates laughing at her ambitions; they didn't know designing was in her future. After dropping out of college, she worked for Target's planning department. “I was first married at 22,” she says, “and became a single mom two years later.” Now, Izzy is stepdad to her son, Joseph (Joe), and her daughter Brianna (Bri).

How Izzy Met Lilly and Fell in Love

Their shared faith is a big part of Izzy and Lilly’s lives, so it’s not surprising that the couple met at church, where Izzy was doing ministry work. “I saw her,” he says, “and started strategizing how to meet this beautiful lady with curly hair. To get her attention, I said I’d play Jesus and wear a loincloth in our Easter drama. I built the cross and said to myself, ‘She has to see me in the crucifixion scene.'"

Lilly did. Afterwards, he caught up with her and invited her to lunch at his family's barbeque. “I had a plan,” he admits. “We’re very family-oriented and I already knew I’d marry her. I felt like, if my family approves and likes her, she’s in.”

He says three things showed him she was the right one. “First, she brought me food out of the blue one time, amazing food, and I knew someone I’d marry had to know how to cook.” On another day, he walked into church and heard her say, “I just want to serve. I’m just here to help.” He recalls that struck a chord in his heart.

Finally, she was driving on one of their dates when he started telling her which way to go. “She stopped the truck and said, ‘If you don’t like the way I’m driving, get out.’”

“Nobody had ever talked to me that way,” Izzy says with a laugh. Already in his 30s and still single, he’d been praying for a helpmate, and her independence wowed him. "I didn't want a pushover."

Lilly had been praying, too. “I wanted someone to love my kids, and I liked Izzy’s smile and the way he carried himself. Our beliefs are strong, and our spiritual walk had a lot to do with it.” They married about a year later, in 2010, and agreed Lilly would stay home with the kids and take care of the household. "Lilly gave me peace of mind," he says. "If the household and marriage weren't intact, the business would not be a success."

It’s All in the Family

After the kids finished school, Lilly came onboard as the company's designer. Izzy praises her ability to connect with clients and turn their dreams into reality. “Design is very emotional and personal. She’ll ask, ‘How does this color or space make you feel?’ She goes shopping with them and helps find the best deal. We complement each other.”

While Lilly and her niece collaborate on design, other relatives make up the Battres team. Izzy’s brother Rudy (“Rude Dog”) is a project manager. Stepson Joe is an apprentice and stepdaughter Bri handles marketing. What’s Izzy's secret to success? He doesn't hesitate. “It’s my family."

How to Watch Izzy Does It

Izzy Does It airs on HGTV Wednesday nights at 9|8c, and is available to stream the next day on Max and discovery+. Follow Izzy and family at @izzybattres and @battresconstruction.