Renovation, Inc. — Before the Island

Bryan Baumler's penchant for building and emerged in his childhood when he spent summers helping build his family’s cottage from the ground up. By age 14 he had already opened his own handyman business, doing odd jobs for neighbours. As an adult, after getting a college degree in political science, Bryan ultimately returned to his passion for building and founded Baeumler Quality Construction, a full service construction and renovation company.

Bryan inherited and picked up some of his passion for building, creating and precision from his father, a meticulous aircraft engineer.

After working together on three separate home builds, Bryan's wife Sarah (left) joined Bryan's construction company in an official capacity — as a project manager. In the first project documented in the series Renovation, Inc., Bryan and Sarah worked with James and Lisa Lajoies, helping guide them through their first home renovation.

Sarah has keen design expertise and masterful organizational skills, so eventually it just made sense for Bryan to bring her on as a partner to help manage the challenge of multiple jobs and clients. Here Sarah meets with clients to discuss a renovation game plan and design specifics.

Before. A shot of the "bonus room" on the main floor, prior to renovation. Clients James and Lisa had been using this rather undefined space as a home office,, but it's far fron an ideal arrangement..

In progress. This is James and Lisa's first renovation, and they want to get it right the first time so they won't have to revisit upgrading further down the road. In effect, they are wanting to custom-create a forever home.

Before. Work begins on the living spaces on the main floor. After something of a bidding war (22 offers!) James and Lisa bought this suburban house that, prior to their purchase, had undergone a latter-day update. They are now interested in updating the entire house in a way that will better suit their needs.

Before. Work begins on the main living spaces.

Work In Progress. In the Baeumlers' early projects together, Sarah faced a steep learning curve for Sarah as she juggled clients expectations, inevitable construction delays and strict budgets. Here she meets with the Lajoies mid-construction to review progress and plans.

Living room renovation, in progress.

Living room renovation, in progress.

Living room renovation, in progress.

Living Room, After. Sarah went with simple, clean design and midcentury modern style furnishings for the living room, creating a sleek but welcoming vibe.

Kitchen renovation, in progress. The kitchen renovation involved removal of an existing wall and reframing to create a new floor plan.

Kitchen renovation, in progress.

Kitchen, After.

Kitchen, After.

In Tee-Shirt Veritas. A crew member sports a tee that echoes an ominous warning regarding the importance of selecting the right contractor and professionals for a home renovation project.

Before. Bryan and Sarah struggle with some serious design decisions with respect to the Lajoie renovatoin.

After. Well ... maybe not that serious.

Down to Brass Tacks. Bryan and Sarah are filmed for one of the show's on-camera testimonial segments. "Juggling multiple projects while learning to work with your spouse isn't exactly easy," Bryan said early on in this project. "I normally take the tough-love approach with my clients, and that's something Sarah's just going to have to learn to do."