A new HGTV show debuting this Saturday, April 30, features Mission Hills native Meg Robinson Piercy and her co-host and husband, Joe Piercy.
What you need to know
• Meg Robinson Piercy grew up in Mission Hills and attended Prairie and Belinder elementary schools, as well as Pembroke Hill before going to the University of Kansas.
• The Piercys star as co-hosts of the brand-new HGTV show, “Renovation Goldmine,” which debuts Saturday, April 30.
• The couple say they want to inspire others to take on DIY projects that breathe new life into old spaces.
Filmed in Chicago where the couple has settled down, “Renovation Goldmine” aims to showcase their money-saving handiwork in home improvements, furniture restoration and other do-it-yourself projects.
The show will air on HGTV at 7 p.m. on Saturday nights.
Robinson Piercy said their focus throughout the show’s first season is essentially to breathe new life into the old, vintage and outdated, particularly within homes that their owners have loved and enjoyed for decades but may need some work.
“I think people are going to connect to it, because… this really focuses on how you can really elevate a room or two at a time; you don’t have to spend all the big bucks on completely gutting a place,” Robinson Piercy said. “You can make a huge impact without breaking the bank.”
‘Find the gold’
Behind the couple’s inspiration is one of their favorite phrases, “Find the gold.”
That saying leads them to focus the show on “taking a home and finding what’s good about it that’s maybe hidden by layers of paint or years of wear, and bringing that back to life,” she added.
The couple also emphasizes saving money through DIY projects and taking on smaller projects instead of entire house flipping.
Meg leads designing, and Joe handles contract work.
“We feel like America has turned into a consumer culture where we just use something and get rid of it, and it’s a country that’s gotten away from the trades and doing things yourself,” she said. “So I think that what we’re hoping is that the show brings people together, brings couples together to start doing things, DIY, getting off phones and doing projects together.”
About the show and MegMade
In its first season, the Piercy’s do more than a dozen house projects, which were mostly filmed in nine months during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two home makeover reveals are featured in each of the eight one-hour episodes in the first season.
At this point, the first season is nearly completely filmed, except for those “on the fly” transitions between scenes, some of which were captured as recently as last weekend.
Robinson Piercy credits their team of producers in New York and Chicago, as well as all the team members working behind the scenes to make it all happen.
“Basically, what’s been going through my head is, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s actually here!’” Robinson Piercy said. “I feel like it’s more of a celebration of a group of amazing people who are putting out something that we’re really proud of.”
The couple also offers interior design services and sells wares online at MegMade.com.
The couple is hoping for additional seasons, and while they have no plans to film a future season of “Renovation Goldmine” in the Kansas City area, they are exploring opportunities to introduce MegMade stores around here.
Meg and Joe have three sons: Wells, 10 years old; Brooks, 7; and Finn, 3.
