Fort Worth home renovator creates ‘One of a Kind’ experience with HGTV show

One of these days the world will hopefully be free for us all to roam about freely without fear of the coronavirus.

In the meantime, folks are watching a lot of TV. And among the shows they can watch is Grace Mitchell’s “One of a Kind” on HGTV.

Mitchell, who lives in Fort Worth, is an interior designer and home renovator. Most of the homes she renovates on the show are in Fort Worth.

And while there are plenty of home renovation shows on the market, hers is, well, as the name indicates, different from the rest.

“It is a great combination of good design, thoughtful construction, humor, and sentimentality. There are no two episodes that are the same,” Mitchell said. “The design is based on the people, and since people are all different and unique, so is every home.

“There is not just one style that I do. I also love how each facet of the project is featured — the plumber, the tile layer, the stone mason — those are all recognizable people on the show. No other show does that. It takes many hands to make these projects happen.”

The first two seasons of “One of a Kind” can be seen on HGTV. A third season is planned, but, of course, the coronavirus has stalled production, Mitchell said.

Mitchell, who has been a designer for nine years, said she was first approached about doing the show by folks in her production company, High Noon Entertainment, in late 2016. They came across some work she had done — her boys’ bunk room in her own house — and the idea was born.

They teamed with her, recorded a Skype together, and sent it to HGTV, expecting it to be a few months before receiving a response. She heard back much sooner — two days later, in fact.

“I was driving my kids to school when I got the call that they were filming in Waco Thursday and Friday, could I film Saturday and Sunday? ‘Fixer Upper’ was shooting then, and we have the same production company,” she said. “I was very surprised.

“The idea for the show came from what I do in real life — taking people’s stories/memories/past experiences, and making that the focal point of their home design.”

So, a pilot was filmed in 2017, followed by the wait to hear when it would air. Mitchell said the show actually made history by being the first HGTV show to go straight to series without airing a pilot.

“When the network execs saw the show, they ordered eight episodes, and we started filming shortly after. Our pilot became one of the episodes in Season 1,” she said.

Much of her compassion for people likely stems from her days as a language therapist for deaf and hard-of-hearing babies as her first career. But she realized her true passion was construction, design and creating storybook homes for clients.

“I love doing what I do, and I often feel I was made for this, but TV can be a fairly grueling schedule,” she said. “Your home makes a real impact on you, and I get letters and messages from people that have been on the show that are very touching.”

Among those messages was one from Erin Finley Lee, whose home Mitchell transformed on the show.

“The colors were perfect, and she was able to bring the outdoors in through her use of texture, colors and windows. The house is much more functional for the way our family operates,” Lee said. “We were able to get the kitchen and living areas of our dreams without any bickering over choices, within budget and on time.

Of late she has received several items of correspondence telling her what an amazing house she and her crew created for someone to be quarantined in.

“I’m not just renovating or designing, we are making a true home for these people. It means a lot to me for these families to put that trust in us, and I take it very seriously,” Mitchell said. “It is one thing to design a beautiful home, but designing a home that is meaningful to the people who live there is a passion of mine.

“It sounds silly to think the design of your home can change your life, but it can. I’ve seen it.”

Rick Goodwin, a contractor and regular on the series, said working with Mitchell is one of the best decisions he ever made.

“When I get to work I know it will be a fun time. She is positive and knows exactly what she wants on a project,” he said. “When she pulls up to a job she always welcomes me — or anybody — with a hug and compliment. What you see is what you get off and on camera.”

As for the most rewarding project? Again, she can’t identify just one or two.

“I think for any creative, what you dream of, is getting to show your work. To get to show off my team and what we do, and the families we work for, has really been wonderful,” she said.

“And of course, I love it that Fort Worth is shown on a national scale to millions of people every week.”

Mitchell can be found on Instagram @astoriedstyle! or can be emailed at howdy@astoriedstyle.com.