How'd They Do That? From the Ashes

How’d They Do That: Dore Family
Season 1, episode 1 of the regular series
Recap by J.G. Bird
January 10, 2005
Having seen the How’d They Do That Specials that were aired in conjunction with the Home Makeovers of the Ali Family and then, the Burns Family, there’s a clear format that’s been established. Watch closely in between segments, there’s a pretty cool graphic lead-in that’s being used; a blueprint image of the rooms or projects being highlighted. Given details like this, the show seems like the Special Features section on a DVD movie. Maybe for that reason, the production company appears to be taking time to get movie-quality shots. Remember, Ty opens the show from atop the local ferry and the team disembarks on ATVs. The Kitsap Peninsula ferry opening required a helicopter fly-over of the moving ferry and coordination with a camera crew on shore. Ty Pennington and Michael Moloney are off the ferry first for the ATV action shot, followed by Paige Hemmis, Ed Sanders and Preston Sharp. Ed Sanders, the carpenter on this build and more to come (like next week) is marginally introduced – gaffes on the Englishman’s accent and his desperate need for a cup of tea only. Did that t-shirt he flashed say, English stud muffin?

The house site requires the installation of a temporary road to move the personnel and heavy equipment in. In the show, Michael and Ty get some time to tour around the build site, acquainting the audience with the city-like expanse of the Centex Homes crew tents, mess hall, walkways, storage, and equipment. A 300 strong construction crew and the massive advance of the big earth moving equipment is highlighted. Are the machines taking over? Ty makes a reference to Terminator, Paige to Jurassic Park.. Both the design details, like salvaging used brick from the burned-out structure for walkways, and the structure building are explored. How is the speed build achieved – massive planning by Centex Homes in this case. We see walls numbered and pieced together like a puzzle. Concurrently, equipment and crew are installing the water line, electric is promised in 6 hours and windows in 2 hours.

Jack Cannon is the show’s Lead Field Coordinator. He endures some hijinks with the crew members on Sunday during a radio broadcast related to NASCAR racing. It wasn’t clear if this is a hobby of Jack’s or a second gig.

Ty’s Project is explored. He points out his specific pieces of pride in designing the Bed and Breakfast rooms - one with tongue and groove structure all out of cedar quarter log panels; the second given a modern, organic Asian feel with flat Walnut paneling
Native American art is inspiration for the Phoenix “rising from the ashes” sign he fashions for the entrance, and in the same area, framed photos Ty took of each of the Dore women/girls for a reunion type family portrait.

Local artisans are highlighted. The Pacific Northwest feel is added to the Dore home interiors with various decorative items: shown are Orca design vases, framed photos of local sites, furniture created from found driftwood and root structures. The 2-story entryway holds an incredible blown-glass artwork, which is shown being created in the glass blower’s studio, assembled and installed by the artist.

In the kitchen, the crew takes part in a tradition we’ve not been told about before now – a kind of superstition. They all slap together PB & J for sandwiches to share in the new kitchen with the family. The youngest girl Aariel is 13 – and she received a unique feature in her colorful room to go along with its theme. There’s a great website that explains how a working letter type press was sought and assembled for the graphic arts room (www.fiveroses.org). The two older daughters, Sarah and Jessica I stand corrected from yesterday’s report are 18 and 20 respectively. When they’re not in college classes (provided thanks to $71,000 plus donated by Centex Homes employees), they can take out the fourteen foot sailboat! This was not shown in the edited reveal. The ABC website details a wealth of the local artistic talent that went into the Dore’s completed home and bed and breakfast. The completed house has seven bathrooms, partly due to the bed and breakfast set-up, and partly to make up for the Dore family’s going without indoor plumbing for so long, (I suspect it was the biggest wish.)

Finally, we see in the emotion of the women before the reveal, there was purpose to having the County Fire Dept. truck provide the reveal – understand, the last time it was there was when all their dreams had been wiped out. There was purpose also to having the final moments with the family at the fire pit – in addition to the VIPs from Centex Homes presenting Roseanne Dore the keys, and provide a new homeowner’s insurance policy, they also paid off the mortgage on the old home. And thus, the fire was the point of closure for eradicating that final detail of their past troubles.