Boise Boys

Texas contractor Clint Robertson and Idaho designer Luke Caldwell have an odd pair of homes to choose from for their next investment property: a dated farmhouse and a midcentury modern split-level. A surprise visit from a former resident of the home they pick and some of the worst inclement weather Boise has ever seen makes it a race against time to get the house on the market for a big pay day.

Luke and Clint have an exclusive offer to purchase a stunning 3,100-square-foot, midcentury modern home on Boise's scenic Central Rim. The catch? They have to pay $350,000 in cash and potential renovations add on an additional $300,000. One bad decision could break their business but with the right design, this big gamble could reap a huge profit and become the company's flagship home. Focusing on the home's amazing views, the guys raise the roof, add massive sliding glass doors that open to a 300-square-foot ceramic entertaining area and purchase a unique 400-pound black walnut headboard from a local woodworker so the view of downtown Boise can be enjoyed from the master suite while resting on a piece of Boise history. It's the most they've ever invested in a single property but the finished product is a stunning masterpiece.

Luke and Clint snag a 1,373-square-foot Craftsman home in the historic North End of Boise, despite its high cost of renovations. In order to turn this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, they install a brand-new front porch with cedar-shake siding and revamp the attic space to make a functional new floor with a Jack-and-Jill bed and bath. Topping it all off and keeping with the Craftsman theme, they repurpose 100-year-old wood from the original construction by wrapping it around the kitchen vent hood and visit a local glassblower for some custom-made light pendants.

Luke and Clint purchase a beat-up, early 1900s triplex in Boise's North End with plans to convert it into a vintage, single-family home. After quickly blowing through their $200,000 renovation budget to repair fire damage and lead paint, they must regroup with a fresh plan. Fortunately, they find pleasant surprises throughout the structure, including a vaulted ceiling and a brick chimney they leave exposed to add a touch of old-world charm.

Luke and Clint purchase a midcentury modern house with architecture reminiscent of Hollywood Hills in a Mesa neighborhood overlooking Boise. Although they come across problems during demolition that require some serious budgeting and structural engineering feats, they give the house a glitzy, Hollywood-style makeover complete with a huge master closet, sleek home office and stunning master suite feature wall.

Luke and Clint expand their business into the hipster town of Garden City -- an up-and-coming area of Boise replete with coffee houses, breweries and man buns. When a farmhouse along the Boise River goes on the market, they jump on the opportunity to give it a Southwestern vibe. The guys install custom-made wrought-iron railings inspired by the existing arches on the second-story landing, commission a local artist to design and create ceramic art for the walls and build a custom bookcase for an upstairs reading nook decorated with cacti and a cattle skull. Along with these unique features are a mountain-themed accent wall and a horse-trough tub in the master suite resulting in a collection of oddities that could prove to be a hard sell. Other issues, including rotten floor joists on the second floor, require even more time and money from the guys who were merely planning on selling the farmhouse but may end up having to "sell the farm" instead.

Luke overspends the budget outbidding hundreds of eager developers on a neglected Boise River house. Forced to start from scratch, they need to go bigger than big to make their money back and see a profit. Luke sees a grand opportunity to design a home that is truly unique, but more surprising than the finished design is the subsequent homebuyer.