Island overhauls, ranch redos, beach battles, and now, entire town takeovers! Renovation Island stars Sarah and Bryan Baeumler may have planned to “slow down,” but you only need to turn on HGTV to see they’re busier than ever.
Having uprooted their kids and relocated to the Bahamas to restore rundown resort Caerula Mar in Renovation Island, the Canadian couple are back expanding the property, plus overhauling Pines and Palms Resort in the Florida Keys, in Renovation Island: The Adventure Continues. Sarah’s also competing on Battle on the Beach and the pair just announced three new Canadian shows for HGTV—Baeumler Ranch (working title), Sarah Baeumler by Design, and Home Town Takeover Canada.
“We head off this weekend to start filming Hometown Takeover,” says Sarah.
“Without giving away the location, it has spectacular views and is such an incredible destination,” adds Bryan.
Before entering their next filming frenzy, Sarah and Bryan spoke to Country Living about returning to the island with sons Quintyn (Q), 21, and Lincoln, 15, and daughters Charlotte, 19, and Josephine, 13.
Bryan, your friend asked if you bumped your head for taking on such grand projects like Pines and Palms Resort. How crazy are you guys with everything you want to achieve on Renovation Island: The Adventure Continues?
Bryan: Certifiable! Having a child is a monumental assumption of responsibility and having four is beyond what anyone should be expected to handle. Throwing them on a boat and moving to an island to renovate a hotel was crazy—then to do it all again! But I'm 52 and have this attitude of, “There's not a lot of time left, so you might as well do something fun and off the rails.”
Sarah: We had the opportunity to work with two other couples on Pines and Palms. They also have multiple kids, multiple businesses and hectic families so we just connected. And we’ve loved Islamorada for years.
In the premiere, Bryan said, “This could break us.” How did these projects test your marriage?
Sarah: Bryan and I have been through lots of crazy projects and we know at the end we’ll be staring at each other laughing in a retirement home. We never want to look back and think, “I wish I’d done that,” so we have a mindset of, “Let's give it a try and if we have to, we will go back to square one and rebuild.” We're visionaries and entrepreneurs, so we always say, “What’s the worst that could happen?” Yes, it could break us with stress and financials, but once we're asking that question, it usually means we've already committed! We jump in and learn together.
There was a joke about demolition helping your relationship?
Sarah: Bryan, do you think this is our therapy?
Bryan: We definitely get in and smash things together. Sarah likes to poke in for the glory shots with the hammer! But we also know where our corners are. Mine’s being filthy and sweaty working with tools, and Sarah’s is scheduling, budget, and design. We come together for the chaos, but then we've got our corners we retreat to keep each other safe!
What’s been the best part and most challenging part about family life at a resort?
Sarah: When the kids were young, friends and family members questioned our decision to relocate. We faced comments like, “You can't do that. What are they going to do for schooling?” Seeing where they are in their young adulthood now, it was the best decision ever. We’re a close-knit family because of that time together. Yes, there were challenges like wanting them to do homework when they'd rather be on the beach swimming, but looking back, it was the best years of our life. Q’s 21 now and all I want is to keep them close.
Bryan: He’s here eating chicken salad in front of me. The experience the kids had jumping into a different culture and learning about being entrepreneurial was great. I know if I get hit by a bus tomorrow, my kids can get to an airport, catch a fish, find shelter. They’ve got good life skills from our travels. We're in the messy middle now with aging, ailing parents and kids who want to stretch their wings and leave the nest, so the idea of our great, intensive time together ending is terrifying.
You’ll just have to keep busy with all your shows to distract yourselves from empty nest syndrome! What’s it like seeing Q not only embracing renovation but coming up with his own business ideas?
Bryan: It’s great. Every generation of parents makes sacrifices for their kids. My dad escaped East Germany with nothing and I watched him work his ass off so we could be in private school and travel, and we're doing the same now. We don't point them in a direction; we give them experiences and access so they can find what they love. I’d love for the kids to have interest in what we've put together because generational businesses and generational wealth are becoming more important. Kids don't get out of school, get a job and retire 30 years later with a pension anymore.
Is there any kind of “normal” life for your family?
Sarah: Normal life! What does that look like?
Bryan: Sarah hasn’t been home in six weeks, but I've been driving kids to school, making dinner and doing dishes. We've got one kid in Europe, one in the Bahamas and two at home. It's like a proton and neutron. We're always bouncing around, but we come back to the nucleus to rest and that re-energizes us.
What can you share about your new Canadian shows?
Bryan: I'm excited because the most fulfilling shows or episodes we've done are ones that help families in need, so Home Town Takeover is a perfect cherry on top of our last 20 years of production. It’ll encompass entrepreneurialism, travel and tourism and philanthropy and it’s reinvigorating the business center of this incredible destination that's had a rough go. And the ranch show has a whole Canadian story, with being on the edge of the Rockies in Alberta. I grew up a country boy and dragged Sarah into it and we've always had chickens and borderline farms.
Sarah: And that show will have some travel to Texas. It will be a busy year!
Bryan: We've been telling everyone we're going to slow down, so now friends are calling saying, “What the hell have you done?”
It’s like your friend said. Did you bump your head?
Bryan: Yeah! When people ask, “What do you do to relax?” for us … this is it!
Renovation Island: The Adventure Continues screens Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.
Leena Tailor is an award-winning Los Angeles-based journalist with more than 20 years experience covering entertainment, lifestyle and travel for outlets around the world. Originally from New Zealand, she was lured to the endless sunshine of California in 2010 and has since interviewed some of the world's biggest celebrities for outlets including Rolling Stone, Hollywood Reporter, InStyle, Billboard and Entertainment Tonight. Leena’s love for beaches, boy bands, concerts and cocktails has taken her from Mexico to Germany, with her travel and lifestyle features appearing in Travel and Leisure, Vinepair and Vogue.
