Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis talk season two of their show, Honest Renovations

Jessica Alba and her longtime friend Lizzy Mathis are similar in many ways: both are moms and entrepreneurs who share a love of design. That’s where their home renovation show, Roku’s Honest Renovations, comes in. 

Each season, they surprise parents with renovations that take their homes from cluttered and chaotic to functional and fabulous. The duo get honest about parenting and running a family home, while dishing on hacks on how to make the best of the space.

“We have a real friendship and so not only are we able to tell each other honestly what we feel or about the design, we’re also able to hear each other through the process, and really at the end, what we think is the family’s best case scenario, “ said Mathis in a joint interview with Alba. 

Season two, which is now streaming on Roku, aimed for more diversity with different family dynamics and set-ups – from single moms to multi-generational households. Storage is one of the main issues that the duo target as they help families make the best use of small spaces.

“This season, we hacked it, we put [storage] in places that you would have never thought before and we were just super open-minded about it,” said Mathis. “I hope that we show the viewer different ways that they can organize [their own homes].”

Alba and Mathis’s off-screen friendship translates on-screen as well. They bring their eye for detail and design aesthetic, along with their sense of humour to add a fresh spin on home renovation shows. We spoke with them about the series (which has already been renewed for a third season) along with some of their favourite home hacks. 

Q: What brought you joy while making this season?

Jessica: I would say our families, they’re always the star of the show and we really wanted more diversity in this season. So we have different family dynamics and setups.

We have a family going through illness, we have a same-sex couple, we have multi-generations living in the home, different age groups of kids. Being able to really show up for these families and to really try and make their lives a little bit better through home design was the goal and I think we accomplished it. 

Q: As kids grow your needs change, your house needs to change with it. How has that applied to you? 

Jessica: I’ve done exactly that. My son is now six, and I have a 16-year-old and a 13-year-old. So even just what we keep in our cabinets in the living room, it used to be filled with baby stuff. Then it was toddler toys, and now it’s board games and cozy blankets. The difference in what you hold behind closed doors changes drastically. Also now we have baskets filled with cars because my son’s obsessed with cars, but we can’t have cars all over the house. So you update the spaces depending on the kids’ stages and needs. 

Lizzy: I think even in their bedrooms. I remember when they used to have baskets full of toys and things like that in their rooms. Now that’s all changed to a desk and vanity area because they’re young girls, and so they’re playing and experimenting with skincare and lip glosses. They also need a space to do their homework so homework stations, and they need to be organized. 

Q: You are also very mindful to give parents and grandparents their own space. So what’s your favorite space or room in your house and why?

Jessica: My bedroom, I really love it and the bathroom. I would say that’s sort of like my sanctuary from the rest of the house.

Lizzy: For me, it’s the kitchen. My kitchen is my zen space. It’s where I love to go and create. Sometimes my kids are there, sometimes they join me, sometimes they’re not.

Jess teases me all the time because I play jazz music when I cook, and so sometimes it’s me just playing my jazz and I’m in there vibing out. It’s just a space that feels so much joy but I think that’s the beauty in it, right? Our goal is to create spaces also for the parents, where they find joy in coming home and having a calm space.

Q: I love the little additions you give families like the antique shopping trip. What’s the one new antique or item you added to your own home lately?

Lizzy: I just brought out of storage my grandmother’s baby grand piano. It’s not only a statement piece, but it brings me so many memories, because every time I look at it, I remember it being in the room that we weren’t allowed to touch. Your fingers had to always be clean before you touched the keys. So being able to bring that into our space now and have my kids be able to practice on the piano that I practice on is like an invaluable kind of moment, right? It’s so wild to think, what a full circle moment.

Jessica: After we wrapped season two, I actually did, like four built-ins in different rooms in the house. We actually painted our built-ins the same color as the wall, which is a trick that we use on the show. I realized I literally had no storage space so the built-ins are a game-changer. Also, they have open shelving on the side so we have family photos on the side, which is nice.

Q: Do you have a statement piece in your house that reflects your own personality?

Jessica: I would say for me, what you see throughout my house is a lot of linen and slipcovers. It’s all over my house. The slipcovers are awesome, because my kids can get it messy, or the dogs, and you can clean one, and I have backups. And then I always have my curtains. They’re all the same, all throughout the house; that linen kind of neutral color, and so that’s maybe a signature thing that I just have in my home. 

Q: You’ve gifted the families some Honest products. What are some of your favorite Honest Beauty products?

Jessica: I would say the healing ointment is awesome because it’s great for everyone in the family and all kinds of skin conditions, and it’s just a favorite in our house. 

Lizzy: [What] I really love right now, which I could probably go through all the time, is the unscented body oil. I will use it right out of the shower. I love it. I also use it on my kids. I put it on my cuticles. It’s safe for babies, but also for the whole family, and so that’s one product that I always have in my bathroom, non-stop.

Season two of Honest Renovations is streaming now on Roku. 

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