i'm var sara gore and this is "open house". this week two designers show us how design unfolds on the set. >> home sweet home, at least the recently remodeled tudor home. >> george comes to the rescue of a real new york city hero. >> we knew it was going to be some work, a bit of a handyman special. it's been a struggle to get things done. on "designer living," learn how to quickly revamp your space with new paint. and we'll discover a private estate tucked away in a pacific and we'll discover a private estate tucked away in a pacific palisade. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome to "open house." whether you're buying, selling, redesigning or just dreaming, we've got you covered. today i'm coming to you from a spectacular two-bedroom apartment on the 49th floor in

manhattan's midtown west neighborhood. it overlooks central park and the hudson river. inside and out, the views don't get much better than this. now we go behind the scenes of tnt's drama razolian islands with the set dreck traioratodec. how they got the look they wanted. >> i'm production designer bruce miller. >> i'm set decorator chris. we're in los angeles on the set of brazilian isles. >> angie harmon is a gutsy police department and we have a medical examine dr. more ra islands. >> we'll show you how bruce and i brought these characters' personalities and styles to life by giving you a tour of the set and some tips on how to achieve the look. >> we're in jane razoli's boston apartment based on a washington square row house.

>> jane is a downto earth character, more concerned about work than her living environment. the chal even evening was to make it adaptable to shoot in and grounded in her character. we neutralized the color p pallette. >> as a set decorator, part of my job responsibilities are creating the details of a character's life. there is a leather chair which brings in kind of a masculine feel, kind of going with her tomboyish, active lifestyle. but you can't deny she's also a beautiful woman so there are softer elements in texture as well. for instance, i got these silk pillows at target, an inexpensive way to find good accessories or this pillow from h.d. buttercup on the higher end. bostonians are avid sports fans. jane is no exception. there are also police awards and certificates to say jane never

stops, a policeperson. she's a police person in the office and at home as well. >> ah, home sweet home. at least the recently remodeled tudor home of dr. mora isles. she is very confident, i think that comes across in the choices she makes in her life, including the artwork. this is part of the bold choices this character would make in her house. we're in mora's modern kitchen. we added cabinets that we painted blue to reflect a softer style that would be mora. but it reflects her confidence, her security as a person and more stylish look at the world. >> because of mor's occupation, she's a medical examiner, there are a lot of dead things in her life. we've kind of taken that opportunity to inject that both in her home and office. there are a lot of what some people might call macabre or more bid, but she'd see them as

a curiouses sitcuriosity. we established a color pal let in her wardrobe. in her home, we didn't want it to be ruby red so we upholstered furniture in jewel tones. then i've used pattern on pattern to create an interest in the texture that wouldn't be otherwise. so whether you're a razolian isles fan, hopefully we've provided you some good ideas. before we break, here is a sneak peek on what's coming up on "open house." >> another unique feature of my home is the partition which is totally different than the traditional hallway. >> many people think that a dark color will actually make a room feel smaller, but in this case painting both the wall and the ceiling in the same color has

created an intimate space. >> it looks too dangerous. >> look at all these nails! a little scary. i guess i'm a little jumpy. ♪ [ woman ] sam begged and pleaded... so i sent him to camp. we'd earned lots of points with our new citi thankyou card... and i put them to good use. he told me about his bunkmates, and how he signs up for every activity. ♪ he even hangs out with the camp director. just like that. [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card gives you more ways to earn points. what's your story? citi can help you write it. i am playing with my friends. hey, mrs. d... joseph? sarah! it's mommy's turn now. let's go. [ male announcer ] the average home has over four internet-connected devices. we were gonna storm the castle. i love your hair. [ sarah ] thanks i went to your guy.

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welcome back to "open house," your look at the country'ses most luxurious home and designs. on "square welcome to the penthouse of 180 east peerson in chicago. i look forward to taking you on a tour of this elegant home. my name is jennifer ames. the renovation of this penthouse apartment took 2 1/2 years. one of the priorities of the homeowner was that they wanted you to be able to come in the front door and be in the

circular rotunda that feels very much like a garden. as we move into the living room, you realize the homeowners love all things french. they have imported this elegant fireplace mantle from paris. they built classic bookcases on either side and a fabulous herring bone floor. you'd never know you're in a modern high-rise building. this room is really special because it's in the building's southeast corner, and it offers unobstructed panoramic views of the lake, navy pier and downtown sky skyline. the european theme continues in the dining room with this incredible antique crystal chandelier and several more pieces of period furniture. in many of these apartments, the kitchen is a small interior room with no windows. in this case, we have a huge space with a separate breakfast area that has panoramic views of

the lake and then a kitchen that is a caterer's dream. there are four refrigerators including a wine refrigerator, two dishwashers, a warming drawer. pretty much anything you can imagine you would need if you were entertaining. i'm standing here in the oversized master bedroom with beautiful crown molding and a sensational view of the city. behind me is her bath and to my left is his. in the husband's palatial bath, a whirlpool tub, steam shower and this incredible work of art, this marble floor. the homeowners were on vacation in france and they saw this floor in a hotel and found the artisans, flew them over and they spent 3 1/2 months copying it. thank you for joining me today on the tour of this penthouse in the heart of chicago's magnificent mile.

coming up, tips on how a little paint can refresh your space. and later george rescues a resc rescuer.

welcome back to "open house." this weekn "designer living," we prove when it comes to design sometimes all you need is a little paint. watch as benjamin moore designer

sonia matthews transforms an apartment from blandz to beautiful. >> hi. i'm sonia matthews, senior interior designer with benjamin moore. i'm here to talk to you about things i'm passionate about, color and design and how you can make your home even more beautiful. so here we are in this very typical, wonderful manhattan apartment. you walk in, it's an open floor plan, and you see every living space. so we have to find ways to use color to define these spaces. now, the bedroom is a very special place in most of our homes so i talked to the homeowner and tried to understand what she was really after in this space. take a look at these great drawer pulls that she actually installed herself. it's a wonderful detail, and it's given me an idea on how to turn this very bland and boring bedroom into a dramatic and rich boudoir. so here's dave. >> i checked out the place. we are ready to go.

we have all the materials and we are using aura, which is self-priming and can be done in one coat. >> well, then let's get started. >> one thing to always remember is take your valuables into the center of the room and protect them with plastic. living room is done. bedroom is prepped. let's get to it. >> we're standing here in the foyer. many people think that a dark color will actually make a room feel smaller, but in this case painting both the wall and the ceiling in the same color has created an infinite space. the dining room opens up into the living room, and i chose a

color that the homeowners would feel very relaxed by. in your own home you may want to find one or two colors you absolutely love and infuse them throughout an open floor plan. but sometimes both furniture and function can dictate the need for a new color. in this case, changing the color also allowed us to create an accent wall. this is such a fabulous color. let's see how it wraps around and leads us to the bedroom. now, this is a room with some personality. as you can see, we've brought the accent color right into the bedroom to create some color flow, but we didn't stop there. we created a painted headboard, the color carries all the way up the wall, across the ceiling and drops down, creating a canopy of color to bring the room together. i hope you've enjoyed this project as much as i have. remember, by adding color and design elements into your own space, you can create a beautiful home.

still ahead, we'll go behind the doors of an 11,000 square foot estate in california. and george comes to the rescue of a new york city firefighter and his family. [ man ] i got this new citi thankyou card and started earning loads of points. you got a weather balloon with points? yes i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything. ♪ ♪ there it is. [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. ♪ [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card gives you more ways to earn points. what's your story? citi can help you write it.

welcome back to "open house." now we head to the rivas canyon community in the pacific palisades to tour a new modern estate. at almost 11,000 square foot, it includes seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, custom bar, pool and rooftop sun deck with panoramic views. here is the homeowner with a tour. >> hello. welcome to my home in the

pacific palisades. i designed and built my modern home on this private lot, which is very close to the city. it was very important for this house to be modern but not too ultra modern. so i soften the look and feel of it by putting linears throughout the house. we are viewing the formal living area, which i love very much. and it is because of its sheer volume and its openness. with the touch of a button, the doors open up and you have a nice inside and outside living space. i custom-designed the whole house, including this bar which is in the heart of the living/entertainment section. it has been built out of african mahogany. actually, all the woodwork throughout the home is made out of african mahogany, too. next we have a cool game room,

which has a pool table and a decorative tile fireplace. the dual fireplace separates the dining area from this gourmet kitchen, which is open and very light. another unique feature of my home is the partition which is totally different than the traditional hallways. this partition separates the common area from the private quarters. we are here in this relaxing master suite, the dual fireplace separates the bed area from the sitting section. the master bathroom has a full-size tub and fireplace and a cabinetry which mimics the linear design of the house. from here, you have great access to the pool, jacuzzi, sun deck and barbecue area. i hope you have enjoyed touring my home.

thank you for stopping by. after the break on "open house" -- >> oh, my god! shut up! ♪ [ woman ] sam begged and pleaded... so i sent him to camp. we'd earned lots of points with our new citi thankyou card... and i put them to good use. he told me about his bunkmates, and how he signs up for every activity. ♪ he even hangs out with the camp director. just like that. [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card gives you more ways to earn points. what's your story? citi can help you write it.

welcome back to "open

house." on this week's rescue, george is in long island to help a hardworking firefighter and his family. it's always great when george gets to give back to those who spend their time helping others. >> i'm george oliphant. this week we're coming from lindenhurst, long island, where we're helping out ron and carrie. they're new homeowners and the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. their house has an unfinished lower level which they were hoping to turn into the family living room. ron is not only a 17-year fdny lieutenant and true hero but also the family handyman. all was going well their own project until his father suffered a stroke which has left him severely handicapped. ron now spending all of his free time working on his parents' house. and from what i understand, he could use some help around his own home. well, let's go meet the family and see what we're up against. >> hey. how's it going, ron? george oliphant. nice to meet you.

i actually got a letter from your beautiful wife carrie. >> hi! >> and i'm here to rescue your home. >> are you serious? >> yeah. >> ron and i met six years ago. we've been married for four of those years. and we have been searching for the right home for the longest time. and we bought this house about a year and a half ago. >> we found this house, and we knew it was going to be some work, a bit of a handyman special. we started ripping out the layers and layers of paneling that were on the walls and old wall paper and everything. and the old carpet that stunk and the old asbestos tile under that and everything. carey got pregnant pretty soon after we moved in, and that slowed down things a lot. >> a lot. >> then with my father, what happened to him, thrown in the mix, it's been a struggle to get

to it. on little sleep sometimes. but it would be nice to actually have a whole house. >> yeah. >> all right, guys. welcome to what hopefully someday will be the living room for ron, carey and marlow. i've got my contractor, a.j. and my designer. guys, i'm so glad you're here with me. what do you say we start knocking down walls. now, ron started the demo job for us, but life got in the way. that's why we're here to finish it. trying to be as neat as possible. don't worry! neat and organized.

all right, jill. >> here it comes! oh, my god. this looks too dangerous. >> dangerous? >> yeah. look at all these nails. a little scary. i guess i'm a little jumpy. i have to admit it. >> you need a hard hat, safety glasses. >> i do. >> oh! exactly my point. >> safety first! >> our color scheme is black and white. simple yet sophisticated. let's get this room painted. always a time crunch on the rescue. got to get this place painted. thankfully, using the benjamin moore aura, two coats is all it takes. self sh self-priming, it will go over any color.

>> this chair rocks! >> actually, it swings. the chair actually swings. >> that was good. okay. >> and we are done. let's give the house back to carey and ron. hey! welcome home. >> hi! yea! >> you glad to be home? >> no place like home. >> it's been a good two weeks. >> the anticipation has been excruciating. >> i won't delay it any more. let's go inside. what do you say? >> absolutely. >> on the count of three. one, two, three! >> oh, my god. shut up! >> oh, look at what they did with the wall. >> oh, my gosh!

>> that is absolutely amazing. this is awesome. as soon as you opened the door, it was like, from every step you took it was just something else catching your eye, what was done. i still can't believe they got so much done in such a short period of time. >> you're changing people's lives, you're making it better. it just makes you feel so good knowing that people are out there that care this much. it's so real. it isn't about the cameras. it really is truly out of the goodness of your hearts that you come and do these things. so george and the crew, thank you so much. we love you and we're so happy with our new space. that's all for this week's episode of "open house." join us next week for more of america's top properties and designs. if you missed something on today's show or you just want to see more of these amazing homes, head to openhousetv.com. you can also join our facebook

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and started earning loads of points. you got a weather balloon with points? yes i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything. ♪ ♪ there it is. [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. ♪ [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card gives you more ways to earn points. what's your story? citi can help you write it.