Mike Butler, who grew up in Lexington, and his wife, Denise Butler, who grew up in Mattapan, are hosts of HGTV's “Fix My Frankenhouse.” HGTV
HGTV's new home renovation series “Fix My Frankenhouse” premieres this Sunday night at 9 p.m., and television will once again shine a spotlight on less-than-desirable Massachusetts homes in need of professional renovation.
Following in the footsteps of PBS's venerable “This Old House” and HGTV's new “Houses with History,” the show focuses on “Frankenhouses” — homes with shoddy construction that are not only dysfunctional but borderline ugly, as HGTV describes them as “full of odd floorplans, staircases in the wrong places, and maze-like hallways.”
“Fix My Frankenhouse” brings two new faces to the world of reality TV: Stoughton-based renovation and interior design husband-and-wife team Mike and Denise Butler, who are the hosts of the six-episode first season.
The Butlers, who run the home-renovation company Perfect Vignette, weren't looking for a TV role or even a new career, but their Instagram posts caught the interest of a producer.
“We never wanted anything like this, but it's a dream job in a lot of ways,” Denise said. “It just seems like a coincidence.”
Before moving from Jersey City to Massachusetts in 2019 to raise their three sons closer to family, Denise worked in design and Mike worked on large commercial construction projects. Mike is from Lexington and Denise is from Mattapan; their fathers, John Butler and Peter Doyle, are both master carpenters and appear on the HGTV series.
“They were a great help, but they also gave us feedback that we didn't ask for,” Mike said with a laugh.
“We are so lucky to have worked with the parents. It's been a fun journey for us and they were so proud of what their children have achieved,” Denise added.
Episode one features an early 1900s home in Millbury that clearly has some layout issues, and Denise says that even though “a lot of love was put into this house,” it just wasn't working.
“The obvious problem was the kitchen,” Mike says. “When you open the fridge door, it hits the stove.”
“Whenever I try to get something from under the sink, the door hits the stove,” Denise adds.
“Before I walked into this house, I wasn't sure if design was a word I could use,” Mike continued, “A lot of people can't comprehend the entire floor plan and they only focus on one aspect. When I walk into a house, I can visualize the floor plan. The floor plan speaks to me. I have that ability, and my job is to make it all smooth.”
In this case, as is often the case, a wall was knocked down to create an open kitchen and dining area, and a mudroom was added for extra space.
. โ Megan Booth/HGTV. โ Megan Booth/HGTV. โ Megan Booth/HGTV
“Your home should be a reflection of who you are,” says Denise, “and when it comes to aesthetics, I'm confident in what my clients want. Whenever I'm unsure of a decision, I always ask Mike for his opinion.”
“Nine times out of 10, she ignores what I say and chooses the opposite,” Mike said. “If I'm the one telling her, why listen? But she's almost always right.”
Doing the right thing for homeowners and maintaining a professional reputation off camera is their number one priority.
“Shooting was moving full speed,” says Mike, “but we had to make sure that the fast pace didn't get in the way of our job. The most important thing was that the homeowners were happy.”
“Fix My Frankenhouse” will premiere on HGTV on Sunday, April 23 at 9pm ET and will also be simultaneously streaming on discovery+ and HGTV.com.
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