Logan Sq. furnishings store homeowners to take middle stage in new HGTV residence rehab present

Meg and Joe Piercy discovered the thrift and ingenuity that will probably be on show within the upcoming Chicago-based HGTV present “Renovation Goldmine” when the couple discovered themselves practically broke and about to have a child 10 years in the past.

“A neighbor gave us a chunk of furnishings and Meg and I painted it, we listed it on Craigslist the subsequent day and bought it for $80 and we have been like, ‘Holy cow! Let’s do that once more,’” Joe Piercy mentioned.

The couple started foraging each place they may from alleys to Salvation Military shops.

“And each night time we’d paint furnishings and watch ‘Legislation and Order’ and ‘CSI’ after which we’d checklist items on Craigslist and it got here to the purpose the place patrons can be coming to our home each single night time,” he mentioned.

Meg Piercy was working at a nonprofit for at-risk youth on the time and Joe Piercy was making an attempt his hand at residence flipping — an endeavor that went sideways.

“After which we began getting a bit artful and acquired some instruments and we simply form of taught ourselves all the things by watching YouTube,” Joe Piercy mentioned. “We had no thought what we have been doing. However portray furnishings was form of therapeutic. We cherished the earlier than and after of it.”

They have been residing in an house in Uptown and started utilizing their neighbor’s storage as a workshop.

“We had designers who began shopping for from us they usually have been like, ‘There’s an enormous hole available in the market for what you guys are doing. You want to make this legit and switch it into extra of a enterprise than a interest.’ So we did,” Meg Piercy mentioned.

They opened a tiny storefront close to Montrose and Ashland avenues earlier than transferring to their present location at 2728 N. Elston Ave.

Their retailer, which flourished right into a full-service residence decor store, is named MegMade — two phrases that Joe Piercy mentioned have been a pure match and fixed chorus as he bragged about his spouse.

The couple have counted solid members of “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.,” together with Sophia Bush, as prospects.

A daily stream of updates and DIY concepts posted to their Instagram account offered the publicity that led to the HGTV alternative.

The present will characteristic the couple working with householders and contractors to rehab and redecorate as much as 5 rooms of a house.

“Joe was made to be on TV,” Meg Piercy mentioned. “His persona is ridiculously large. For me, I don’t like consideration as a lot as he does. It’s humorous, in the event you put me in a photoshoot I’m so uncomfortable, however in the event you put a video digital camera in entrance of both of us it doesn’t have an effect on us in any respect.”

The primary of eight episodes will air at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The primary present will characteristic two houses, together with the Roscoe Village residence of a Chicago firefighter.

Meg Piercy grew up in Kansas Metropolis and attended the College of Kansas. Joe Piercy grew up in Champaign and attended the College of Illinois.

They met at a church perform in Chicago and have been engaged six weeks later.

The couple moved from Uptown to Portage Park just a few years in the past and now reside in Schererville, Ind., with their three sons.

They plan on opening a retailer in Munster, Ind., this summer season.

The couple, each 38, have but to satisfy Alison Victoria Gramenos, the star of HGTV’s different Chicago-based present, “Windy Metropolis Rehab.”

One fascinating factoid. Meg Piercy just isn’t probably the most well-known particular person in her household. That title would go to her nephew, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, a ahead with the NBA’s Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.