Season 3, Episode 1 RECAP of Making Modern with Brooke & Brice + Final Reveals + Behind-the-Scenes, and other Modern Dining Room Design Ideas
- Admin
- Apr 6
- 6 min read
We start the episode with a recap of where we left off from Season 2. Brooke and Brice are in the early stages of their back yard workshop build. They've submitted permits and created architectural renderings to aid in conceptualization. In the meantime, they have been using their cramped home garage, but decide to open a temporary workshop/office/design studio for DSM (Deep South Modern) until the build is complete.
Early scenes from Season 3, Episode 1 of Making Modern with Brooke & Brice
The Clients
In this episode and season 3 opener, Brooke & Brice take on a major renovation for their friends and neighbors, Micah and Sydney. Brooke & Brice can't help but show their excitement for a project that is right next door to their own home. The episode is appropriately titled: "Close to Home."
The homeowners from Season 3, Episode 1, Micah & Sydney.
The Space
As dedicated members of the entertainment community, Micah and Sydney are in desperate need of a dining room that fulfills all of their frequent hosting needs. With a panoramic view of downtown Nashville, this room has so much potential. The natural light streams through the windows and the sheer size and height of the room lends perfectly to hosting. The large empty wall provides a blank canvas for a world of dining room design ideas and possibilities to showcase Micah and Sydney's storied careers, travels, and memories.
The dining room BEFORE.
The Conceptualization Phase
This dining area, which is the heartbeat of the home for this client's lively social events, is designed to be inviting while featuring contemporary and personalized details, so careful planning is key. Brooke and Brice take time to explore the clients’ tastes, ensuring that they align their design vision with what the homeowners are wanting. They decide to create a one-of-a-kind dining table, custom couch seating and to their flank, a 22 ft "Story Wall" custom built bookshelf to showcase Micah and Sydney's eclectic and most treasured items.
Design renderings of Micah & Sydney's new dining room space.
First Challenge: Bench Seating
Brooke and Brice addressing the bench seating dilemma.
Drawing inspiration from high end restaurant banquette style bench seating, Brice works on a design and layout of the existing sofas that will lend easily to entertaining at the oversized dining table they are going to create later in the episode.
Finalizing the Temporary Workshop
Brooke and Project Manager Josh work on finalizing the construction and layout of the temporary workshop.
Building Boxes (a lot of them)
Brooke works on the final project in their home garage before moving into their temporary workshop.
As renovation progresses, the episode provides a glimpse into the construction phase, spotlighting Brooke's craftsmanship and woodworking knowledge while creating boxes for the Story Wall buildout.
Finding the Perfect Slabs
To find the right material for a one-of-a-kind dining table, Brooke and Brice venture north to Brooke's hometown of Dixon, KY on the hunt for the perfect wood slab(s). With help from Brooke's Grandaddy Tom (George - IYKYK), they scour a lumber yard full of beautiful wood slabs until they find "the one," or two as it turned out to be.
Brooke and Brice travel to Brooke's hometown, Dixon, KY to find a wood slab for their dining table project.
The Dining Table Plan
Brooke and Brice work on the dining room table for Micah and Sydney.
To try and distract from all the square or otherwise symmetrical components of the room, Brooke gives the dining table a more organic feel by smoothing the edges with an angle grinder. This not only softens the edges to avoid splintering, but provides the perfect level of movement that the room and table require, while also being structurally sound with a hand welded metal base.
Story Wall Shelves Installation
Josh (PM) and Charlie (Project Assistant) install the Story Wall boxes constructed by Brooke earlier in the episode.
Dining Table Build
The large gaps in the wood slabs for the dining table (due to natural separation over time) are filled with epoxy. The overall surface is stained a modern dark black color and fully sealed for longevity. Meanwhile, the steel base of the table serves as a sturdy structure strong enough to hold the weight of the multiple slabs that will be placed on top. The piece of powder coated metal between the slabs will bind the two together once finalized. Brooke uses her welding prowess to fortify the steel structured base which will inevitably be clad with white oak on the bottom to add even more design detail.
The construction and welding phase of Micah and Sydney's custom dining table.
Couch Seating Build
Brooke, Brice and team in the workshop constructing the bases for the custom couch seating.
The construction of the custom couch seating for this project was very detailed and not exactly straightforward. While bringing one of the homeowners existing sectional pieces of the couch directly into the workshop, Brooke and Brice were able to test and find the height that works best for their custom table build.
They end up raising the couch up by adding wide wooden dowels in 5 inch lengths to each of the corners and structural parts of the bases. Then they add a decorative white oak skirt all the way around the base to hide most of the dowels. The final decorative flair is giving each of the corners a spline (interlocking joint) made of a different contrasting wood tone to add a beautiful custom detail.
Rolling Ladder Build
When Brooke realizes that accessing many of the higher Story Wall bookshelves will require a ladder, she decides to create a metal rolling ladder to accommodate. So she gets busy welding her first rolling metal ladder in the new temporary workshop.
Brooke hard at work welding a custom 12 ft metal rolling ladder for Micah and Sydney's Story Wall.
Dining Table Install
The whole team chips in on install day to put all the newly constructed custom furnishings in place.
It's all hands on deck when it comes to installing the new custom dining table for Micah and Sydney. Each component has to be transported and assembled on site because of the table's large weight and size.
Final Touches
On reveal day, Brooke and Brice add all the finishing touches, including decorative elements and personal items to the Story Wall for Micah and Sydney.
Brooke and Brice put the final decorative touches into the dining space on reveal day.
The Final Reveal
Micah and Sydney return home to find their dining room completely transformed.
Micah and Sydney joke that they are never leaving the neighborhood now that their dining room is complete.
The Stunning Story Wall
A highlight of this episode is the beautifully designed bookshelf Story Wall. It not only serves as an eye-catching statement, but it also provides a stunning way for the homeowners to display their treasured belongings. Brooke and Brice curate a thoughtful selection of books, pictures, and interesting decorative objects, ensuring that the bookshelf wall showcases Micah and Sydney's personalities and style, but most importantly, it tells their story.
The Breathtaking Dining Table and Bench Seating
Brooke & Brice's Seamless Use of Modern Dining Room Design Ideas
Soft furnishings are added to the couches to boost comfort. Thoughtfully chosen decor items, such as lively plants, musical instruments, and striking artwork, are placed to enhance the character and warmth of the dining area.
This season opening episode reveal underscores the effective blend of style and utility that defines Brooke and Brice's design approach. By emphasizing adaptability, they illustrate how modern dining areas can cater to different needs, while also being a direct reflection of the homeowners unique style.
Official Photos
View the official final reveal photos from this episode in our Portfolio HERE.
Behind the Scenes
Til next time,
Comments