How 'Best House on the Block' Is Different From Every Other Husband-and-Wife Show

From Country Living

Lauren Liess and her husband, Dave, are used to having their hands full. Together, they run an interior design and textiles company just outside of Washington, D.C., for which they juggle a number of projects-all while raising five kids (and three dogs, and a gaggle of geese). And now, they're adding something else to their plates: a DIY Network show called Best House on the Block, premiering November 7 at 11 p.m. ET.

"We've been in some form of crazy for the past four years," Lauren, who has already been featured in national publications and written a book on decorating, told CountryLiving.com.

"I'm not sure I can say filming was necessarily crazier than how it had been," she added, laughing. "I think you reach a crazy limit and from there you don't even notice when it's nuttier. We are so far past functioning normally."

The series follows a similar format to existing shows-only with more focus on decorating-and less on renovation.

"It's all about taking typical, regular houses and making them special, bespoke, and custom," Lauren said. Here's what you need to know about the network's newcomers.

1. Lauren and Dave work together.

Get ready for another dynamic husband-and-wife team à la Chip and Joanna and Erin and Ben. While Lauren handles the design side of Lauren Liess & Co., Dave serves as project manager, setting up meetings, ordering products, and handling contracts and other paperwork.

"He really frees me up to stick to as much creative as possible and makes everything go from point A to point B," Lauren says. "People are always like, 'Don't you get sick of each other?' and we really don't because we're in such different parts of the business. By the time he's implementing, I'm designing for somebody else. With the show it was really fun because we got to be together so much more."

2. But it's not your average reno show.

Unlike other shows starring married couples as hosts, Lauren and David will not be overhauling homes. Instead, Best House on the Block will focus on breathing life and personality into D.C.-area "cookie-cutter homes."

"One of the things I'm excited about is that there's a lot of decorating in it, and I think a lot of shows are super-renovation-based," Lauren told us. In this way, the Liesses' show is a return to programs packed with more manageable projects as opposed to highly ambitious (and highly expensive) flips.

3. Lauren and Dave have five children.

The little Liesses consist of three boys (Christian, 11, Justin, 8, and Luke, 6) and two girls (Gisele, 3, and Aurora, 1). Their last baby was born shortly after the pilot aired, meaning it's been a busy (but exciting) year for the family.

4... and plenty of animals, too.

Though they do not live on a farm, the Liesses do have a substantial amount of land, which they've filled with a number of animal friends: three dogs and a gaggle of geese. "Our house is crazy busy," Lauren said. "We had one dog and our geese at the time of the episodes, so there are so many times when we're filming and you can't see it but there are animals at our feet."

5. Her style is natural and down-to-earth.

In Lauren and David's own home and the ones they've designed for clients, you'll find touches of nature and tons of texture (think natural fiber rugs and raw, worn woods).

"I am crazy about bringing fresh greenery from the outside and that's something that's probably seen in every single episode and project I ever do," Lauren tells us. "It's really inexpensive and easy. I love that fresh, casual look as opposed to flowers."

6. Lauren's a seasoned writer.

Her blog, Pure Style Home, is in its tenth year and offers an inside look at her personal life, projects, and style. In Fall 2015, she released her first book, Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating, and her second, Down to Earth, is due out next fall.

7. They were "discovered" by a production company.

In Spring 2016, Collins Avenue reached out to see if the couple was interested in filming a pilot. A year later, they shot the episode in just one month. "It was seriously creatively satisfying to get the chance to design, renovate & decorate a home on such a short timeline and we all (especially our clients!!) got a major dose of instant gratification," Lauren shared on her blog. "I used mostly vintage and ready-made furnishings (with a few special custom projects thrown in!) to meet our deadline and it was such a blast."

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