HGTV’s Fix My Frankenhouse is back for a second season, and this time, the Frankenstein-inspired properties they renovate are even better transformations than before. Led by Boston-based renovation experts Mike and Denese Butler, this season takes viewers on a journey as the Butlers balance life as parents to their three young children, while taking “Frankenstein” properties to the next level and turning them into stunning, cohesive homes for families.
As they tackle unique challenges like wonky layouts, misplaced staircases, and maze-like hallways, Mike will apply his construction expertise to create fresh, functional floor plans, while Denese will bring each client’s style to life with custom finishes. Together, they blend the charm of older homes with modern design.
Season 1 attracted more than 11.7 million viewers, and Collider spoke with the 100 Day Hotel Challenge alums on what sets this season apart.
Mike and Denese Butler Say There’s a Recipe for ‘Fix My Frankenhouse’s Success’

Image via HGTV

COLLIDER: Congratulations on Season 2 of Fix My Frankenhouse. You guys did great numbers in your first season. I read that there were over 11 million viewers. What about the show do you think made it such a standout?
MIKE: I would say it’s unique as far as we’re doing some major renovations. So the transformations are pretty epic, and then I think it’s our personalities as well.
DENESE: And this is a concept that no one ever heard of before. It’s a concept that no one ever heard of before. So I think just the show’s title got a lot of ears perked, and they tuned in, and then they just fell in love.
COLLIDER: Now, this season we get to see more of your family life. There’s always an idea of work-life balance. You guys work together, you guys are raising children together. Talk to us a little bit about that dynamic and how we will see that play out on screen more this season.
MIKE: So it varies every day, but basically it’s between one of us struggling to get the boys out to school in the morning and hitting up job sites and organizing, pick up, drop-offs, sports after school, paying subs, checking in on job sites. So it’s a constant drill of communication and collaboration between Denese and I, and our village.
DENESE: It’s a ton of communication and a lot of prayer because it takes a village to do what we do.
COLLIDER: As you mentioned earlier, this is a different concept from what we’ve seen on screen, even in the title. What about Frankenstein properties do you enjoy the most?
MIKE: I’ll say for me, it’s the opportunity to change people’s lives through these renovations. A lot of people’s houses aren’t working for them, and it’s causing stress, and they’re missing out on valuable memories, and opportunity to entertain and collaborate with others, and enjoy life. So we get a small picture of that, and then we get to solve it, so that’s really rewarding for us.
DENESE: I just love seeing how happy they are in the end because we pulled it off, in terms of the renovation, in terms of a certain amount of time within a certain budget, and made it something more beautiful than they had ever imagined. And that’s something that we get a lot. What we get a lot of is, ‘Oh my gosh, my house feels so much bigger, and we don’t even put additions on these homes.’

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Clients’ Lives Are Changed Because of Their Renovations

Image via HGTV

COLLIDER: Talk to us about some of the common issues you ran into this season with your clients.
DENESE: I would say, for me, because I do a lot of the design is just connecting the aesthetics to the style of the home and also considering what the client wants. So a lot of clients tend to want things that are more up-to-date, modern, and so forth, but it’s my job to steer the ship there, all while considering the history of the home and making sure that the finishes are consistent throughout. And what I mean by finishes is just like door trim, crown molding, base trim, just all of the fine details that your eyes see, just making sure that it’s all cohesive and how it connects and matches the new layout. So I feel like that is a fun aspect for me.
MIKE: On my side, it’s trying to figure out the unknowns before we actually demo a house, so we will run into unknowns, and we do plan for those cases, but it’s fixing and solving those unknowns at a very fast pace. So I’ll give you an example: there can be something in the middle of a kitchen or structural framing that is not deep enough to hide certain elements or low ceilings that aren’t capturing the potential of the area. So that’s just a glimpse of what you’ll start to see.
COLLIDER: What are some common trends that you guys implemented this season?
DENESE: We’re not really trendy, we’re not trend followers. We don’t follow trends. We really just listen to our clients and consider what the house needs in terms of the year of the house, and if it is something that’s trendy that you see in the design, it’s specific to what the client really wants. But I tend to actually design against the grain and not follow trends because design isn’t black and white, it’s very colorful.
MIKE: She nailed that one on the head. Every house is a reflection of their client. So we try to listen to people, very intently on what they need, their dreams, and we try to implement as much of that as possible.
COLLIDER: How do you feel as if each other’s skill set really adds to the success of you as a team?
MIKE: Denese sees things in color that I don’t. So the fact that she’ll put something on the wall and be like, ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ but I trust the process. So that’s something you’ll hear a lot of us saying back and forth to each other or to our clients, trust the process. Or just trusting each other. Because I know I can do the build. I know I can do good layouts, but aesthetically, Denese takes all that and to a whole another level that I could never do.
DENESE: I think what he does is an outstanding job. Considering all of the new floor plan layout, it’s not just about moving a wall here or shifting your kitchen to the other side of the house. It’s also considering just the electrical and the plumbing, and just like how the beams are running throughout the home, just all the intricacies of a house, and it’s not, like I said, it’s not just taking down the wall. He’s really good at just recognizing how removing a wall can directly affect the load on the house, because ultimately, when these clients see their houses that they want to renovate, it’s not as simple as just removing a wall. You will have to consider how to keep the house up and not allowing it to collapse, so he considers all the engineering aspects of a house as well.

Fix My Frankenhouse

Release Date

April 23, 2023

Cast