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'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition': Tamara Day credits well-thought-out design plans for the success of Barobi home

Tamara Day said she was easily able to share her two cents on design because the team was welcoming

'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' aired its second episode this week and it was an emotional one for sure. Designing for the Barobi family, who had to flee from violence-ridden Congo so that they could start a new life in Utah, was tough but exciting. And this time joining the team were Darren Keefe, Carrie Locklyn, Breegan Jane - was Tamara Day of 'Bargain Mansions.'

She is used to repairing and redoing neglected properties and dilapidated buildings, but this project was quite a handful. Building houses from the ground up is a tough task but Tamara thought that it was very well organized and everything functioned as though it were one very well-oiled machine. "We were given all the tools needed upfront to be able to make great design decisions very quickly," she said. 

In a chat with MEA Worldwide, Tamara shared how different and seamless the experience was. Because there were well-thought-out design plans that were drafted by skilled people, she was able to come in and easily share her inputs and help create spaces for the family.

It's always a challenge when a group of creative people comes together because it more often than not leads to a war of opinions. But here, Darren, Carrie, Breegan, and Tamara were able to breeze through the whole process. Tamara shared how welcoming the team was to her ideas and thoughts, and added that they all had a lot of fun building something so massive and beautiful. "I respect their design sensibilities so much. It was easy to plug my two cents into their plans," she further said.  

The girls of the Barobi family - Azida, 17; Habiba, 15; Zulufa, 14 - were sharing a room and living out of their suitcases before 'Extreme Makeover' stepped into the scene. Therefore, creating bedroom spaces for them was a crucial challenge because it had to match their personalities.

"So, while we were making design traces making sure that the colors match their personalities and there are styles and how they would be using the spaces," Tamara elaborated and added that it was truly "emotional" to see the spaces transform in the way they did because it was essential that a part of who the girls were reflected in the design they made.  "And it really was emotional to see that transform from, from being a square box into a space that fit their personalities," she expressed.

But, Tamara didn't have it easy. She had to do a lot juggling of schedule before she could arrive at the Barobi family's construction site because it was kids' first day at school and she had to be there for them. 

Tamara loves her work and it easily understandable in the way she couldn't pick a favorite corner in the house. "I don't know there were so many great," she said. The upstairs balcony, the desk space with bookcases, french doors out front, and the library just outside of the bedroom are some of the highlights of the house that she had fun styling for. 

Catch all new episodes of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' on HGTV every Sunday, 8/9 c.