DIY Mom continues to take on bigger challenges

Rebekah Higgs has never been one to take shortcuts.

The redecorator, renovator and star of Bell Fibe TV1 show DIY Mom is constantly daring to go bigger than ever before.

With the fourth season of her hit show now on the streamer, Higgs finds herself pushing boundaries once again in the 10-part season.

“I'm there for every moment. I'm DIY in the sense I produce, direct, organize schedules, deal with production and shooting,” said Higgs.

“I find sponsors, and every angle of this project I look at it from a business model and stay hands-on.”

Higgs – who moved from a life in music to working in the renovation and house-flipping industry – also has eight-year-old daughter Lennon and a dog named Ziggy.

“I wanted a new creative role, and I loved decorating, renovation and repurposing. I had a baby, I was filming projects, and while she napped, I was editing videos, and putting them on YouTube,” she said.

She was asked to do a show called Eyes For The Job, but soon got her own show, DIY Mom.

“It gave me the opportunity to renovate, fix a house and film everything. I got to design and come up with a concept,” she said.

This season, she found a home in the hills of Rockingham, overlooking the Bedford Basin in Halifax. The 1950s bungalow home represents a huge challenge.

“Because I've grown in my skills, I wanted this mid-century home. I want to bring the 1950s bungalow back,” she said.

“When I was doing research, works like Scandanavian and pastel were present. My inspiration came from the 1940s-1960s-influenced books I was reading. I was veering from the black-and-white of the past and giving myself new parameters and challenges.”

She is able to accomplish so much because she has a great team around her. Higgs says she delegates as best as possible.

“One of the girls I first worked with was Lennon's babysitter … She was hyper-organized, and now helps me flip Airbnbs and does taxes. I love to find young women who are curious and want to learn. I can always use help on new projects.”

It's a cause that's incredibly close to Higgs' heart.

“I'm finding young women who want to work. I'm employing editors and cinematographers, and I think it's important to help those around you,” she said.

“Due to my upbringing and my own privilege, I have these opportunities. There aren't many other women in the industry. So I want to give women more opportunities.”

Higgs acquired the home featured in season four on September 1, and demolition took 45 days.

“We trenched the floor, did plumbing, and had to pour concrete on the floors because it wasn't level. We did rough framing, drywall, and had the floors down by Christmas,” she said.

“In January, we got the bathrooms ready. Once bedrooms and the bathroom were done, Lennon and I moved in and were there for the rest of the renovation. It was completed in mid-March, and we filmed for 60 days.”

COVID-19 caused delays in materials and appliances arriving, and the cost of lumber skyrocketed. But there was another, more physical issue Higgs faced.

“There were so many hallways in this house. The middle portion was all hallways, and it limited the view. When we gutted it, we had to bring it right to the slabs,” she said.

“The only thing we didn't change was the exterior walls. It had sat on the market for so long because people didn't know what to do with it. The layout was so bizarre. Now we have an open-concept dining room, living room and kitchen, with views of the beautiful basin.”

Higgs has always had a flair for design and renovation, and says her parents had a lot to do with that.

“I come from a family of entrepreneurs. When I was growing up, my dad would drop me off at school and just say 'make it happen.' That followed me into adulthood. If my parents didn't know how to do something, they still gave it a go,” she said.

“My mom was always decorating, painting and making curtains out of bedspreads. She was very Debbie Travis in how she decorated. Mom was so crafty and she and dad worked well together.”

Higgs loved the project, but she's looking to do something a bit different in the near future.

“I love helping people. So many women can't do what I do because they can't get the money or mortgage to flip houses. I want to do what I can to make this accessible. I also want to get into affordable housing for single mothers,” she said.

“I want to give back and dive into housing grants. I want to have a team of women to help me solve some of these issues.”

DIY Mom is now available on Bell FibeTV1 in its entirety.