Thanks to their hit HGTV show 100 Day Dream Home, Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt are familiar with designing and building fabulous living spaces. They're also no strangers to competition, having won season two of HGTV’s Rock the Block. On last night’s episode of Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge, they added another win with their incredible Barbie inspired backyard, beating fellow designers Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas (of Bargain Block/Rock the Block). “For me, it was a dream come true,” Mika beamed during an exclusive interview with MediaVillage. “Growing up, and as a kid, there's so much nostalgia with Barbie and designing her houses, her outfits, and everything! So, I was like, 'Are you kidding me? Is this really real?’”
“It almost felt like playtime for us,” added Brian (pictured at top, left, with Mika, Keith and Evan). “They let our imaginations run wild, and for us to be able to think out of the box, or I should say, think outside the toy box. Like Mika said, it was a dream come true. We had a ton of fun and we got a little crazy back there. I’ve got to say Barbie was the best client because she let us do whatever we wanted and never talked back.”
“The feeling of being able to be so creative and have so many options was great,” Mika concurred. “On our show, we're designing homes with our clients, but ultimately they make the design decisions. I doubt we have any current clients that would let [us] go as wild as we did with the Barbie Dream House. It took me back to my childhood and rekindled some of those memories that kind of get washed out as you get older, and I loved that.”
As a child of the ‘80s, Mika has fond memories of her time with Barbie, and considers her a positive influence. “Barbie was always a creative outlet,” she shared. “I actually played with Barbie until the 6th or 7th grade. My mom once asked, ‘Aren't you getting too old to play with Barbie?’ To this day she regrets that. When you lose that childlike innocence, you start getting into trouble. Barbie was a way to not only create the Barbie house, but storylines, outfits and so much more. I would write whole Barbie movies in my head, that's what I was doing as a kid.”
Brian didn’t grow up with the same affinity for Barbie that Mika has, but he appreciates it. “I played with dolls as a kid but never Barbie,” he recalled. “I had my big wheel, and GI Joes, but I was a Cabbage Patch boy. My mom actually handmade Cabbage Patch dolls for my brother and me that we’d play with. I do remember that era fondly and like Mika said, the ‘80s were a good time. I wish that was still around for kids today, and hopefully, with the movie and this Barbie resurgence, they'll play with more hands-on things versus video games.”
Part of their challenge required the Kleinschmidt’s to incorporate a specific decade into their design. Getting the 2000s was a perfect fit. “We actually graduated high school together in the year 2000,” said Brian. “So, when we were presented that decade, it was like it was meant to be! Our goal the entire time was to make sure that our outdoor space brought out people's inner childhood, and I think we nailed it.”
Mika agreed. “It was a good starting point, and it was important to not only think about Barbie but think about the era,” she said. “The 2000s were perfect for us.”
One of the biggest joys as a viewer of Barbie Dream House Challenge is seeing the enthusiasm and camaraderie between the competitors. Sure, it’s a competition, but everyone is just having fun. “I think we collaborated well,” Mika said. "We experienced Rock the Block and the intensity of that competition, and while [this] was a competition, it was playful. We were in that backyard with those beautiful views so there's no way you could be in a bad mood. We'd constantly look around and go, ‘Oh my gosh, we get to do this for a career?’ It was all positive vibes. Working with Keith and Evan was so much fun, they did an incredible job.”
“It was an absolute blast," added Brian. "It felt like we were at school recess every single day. We did anything, and everything, we wanted to do. However, we wanted to do even more in that backyard. We had bigger ideas, but unfortunately, Barbie’s budget and timeline didn’t allow for it. The only conflict was when we’d say, ‘Can we please add this and this?’ and the producers would reply, ‘No, you guys are done.’”
Moving forward, both Mika and Brian are looking forward to incorporating those inner kids they rediscovered into future projects. “One thing that’s a benefit for us working in Florida is outdoor spaces can be enjoyed year-round,” explained Mika. “There's no reason our clients can't create that joyous, playful feeling in their own homes. It doesn't have to be as extreme, but you can have moments. We got a lot of great ideas to go wild and take risks.”
“I'm sure you've seen that the world is experiencing a shortage of pink paint,” Brian laughed in closing. “So, Barbie’s influence, not just with the movie, but also the HGTV show, is definitely real. I think some of our clients are going to be more open to thinking outside the box. Be it pink or purple, different materials, I hope people will dream bigger when it comes to their dream home.”
Barbie Dream House Challenge is available to stream on MAX.
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