‘You’ll laugh and cry with us’: Jessica Alba and her bestie tackle home renovations
Isn’t it nice when coworkers can also be besties?
Take Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis. The longtime pals are going into Season 2 of Roku’s “Honest Renovations” closer than ever.
Besides their Hollywood careers in common, the actresses, both mothers of three, share a love for interior decorating and helping others.
Viewers will get to see their tight-knit bond in the original series, which sees them putting in the work — figuratively and literally. (Yes, Alba can work a nail gun.)
Each episode shows the women transform not only people’s personal spaces — but their lives. Think of it as a female version of “Property Brothers.”
“We created the show together, we produce it together, and we host together,” Mathis said Friday from the Setai hotel in Miami Beach. “This is as authentic as it gets.”
“We have fun just messing with each other,” Alba added. “Like sisters.”
But the focal point of “Honest Renovations” isn’t just their friendship — it’s about the families they help.
“There’s a lot of heart,” said the 43-year-old “Sin City” star. “You’ll probably laugh and cry with us.”
Highlights of the “tender and touching” season include the two giving before and after tear-inducing glow-ups to empty nesters; a cancer patient; and a single mom dealing with the recent deaths of two relatives.
““That’s why we love this show,” said Mathis, 42. “Because it does touch on real-life issues.”
After all the time and energy the ladies put into the fixer-uppers, they seemed to appreciate a little time off in a sunny place.
Amid their ongoing press tour, with stops in concrete jungles like New York, Toronto and Atlanta, they had no issue with Miami, despite it being August and all.
“I mean, the first thing I wanted to see was the beach,” said Mathis, whose film credits include “Tron: Legacy” and “Unstoppable.”
.Alba concurred: “Just like staring at the water. It’s so majestic here, so beautiful.”
As for the Magic City’s inevitable afternoon, late summer downpour? Not an issue.
“It’s like, two hours at most,” Alba continued. “And then it clears up, and it’s great. I love that tropical rain.”
So, before wrapping up, we had to ask: Any tips and tricks on keeping a crib not only looking sleek, cozy and hip, but organized? Especially if you’re a super-busy working parent?
“I think, even if you can’t renovate your home, even if that’s too big of a project, you can still create different spaces that belong to you,” advises Mathis, a Detroit native. Everyone “needs some space in the house that they know they can go to, to have a moment to just breathe, take it all in, de-stress. It’s super important for our mental health.”
Alba thinks the key to a clear mind is an uncluttered home, but fully realizes it takes steely discipline to purge.
“You don’t need to save everything you’ve ever had, and knowing what really brings you joy is what you should surround yourself with,” said the California native. “After something has served its purpose, it’s OK to let it go and give it to someone else who could give it a whole new life.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 1:15 PM.
