For seven weeks, Michelle Mueller and Sydney Lorence of Seward traded everyday life for construction dust, cameras, competition and beachside renovation in South Carolina.
Mueller and Lorence, a mother-daughter duo, were contestants on HGTV’s “Battle on the Beach,” a seven-episode series that premiered June 1.
The show aired on HGTV and is available on HBO Max. It featured three two-person teams, each competing to flip a rental home with a $100,000 budget. As the team that increased the value of their home the most, Mueller and Lorence won.
Each team was paired with an expert mentor. Mueller and Lorence’s mentor was longtime host of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” Ty Pennington.
Mueller said they went into the competition hoping Pennington would be their mentor, so they were thrilled when they learned they were paired with him.
Lorence said he was incredibly fun to work with.
“He’s a goofball,” she said. “Says about 57 ideas in one room. Does the most outrageous things that don’t even get shown on TV. And just an all-around kind, genuine and hilarious guy. So grateful to have had him as our mentor and can honestly say I feel like I have a friend for life.”
From day one, Mueller thought that Lorence was like a younger female version of Pennington.
“She was able to keep up with his antics,” Mueller said. “He initially had a hard time trying to see the visions we had for the house, but he never tried to push us into his designs. He offered suggestions without being overbearing or ever making you feel like your designs were less than.
“Even after we were back home and Sydney was struggling to learn how to deal with the rude comments that people were making, he took the time to share his insight and offer advice.”
While working with Pennington was one of the highlights, competing on the show also brought its challenges.
Lorence said their competitors were talented and could not be underestimated.
“A competition show is hard,” she said. “There are so many aspects to it: the budget, timeline, competition, ordering, physical labor, mentors, challenges, not to mention being on a television show. There is a lot to juggle!”
Prior to the show, Lorence, a 2012 graduate of Seward High School, lived more than an hour’s drive from her mother in Seward. The pair had not worked together as frequently in recent years, and when they did work together, it was either Lorence’s project or Mueller’s project.
This was the first time they led a project without one clear lead designer, which was challenging to navigate.
“There were days where we were both ready to pack our bags, probably, and haul it home, depending on how we were working with each other, or just the overall experience could just be overwhelming, because you are expected to do a lot in seven weeks,” Mueller said.
One of the biggest hurdles they faced was attempting to design one project as two creative individuals. According to Mueller, they had to realize they could not both be lead designers because they have different tastes and did not want the house to look like a hodgepodge of different ideas.
“Sydney had taken the lead to get us on the show, so I backed off design,” Mueller said. “I was there to help bounce ideas off of and occasionally throw out suggestions. Sydney needed to prove to herself that she has what it takes to do great design, and she did just that.”
Lorence, who is a stay-at-home mom and content creator with two young children, said being away from family was also difficult. Luckily, her husband and mother-in-law held down the fort while she was gone.
At the same time, Lorence said she enjoyed having coworkers while filming. They shared laughs, conversations and ideas. Mueller agreed, stating that their team was the best aspect of being on the show.
“We had the best carpenters, camera crew, sound crew and producers,” Mueller said. “And, of course, the best mentor. Ty was very patient and helpful in guiding us but did not take over the project.”
Overall, Lorence learned a lot about herself through the experience.
Although she is generally very confident, she found that she can feel insecure around her mother, who taught her everything she knows. The TV experience taught her not to feel that way as much.
“I’ve learned I do have talent and an eye for design that maybe got doubt before,” she said. “I’ve learned to work with others. I’ve learned to drown out the haters and listen to those that love and support me.”
Lorence said it was a bit terrifying to be on the set of a major TV show because she knew how many eyes would be on her.
“When you’re there, you kind of forget that people are going to be watching,” she said. “After a while, you become comfortable, and then you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, how many people are going to watch this here in a couple weeks?’”
Ups, downs and everything in between, the pair felt proud to be a part of Battle on the Beach.
“Proud that Sydney had the confidence and initiative to fill out the application, and the courage to bring her mom along on this wild ride,” Mueller said. “Proud that we were able to hold our own and actually were able to come home with a win.”
