Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, known for taking on huge remodels in only 5 days, had an even crazier idea: renovate an entire New York City apartment in 12 hours on live television for two FDNY firefighters. And they found only one company with what it took to pull it off: Alure Home Improvements.
The apartment was in rough shape. Sal Ferro, President of Alure, recalls, "It hadn't been touched in the 80 years since it was built. You just had to touch the walls and they started to
crumble. But we were ready for the challenge. We had the years in business and the history of doing the right thing, we had the resources, the infrastructure, the leadership, and the manpower in place to make it happen."
As with all of Alure’s jobs, planning was the key to success. Doug Cornwell of Alure, who designed the kitchen and bath, said, "We did an hour-by-hour schedule for every task in the
apartment. Everyone knew where they had to be when and what they had to do. Honestly, it wasn't much different than what we do on every job, except the time was very compressed."
Alure used the same process they do on every job: consulting with the homeowners on their wants and needs, creating a design to accommodate them, doing pre-production to make sure every spec is correct, and managing the project so it is done on time, on budget, and to impeccable quality standards.
The other key was Alure’s teamwork. Many of Alure’s staff were up for more than 40 hours straight, right through the end of the "reveal" on live television on May 6th. Yet, despite the minefield of equipment, the pouring rain, and the cramped spaces, Alure’s commitment to safety meant no one was injured and the quality of the work was exceptional. To a person, the Alure crew was always energized and positive, describing the experience as “one of the best experiences of my life,” “rewarding,” “satisfying,” “intense,” and “phenomenal.”
After the project was completed, Ty Pennington affirmed that, “Alure delivered big time for Pete and Joe.” The firefighters agreed. Pete marvels, “Alure literally transformed a real old apartment with old everything—fixtures, floors, walls—into a brand new modern apartment. It’s amazing. It’s ten times better than what I would possibly have dreamed of.”
Joe agrees, “The work that Alure did in the amount of time they did it and the quality of the work...it’s exceptional. We love the place. It looks awesome.”
Read letter from Conrad Ricketts, Executive Producer, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (regarding Alure's work on the NYC Special "Friends Helping Friends" that aired May 2004)
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