Every week, fan favorite judges Tayshia Adams, an interior design and real estate enthusiast, and Tyler Cameron, a general contractor (both former contestants), will be joined by guest judges including Nate Berkus, actor Rachel Bilson, HGTV star Christina Haack, and Bachelor titans like JoJo Fletcher, Sean Lowe, and Hannah Brown to grade the designs of the competitors. (The winner gets $100,000.) “[The mansion] is so iconic and instantly recognizable, but it was definitely ready for an upgrade,” says Berkus, who appears in episode four for the mixer room challenge. “The bones were always there, but the house needed to evolve the way the show has evolved—more layered and reflective of how people actually live and gather now.
Bachelor Nation alumni have returned to compete on the new renovation show.
Courtesy of HGTV
But can a physical renovation save the show’s soul? After viewer backlash around the show’s treatment of the previous Bachelorette, Jenn Tran, and other allegations of toxicity, it seems like a stroke of PR genius that, on Bachelor Mansion Takeover, fans will see former contestants making design choices geared toward creating a more welcoming and safe environment. “I think the best part is that previous Bachelor contestants are renovating it,” Adams tells AD. “They know how important each space is and what they miss or what they want to improve. And that helps keep the integrity of the mansion.”
Brand new bunk rooms
Cameron is blunt about the old design of the mansion. “It was kind of tacky,” he says. It was also uncomfortable for contestants, particularly the bunk rooms—tiny spaces that felt like college dorms, crowded with cameras. “The bunk rooms were [where you] go to bed, you wake up, and you put on a pair of clothes, and you never come back to [the rooms],” Cameron says.
Slide to see a before and after of a bunk room at the Bachelor Mansion.
“It was definitely not a sanctuary,” Adams concurs. Contestants addressed many of the problems in the redesign. There are now curtains on each bunk for privacy, and contestants have individual sconces for reading. In the women’s bunk room, contestants would previously crowd onto the patio to do their makeup. Now they have a full-length mirror and a makeup station.
The new beds provide more privacy for contestants.
“They definitely took the right measures now to make these bunk rooms a place where you can create privacy; you have curtains and all these things to give you alone time, which you don’t really get much of,” Cameron says. “Now when you can, you really can try to recharge.”
Rose Room revamp
The iconic Rose Room has also been transformed for the better. “Before, it really just felt like a stage for the rose ceremony,” Palmer says. “It had this kind of iron sculpture that had a bunch of little, teeny, tiny candles on it. It was more of a kind of a backdrop that didn’t really serve a purpose.” Now it feels like a sleek living room, complete with a chic bar and cozy nooks that are replete with fresh possibilities.
The new Rose Room offers more spaces for cast members to mingle.
Palmer is pleased. “I look at it as a host through the lens of, ‘Hey, what could we film in this room now?’” he says from the new Rose Room, pointing to the new features proudly. “You could literally bring your cocktail over here. The new Bachelorette could bring her guy over here for a one-on-one. And this is a great place to steal somebody if you wanted to. I mean, there’s so many opportunities.”
“You’re designing for multiple audiences at once,” Berkus says of creating a reality TV setting. “It has to work for the people in the space, for the cameras, and for viewers at home.”
Overall, both Palmer and the judges are impressed with what contestants have accomplished. “I loved seeing a more modern approach while still being true to what the house is about,” Berkus says. “It feels refreshed but not disconnected from the emotion and romance that people associate with it.”
A new era
Slide to see the upgraded kitchen.
With upgrades to amenities including the gym, pool, and outdoor date spaces, Cameron says the tenor of the franchise may even be transformed. “I think this could cause some trouble, honestly, because if you think about this, the guys are going to be in the gym, bro-ing out, hanging out everywhere. Taylor’s going to be like, ‘Guys, I’m here.’ And they’re going to be like, ‘We’ll get to you in a minute.’ I can see that happening. Who’s going to want to get out of bed in these bunk rooms? These are nice. Who’s going to want to leave the mixer room and the bars?”
“I’m going to be lounging by the pool,” Adams laughs. “I’m going to make a pizza out of the pizza maker. There’s also a cold brew draught!”
