Nicole Curtis is planning her return to reviving old homes on TV. The Rehab Addict star took a break from doing so after nine seasons of her hit HGTV series and two spinoffs. Since her most recent show, Rehab Addict: Lake House Rescue, aired in 2022, fans have consistently inquired about when she’ll be back on their screens. So House Beautiful caught up with the Michigan-based house restoration expert to find out what she’s been up to and what’s next.
“We’ve been filming but not specifically for anyone,” says Curtis, who took a hiatus to build her own production company after years of partnering with other production companies to make her TV shows. “So even when I say I’m taking a break, and I do, we still roll cameras on really cool things because I’m like, ‘Eh, I’ll use it later to come back.’”
Curtis’s process is slow, but being deliberate rather than rushed is her trademark. Her Michigan vacation home on Lake Orion, featured in a three-episode miniseries, took eight years to complete. “I’m very, very, very particular about how our houses are restored,” Curtis says. She explains: “We don’t demo. So we go in, and we clean it. I call it an exploratory demo, which I do myself, to actually see what’s left in the house that’s original. And then we slowly put it back together…So we really take our time to make sure I find absolutely every piece that fits the house perfectly.”
She still works on homes and secretly added to her collection of Airbnbs by restoring an old nursing home in Detroit, which took four years to finish. While the six-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom project was never filmed, her other Michigan rentals were featured on Rehab Addict, including her 14 Mile House, Heights Cottage, and grandparents’ farm. “We’ve created my little mini museum so the houses stay just like they were on the show,” Curtis says.
While it’s not easy for fans to recreate Curtis’s designs because they’re filled with one-of-a-kind items sourced from estate sales and antique stores, they can still shop her home lines. She’s releasing a second collection of bathroom vanities in early 2025 at Walmart. It’ll be ideal for new homeowners in search of a beginner-friendly way to revamp a bathroom. She also expanded her classic-style rug line with fresh designs, some of which feature geometric patterns. It’s partly inspired by her eldest son’s preference for modern decor as he’s embarked on furnishing his home as a first-time buyer.
Nicole Curtis Geometric Tufted Rug
Nicole Curtis Oriental Rug
Nicole Curtis Geometric Machine Washable Rug
Nicole Curtis Floral Machine Washable Rug
In between all those projects and spending time with her family, Curtis is still on a broader mission to save old homes. “I have also been devoting time, still, to many preservation efforts across the country,” Curtis says. “My own hometown has been run over with developers destroying historic sites, and I have been doing my best to put a halt to it.”
Unfortunately, she hasn’t had a lot of success lately. “We just lost seven historic structures across the street from my Heights Cottage,” she says.
She remains passionate about the cause on and off-screen. On the filming front, Curtis is excited about what’s in the works and the possibility of widening the scope of her work one day. “What I would really love to be doing is a travel show,” says Curtis, who has been exploring destinations she’s always wanted to visit, such as Egypt and India. “That’s our dream show, but we’re going to work on what we know for now and then expand later.”
Meanwhile, her fans can take comfort in the knowledge that more is on the way. “I promise we’re coming back,” Curtis says. “Otherwise, I’m making some very expensive home movies.”
