My Houzz: NFL Star Deshaun Watson Surprises Mom With a Remodel
The quarterback thanks his mother with new furniture, cabinets and a fresh style that brightens his childhood home
Mitchell Parker
January 29, 2019
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Deshaun Watson credits a lot of his success as an NFL quarterback to his mom, Deann Watson. In 2006, when Deshaun was 11 years old, his single mother moved him and his three siblings from a cramped two-bedroom government apartment to a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Gainesville, Georgia. Deann earned the new house through the Habitat for Humanity charity organization by applying and doing hundreds of hours of community service. “It changed everyone’s lives,” Deshaun says. “It made me motivated to fulfill my dreams. It helped me get to where I am today, and I’m thankful for that.”
Deann still lives in the home, and before Deshaun led the Houston Texans team to the NFL playoffs this season, he decided to surprise her with a renovation of the kitchen and living room. “She deserves it,” Deshaun says. “Everything she went through, this is really the smallest thing I can do for her. I’m a momma’s boy, so she gets whatever she wants.”
Deann still lives in the home, and before Deshaun led the Houston Texans team to the NFL playoffs this season, he decided to surprise her with a renovation of the kitchen and living room. “She deserves it,” Deshaun says. “Everything she went through, this is really the smallest thing I can do for her. I’m a momma’s boy, so she gets whatever she wants.”
NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson stands in front of his mother’s home, which he renovated as a gift. “After” photos by Kelli Kroneberger
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Deann Watson, the mother of NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson, and two of her four children
Location: Gainesville, Georgia
Size: Four bedrooms, two bathrooms
Design-build team: Laurel and David Mullikin of Infinite Home
Watch now: See Deshaun Watson surprise his mom with a makeover
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Deann Watson, the mother of NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson, and two of her four children
Location: Gainesville, Georgia
Size: Four bedrooms, two bathrooms
Design-build team: Laurel and David Mullikin of Infinite Home
Watch now: See Deshaun Watson surprise his mom with a makeover
As a quarterback for the Houston Texans football team, Deshaun lives full time in Texas. For help with making over his mom’s home, he used Houzz to find Georgia-based Infinite Home, a design-build firm run by wife-and-husband Laurel and David Mullikin — she’s the designer; he’s the builder. Deshaun collaborated with them through ideabooks and used the Shop to buy the furniture, accessories and materials to update the living and kitchen areas.
Deshaun also tapped his aunt Sonia Watson, who lives in Georgia, to meet in person with the Mullikins to help communicate Deann’s style and needs.
One-light mini pendants in black: Progress Lighting; District stools: Sterling; stainless steel undercabinet range hood: Kitchen Bath Collection
Deshaun also tapped his aunt Sonia Watson, who lives in Georgia, to meet in person with the Mullikins to help communicate Deann’s style and needs.
One-light mini pendants in black: Progress Lighting; District stools: Sterling; stainless steel undercabinet range hood: Kitchen Bath Collection
Before: The existing living room and kitchen hadn’t changed much in the 12 years since the family moved in. Through conversations with Sonia and Deshaun, the Mullikins learned that Deann often entertains large parties of family and friends and enjoys cooking, watching TV and reading.
Laurel felt that the two-seater sofa and a pantry closet to the left of the range blocked the view and social connection between the living room and the kitchen.
Laurel felt that the two-seater sofa and a pantry closet to the left of the range blocked the view and social connection between the living room and the kitchen.
After: Laurel replace the pantry with a floor-to-ceiling cabinet featuring pullout shelves, and she reconfigured the living room layout with a sectional sofa that allowed her to remove the two-seater. This created a better connection between the two rooms.
Leather pouf ottomans in mustard yellow: Moroccan Buzz; Sanford round cocktail table: Hammary; Constanza atom accessories in gold finish: Uttermost; linen pillow in navy with off-white pompom trim, 24 by 24 inches: PillowFever; Ras African mud cloth pillow, 20 by 20 inches: Bryar Wolf
Watch now: See more of the renovated home
Leather pouf ottomans in mustard yellow: Moroccan Buzz; Sanford round cocktail table: Hammary; Constanza atom accessories in gold finish: Uttermost; linen pillow in navy with off-white pompom trim, 24 by 24 inches: PillowFever; Ras African mud cloth pillow, 20 by 20 inches: Bryar Wolf
Watch now: See more of the renovated home
Before: The existing cabinets, black laminate countertops, engineered hardwood floors and insufficient lighting gave the kitchen a dark appearance. A small island without a countertop overhang resulted in a lot of banged knees, especially by 6-foot-3-inch Deshaun.
After: Laurel and David replaced the cabinets, countertops and appliances. Gray cabinets, marble backsplash tile and a ton of new ceiling lighting created a much brighter kitchen.
Deann had always wanted wood floors in both areas (the existing living room had carpet), so David and his crew replaced the old dark floors with a lighter, wider plank.
David had hoped that the existing wood floor was nailed down or snapped in, two common methods of installation that would have taken minutes to remove. Instead he discovered that it was glued down, which left him and his crew with a bit more work. “A full day of demo was probably two hours of ripping the whole kitchen out and six hours of getting that floor up,” David says.
Watch now: See how the crew handles pulling up the glued-down wood floor
Deann had always wanted wood floors in both areas (the existing living room had carpet), so David and his crew replaced the old dark floors with a lighter, wider plank.
David had hoped that the existing wood floor was nailed down or snapped in, two common methods of installation that would have taken minutes to remove. Instead he discovered that it was glued down, which left him and his crew with a bit more work. “A full day of demo was probably two hours of ripping the whole kitchen out and six hours of getting that floor up,” David says.
Watch now: See how the crew handles pulling up the glued-down wood floor
The larger island features a blue base that helps break up the neutral palette in the kitchen. A quartz countertop that looks like marble has a generous overhang to accommodate guests sitting at new wood-topped swivel stools.
Sendan Tokusa shallow bowl: Miya; Autumn Hues pepper mill and salt mill in cobalt blue: Chef Specialties; Bianco Carrara polished marble subway tile, 3 by 6 inches: All Marble Tiles
Sendan Tokusa shallow bowl: Miya; Autumn Hues pepper mill and salt mill in cobalt blue: Chef Specialties; Bianco Carrara polished marble subway tile, 3 by 6 inches: All Marble Tiles
Before: The existing cabinets didn’t take full advantage of the available wall space, which further brought down the atmosphere.
After: Laurel took the cabinets to the ceiling, creating more storage and visual height. She also brought the marble tile backsplash to the ceiling above the window and up to the range, giving the wall visual texture and interest.
Watch now: See Deshaun Watson’s mother react to her newly remodeled kitchen
Watch now: See Deshaun Watson’s mother react to her newly remodeled kitchen
Before: A rectangular table and matching chairs crowded the dining area by the back door. The stippled ceiling was a popular feature in Georgia homes at one time.
After: A round table frees up the traffic path to the back door. A smoothed-out ceiling creates a crisper look.
Webre chandelier in matte black and gold leaf: Dimond; Ubon large wood lantern: Imax Worldwide Home; Messina round dining table: Brownstone; Malone midcentury modern dining side chairs: Coaster Home Furnishings; Splash dinner plates: Abigails; Refined gold silverware sets: Skandia; Soprito blackout Roman shades in beige: Residence
Webre chandelier in matte black and gold leaf: Dimond; Ubon large wood lantern: Imax Worldwide Home; Messina round dining table: Brownstone; Malone midcentury modern dining side chairs: Coaster Home Furnishings; Splash dinner plates: Abigails; Refined gold silverware sets: Skandia; Soprito blackout Roman shades in beige: Residence
A microwave drawer in the island is one of Deann’s favorite features in her new kitchen, as is the new countertop. “When Deann saw it, she couldn’t stop touching it,” Laurel says.
Insight Pro microwave drawer oven in stainless steel: Sharp; Cantina glass pitcher: Libbey; Laurel Caspen decorative tray in white: Uniek
Watch now: See how this surprise renovation came together
Insight Pro microwave drawer oven in stainless steel: Sharp; Cantina glass pitcher: Libbey; Laurel Caspen decorative tray in white: Uniek
Watch now: See how this surprise renovation came together
Before: The existing living room was functional, but the furniture had seen a bit of wear and tear, and the arrangement wasn’t making the best use of the space. For example, the TV sat on a bookcase blocking one of the windows.
After: Laurel reconfigured the furniture layout, moving the TV above a new electric fireplace (something Deann had always wanted), and added a sectional sofa that doesn’t block the front window. “It really opened up the light in the room,” Laurel says. A new front door with a larger glass window brings in even more light. The TV can be pulled out and angled toward the kitchen, so Deann never misses one of her son’s touchdowns.
Laurel kept the overall palette neutral for cohesiveness with the kitchen and brought in Deann’s favorite colors — warm oranges, browns, blues and yellows — through pillows, footstools, a blanket and tables. “I never thought it would be like this,” Deann says of her new home. “It’s beautiful.”
Tuxedo two-piece sectional sofa in Mountain Gray: Apt2B; White Oak 3D honed ledger panels on fireplace, 6 by 24 inches: Tilesbay; whitewashed floating shelves: JNMRustic Designs; Western Electric fireplace insert with remote control: Puraflame
Laurel kept the overall palette neutral for cohesiveness with the kitchen and brought in Deann’s favorite colors — warm oranges, browns, blues and yellows — through pillows, footstools, a blanket and tables. “I never thought it would be like this,” Deann says of her new home. “It’s beautiful.”
Tuxedo two-piece sectional sofa in Mountain Gray: Apt2B; White Oak 3D honed ledger panels on fireplace, 6 by 24 inches: Tilesbay; whitewashed floating shelves: JNMRustic Designs; Western Electric fireplace insert with remote control: Puraflame
Deann and Deshaun share a moment in the new kitchen. “She’s always been a fighter, and that inspired me,” Deshaun says of his mom, who in 2011 developed cancer and had to have her tongue surgically removed, making it difficult for her to speak and eat. “If she can get through that, no type of adversity can hold me back for what I want to achieve. Being a son and being able to take care of your mom, it feels good.”
Watch now: See Deann’s reaction to her remodeled home
Get the look: Shop for products from this makeover
Your turn: Find a professional and get started on your own project
Watch now: See Deann’s reaction to her remodeled home
Get the look: Shop for products from this makeover
Your turn: Find a professional and get started on your own project
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It is beautiful, but why did you have to destroy the kitchen cupboards for dramatic effect? Could the cupboards not have been donated to someone less fortunate? There is so much unnecessary waste in these renovations shows.
This episode really touched my heart! Infinite blessings to Deshaun and his family. A real story about love and perseverance. Thanks Houzz! ❤️
This is such a great gift to his mother.