Restoration Wild

Restoration Wild is an inspiring and captivating series that aired on Discovery in 2015, showcasing the outstandingly creative mind of Jay Chaikin. Chaikin, a master restorer with an eye for hidden beauty, applies his renovation and design skills in our natural world. Putting his unique touch on every project, this series takes 'restoration' to a whole new level.

Chaikin, along with his team of restorers, journeys through America's backcountry looking for forgotten structures that are in bitter shape yet brimming with redemption potential. These dilapidated structures, which may appear to the typical eye only worthy of obsolescence, are brought back to life and transformed into awe-inspiring retreat areas integrated seamlessly with the surrounding natural environment. Season after season, viewers are left in marvel of the team's ability to breathe new life into decaying structures seemingly with nothing but time's permanent impression left on them.

In Restoration Wild, the process of redemption isn't confined only to buildings. It extends to the entire environment, the land around them, and even the stories they tell. Each challenging project is driven with a profound passion for preserving history, utilizing the structures and nature's immense bountiful provision around them. This makes the show a promising watch for not only home-renovation enthusiasts but also for those with a flair for history, architecture, design, and natural beauty.

What's striking about this Discovery Channel show is that it doesn't resort to the usual home-makeover cliches. The restoration process requires Chaikin and his team to navigate unparalleled challenges. They grapple with unexpected weather shifts, hard-to-reach locations, difficulties in delivering materials to the sites, and the need to maintain the fragile ecological balance of their surrounding environments. This show captures this process in extensive detail, providing viewers with a strikingly realistic account of backcountry restoration.

The awe-inspiring restorations featured in Restoration Wild strip us from our urban dwellings and transport us into the wild. We see a rundown school bus turn into a phenomenal rustic guesthouse, a defunct water mill transformed into an engaging family retreat, and a derelict wine barrel reimagined as a vintage bathing room. In each episode, viewers are taken through an adventurous and visually exciting journey from the initial discovery of the structure to its eventual restoration.

Disregarding typical modernization or luxury embellishments, Restoration Wild homespun appeal lies in rustic aesthetics and functional utility. Chaikin and his crew blend the constructed features with the natural elements from the surrounding landscape, creating retreats that elevate living in the great outdoors to new heights of comfort and earthiness, perhaps a one-off in the world of design and renovation shows on television.

Humor and camaraderie amid the team keep the audience engaged while also engraved with an emotionally resonant chord as the processes often pay homage to the site's historical roots. The before and after comparisons are always a delightful spectacle, showing how personal creativity combined with respect for nature can transform something ordinary, aged, or forgotten into something profoundly charming and functional.

Chaikin's philosophy is that there are no limitations to creativity and resourcefulness, and a true restoration should incorporate the history and essence of the building and surrounding landscape. He doesn't force modern construction onto historic structures; instead, he delicately employs techniques and materials that help restore the building to its original form.

Chaikin's team, consisting of his brother Rick and son Jesse, adds a familial and heartwarming dynamic to the show. Their interactions and shared passion for turning the old into the new are noticeable and add an additional layer to the overall viewing experience.

In conclusion, Restoration Wild is a series that beautifully merges history, architecture, design, nature and storytelling into a visually stunning television experience. As each episode's restoration project serves as a testament to the team's passion and commitment to retrieving pieces of history back from the brink of extinction, the show ultimately inspires us to respect nature, appreciate history, and embrace the beauty of life in the wilderness. It's an invitation to break free from the concrete jungle and reconnect with the wild, and it makes for truly refreshing television.